He is merciful, of course. Else none of us would be here after Adam and Eve were shown mercy and lived a long enough ‘day’ to procreate their offspring. Judas was shown mercy the first time he sinned (way before stealing from the money bag).
And God’s just, in fact contains no injustice. And all powerful. And compassionate and hardening. And the only God there is. Love Him or hate Him, He’s the only God there is.
What then shall we say? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For to Moses he says, “I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion.” Consequently therefore, it does not depend on the one who wills or on the one who runs, but on God who shows mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very reason I have raised you up, so that I may demonstrate my power in you, and so that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Consequently therefore, he has mercy on whomever he wishes, and he hardens whomever he wishes.
Romans 9:14-18 -
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Romans 9:14-18&version=LEB
Can you imagine the outcome had not Judas been there with the 12 Passover eve and not done as directed to do and continued his betrayal more quickly as directed before their Passover Feast and giving of the elements to the 11???
This
Occurred in order that what was decreed to occur, through 12 choosen people and a bunch of ‘High Priests’ and Gentiles, occured precisely on time IAW God’s will and timing, not Judas’s or the High Priests or Pilate’s. They didn’t have a clue how they were going to catch Jesus away from the crowds. Did you notice “they were seeking how”? But Jesus knew how and chose Judas for his part.
Now before the feast of Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, and having loved his own in the world, loved them to the end. And as a dinner was taking place, when the devil had already put into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot that he should betray him, because he knew that the Father had given him all things into his hands, and that he had come forth from God and was going away to God, When he had said these things, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified and said, “Truly, truly I say to you that one of you will betray me.” The disciples began looking at one another, uncertain about whom he was speaking. For some were thinking because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him, “Purchase what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.) So after he had taken the piece of bread, he went out immediately. And it was night.
John 13:1-3,21-22,29-30 -
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=John 13:1-3,21-22,29-30&version=LEB
“Then” and only then did Jesus tell the 11
Then, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. ...
John 13:31 -
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=John 13:31&version=LEB
and shared the elements with the 11 (not Judas) in accordance with His hard to understand teaching way back in John 6 (in fact in fulfillment of all “The Law”, Pentateuch)
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples [don’t be fooled, Judas wasn’t there when Jesus says this] —if you have love for one another.” Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if not, believe because of the works themselves. Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in me, the works that I am doing he will do also, and he will do greater works than these because I am going to the Father. But this happened so that the word that is written in their law would be fulfilled, ‘They hated me without a reason.’ His disciples said, “Behold, now you are speaking plainly and are telling us no figurative saying! Now we know that you know everything and do not need for anyone to ask you questions. By this we believe [Judas wasn’t there] that you have come from God.” “I have revealed your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they understand that all the things that you have given me are from you, because the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they received them and know truly that I have come from you, and they have believed that you have sent me.
John 13:35,14:11-12,15:25,16:29-30,17:6-8 -
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=John 13:35,14:11-12,15:25,16:29-30,17:6-8&version=LEB