A Tale of Two Traitors

Even though the Easter season is officially over, there is still so much we can learn. There are so many Bible stories to look at when we think about Easter. So much happened in just a week! Jesus went from everyone's favorite Jew to scum of the earth practically overnight. And then there are the disciples. There is the Last Supper. The prayer in the Garden. The betrayal by Judas. Jesus on trial. The list goes on.

Usually, when we hear these stories, they are told separately. We tell the Palm Sunday story. We tell the Last Supper story. We tell the Easter Story. We end up thinking of them as separate entities. Of course, over the last few weeks, I have been showing how all these stories are just part of a progression in the Countdown to the Cross. But right now I want to compare two specific stories—not directly about Jesus, but about two of his disciples. You've heard of A Tale of Two Cities. Well, this is a Tale of Two Traitors.

Judas and Peter

At the Last Supper Jesus told two different disciples about how they would betray him later that night.

Matthew 26:21–25 ESV

And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”

Matthew 26:33–35 ESV

Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

Here we see that Jesus clearly points out both Judas and Peter as individuals who would betray him.

Of course, you might be thinking, “Wait, what Peter did and what Judas did were not the same thing.”

What Judas did actually got Jesus arrested.

Peter was just looking out for himself.

Jesus was already arrested

Peter’s denial had no affect on the outcome of Jesus’ trial or crucifixion.

But let me ask you this: If you were in trouble, and you heard one of your closest friends say they don’t know you, how would you feel?

Betrayed.

Betrayal comes in many forms, but it always amounts to you hurting someone who held you in trust.

We can look at motives

Judas

greedy

John 12:6 tells us that Judas, the treasurer for Jesus and the disciples, was stealing money from the donations.

did he believe Jesus was the Son of God?

All the other disciples called Jesus Lord.

Judas is only recorded as calling Jesus Rabbi in Matthew 26:25, which means teacher.

So maybe he just attached himself to Jesus because he saw an opportunity to take advantage of others.

was maybe mad at Jesus and wanted revenge.

When Mary, the sister of Lazarus, poured the expensive oil on Jesus' feet, Judas caused a scene, and Jesus publicly rebuked him.

It was right after this that Judas went to the Jewish leaders and made the deal to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

Peter

Peter didn’t have all the possible motives that Judas had for betraying Jesus.

When Jesus foretold Peter’s betrayal, Peter loudly protested.

Later, when the guards came to arrest Jesus in the Garden, Peter leaped forward to defend Jesus, cutting off the ear of one of the guards.

It’s easy to act in a moment of passion, when you don’t have time to think about your actions.

And that action might be perceived as bravery.

Especially when you see someone else being hurt, and you have the chance to be a hero!

But what happens YOU are the one under attack?

After Jesus was arrested, Peter was trying to get close enough to hear how Jesus' trial was going.

But there were lots of other people around.

When Peter was recognized as Jesus' friend, he became afraid for his safety.

Peter was surrounded by people who hated Jesus. What would they do to him?

So, while their motives for betraying Jesus were quite different, both Judas and Peter clearly were motivated to do what they did.

The thing about motives is that, while they can explain how we arrived at a certain point in our lives and why we made a certain choice, motives do not excuse our actions.

Some people get mad at the thought that Judas might be in hell, because the prophet Zechariah even prophesied that the Messiah would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.

So if Judas was destined to do this, how could it really be his fault?

The fact is, Judas still had a choice, as did Peter.

Two acts of betrayal.

Judas

Matthew 26:48–50 ESV

Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.

Peter

Matthew 26:57–58 ESV

Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end.

Matthew 26:69–74 ESV

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed.

Both regretted their actions.

Judas

Matthew 27:3–4 ESV

Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”

Peter 

Matthew 26:75 ESV

And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

What did they do after that?

Matthew 27:5–10 ESV

And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”

Peter found the other disciples, and revealed what he did.

Then he determined to continue following Jesus.

Even though he didn't at first believe Jesus would be resurrected, he was one of the first to go and see the empty tomb, and he believed.

Several days later, after Jesus had revealed himself to the disciples, he met up with Peter and talked with him. 

three times, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him.

Three times, Peter confessed his love for Jesus.

And Jesus basically told him that talk was cheap. Prove the love by leading others to Jesus.

Conclusion

Two men.

Two traitors.

While one betrayal seems bigger than the other, both were sin.

What is important is how they reacted to their sin.

Judas decided to pay for his own sin in death.

Peter decided to leave the sin behind and recommit his life to Christ.

Maybe Judas DID have to betray Jesus so that prophecy would be fulfilled. But that doesn't mean he would not have been forgiven if he would have asked.

Every one of us has betrayed God in one way or another.

Our responses

What's the big deal?

Maybe my choices and actions don’t exactly line up with what the Bible “seems” to say, but it’s not like I’m hurting anybody—right?

I can't come to church or to God until I make things right first.

I know I’ve messed up, and God can’t accept me as I am right now.

Repentance.

The first two responses are all about what I think about my relationship with God.

But we have to recognize that God’s the one who determines the standards of our relationship with Him.

EVERY sin, no matter how big or small they seem to us, separate us from God.

God's the only one who can make it right in our lives.

We just have to turn it over to him.

1 John 1:8–9 ESV

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Every one of us is a traitor.

Every day, I catch myself betraying Jesus.

That’s why I am thankful for his grace.

That’s why I choose to walk in humility and repentance.

Are you going to be overcome by your betrayal, or are you going to walk in humble repentance?

I encourage you to do what it says in 1 John.

Confess your sins.

Let Jesus cleanse you and make you righteous.

Choose to walk in that righteousness from now on.