“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 disown Me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:60-62).
“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’” (Matthew 27:3-4).
There are so many compelling parts of Jesus’ last days on earth. There is the triumphal entry into the city, when the crowds lauded Him and had high expectations. There are the confrontations with the religious leaders in the Temple area throughout the week, where Jesus was challenged with questions designed to trip Him up and expose Him for the charlatan they knew Him to be. There were the trials before the Sanhedrin and before Pilate—one determined to condemn Him, the other finding no reason to condemn Him but doing so anyway to appease his opponents. There is the mockery of the Roman soldiers, the beating, the carrying of the crossbeam to Golgotha. There is the crucifixion and the agony of the last few hours of His life. And, there is the resurrection, the assurance of hope and eternity.
In the midst of all this, there is also the interaction between Jesus and His disciples. John, in his gospel account, tells us that Jesus knew the hour had come for His betrayal. As a result, Jesus wanted to show the full extent of His love for these disciples, a love that ultimately led to Calvary.
In particular, there are two disciples who play prominent roles in this last night before the crucifixion. Both disciples had opportunities to demonstrate their devotion to Christ. Both disciples fell short. Both betrayed Jesus that night.
Peter and Judas. Both betrayed Jesus, but both took very different turns after the betrayal. And therein lies the story of redemption and condemnation.
The Calling of the Disciples
In every list of the disciples (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16), Simon is mentioned first, and Judas Iscariot is always mentioned last. Each list tells us that Simon was given the name Peter, and each list tells us that Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. Nevertheless, each of the lists is very clear that the twelve were chosen by Jesus to be a part of His closest advisors and students. It is to these twelve that Jesus would share truths and lessons that others would only hear about from the twelve.
When Jesus sent His disciples into the countryside to share the gospel, He sent both Peter and Judas. And the record indicates that Peter and Judas both came back with glowing reports about what God had done through the ministry they had been given.
The Bible tells us a great deal about Peter, certainly more than it does about Judas. From the gospels we learn that Simon was the brother of Andrew, and that Simon came to meet Jesus through Andrew’s invitation. We know that Peter and Andrew were sons of a man whose name was Jonas, and that they were fishermen, along with two other men, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. James and John also became Jesus’ disciples, and it was Peter, James and John who became the inner circle of disciples to Jesus.
All we know about Judas is that he was the treasurer and that he was Jesus’ betrayer. John’s gospel account gives us the most insight into Judas, letting us know that he was the son of Simon Iscariot (John 6:71), that Judas was the treasurer and a thief (John 12:4-6) and that the devil entered into Judas the night of Jesus’ betrayal (John 13:2).
These were two very different men who had one thing in common: their belief in Jesus as the Messiah.
What did Messiah Mean?
You and I have the benefit of hindsight and the understanding that comes with it. We see the events up to and leading through Easter with the benefit of looking back at it. Because of our vantage point, we understand when Jesus spoke of establishing His kingdom that it was to be a spiritual kingdom, built around our relationship with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. There was never to be an earthly realm until He returns again for a time of judgment.
Peter, Judas and all their contemporaries were viewing the events of Easter from a forward view—it was a future occurrence, one they were taught about, but didn’t fully understand. The concept of the Messiah and His kingdom was to be the establishment of an earthly kingdom, one that overthrew Roman occupation and re-established the throne of David. Once this kingdom was re-established, it would usher in great glory for God and for Israel. And the Messiah would rule over this great new kingdom.
Once we remember their perspective, it’s easier to understand the things the disciples said to Jesus when the kingdom subject would be broached. Most of the time, the disciples argued over who would have greater standing in the kingdom. To put it into the American system of government, the arguments were over who would be vice president, secretary of state, chief of staff. Who would be Jesus’ chief advisor and right-hand man? It’s the reason Peter stopped Jesus from talking about going to Jerusalem to be turned over to the authorities and being sacrificed. Jesus’ rebuke tended to tamp down the talk about not letting Jesus fall into His enemies’ hands, but it didn’t completely go away.
