As I write, our sixth grade granddaughter is visiting us for her spring break. It is fun to see her young intellect developing. Currently she likes to play a game of mental contrasts; the choices are always impossibly bad: "Would you rather eat an elephant or a snail?" Some choice. She smiles as we protest the challenge of choosing between such terrible options.
So I'll ask you today, in our journey toward the cross and beyond, would you rather be Peter or Judas? Would you rather deny Jesus or betray Him?
I can hear you protesting, "That's a terrible choice, Pastor!" I agree. As I realized last night that our journey to the cross had arrived at the story of Judas' final hours, I recoiled from even thinking, let along writing about it. It is a dark tale, and we instinctively recoil at it.
Truth is, we have probably all denied or betrayed Jesus at one time or another, at least in small ways. Judas' and Peter's falls didn't happen over night. They were the result of small daily betrayals and denials, leading ultimately to their larger failures.
So what can we learn?
Matthew places the stories of Peter's denial and Judas' last moments side by side so we'll compare and contrast their lives and actions--and learn from them.
What is the difference between Peter's denial and Judas' betrayal? There sins were not all that different. betraying Jesus or denying (disowning) Him are closely related in purpose and effect. Another similarity: both Judas and Peter seemed to feel great sorrow for their sins. Peter went out and wept bitterly. Judas threw his thirty pieces of silver into the temple and remorsefully shouted, "I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood" (Mt. 27:4).
But here the similarities fade. Peter's remorse was born out of a sincere, though flawed and somewhat superficial relationship with Jesus. Judas' sorrow was because he had given up whatever relationship he had. He may have allowed Jesus some space in his heart at the beginning, but his thirst for recognition and his desire for success and money finally eclipsed all love for Jesus. (As group treasurer, he stole regularly from the money bag - John 12:6.)
Both men were heading down hill toward the end, but Peter truly loved his Lord, and turned around.
Peter's and Judas' remorseful feelings illustrate the two kinds of repentance. "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death" (2 Cor. 7:10).
Genuine repentance is sorrow that I have broken the heart of my best Friend. Because Peter had remained open to the love, truth, and grace of Jesus and had allowed the Holy Spirit to keep working on his heart, his remorse came from genuine repentance. Judas had long ago turned from his heart relationship with Christ, and so there was nothing to return to, only a fearful expectation of judgment (Heb. 10:27).
Could Judas have repented, and would Jesus have accepted him if he had? I think Yes to both questions. Is it not true there is no sin for which Jesus' atonement and grace is not adequate? Absolutely. Ah, but there is one sin which is more a process--the persistent rejection of the Holy Spirit, the One Who draws us to God. Jesus had said, "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against (resists) the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come" (Mt. 12:32).
When we repeatedly reject the Spirit's nudging, we eventually lose the ability to heart His voice and turn around. Judas had done this.
At the Lord's Supper, Jesus had washed Judas' feet, then Peter's (Jn. 13). Peter resisted. His proud heart resented that Jesus would lower Himself to a servant's role. But when Jesus declared to him, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me," Peter could not imagine being separated from His Savior and Friend. "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
As Judas saw Jesus stooping to a servant's job, it was the last straw. Jesus could not be the messiah of his dreams. There was no hope of future glory with this Man. He went out to betray him. And night descended on his soul (Jn. 13:30).
A few hours later in hopeless despair, Judas hanged himself. A few weeks later, Peter preached at Pentecost and 3,000 came to the grace and forgiveness of Christ.
I'd rather be Peter, wouldn't you?
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