Judas Repented And Still Went to Hell

NRSV-CE: Matthew 27:3 When Judas, His betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself.

Douay-Rheims: Matthew 27:3 Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that he was condemned, repenting himself, brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and ancients, 4 Saying: I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. But they said: What is that to us? look thou to it. 5 And casting down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed: and went and hanged himself with an halter.

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Yes, you read that right. Judas Iscariot, the traitor to Our Lord, actually repented of his evil. Yet he still ended up in hell.

Now this word used here is “metamelomai”, which means to repent, regret or change your mind. Now obviously this verse causes much consternation among Protestantism because if their doctrine of faith alone were true, then this repentance would have been enough for Judas to be forgiven of his sins and to be saved. Yet we know that Judas was not forgiven and he was not saved.

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NSRV-CE: Mark 14:21 “For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.”

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There’s no getting around what Our Lord says here. If Judas Iscariot made it to Heaven, then what Jesus says here is wrong, since Judas would spend eternity in Heaven, even though his time in Purgatory would be unfathomable.

Protestants attempt to avoid how this verse refutes the doctrine of Faith Alone. So they look to another word that also means to repent, which is “metanoeó”, which is the word used when Our Lord uses when He tells the people to repent because the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Much is made of the difference in the words between metamelomai and metanoeo, but there really isn’t much difference to speak of. Both mean to repent or change your mind. There’s also another word for repent that is used in Acts 2 when Peter tells the crowd to repent and be baptized. That word is “metanoēsate”. As you can see they all have the same root of “meta”. Protestants have to pretend that there is a difference in the words because their doctrine of Faith Alone fails otherwise. As we know, faith alone does not save us, as Scripture explicitly says. Good works must follow our faith and we must love and obey Christ to be saved. These are not optional.

So what separates the repentance of Judas Iscariot from the repentance of St. Peter, who denied Our Lord three times?

St. Peter wept bitterly when he realized what he had done, and then went to Our Lord after the Resurrection and proclaimed his love for Christ three times to undo his three denials. Judas instead went to the chief priests and elders and tried to rid himself of his blood money. He was attempting to clear his conscience and soul by himself. This cannot be done.

So since Satan was still inside Judas Iscariot, he was encouraged and prodded to commit suicide and take his own life right after betraying Our Lord of His life. Twice now Judas commits unimaginably horrific sins, instead of turning to Christ and asking for forgiveness. He could have gone to Calvary and begged Our Lord for mercy while He was on the Cross. He could have looked God Himself in the face and pleaded for His grace, compassion and mercy while He was redeeming the entire world. But he chose to kill again instead. That is why he is in hell. His repentance led him to commit MORE sin instead of turning away from it.

Let’s take a deeper look at when Satan entered into Judas to see where he opened himself up to the demonic and helps to seal his fate.

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NRSV-CE: John 13:26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. 27 After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.”

Douay-Rheims: John 13:26 Jesus answered: He it is to whom I shall reach bread dipped. And when he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 And after the morsel, Satan entered into him. And Jesus said to him: That which thou dost, do quickly.

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Where the word “bread” is used in these verses, the original Greek word used is “psómion”, which means morsel or fragment. The Gospel of John doesn’t say that Judas received regular bread here. If you look at the account of the Last Supper in Gospel of Luke, you will see this happened AFTER Jesus had instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

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NRSV-CE: Luke 22:14 When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 21 But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. 22 For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!” 23 Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.

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So what you actually see in John 13 is that Jesus holds nothing back from Judas Iscariot. He even offers Himself to His betrayer. Our Lord takes the Host and dips it into the Chalice, which is called intinction, where the two Species of the Eucharist are united and then given to the believer. The Body is dipped into the Blood and the Christian receives both Species together.

Christ gives the Eucharist personally to Judas, and it is as THIS MOMENT that Satan enters into Judas. Judas Iscariot’s unworthy reception of Holy Communion was a horrific mortal sin and opened his soul up for Satan to possess him. This is why even when Judas is repenting of his sin, he is still being tempted by Satan to kill again.

Get yourself to Confession this week! Do not leave your soul in a state of filth. Go to Him who can cleanse you.

As an addition, here is part of a sermon from St. Gregory the Great on the mercy Christ showed to Judas Iscariot even at the Last Supper. Christ withheld nothing from Judas, giving him absolutely every opportunity to turn away from his evil. Jesus even offers up Himself in the Eucharist to His betrayer.

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St. Gregory the Great, Sermon 58, 3

III. Jesus instituting the Blessed Sacrament showed mercy to the traitor Judas to the last

But Jesus, sure of His purpose and undaunted in carrying out His Father's will, fulfilled the New Testament and founded a new Passover. For while the disciples were lying down with Him at the mystic Supper, and when discussion was proceeding in the hall of Caiaphas how Christ might be put to death, He, ordaining the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, was teaching them what kind of Victim must be offered up to God, and not even from this mystery was the betrayer kept away, in order to show that he was exasperated by no personal wrong, but had determined beforehand of his own free-will upon his treachery. For he was his own source of ruin and cause of perfidy, following the guidance of the devil and refusing to have Christ as director. And so when the Lord said, Verily I say to you that one of you is about to betray Me, He showed that His betrayer's conscience was well known to Him, not confounding the traitor by harsh or open rebukes, but meeting him with mild and silent warnings that he who had never been sent astray by rejection, might the easier be set right by repentance. Why, unhappy Judas, do you not make use of so great long-suffering? Behold, the Lord spares your wicked attempts; Christ betrays you to none save yourself. Neither your name nor your person is discovered, but only the secrets of your heart are touched by the word of truth and mercy. The honour of the apostolic rank is not denied you, nor yet a share in the Sacraments. Return to your right mind; lay aside your madness and be wise. Mercy invites you, Salvation knocks at the door, Life recalls you to life. Lo, your stainless and guiltless fellow disciples shudder at the hint of your crime, and all tremble for themselves till the author of the treachery is declared. For they are saddened not by the accusations of conscience, but by the uncertainty of man's changeableness; fearing lest what each knew against himself be less true than what the Truth Himself foresaw. But you abuse the Lord's patience in this panic of the saints, and believest that your bold front hides you. You add impudence to guilt, and art not frightened by so clear a test. And when the others refrain from the food in which the Lord had set His judgment, you do not withdraw your hand from the dish, because your mind is not turned aside from the crime.

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GET TO CONFESSION ASAP!