Matthew 27:3

“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.  “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

Through the years people wrestled with how to understand this man, Judas.  Jesus did not explain what led Judas to do what he did.  Jesus simply explained, “This has all taken place that the writing of the prophets might be fulfilled.”  26:56  Jesus left it at that.

But that is not the end of the story.  In the morning as the sun’s warm rays touched Jerusalem, Judas was overcome with regret. He wanted to reverse what he had done. We read in our text for today, “When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned the was seized with remorse.” 27:3  He probably thought that Jesus would have declared his Messiah ship and by some means or other, mounted the throne of David in Jerusalem. That did not happen.  When that came clear Judas cried out for all to hear, “I have sinned…for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

For me, this means that Judas did not carry a grudge against Jesus.  There is something far deeper than that – as Jesus said,  “That the writing of the prophets might be fulfilled.”   All further conjecture is just that, conjecture.

I hold to the belief that anyone who confesses his or her sin in true contrition, the mercy of God takes over, the blood of Christ does its work and we stand silent, cleansed.