>>40713859If it was something Jesus had prior knowledge of, then is it really "free will," or is it preordained?
Either way, I find free will to be a lazy answer, because it doesn't change that Jesus could have simply pulled him to the side and talked to him. He could have addressed things beforehand and literally saved his soul, helping his disciple and preventing him from going down a dark path.
However, if he had done that, then all that follows never happens - which is another issue altogether.
But ultimately, I suppose when Jesus died, he also died for Judas' sins as well, both figuratively and literally.
Modern pop culture likes to look at Judas as some sort of dark entity or rebel. Some even idolize him as something "demonic," when in reality, he was anything but. He is one of the most misrepresented biblical figures in modern times.
>>40715132That's certainly a possibility, but then it would imply that Jesus let one of his followers fall to sin, while being fully capable of preventing it, you know?
That's where my struggle with fully understanding it all stems.
Although, you can certainly get much more context about Jesus himself from the "apocrypha" that has been removed from scripture by the institutional church, like the gospel of Thomas and such.
>>40716460Absolutely. I firmly believe it's all connected, like an infinitely complex and intricate tapestry. To me, however, what makes Jesus' crucifixion so compelling is it's one of the rare instances where divinity has an opportunity to interact materially with our world.
Sadly, I'm sure there's a lot we'll simply never know. The Vatican, for instance, has so much history locked away in their vaults that could shed light on countless things.
People seem to forget that, in reality, the Bible is a very small selection, purposefully chosen to support the actual institution that would form (the Church), and not everything that is available. Over the countless years so much has been lost or hidden away.