Why did Jesus refer to Judas Iscariot as a friend?

Jesus said, "My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for." Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. Mathew 26:50

When one asks who is our real friend, the first thing that comes to mind is a person who always does good.What do we mean when we talk about real goodness? Real goodness is being in the perfect will of God just as crucifixion was the perfect will of the Father upon Jesus.Judas' wrongful betrayal of Jesus was the vehicle that carried Jesus towards the perfect will of God. In the end, Judas' action was beneficial for Jesus.

WHAT WE CAN TAKE TO HEAVEN

"Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day.

For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!],

2 Cor 4:16-17AMP

Luke 12:

20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

21 "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God

NIV

"LIFE MINUS LOVE EQUALS ZERO." — RICK WARREN

"Love it was that made us, and it was love that saved us. Love was God's plan when He made man; God's divine nature is LOVE.

True Spirituality is all about Gods love .

Phil 1:9

So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings 10 so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: 11 bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.

When we come to the last moment of this lifetime and we look back across it, the only thing that's going to matter is 'What is the quality of our love?'" - Richard Bach

WHAT WE CAN SAY ABOUT GOD

Augustine tells of a vision of seeing a little boy at a beach scooping up the ocean thimbleful by thimbleful and emptying it out on the sand. Then he sees an angel who tells him that this boy will have emptied out the entire ocean long before Augustine has exhausted what can be said about God.