Some people wonder: Was this really fair to Judas? If the betrayal had to happen for Scripture to be fulfilled, wouldn't anyone in that position have faced the same fate? 

Let's look at what Scripture tells us about Judas. He wasn’t just any follower he was one of the twelve disciples personally chosen by Jesus. He even carried the money bag, a role that showed the trust others placed in him. Yet Scripture also points out his weakness: Judas was greedy and dishonest, often helping himself to what was given for ministry (📖 John 12:6). Long before the betrayal, his heart was already compromised.


When Jesus said, “It would have been better for that man if he had not been born,” it was not simply because Judas was going to betray Him. After all, Peter also denied Jesus three times, yet Jesus never spoke those words about him. The difference lay not in the failure itself but in the response afterward.

Jesus knew Judas was going to betray Him, but He also knew what that choice would do to Judas’s soul. After it happened, Judas was crushed with guilt. 📖 Matthew 27:3 says he felt remorse and even gave back the silver. But instead of coming to God for mercy, like Peter did after his denial, Judas let despair take over—and tragically, that despair led him to take his own life (📖 Matthew 27:5)

The Bible reminds us in 📖 2 Corinthians 7:10 that “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

This verse is showing us that not all sorrow is the same. When we sin, we can feel two kinds of sorrow:

• Godly sorrow is when our heart breaks because we know we’ve sinned against God. That kind of sorrow doesn’t leave us stuck — it moves us to repent, to turn back to Him, and to find His forgiveness. And once we’re forgiven, there’s no regret left hanging over us. That’s what we see in Peter. He denied Jesus, but his grief led him back to the Lord, and he was restored.

• Worldly sorrow, on the other hand, is when we feel guilt, shame, or regret but never turn it over to God. It just eats us up inside. That’s what happened with Judas. He felt remorse, but instead of seeking mercy, he let despair consume him — and it destroyed him.

So the difference isn’t just in the mistake, but in where the sorrow leads us: either back to life in God, or deeper into death and hopelessness.


Judas’s grief or sorrow never turned into repentance—it only led him deeper into hopelessness. That’s the tragedy Jesus saw ahead of time. If Judas had truly listened to Jesus’ words and repented, like Peter did, he could have been forgiven and saved and perhaps even had a great place in heaven.

✨ Here’s the beautiful hope for us today:

Jesus loves you so much that He doesn't want guilt to destroy you the way it destroyed Judas. Don't let shame or regret consume you like it did to him. 

No matter how heavy your sins feel, no matter how far you think you've fallen, bring them to Jesus. The difference between Peter and Judas isn't the severity of their failures—it's what they chose to do next. 

If you repent and turn to Him, Jesus will forgive you completely, save you eternally, and give you the peace that Judas tragically rejected. The door of grace remains open, and Jesus is still calling your name.