The Betrayals of Jesus

The night Jesus was arrested, two of his closest friends and disciples betrayed Him.  One, the moneyman of the group, turned Jesus’ location over to the religious leaders who were seeking a way to arrest and kill Him.  The other, His hotheaded confidant, denied ever knowing the Lord, even uttering curses upon himself to prove his ignorance of Jesus.  Both of these men were in Jesus’ close circle of friends, yet how they each responded to their betrayals speaks volumes, both to the cost of unfaithfulness as well as the potential reactions once we realize what we’ve done.

Judas Iscariot, the accountant of the disciples, had shown that he was more concerned with fleshly gains, having been helping himself to the groups money and proving himself a thief for sometime before Jesus' arrest (John 12:5-6).  Therefore, when Judas did finally turn Jesus over to the authorities for a meager 30 pieces of silver, approximately $7,500 today, how lowly Judas and the chief priests who paid the fee thought of Jesus was revealed (Matt. 26:14-15).

Yet Judas, upon realizing what he had done in aiding the chief priests to condemn and execute an innocent Jesus, changed his mind and, in his utter guilt, hanged himself (Matt. 27:3-5).  There was to be neither forgiveness nor restoration for Judas.  He recognized his shame and faced the wrath of God in the total disgrace of suicide, taking his own life instead of repenting in humility for his betrayal.

Then there’s Peter, the outspoken foot-in-mouth disciple, who denied ever knowing the Lord Jesus at the inquisition of a slave girl in the courtyard outside of the Caiaphas’ house (Matt. 26:69-75).  Even as Jesus prophesied Peter’s denial, Peter underestimated how his faith would be tested, claiming, “Even if I must die, I will not deny you (Matt. 26:30-35)!”  Yet when the moment came to live up to his bravado, he folded in denial of His Lord and in humility ran out of the courtyard weeping bitterly.

Unlike Judas, though, Peter was stayed true to His Lord, running to His tomb with John at His resurrection (John 20:3).  And after preparing breakfast on the shore alongside the Sea of Tiberius, Jesus confirmed His forgiveness and reconciliation to Peter (John 21:15-19).  Although Peter had betrayed Jesus, turning his back of Him at His most dire moment, Jesus forgave and restored Peter,  confirmed by Peter's prominence at Pentecost (Acts 1:15).

In truth, each one of us has betrayed Jesus in our own way and time.  That being said, if and when we do deny our Lord, we should take on the posture of Peter, weeping in humility at our unfaithfulness and repenting in faith for God's forgiveness and restoration.  LEt us then look to the restoration of Peter as to make it our own!