Matthew 26:69- 27:10- What difference can a few hours make?
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· 4 viewsPeter and Judas fall into sin but have two completely different responses to their failures.
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Intro????
Intro????
Picking up in Vs 69
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.”
Story shifts to Peter now- he is outside with guards
-He desired to know how things were going to play out
-but pressure arises
-He is questioned by a servant and he quickly denies
The mighty fisherman is failing miserably
-The one who never would leave him - is cracking to pieces
Oh what a difference a few hours can make?
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.”
-The heat is applied again as he is pegged to have been with Jesus
-this time he took an oath that it was not him
-As the heat is applied, he searches for any method possible to get the heat off of him
-Maybe he was concerned that they would get him next- but regardless- he runs
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. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Not only is he associated with him but his very voice has the same accent as Jesus of Nazareth
I tend to think Jesus had more of a Southern draw- cant imagine being from up North
Just kidding
He can deny his association with him but even his accent connects him to Jesus home area
Peter issues his firmest denial yet- Invokes a curse on himself and swears to not know Jesus
As he does the rooster crowed and Peter remembered Jesus words
Luke accounts is far more vivid
But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
As they roll off his tongue- the rooster crows and Jesus eyes find Peter
I think back to when I have gotten caught when I thought no one knew
Then mom and dad were like what about this
Time slows down, you can feel every heartbeat, your mind begins remembering what your parents said and you know you blew it
No words are spoken in this account- Just a look from Jesus to Peter and he remembers
When he leaves, he leaves a broken man- what a difference a few hours can make
When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.
The unjust night court trial, betrayal by one of his best friends, and now he is officially tried
The night court had at-least a quorum of the leaders but in the morning- all them arrive and seal Jesus fate
The right to execute a death sentence was a right taken from the Jews by the Romans
But the real thing my mind thought about was the fact that they all are present and not one mention of opposition
Other times- like
Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
At least we have this mention- they wanted to believe but they counted it to be to risky
Where is Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea?
My thoughts went back to Nicodemus first talk with Jesus
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
What a difference just a few hours makes!!
The cross changes everything, doesnt it?
Believer, doesnt the hymn go- what a wonderful change in my life been wrought since Jesus came into my heart.
The spiritually dead become spiritually alive- what difference a few hours can make
We see yet another example of this as we see a further account of Judas in
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.” 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.”
Vs3-4 a few hours have passed since Judas betrayal of Jesus
-He knows Jesus has been condemned to die and he is rethinking his plans
-He no longer wants to go through with it
-He brings the money back and wants to undo his actions seeing he has killed an innocent man
-But that is not an option now- the RL want no part in Judas’s sob story
-They achieved what they sought out- truth is irrelevant
Read their hearts- Its not our problem- if you were wrong, then you go handle it.
Go tell the masses, you lied and set up this man to die
Vs5- Judas is driven by guilt now- just a few hours ago he was driven by greed and anger
A few hours before that, he was listening to Jesus teach his last lessons to his disciples
What difference a few hours makes
Driven by guilt, not repentance, Judas kills himself
Man with a pocket full of money a few hours before- is now bankrupt in the pit of hell
What difference a few hours makes
Vs 6- the one who wouldnt except the money because of what it would cost them in return, have no problem picking it up now
-they are clear its not lawful to use the money in the treasury - amazing what laws matter to their conscience at times
-they are also clear- its blood money- this money purchased evil deeds
-they are aware of their actions- they are entirely complicit in all things
Vs 7-8— they get all the fellas back together and decide it best to buy a field to bury strangers/foreigners
-As Matthew records the field bears the name “Field of Blood”
He goes on forward to quote from the OT in Vs 9-10
Most of the words in the quotation are from Zech. 11:12, 13, but the content is also closely related to Jer. 19:1–13, a prophecy of judgment for the shedding of innocent blood (Jer. 19:4). Jeremiah twice speaks of a potter (Jer. 19:1, 11), and Matthew’s “Field of Blood” recalls his designation of Tophet as the “Valley of Slaughter” (Jer. 19:6), which also was to become a burial ground (Jer. 19:11). The actions of Judas and the priests are a fulfillment of the judgment prophecies of Zechariah and Jeremiah.
What we find here is even in the chaos of evil- God is sovereignly working
The actions of Judas betraying Jesus was necessary to fulfill a prophecy of buying a potters field in Zech and Jeremiah
Never was a series of events without divine ordination
Caiphas, Peter and Judas- all responsible for their actions but all occur under the sovereign plan of God
Think of the series of events that was necessary for these few hours to play out and fulfill every Messianic prophecy
Think of the series of events that lead to you having life now
Odds getting pregnant are slim- 15% chance
-odds of fertilization based on sperm counts- .000000000111
Dont even begin the odds for twins or more
Thats you and thats also 7 billion others on the planet
But thats just random chance right
But then calculate the odds for your parents and their parents and you see where this is going
Random chance my rump
Now imagine in your life the many different ways scenarios could have went which have led you to this day
Nothing by random chance and yet God in sovereign plan has allowed all men to make choices
What we see in the chaos around the crucifixion is the divinely orchestrated plan of God carried out in the hearts of men
Id like for us quickly to glance
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
This is a few days after the resurrection and Peter finally has the face to face with the one he denied
Just Peter denied Jesus, Jesus gives Peter the restorative command
Peter was broken but his grief lead to repentance
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
For Judas it was spiritual and physical- but for Peter it lead to life
Applications
Repentance is born and bought by God
-Peter and Judas both have blood on their hands
-Peter and Judas both are grieved
-Judas will grieve and end his life
-Peter will grieve and be restored
-What makes the difference? God
Judas was the Son of Perdition, planned before time to betray Christ
Peter is a Son of God, planned before time to one of the twelve
What we see with Peter is the before Peter ever moved to God, God moved to him first
So the question for us is do we have godly grief over our sin or worldly sorrow?
Judas had worldly sorrow- sorrow over the situation and upset about his actions which translated into death
Peter had godly grief over his sin against Christ which translated into repentance
2. Rejoice in Gods divine plan of redemption and judgement
-As we stated earlier, the complexity of life and everyday occurences isnt random
Many people may look at different situations and say its hopeless but for God
R.C. said in regards to Joseph seeing his brothers in Egypt and saving them and all the world from starving
If one thing was missing the story doesnt work
No coat=no jealousy, no jealousy= no pit, No pit= not traders, no traders= no Egypt, no Egypt=No potiphar, No Potiphar wife= No Potiphars wife, No potiphars wife= No Prison, NO prison= no interpreting dreams, no dreams=no Second in command, NO second in command=No Israel in Egypt, No Israel in Egypt= No Moses, No Law, no Christ!!!
Divine plan of redemption may not be the way you or I would have done it but it was and is the best way for our redemption
In the same breath what brings us redemption brings judgement on those who reject Christ
What a difference a few hours make
Roughly 3 hours on a tree- Divine plan of redemption