September 25, 2012

Chapter 27- The Resurrection

In Sunday School the question came up, "Is Judas in heaven."  Discussion swirled around whether his returning of the money and suicide constituted repentance of his sin.  Today's reading took me back to that discussion.

As I replayed the discussion from Sunday, I realized the question itself was secondary.  Whether Judas was in heaven or not depends on the fundamental question we all mus ask ourselves.  "Do we, as individuals, have a saving relationship with Christ?  Do we believe in his divinity, his substitutionary death on the cross and his resurrection?"

I am not convinced that Judas, and perhaps even other disciples had salvation belief in Jesus Christ prior to his resurrection.  For Judas that came too late.

In Luke 24, "two of them (followers of Christ) going to a village called Emmaus. . . talking about everything that had happened."  Jesus, his identity concealed, asked the two what they were discussing.  Their reply illustrated the belief many had in Christ prior to his resurrection.  They told Christ they were talking about Jesus of Nazareth who "was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all people.  We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel."  Did they believe in the human Jesus?  Certainly.  Were they impressed with his teaching, awed by his miracles?  Most assuredly.  But did they have a saving belief in Jesus Christ?   It would appear they did not.

Was Judas in this same camp?  Very possibly he was.  Christ as liberator.  Christ as wise sage.  Christ as political hero.  But not Christ as God incarnate.  Not Christ as personal savior and redeemer.

The question for each of us is not whether we will be in heaven, but what do we believe about Jesus Christ.  That belief settles the heaven question once and for all.