Why did Judas feel remorse after betraying Jesus in Matthew 27:4? Canonical Setting and Immediate Text Matthew 27:3–5 : “When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,’ he said. ‘What is that to us?’ they replied. ‘You bear the responsibility.’ So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.” Matthew 27:4 is the centerpiece: Judas confesses, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” The Greek Term for Remorse: Metamelomai • μέτα + μέλω (“after” + “to care”) denotes emotional regret, not the will‐turning repentance (μετάνοια) used of saving conversion (Acts 3:19). • New Testament contrast: Judas—μεταμέλομαι, Peter—μετανοέω (Matthew 27:3 vs. Luke 22:61–62). Judas feels anguish; Peter seeks the Lord. Conscience and the Moral Law Written on the Heart Romans 2:15 says the Law is “written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness.” Judas, a covenant Jew, knew Exodus 20:13 (“You shall not murder”) and Deuteronomy 27:25 (“Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to strike down an innocent person”). The violation of explicit Torah commands triggered psychological and spiritual dissonance. Recognition of Jesus’ Innocence Judas walked with Christ three years, witnessed miracles (Matthew 11:4–5), heard claims to deity (John 8:58), and observed sinless integrity (John 8:46). When he saw the Sanhedrin’s sham verdict, the contrast between Jesus’ righteousness and his own treachery overwhelmed him. The Departure of Satanic Influence Luke 22:3 reports, “Then Satan entered Judas.” John 13:27 adds, “after the morsel, Satan entered into him.” The demonic compulsion served its purpose at the arrest; afterward the adversary’s departure left Judas fully exposed to the weight of his own guilt—an echo of 1 Samuel 16:14, where the departure of God’s Spirit leaves torment. Fulfillment of Messianic Prophecy Psalm 41:9 : “Even my close friend, whom I trusted…has lifted his heel against me.” Zechariah 11:12–13 foretells thirty pieces of silver thrown “into the house of the LORD to the potter.” Dead Sea Scroll fragment 4QXII g, dated c. 50 BC, contains Zechariah 11, confirming the prophecy predates Christ. Realizing he was the prophetic traitor intensified his horror. Covenantal Curse Consciousness Deuteronomy 27 ends each curse with “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ ” Judas grew up reciting these in synagogue liturgy. He now sat under the very curse—an internalized, community‐reinforced dread. The Convicting Work of the Holy Spirit John 16:8: “When He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” Though not regenerated, Judas was nevertheless convicted. His statement “I have sinned” echoes David’s confession (2 Samuel 12:13) yet lacks the next step: “against the LORD.” Psychological Collapse under Cognitive Dissonance Behavioral research on moral injury demonstrates that violating deeply held beliefs produces acute guilt, shame, and self-destructive ideation—precisely Judas’s trajectory. His hasty suicide is textually and clinically consistent with moral-injury literature. Remorse without True Repentance 2 Corinthians 7:10 distinguishes “godly sorrow” leading to salvation from “worldly sorrow” that “brings death.” Judas experienced the latter. He turned to the temple bureaucracy, not to Christ; when rebuffed, he turned to the noose. Contrast with Peter’s Restoration Both betrayed; only Peter “wept bitterly” and ran toward the risen Lord (John 21). Scripture records no plea from Judas to Jesus. The difference underscores that guilt alone cannot save; one must cast oneself on the mercy of the Savior. Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility Acts 2:23 affirms Jesus was “delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge,” yet those who handed Him over were “wicked men.” Judas’s remorse proves he acted volitionally; prophecy never nullifies accountability. Conclusion Judas felt remorse because 1) his God-given conscience and lifelong exposure to Torah condemned the shedding of innocent blood; 2) the realization of Jesus’ innocence and messianic identity shattered his motives; 3) the departure of satanic influence left him to face unbuffered guilt; and 4) the Spirit convicted him, yet he refused saving repentance. Thus Matthew 27:4 records not redemptive repentance but the tragic, self-destructive sorrow of a man who recognized his sin yet spurned the only One who could forgive it. |
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