Son of Simon and one of the twelve apostles. He was a false disciple: when the Lord said to His apostles “ye are clean,” He excepted Judas in the words “but not all.” He was sent out with the others to preach, and no exception is made in his case as to the working of miracles in the name of the Lord Jesus. Under the plea of the necessities of the poor he complained of money being wasted when Mary anointed the Lord. Yet he did not really care for the poor: he was treasurer, and was a thief. Satan knew the covetousness of Judas and put it into his heart to betray the Lord for money, which he did for thirty pieces of silver. Satan afterward, as the Adversary, took possession of him to insure the success of the betrayal.
Judas probably thought that the Lord would escape from those who arrested Him, as He had escaped from previous dangers, while he would gain the money. When the Lord was condemned, Judas was filled with remorse, confessed he had betrayed innocent blood, and cast the money into the temple. He was a complete dupe of Satan, who first tempted him to gain the money, and then would not let him keep it. He went and hanged himself, and probably falling from the tree, his bowels gushed out. An awful termination of a sinful course. The Lord called him the “son of perdition.”
In modern times men have erroneously argued that his confession under remorse showed true repentance, and that there is hope of his salvation! but it is not so: he fell “that he might go to his own place.” It was a trial of man under new circumstances: to be a “familiar friend” (Psalm 41:9) of the Lord Jesus, to hear His gracious words, see His miracles, and probably be allowed to work miracles himself in His name; and yet, as in every other trial of man, he fell. Judas is a solemn instance of how far a person may be under the influence and power of Christianity, and yet become an apostate (compare Heb. 6:1-6). He is mentioned in Matthew 10:4; Matthew 26:14-47; Matthew 27:3; Luke 22:3,47-48; John 13:2,26,29; John 18:2-5; Acts 1:16,25, and more.