Why Did Jesus Say It Would Have Been Better If Judas Had Not Been Born?
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?
Who Was Judas?
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.
At the last supper, Jesus said this about the one who would betray Him:
Matthew 26:24 (NIV) — “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”Was Judas Trapped?
So was Judas trapped? Scripture did speak about the betrayal long before. David wrote of a close friend who shared his bread and turned against him (Psalm 41:9), and Jesus said this was being fulfilled (John 13:18). Peter later said this Scripture was “concerning Judas” (Acts 1:16).
But God knowing ahead of time is not the same as God forcing. Judas went to the chief priests on his own, before any of it (Matthew 26:14-16). And Jesus warned him at the table, in front of everyone, without naming him, giving him a way out right up to the last moment (Matthew 26:21-23). Jesus put both truths in one sentence: “The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” (Luke 22:22). God’s plan was certain, and Judas was still responsible for his choice.
Two Kinds of Sorrow
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 (NIV) — “When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.”Notice the word: remorse. Judas regretted what he had done. But regret is not the same as repentance. Repentance turns a person around and brings them back to God. Judas did not turn back.
Instead of coming to God for mercy, like Peter did after his denial, Judas let despair take over — and that despair led him to take his own life (Matthew 27:5).
2 Corinthians 7:10 (NIV) — “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings 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.
Peter and Judas
Jesus did not say this 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.
That’s what we see in Peter. After his denial, he wept bitterly. But his grief led him back. After the resurrection, Jesus asked him three times, “Do you love me?” — once for each denial — and gave him his work back:
John 21:17 (NIV) — “Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.'”Peter was not merely forgiven. He was put back to work.
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 never turned into repentance. 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 restored — just as Peter was.
The Door Is Still Open
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.
Last updated 12 October 2026
One response
It is so true if you only trust in the Lord. Take all your burdens to him and he will turn it around for the good. I truly trust in God. I’ll save you.\n I try each and every day to do what God Wants me to do in his will. I ask the Lord every day to use me shake me mold me to be what he wants me to be. I love people. I love everyone unconditionally as God loves us all we have to do is Love, most of all love, our enemies. Because love is strong and it can turn them around to come closer to the Lord.\n For I have not been good all my life, but I’m not what I used to be. And I’m trying each and every day to be what God wants me to be. Thank you.