As far as the disciples were concerned, Jesus was going to rule over a kingdom that exceeded Solomon’s in its grandeur. And they were going to be the key players in His court.
Pure Conjecture
From this point on, everything is pure conjecture on my part. It is conjecture that I believe fits into the Biblical events surrounding Jesus’ betrayal, but I could be completely wrong about the motives and reasons of both men, Judas in particular. So, here goes.
On that fateful week following the Triumphal Entry, the pressure was mounting on Jesus. The mere acclamation of adulation shown Jesus as He entered Jerusalem seems to indicate that there was some sort of expectation that something truly spectacular was to happen within the next few days. Reading the gospel accounts, we see the opposition by the Pharisees and Sadducees increasing with daily challenges in the Temple courts.
There are two events of the week that stand out regarding Jesus’ betrayal by Judas and Peter. In Judas’ case, it was a meal in Bethany that began to move him to his actions.
Jesus and the disciples were eating at the home of Simon the Leper (Matthew 26:6-16; Mark 14:1-11; John 12:1-8). While there, a woman came up to Jesus and she anointed Jesus’ head with a very expensive perfume. The gospels record that there was great indignation at the woman’s waste of such expensive perfume, but Jesus rebuked the attitude indicating that the woman’s actions were consistent with Jesus’ imminent burial. John records that it was Judas who voiced the objection (4-6). John indicates that Judas’ objection was that the money earned from the sale of the perfume could have been used for the poor, but also so that Judas could pilfer some of the money for his own gain.
According to Matthew and Mark, it was immediately after this event that Judas met with the religious leaders with the intent of turning Jesus over to them in exchange for payment of thirty silver coins.
For Peter, the groundwork for his betrayal is found in words spoken by Jesus on the night of His betrayal. In Luke 22:31-34, the following conversation takes place between Jesus and Peter. Jesus addresses Peter and says, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’ But he replied, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know Me.’”
In Mark’s gospel account, Peter tells Jesus that he will never abandon Jesus. When Jesus tells Peter that he will in fact deny Jesus three times, Mark records, “But Peter insisted emphatically, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will never disown you.’ And all the others said the same” (Mark 14:29-31).
Judas’ Betrayal
As the disciples gathered with Jesus in the upper room for their Passover observance, John tells us that Satan had entered into Judas to betray Jesus. While they were eating, Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray Jesus. Various accounts in the gospels indicate Jesus pointed toward Judas as the betrayer by orally stating the truth or by a symbolic gesture. Regardless how Judas was exposed, no one seemed to grasp the truth. When Jesus tells Judas in John’s account, “What you are about to do, do quickly,” (John 13:27), Judas left the meal and then met with the authorities.
Judas told them that he would indicate which of the men was Jesus by kissing Him. He took the Temple guard and others to the garden of Gethsemane where he knew Jesus would go and there betrayed him.
Now here’s the conjecture on my part. I believe the reason Judas betrayed Jesus can be found in John’s description of Judas and in the overall view of the disciples toward their understanding and expectation of Jesus’ Messiahship.
I believe Judas was getting anxious about the approaching kingdom. He saw Jesus, particularly at this week, at the threshold of proclaiming and establishing the kingdom. Yet, Jesus hesitated. For whatever reason, Jesus would not take the logical step of telling Jerusalem that the time was right and that He was the Messiah.
My belief is that Judas thought he could force Jesus’ hand. By taking the Temple guard to arrest Him, Jesus would be forced to either fight back and the kingdom would have its beginning or Jesus would openly declare to the Temple guard and others that He was in fact Messiah and things would fall into line. After all was done and the kingdom firmly established, Judas would expect Jesus to thank him for taking the initiative and helping Jesus establish His kingdom. As a result, Judas expected to be exalted in the kingdom, maybe even exceeding the inner circle of disciples (could there have been jealousy on his part?). And, there was the additional 30 silver coins in his pocket.
