The Worth Of Souls

Probably the most misunderstood figure in the life of Jesus Christ is the Apostle Judas. He walked with Christ, saw His miracles, felt His majesty, and yet, at the end, betrayed Him. How could one who walks with God turn against Him? People argue he had a different vision of the journey Christ was meant to take. Others see him as the wolf in sheep’s clothes, waiting among the disciples to betray the Christ. When I look at Judas, I see a struggle between good and evil. An epic battle for his soul.

Christ knew his mission and, based on scripture, had some detailed knowledge of how everything would play out. He may not have known Judas’ final fate in the beginning, but Judas was called either way. The Lord never called a soul to Him without a path to a greater good. No matter what Christ knew of Judas’ fate, He called Judas because He desired to bless his life. In scripture, there is clear bias against the man who betrayed the Lord, and perhaps it is all warranted, but I believe the Lord called a soul with the same flaws as Peter and Saul.

We often look over the depth of Peter’s betrayal when Christ is taken. The man who swore to stand at Jesus’ side to the end ran in fear, realizing Jesus did not intend on fighting his captures. To seal the betrayal, he is asked on multiple occasions if he knew Jesus, and he denied it. This is only hours after the Lord predicts this, to which Peter swore it could not be so. Why do we overlook this betrayal? Because Peter repented.

Peter was not the only Apostle to betray the Lord that evening. Not a single man stood with Christ as he was taken to be judged. When the people called for Christ’s death, not one apostle is noted to shout a rebutle. Of the twelve that walked with God, none stood with Him at His most desperate sacrifice.

This moment was the most important moment in human history, but there was one barrier that stood between Christ and the cross. The betrayal of Judas. Had he chosen to turn back to Jesus that night and stayed among his friends, the Savior would not have died. Without this very betrayal, the most power sacrifice to be made would not have been made. How could Judas not have betrayed Jesus with the fate of redemption resting in the choice. What a truly sacred role Judas played in the Atonement of Christ.

The spirit can not tempt Judas to do evil, but it can leave him and allow the devil to tempt him. With an absent spirit, it was easy for the devil to work on Judas’ pride and lead him to believe he knew what was best. Here is the worth of a soul. The devil knows the Savior. It is evident in the way the corrupt spirits spoke to Christ in His ministry. This means the devil knew of the importance of what was about to happen, but despite the great disturbance this would cause to his own plans, Judas soul was worth the risk. Judas, the betrayer, soul was worth that to the devil. If that is so, how much more important was his soul to Christ.

Judas soul was important to Christ. If we could turn back time, perhaps we could convince him of his importance. He could have been the greatest Apostle of the bunch, the betrayer becoming the bold missionary. Unfortunately, his story did not play out the same as Peter and the other apostles. He could never forgive himself for his betrayal.

Each soul is beyond precious to the Lord, but they are equally precious to the devil. Both Peter and Judas betrayed Jesus that night, but it was Peter that rose above his mistake. When the world swallows you down, remember it is not what we do in our lowest moments that define us, but how we choose to climb up out of those deepest ravines.