Whether spoken or unspoken, people wrestle with the question. Why did Jesus chose someone whom He knew would betray him? Was it a bad choice or someone who made bad choices? I am certainly not professing to know how to describe or make sense of the juxtaposition of God's Divine Purpose and free will of man. There must have been a major battle in Judas' mind.
He was Judas Iscariot, meaning 'Man of Kerioth' which made Judas the only non-Galilean among the Twelve. Perhaps he always felt like the one who really didn't fit in. John tells us that Judas, the ministry treasurer, made bad choices and stole money from the ministry. (John 12:1-8) In the end he made the evil choice to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. So, we ask, was the love of money his downfall?
One suggestion has been that Judas grew impatient and wanted to force Jesus' hand. In other words back Jesus into a corner so that He would have to prove that He was the Messiah. However, this opinion is hard to prove and is merely grasping at straws to explain something we really don't know. To believe this, one would see Judas as misguided and not understanding Jesus.
I don't think we can diminish the sincerity of Jesus choosing Judas to follow Him. I think He viewed Judas as a potential disciple alongside the others. Any other interpretation would misinterpret the character of Jesus or overlook the repeated appeals He gave to Judas. He purposely protected Judas when the disciples wanted to know who was the guilty betrayer. Judas heard the same teachings and saw the same miracles as the others, but slowly he became disappointed or disillusioned. He lost focus of his role and became a pawn in the devil's hand.
Judas' story serves as a reminder to all of us who are Christ Followers that it is possible to know all about Him, be full of information, but not "know" Him. Judas shared Jesus' company but not His spirit.
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you from this story?
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