Q: Judas betrayed Jesus to fulfill an Old Testament prophecy. Why is Judas considered a traitor?
A: Judas is a traitor because he betrayed Jesus by his own free will. Yes, the Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would be betrayed (by 30 pieces of silver no less!), but it didn’t have to be Judas. That was his choice; God didn’t make him do it. God, who sees all time, knows the future before it happens. We call that foreknowledge. What I think you find troubling here is the notion that God predestined Judas to commit his act. If he was merely a puppet in God’s hands, how could he be responsible? There is a vast difference between foreknowing something and foreordaining it. Because we are free, God does not foreordain our actions. He knows ahead of time what we will do. (Calvinists will take exception to this, but that’s ok… I’m not a Calvinist!) If you are troubled by the notion that God preordained Judas to commit this crime and then condemned him for it, I share your concern. That isn’t how it happened with Judas and it isn’t how it works with us. We are free moral agents, responsible to God for our actions.
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