But none of that happened. Instead of resisting and fighting, Jesus meekly went with the guards. As He stood before the Sanhedrin, He refused to speak, much less proclaim Himself Messiah. In fact, Jesus did nothing to show them who He really was.
It was then that Judas began to question everything. Instead of seeing Jesus as Messiah, Judas came to see Jesus as a simple man, a kind man, a good friend, but clearly not the Messiah. That’s why he went to the chief priests and tried to undo what he had done. Matthew 27:3-5 says, “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.”
I believe Judas’ belief in Jesus was an intellectual one, not a spiritual belief. He saw what he hoped to be the deliverer of Israel, and when Jesus didn’t live up to Judas’ expectations, he lost all hope and, riddled with guilt, committed suicide. The tragedy of Judas’ life is that he was so sure of his understanding that he failed to hear what Jesus was telling him all along.
Peter’s Betrayal
I think Peter gets a lot of grief for his personality. Peter is outspoken, unafraid to say what’s on his mind. Sometimes that gets him rewarded; other times, it gets him rebuked. Peter sometimes would speak or act before he thought, but Peter was loyal to Jesus.
Jesus, after they left the upper room, went with the disciples to the garden of Gethsemane, there to pray. He took Peter, James and John with Him further into the garden and asked them specifically to pray for Jesus. It was late, it was quiet, and it’s not too surprising that all the disciples fell asleep. (How many times have I awoken in the morning and realized that I had been praying before I fell asleep?)
After Jesus was through praying, Judas brought his group to arrest Jesus. In all the gospel accounts, Peter was prepared to fight to defend Jesus against arrest. Peter was true to his word, but Jesus put a quick end to that. When Jesus stopped the fight before it really began, Jesus went with the guards, and the disciples all fled into the night.
Each of the gospels speak about John and Peter following Jesus at a discreet distance and entering the courtyard where Jesus was being “tried” by the Sanhedrin. John’s gospel account indicates that the John knew people and got them inside the courtyard and that he went further in, while Peter waited. It is during this time that Peter is asked by people, “Aren’t you one of His disciples?” Peter emphatically denies it three times before the rooster crows. The passage that was cited at the beginning of this piece tells us that Jesus looked directly at Peter as the rooster crowed, and Peter, realizing his betrayal, fled into the night and there wept bitterly.
While Judas’ remorse was that he had betrayed someone whom he stopped believing in, Peter’s remorse is with himself and his failure to keep his promise. Peter had pledged to go with Jesus to jail and to death if need be, but when push came to shove, Peter proved to not have the courage he thought he had. Peter’s remorse is in the fact that he failed Jesus when Jesus needed him most. There is no indication in any of the gospels that Peter ever doubted Jesus or who and what Jesus claimed to be.
Judas committed suicide as a result of his remorse, but Peter regrouped with the other disciples (each of whom had pledged, like Peter, to remain with Jesus to the end, but, unlike Peter, ran away after Jesus stopped the fight in the garden). It was while he was in hiding with them that he learned of the resurrection. Peter and John ran to the empty tomb, and it was Peter who entered and saw the empty burial cloth with the burial mask off to the side.
And, in John 21, it is Peter who finds redemption and forgiveness from the risen Savior as they walked along the shore of Galilee. Peter went on to be a leader of the church in Jerusalem in the early stages and was instrumental in bringing the gospel to Gentiles. Peter wrote the letters that bear his name in the New Testament and was highly influential in the writing of the Gospel according to Mark. Tradition tells us that Peter died a martyr’s death in Rome by orders of Nero. He was crucified upside down by his own request, claiming he was unworthy to die the same death as Jesus.
Conclusion
Judas’ betrayal exposed his lack of understanding and faith in Jesus. He believed in an idea but not in Jesus. Peter never stopped believing Jesus, but he did lose faith in himself. That faith was only restored at the shores of Galilee when Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep.
We all fail Jesus at various times in our lives. It’s not the failure that matters, but the faith that withstands the failure. Jesus can use anyone who keeps believing in Him. That’s what Easter is all about.
© 2018 Glynn Beaty