The question indeed remains, and the answer is that we would not have been saved if someone had not been there to play the role of the Betrayer. That role fell to Judas Iscariot, God rest his soul.

It is far too easy to believe that Judas was evil and selfish. But as Jesus himself said, it is far too easy to do what is wrong instead of seeking the truth.

"God, I'll never, ever know/Why you chose me for your crime"

" But the question remains -

Would we be saved without you? "

I find it hard to believe that this is a serious question, but assuming it is, I will give the answer...

God is all-knowing and all-powerful. He is infinite. He has no limitations. His will is above all.

If Judas had not betrayed, then the Redemption would have been brought about another way. God’s perfect will is not limited by the feeble human will of any one man.

Judas had free will. He chose his path, all the way through. He was the only apostle who in fact begged Jesus to let him join Him. He thought that Jesus was a worldly King who would establish an empire on earth, and he wanted his part of the riches and the power. He was... to put it very mildly, not a good man.

"Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, he who was about to betray Him, said, 'Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?' Now he said this, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and holding the purse, used to take what was put in it."

John 12:4-6

"Then one of the Twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, and said to them, 'What are you willing to give me for delivering Him to you?' And they assigned him thirty pieces of silver. And from then on he sought out an opportunity to betray Him."

Matt. 26:14-16

"Jesus answered them, 'Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.' Now He was speaking of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon."

John 6:71-72

Jesus Christ Himself, the Son of God, the Holy Redeemer, God made Man, Master of the universe and all that is in it... called Judas a devil. It's very clear.

Historical and scriptural evidence tells us that Judas was, in turn, licentious, avaricious, lying, thieving, blaspheming, treacherous and ultimately traitorous... he chose to embrace evil time and time again, despite the fact that he had the unfathomable honor of being in the very presence of the most holy Lord God Almighty Himself.

Judas' final betrayal was also completely and utterly his own will. Still, he would have been forgiven for it if he had repented and asked forgiveness. He did not. He committed the sin of despair, which is a blasphemous offence against Almighty God. (God can do anything; if you reject the virtue of Hope, then you are rejecting this reality of God's infinite power; you are rejecting God.)

Judas rejected Hope; he chose to reject the reality of God’s power and God’s love, indulging himself in his own wretched bitterness instead of humbling himself to seek God’s forgiveness. His embrace of evil was absolute at that point, and it carried through right until the end.

Prophesies exist because God is eternal; He exists outside of time and space, which are merely constructs of His making; He therefore knows perfectly all things of all times and all places. He chooses to reveal certain things to humanity, before they take place in our time, for our own edification, and as further proof of His infinite power and of His divine love for us.

Judas' evil act was his own will. God knew of this evil act and revealed it before it took place in human time. It is not a matter of Judas being "forced" to play his part or any such thing - indeed such an idea would be nothing less than ludicrous. Is Judas the only man in all of human history who for some reason did not have free will? Of course not.

If the events of the Redemption had not taken place through the betrayal of Judas, they would have occurred another way. God’s will could not be thwarted by the feeble human will of any one man. Such a thought is, of course, preposterous.

But God, being eternal, knew that it would happen through Judas’ embrace of evil and ultimate betrayal. Knowing exactly how it happened (or would happen, in human time), He revealed this to His prophets.

Remember, don't try to limit God Almighty with feeble and synthetic human boundaries. Don’t try to put the limitations of a vain and shallow human mind onto the Mind of the Lord God Almighty.

That would be your downfall.

God bless you.

An interesting thought piece. Wish I had an answer for the question it raises. Perhaps I'll give it some thought later on.

Have a nice day.

Not evil and selfish. Plan...destiny..yada yada, Christianity wouldn't exist without the Betrayal...ok. I'm done. We love you, Judas!

*sniffle* Oh, we love Judas. Yesh, we do. ;_;

I wonder about Judas going to Heaven to...as for being saved, I don't think he was needed, only used. He had free will, after all.

so true! it was all in God's plan for Judas to betray Jesus. but then again, he killed himself, which would be murder. nice poem, btw. keep writing!