“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:23-30)
Jesus is in this passage, speaking to the 12 Disciples. There can be no doubt, that the words that Jesus speaks in verse 28, are addressed to the 12, as Jesus says that THEY will sit on TWELVE thrones, judging the TWELVE Tribes of Israel. There can be no doubt from Jesus’ Words, that Judas is included in this. This is a future event, which is in the Afterlife in heaven, which is only for those who "born-again".
Jesus is here speaking of the next life, as He clearly says, “in the Regeneration”, which actually is the same Greek word, “παλιγγενεσία”, used in Titus 3:5, which literally means, “New Birth”, a reference to the afterlife for believers.
Can Jesus have said this to the TWELVE, including Judas, and not mean that, had Judas remained faithful, that he would have been in heaven?
1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
We already have seen from Luke’s account of the Lord’s Supper, which is in more detail, that Jesus did give the Bread and Wine to Judas, and told him as part of the 12, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (22:20).
The timing is very important. Had Jesus not wanted to include Judas in what He said, then He could have said what He does in Matthew 19, and Luke 22, after Judas had left the room to betray Him. However, as the facts stand, Jesus made sure that Judas was present for both events.
In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus again says something very similar to this:
“But you are those who have continued with me in my trials. I confer on you a kingdom, even as my Father conferred on me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. You will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (22:28-30)
This takes place when Jesus give the Lord’s Supper, when Judas was present, and also took part in this.
However, we do know from Acts 1:25, that Judas did not go to heaven after his death, “to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.”
In Matthew 10:1, we read, “And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction”
Mark 3:14, “He appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach”
Mark 9:35, 41, “He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to them… For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ’s, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward”
John 6:70, “Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil (διάβολος, false accuser).”
These verses, as many others in the Gospels, clearly show that Judas, as one of the 12 Disciples, whom Jesus Christ had personally chosen, is said to also “belong to Christ”, being one of His, in a very personal way. Judas was given the same “them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction”. And to preach the Gospel Message as the other 11.
Judas remained as one of the 12 Disciples, till the time when he chose to betray Jesus Christ to the Jewish leaders.
There is an interesting passage by the Reformed theologian Dr Robert Dabney:
“Certainly the expiation made by Christ is so related to all, irrespective of election, that God can sincerely invite all to enjoy its benefits, that every soul in the world who desires salvation is warranted to appropriate it, and that even a Judas, had he come in earnest, would not have been cast out” (Systematic Theology, p.527)
Is the example of Judas, of someone who can be “born again”, and then lose their salvation? What does this teach us about “once saved, always saved”?
