Judas.

Judas was the first forgiven.

After the crucifixion, when Jesus went to his Father, Judas was the first forgiven.

Judas had committed suicide.  He was the first to appear before the Father.

He was forgiven.

Why?

Because Judas had misunderstood.

He had misunderstood Jesus and he had misunderstood the Pharisees.

Jesus forgave him.

God does not condemn anyone.


The disciples constantly misunderstood Jesus.

And they continued to misunderstand after Jesus' death.

That is why Christianity developed the way that it did.

Misunderstandings.

Those who came after Jesus did not have the same level of understanding that Jesus had.

"'The wedding-guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they?  The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.'"  Matthew 9:15 (NRSV)


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)