At this Christmas season, we can be thankful for the four things that Matthew told us about the birth of Christ.  He continues with other stories at the time of Christ's death starting with Judas repenting.

Fact number 5.  Read Mathew 27: 3-10  "Then Judas, which (who) had betrayed Jesus, when he saw that Jesus was condemned (and going to die), repented himself, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.   Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood.  And they said, What is that to us?....And Judas cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself."

It is generally agreed by Bible scholars that the disciples expected Jesus to set up an earthly kingdom.  And when Jesus entered Jerusalem and didn't try to overthrow the government, they were discouraged and confused.  According to scholars, Judas was trying to force Jesus to stand up for himself and fight.  That seems reasonable in light of Matthew's account.  We don't know for sure.

We do know, thanks to Matthew who was there, that Judas realized that he had made a horrible mistake.  He threw the money back at the priests and elders and tried to undo his mistake--to no avail.  The priests and elders wanted nothing more to do with him.  He was now an outcast from Jesus, from the eleven other disciples and the priests.  And his despair drove him to suicide.

Was he saved in the long run as far as eternity is concerned?  The Bible doesn't tell us.  But it does say, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  1John 1:9

The critical point is this:  Did Judas simply feel "sorry" for what he had done?   Or did He ask God for forgiveness.  What does "repented himself" mean?  The Bible doesn't say.  I guess we'll find out some day.