Judas had joined the disciples when multitudes were following Christ. The Saviour's teaching moved their hearts as they hung entranced upon His words, spoken in the synagogue, by the seaside, upon the mount. 717 Judas saw the sick, the lame, the blind, flock to Jesus from the towns and cities. He saw the dying laid at His feet. He witnessed the Saviour's mighty works in healing the sick, casting out devils, and raising the dead. He felt in his own person the evidence of Christ's power. He recognized the teaching of Christ as superior to all that he had ever heard. He loved the Great Teacher, and desired to be with Him. He felt a desire to be changed in character and life, and he hoped to experience this through connecting himself with Jesus. The Saviour did not repulse Judas. He gave him a place among the twelve. He trusted him to do the work of an evangelist. He endowed him with power to heal the sick and to cast out devils. But Judas did not come to the point of surrendering himself fully to Christ. He did not give up his worldly ambition or his love of money. While he accepted the position of a minister of Christ, he did not bring himself under the divine molding. He felt that he could retain his own judgment and opinions, and he cultivated a disposition to criticize and accuse.

Judas havde sluttet sig til disciplene, dengang store skarer fulgte Kristus. Frelserens lære betog dem, og de lyttede som fortryllede til hans ord, når han talte i synagogen, ved søens bred eller på bjerget. Judas så de syge, de lamme og de blinde flokkes om Jesus fra byerne og landsbyerne. Han så, hvordan de døende blev lagt ved hans fødder. Han var vidne til Frelserens undergerninger med at helbrede de syge, uddrive djævle og opvække døde. Han anerkendte Kristi lære som noget, der stod højt over alt, hvad han hidtil havde hørt. Han elskede den store lærer og ville gerne være sammen med ham. Han følte trang til en forvandling af sin karakter og sit liv, og han håbede på at komme til at opleve dette ved at slutte sig til Jesus. Frelseren afviste ikke Judas. Han gav ham plads blandt de tolv. Han betroede ham en evangelists gerning. Han tildelte ham kraft til at helbrede de syge og uddrive onde ånder. Men Judas nåede aldrig til helt at overgive sig til Kristus. Han opgav ikke sin verdslige ærgerrighed og sin pengebegærlighed. Skønt han tog imod stillingen som en Kristi tjener, indvilligede han ikke i at lade det guddommelige udforme hans væsen. Han mente, at han kunne beholde sine egne bedømmelser og meninger, og han nærede en tilbøjelighed til at kritisere og anklage andre.