As I was reading up on Holy Week, I discovered that there’s such a thing as Holy Wednesday. This is the day that Judas approached the Sanhedrin with an offer to betray Jesus.
It’s safe to say that not many believers are on #TeamJudas, but I am in the group that believes that Judas got a bad rap. I can’t help but to wonder a lot of “what if” scenarios. What if his guilt hadn’t overtaken him so much that he didn’t think forgiveness was possible? What if one of the other disciples had reached out to him and said, “Look man, I know you’re beating yourself up about this, but Jesus is all about repentance and restoration.” What if, what if, what if?
Judas has been on my mind again since last month when I was reading a book about evangelism. Just a few pages into this book that is popular among Christians, the author referred to Judas as “the traitor.” I literally did a double-take because I just knew I had misread the sentence. How, in a book about evangelism, could we still label Judas as the worst thing he’d ever done? The purpose of evangelism is to preach the good news – to let people know that, in Christ, all things are new. The good news is that Jesus offers a second chance . . . and a 8,349th chance. The good news is that there is always a chance to repent and be restored. Apparently, unless you’re Judas.
Well, I know of at least one other person who is on #TeamJudas. Her name is Rev. Judy Peterson; and last year, she preached a moving sermon about how the Church failed Judas, and how – if we’re honest – we are all Judas.
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