Why did Jesus Choose Judas as his Apostle?

[devonsams]

Why Did Jesus Choose Judas as His Apostle if he knew from the beggining that he would be betrayed by him? Would you choose someone to your group if you knew from the beggining that he would betray you? Then Why Jesus did it?

 

[MichaelHowling]

We’re all called to be/work for Jesus and many of us betray Him.

God is outside of time and knows everything. We are inside of time and see only the present and we take steps towards the future.

God is always taking horrible things and can bring the good out of horrible. His mercy and willingness to love knows no bounds and calls to everyone as it did to Judas (who like us, had a free will).

Michael

 

[Glacies]

Church Fathers like St. Chrysostom, St. Augustine and St. Ambrose have had various explanations for the matter which are referred to by St. Thomas Aquinas in his commentary on the Gospel of St. John.

But if Christ chose Judas, who was later to become evil, it seems that our Lord made a mistake in choosing him. First, we might answer this as Chrysostom does, and say that this choice was not for predestination, but for some task, and in reference to a condition of present justice. Sometimes a person is chosen this way, not in relation to the future, but according to present realities; for being chosen in this way does not destroy one’s free choice or the possibility of sinning: hence we read, “Let him who thinks that he stands, take heed so he will not fall” (1 Cor 10:12). And so our Lord did choose Judas, but not as evil at that time; and being so chosen did not take away his possibility of sinning. Secondly, we could answer with Augustine, who said that our Lord did chose Judas as evil. And although he knew that he was evil, because it is characteristic of a good person to use evil for good, God made good use of this evil in allowing himself to be betrayed in order to redeem us. Or, we could say that the choice of the Twelve does not refer here to the persons, but rather to the number; as if to say: I have chosen Twelve. For this number is fittingly set apart for those who would preach the faith of the Holy Trinity to the four corners of the world. And indeed, this number did not pass away, because Matthias was substituted for the traitor. Or, according to Ambrose, Jesus chose Judas as evil so that when we read that our Lord and Master was betrayed by his disciple, we might be consoled if sometimes our friends betray us.

 

[SonSearcher]

Why Did Jesus Choose Judas as His Apostle if he knew from the beggining that he would be betrayed by him? Would you choose someone to your group if you knew from the beggining that he would betray you? Then Why Jesus did it?

It worked out for God. He must know something we don’t.

 

[rossum]

Why Did Jesus Choose Judas as His Apostle if he knew from the beggining that he would be betrayed by him? Would you choose someone to your group if you knew from the beggining that he would betray you? Then Why Jesus did it?

Judas was necessary. Imagine the scene if the Romans had arrived to arrest Jesus and Judas hadn’t been there to point Him out?

“Which one do we arrest, Centurion?”

“I don’t know. All these locals look the same to me.”

No arrest. No trial. No crucifixion. No resurrection. No salvation.

Seems to me that Judas was a very important part of the story.

rossum

 

[SonCatcher]

The same reason He called St. Peter or you or me.

To be in a relationship with Him. That Judas layer betrayed Jesus is unfortunate, but one can never say he didn’t have a chance.

 

[dee_burk]

so the scriptures would be fullfilled

 

[tabycat]

Judas was necessary. Imagine the scene if the Romans had arrived to arrest Jesus and Judas hadn’t been there to point Him out?

“Which one do we arrest, Centurion?”

“I don’t know. All these locals look the same to me.”

No arrest. No trial. No crucifixion. No resurrection. No salvation.

Seems to me that Judas was a very important part of the story.

rossum

I was thinking allong the same lines.

 

[tabycat]

The same reason He called St. Peter or you or me.

To be in a relationship with Him. That Judas layer betrayed Jesus is unfortunate, but one can never say he didn’t have a chance.

The only differice between Peter and Judas was that Peter repented and Judas did not repent.

 

[Doxiemom]

Why Did Jesus Choose Judas as His Apostle if he knew from the beggining that he would be betrayed by him? Would you choose someone to your group if you knew from the beggining that he would betray you? Then Why Jesus did it?

Jesus had to fulfill every prophecy about Him exactly. Judas was the person prophesied to betray Him.

 

[Glacies]

Judas was necessary. Imagine the scene if the Romans had arrived to arrest Jesus and Judas hadn’t been there to point Him out?

“Which one do we arrest, Centurion?”

“I don’t know. All these locals look the same to me.”

No arrest. No trial. No crucifixion. No resurrection. No salvation.

Seems to me that Judas was a very important part of the story.

rossum

The Redemptorist founder St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696 - 1 August 1787) says it was not necessary for Christ to die in order to bring about our salvation, as a single drop of His Precious Blood would have been enough for this, while the Crucifixion was required for the institution of the Holy Priesthood where the Lamb of God is offered up on our altars.

From The Dignity and Duties of the Priest:

Jesus has died to institute the priesthood. It was not necessary for the Redeemer to die in order to save the world; a drop of His Blood, a single tear, or prayer, was sufficient to procure salvation for all; for such a prayer, being of infinite value, should be sufficient to save not one but a thousand worlds. But to institute the priesthood, the death of Jesus Christ has been necessary. Had he not died, where should we find the victim that the priests of the New Law now offer? a victim altogether holy and immaculate, capable of giving to God an honor worthy of God. As has been already said, all the lives of men and Angels are not capable of giving to God an infinite honor like that which a priest offers to Him by a single Mass.

 

[brb3]

So that we can today understand why certain of our Catholic priests fall away into grave sin, …some of which aren’t recovered. And, why many of us have gone ‘prodigal’ in past, and baring suicide, many are recovered back to Jesus…when they see they have committed the Judas Sin of walking away …and looking for another master.

 

[mercytruth]

Why Did Jesus Choose Judas as His Apostle if he knew from the beggining that he would be betrayed by him? Would you choose someone to your group if you knew from the beggining that he would betray you? Then Why Jesus did it?

I don’t think Jesus actually chose Judas Iscariot to be his apostle. After praying to His heavenly Father, he was in obedience to his Father. As Jesus said:

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner." (John 5:19)

“"I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me."
(John 5:30)

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me."
(John 6:38)

"My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me"
(John 7:16)

"and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me."
(John 8:28)

"For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it."
(John12:49)

Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me."
(John 14:24)

God’s peace

micah

 

[Glacies]

So that we can today understand why certain of our Catholic priests fall away into grave sin, …some of which aren’t recovered. And, why many of us have gone ‘prodigal’ in past, and baring suicide, many are recovered back to Jesus…when they see they have committed the Judas Sin of walking away …and looking for another master.

It is crucial to repent our failures however great for St. Catherine of Siena relates in her Dialogue that the despair of Judas displeased God more than his treachery. Divine Mercy should never be underestimated.

Dialog of Catherine of Siena III:XXI:

But if she pass the Bridge of death without light, and alone, with the worm of conscience, without the hope of the Blood, and bewailing herself more on account of her first condemnation than on account of My displeasure, she arrives at eternal damnation. And then she is reproved cruelly by My Justice of injustice and of false judgment, and not so much of general injustice and false judgment which she has practiced generally in all her works, but much more on account of the particular injustice and false judgment which she practices at the end, in judging her misery greater than My mercy. This is that sin which is neither pardoned here nor there, because the soul would not be pardoned, depreciating My mercy. Therefore is this last sin graver to Me than all the other sins that the soul has committed. Wherefore the despair of Judas displeased Me more, and was more grave to My Son than was his betrayal of Him.