So far as Judas himself was concerned, Christ's work of love had been without avail. But not so as regards his fellow disciples. To them it was a lesson of lifelong influence. Ever would its example of tenderness and long-suffering mold their intercourse with the tempted and the erring. And it had other lessons. At the ordination of the Twelve the disciples had greatly desired that Judas should become one of their number, and they had counted his accession an event of much promise to the apostolic band. He had come more into contact with the world than they, he was a man of good address, of discernment and executive ability, and, having a high estimate of his own qualifications, he had led the disciples to hold him in the same regard. But the methods he desired to introduce into Christ's work were based upon worldly principles and were controlled by worldly policy. They looked to the securing of worldly recognition and honor--to the obtaining of the kingdom of this world. The working out of these desires in the life of Judas, helped the disciples to understand the antagonism between the principle of self-aggrandizement and Christ's principle of humility and self-sacrifice--the principle of the spiritual kingdom. In the fate of Judas they saw the end to which self-serving tends.

For så vidt det angik Judas selv, havde Kristi kærlighedsarbejde været uden resultat. Men det samme var ikke tilfældet med hans meddisciple. For dem var dette en lære, som de hele livet igennem ikke glemte. For stedse ville den med sit eksempel på kærlighed og langmodighed præge deres forhold til de fristede og vildfarne. Og den havde også andet at lære dem. Ved indvielsen af de tolv havde det været disciplenes store ønske, at Judas skulle være med iblandt dem; og de havde anset hans medlemskab som en begivenhed, der var meget lovende for apostelkredsen. Han havde været i nærmere kontakt med verden end de, han var en behændig mand, med en hurtig fatteevne og dygtighed til at handle, og da han havde en høj mening om sine egne evner, havde han fået disciplene til at betragte ham på samme måde. Men de metoder, han ønskede at indføre inden for Kristi gerning, støttede sig til verdslige principper og beherskedes af verdslig klogskab. De sigtede mod at tilsikre sig verdens anerkendelse og ære, at opnå herredømmet i denne verden. Virkeliggørelsen af disse ønsker i Judas' liv hjalp disciplene til at forstå modsætningen mellem selvforherligelsens princip og Kristi grundregler om ydmyghed og selvhengivelse det åndelige riges grundsætninger. De så i Judas' skæbne den afslutning, der venter dem, der søger deres eget.