In The 6th chapter of John Jesus said these words:
"Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?"
Even in this band of Jesus' closest followers, those that were most privileged to see his miracles and hear his teaching, there was one who did not believe and who ultimately would betray Jesus.
This statement makes the important point that Judas Iscariot never believed in Jesus. Those who would deny our security in salvation often point to Judas as an example of one who was chosen but later fell away. But, instead, this passage proves that Judas never was saved. Judas was not chosen to eternal life, but to earthly discipleship; all along Jesus knew that Judas was not truly one of his own.
So why Jesus would choose an agent of Satan to be one of the Twelve? Arthur Pink points out six reasons why Jesus chose Judas to be one of his close companions, each of which tells us something important about our Lord and his gospel.
First, by choosing Judas as one of the Twelve, Jesus displayed his perfect obedience to the will of his Father. Hebrews 10:7 tells us that Jesus came into the world to fulfill the words of Psalm 40:7-8,
"Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of my in the scroll of the book."
One of the prophecies recorded in God's book required that Jesus be betrayed by a close friend:
"Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me" (Ps. 41:9).
Jesus included such a person in his band of companions so as to fulfill God's Word. When you are betrayed for your faith, you can take comfort in knowing that Jesus experienced the same for you.
Second, the choice of Judas provided an impartial witness to the moral excellency of Christ.
It was that Judas might be an important witness for the innocence of Jesus, and for the fact that he was not an impostor. Judas was with him more than three years. He was treated with the same confidence as the others, and in some respects even with superior confidence, as he had "the bag" or was the treasurer. He saw the Saviour in public and in private, heard his public discourses and his private conversation, and he would have been just the witness which the high-priests and Pharisees would have desired, if he had known any reason why he should be condemned. Yet he alleged nothing against him. Though he betrayed him, yet he afterward said that he was innocent, and, under the convictions of conscience, committed suicide.
Third, the choice of Judas gave occasion to uncover the awfulness of sin.
Judas enjoyed the close friendship of Jesus and witnessed his entire saving ministry, yet still betrayed him. This shows us the level of sin of which we are capable unless we should gain eternal life in Christ.
Fourth, this supplies sinners with a solemn warning. The example of Judas shows us how near a man may come to Christ and yet be lost.
Those who put on religious airs or frequent the church, but who do not yield their hearts to Jesus, are in the gravest peril. The example of Judas proves that "a man may witness the most stupendous marvels, may hear the most spiritual teaching, may make company with the most godly characters, and yet himself never be born again. This highlights the urgency of believing on Jesus Christ.
Fifth, we may expect to find hypocrites among the followers of Christ.
Judas was not an honest unbeliever. He deceived people by pretending to follow Jesus. He even preached the gospel, while not believing it himself.
He played his act so well that none of his peers doubted that he was a disciple. But Jesus knew all along, just as he knows the truth of every heart today. Judas' hypocrisy ended with his betrayal of Jesus, damning his own soul. There are Judases among us today - many of them occupying pulpits in the church - and we must not be dismayed when they are discovered.
Sixth, Jesus' choice of Judas to be one of the Twelve affords one more illustration of how radically different are God's thoughts and ways from ours.
This is not how we would orchestrate the coming of the world's Savior. Likewise, God has ordained many things that seem unwise to our way of thinking. But the wisdom of God's choice of Judas was unfolded at the cross, where our sins were put away by Christ's blood. Let us always trust God's higher wisdom for the world and for our own lives, humbling ourselves before his majesty, trusting his providential care and learning to embrace even the difficult teachings of his Word.
A DECISIVE QUESTION
Just a few verses before this verse we just looked at above, Jesus watched as the larger part of a big crowd left him, for they no longer wanted to follow him. Jesus then asked his disciples a question that everyone should ask themselves today.
"Do you want to go away as well?" (Jn. 6:67).
The world is not following Jesus. His teaching causes people to scoff and ridicule. His gospel and the way of life to which he calls us are out of fashion.
The choices are many. You may go back to your former way of life. You may wish to seek happiness through the pleasures of sin. You may have been worldly, adopting the values of our generation: materialism, egotism, and sensualism. But, having come to Jesus, would you really go back?
You might try to look for God within yourself or take up rituals that promise inner harmony and peace. You might take a more liberal approach to the Bible that avoids the hard teaching of the cross. You might hold onto your pride before God, turning to the dead moralism.
Where will you find forgiveness for your sins if you turn away from Jesus?
But if you realize that only Jesus has the words of life, then you must also realize that being his disciple may require you to stand with Jesus while others are turning away. You will have to follow him even when the path seems dark and his commands are hard to accept. And you will have to take up your cross - dying to sin, self, and the world to follow where Jesus leads.
Jesus calmly watched as the masses of unbelievers turned their backs and walked away. He asked the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" And when Peter, speaking for the others, answered, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life," Jesus was satisfied. "Did I not choose you," he said.
And having chosen this little band, eleven of whom would truly believe, Jesus looked confidently to the future. His path led to Judas' betrayal and his death on the cross. But beyond the cross lay a crown of glory and through the witness of just that small band of true disciples multitudes would believe and come to him. "For this is the will of my Father," he had said, "that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day" (Jn. 6:40).