Having received the piece of bread, he (Judas Iscariot) went out immediately. And it was night.
John 13:30.
Judas Iscariot was one of the Lord Jesus’ twelve disciples. For three years he travelled through the land of Israel with the Saviour. He was among the listeners when Jesus preached the Word of God. He experienced the healing of the sick and the raising of the dead by the Son of God at close quarters. He helped at the feeding of the five thousand, endured the disdain and rejection of the Pharisees as did the other disciples, and even preached at the Lord’s behest.
Yet Judas was nothing more than a hanger-on. The whole time he closed his heart to the words of the Saviour and remained unreceptive of God’s grace. However, he kept up the appearance of a genuine follower, until Jesus unmasked him as a false disciple during the Passover feast. Then he went out into the night and betrayed his Master for thirty pieces of silver.
Today it is equally possible to mix among believers as a hanger-on. We can listen to the preaching of the Word every Sunday in church services and yet close our heart to the gospel. We can be known as an active Christian and yet not have any relationship of faith to Christ. But we cannot fool Christ. He knows who really belongs to Him and who has not accepted Him as his personal Saviour. Simply hanging on is extremely perilous. We harden our heart for the gospel and eventually are lost for eternity.