It's interesting that this song is sung from Judas' perspective. There may or may not be hope for Judas. Jesus said of him, "The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." Although the betrayal was part of God's plan, Judas bore the responsibility for his actions.
But the song is also talking about us. If Jesus died, as he claimed, for the sins of the world, then each of us bears responsibility for his death. We all say that we respect the man Jesus Christ, but our actions betray our words. Honest hate is better than deceitful respect. When we honor Christ and then act wrongly, we give Him the kiss of betrayal. Those of us who go to church and take the Sacrament can even relate to the first verse, eating and drinking with Christ--then going and selling him out.
Jesus promises that those of us who come to him in repentance--no matter how many times we've betrayed him--will find forgiveness, because that's what he died to win for us. "I reach out to the one I tried to destroy" because all along he was doing it to forgive me.
It's interesting that this song is sung from Judas' perspective. There may or may not be hope for Judas. Jesus said of him, "The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." Although the betrayal was part of God's plan, Judas bore the responsibility for his actions.
But the song is also talking about us. If Jesus died, as he claimed, for the sins of the world, then each of us bears responsibility for his death. We all say that we respect the man Jesus Christ, but our actions betray our words. Honest hate is better than deceitful respect. When we honor Christ and then act wrongly, we give Him the kiss of betrayal. Those of us who go to church and take the Sacrament can even relate to the first verse, eating and drinking with Christ--then going and selling him out.
Jesus promises that those of us who come to him in repentance--no matter how many times we've betrayed him--will find forgiveness, because that's what he died to win for us. "I reach out to the one I tried to destroy" because all along he was doing it to forgive me.