“The Characters of Lent: Judas & Peter”
Matthew 26:14-16, Luke 22:54-62

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Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
Ash Wednesday—February 18, 2015

The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 26th and 27th chapters:

Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. . .

When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

Mark reports, “The chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him.”  They wanted to arrest Jesus quietly, at night.  But, how would they even find Jesus among the 200,000 Passover pilgrims camped in the hills around Jerusalem?  To carry out their murderous plot, Jesus’ enemies needed an insider, one of his own inner circle who would betray him.  As John reports, “Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it.  Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.”

Friday of Holy Week is called Good Friday, the day our Savior died; Thursday of Holy Week is called Maundy Thursday, the night of the Last Supper; and Wednesday of Holy Week is called Spy Wednesday, because tradition says it was on that day the spy Judas went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?”  Mark reports, “They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money.”

What was the motive for Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus?  Money.  According to Matthew, 30 pieces of silver, 30 silver coins like this one, a Roman denarius, equal to one day’s wages.  In today’s dollars, 30 denarii would be about $4,000.

Peter says, “It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed . . . but with the precious blood of Christ.”  The spiritual treasure which Jesus earned for you by his death is so much more valuable than ANY earthly treasure, for by his death Jesus earned for you redemption, forgiveness of all your sins, eternal life in heaven. 

Do not be like Judas, who gave up this glorious spiritual treasure for a measly earthly treasure, an earthly treasure which actually brought Judas not pleasure but the deepest despair.  As Paul tells Timothy: “Godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.  People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  But you, man of God, flee from all this.”

The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the 22nd chapter:

Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”

Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Just a few months before, Jesus had asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” and Peter had replied with a firm confession of faith, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  But now Peter denies three times even knowing who Jesus is. 

Matthew reports that at the Last Supper just a few hours earlier, “Jesus told them, ‘This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.’  Peter replied, ‘Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.’  ‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.’  But Peter declared, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.’ And all the other disciples said the same.”

But, just a few verses later Matthew reports that after Jesus was arrested, “Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.”  Mark reports that Peter even, “Began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, ‘I don’t know this man you are talking about.’”

Why did Peter deny him, and all the disciples desert him and flee?  Because they were afraid.  They were afraid of opposition, ridicule, and other unpleasant consequences for being followers of Jesus Christ.

Paul says in 2nd Timothy, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”  Like Peter and the other disciples, we too are guilty of denying and deserting Jesus.  Denying and deserting him because we are afraid of opposition, ridicule, and other unpleasant consequences for being followers of Jesus Christ.

What was the difference between Judas and Peter?  Judas’ sin of betrayal was really no worse than Peter’s sin of denial.  Judas too could have been forgiven.  As the Apostle John writes, “The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from every sin.” 

We see in Judas and Peter the difference between remorse and repentance.  Remorse is being sorry for something you have done.  Judas had remorse, so great that he “went out and hanged himself.”

Repentance is a step beyond remorse.  God does not want only remorse.  He does not want you to hopelessly despair over your sins like Judas.  As Joel says, “Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.”

That is repentance.  Returning to the Lord and trusting in his grace, mercy, and steadfast love.  Peter had remorse as he “went outside and wept bitterly.”  But, Peter went beyond remorse to repentance, turning to the Lord in faith and trusting in his forgiveness.

Like Peter, repent of your sins, turn to Jesus for forgiveness, and then live boldly for Jesus.  Years later Peter later wrote in his First Epistle: “If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. . .  He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”