The response to remorse.

Matthew 26:69-27:14  from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” ⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” ⁷¹ When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” ⁷² And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” ⁷³ A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.” ⁷⁴ Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

27 Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death; ² and they bound Him, and led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor.

³ Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ⁴ saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!” ⁵ And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. ⁶ The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood.” ⁷ And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers. ⁸ For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹ Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one whose price had been set by the sons of Israel; ¹⁰ and they gave them for the Potter’s Field, as the Lord directed me.”

¹¹ Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” ¹² And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. ¹³ Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” ¹⁴ And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.

In today’s text we see the contrast in the response and the remorse of Peter, the one who denied Jesus and Judas, the one who betrayed him. Jesus had predicted both would happen. Peter had protested, in Matthew 26:33-35 it says:  “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.”    Perhaps that Peter protested while Judas merely relented and followed through with his intentions is an indication of the heart of the two men. Peter genuinely wanted to do what was right. It was as Jesus said, when He prayed in the garden just hours before: “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)   We too need to watch and pray. How many times and how many ways do we too enter into temptation? How often do we, like Peter, although our desire and intentions are to stand for and with Christ, deny Him before people. We may not declare with our voices, as Peter did:  saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.” Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!”   Our denial might be more passive. It might come in the form of our actions, our participation in unrighteousness, our negative, unrighteous and course communication with others. Our denial of Christ might be demonstrated in our priorities; the number of things which occupy our time and our thoughts before Him. In all those ways we can be guilty of denying Jesus, if not of who He is, then of His rightful place in our lives.  

Look though, at the difference between the way Peter responded and the way Judas reacted. The text says of Peter:  And immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.     Judas also felt remorse. Regarding him the text says:  Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!” And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.    Judas tried to pay the price for his sin on his own. He returned the money, he confessed his sin to those who had participated with him in it; and then he paid with his own life. We are not told in scripture where Peter was when Jesus was crucified. It is indicated that John was there. In John 19:25-27 it says: Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.  We don’t know for sure if Peter too was right there. But I believe, because of his heart, because he wept bitterly that he had denied Jesus, he was near enough to hear when Jesus said: “Father, forgive them.” (Luke 23:34) I believe Peter heard when Jesus said:  “It is finished!” (John 19:30) Later, when Peter was told that Jesus was risen, he ran to the empty tomb. Judas responded to remorse with guilt and condemnation. He tried to pay the price for his own sin. Peter knew Jesus was the Christ, that only His death on the cross could pay for sin. Each one received according to their belief, Peter forgiveness and life; Judas death. There is perhaps no greater confirmation of Romans 6:23, which says: The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Today’s text ends saying:  Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.   Often we, unlike Jesus, feel the need to defend ourselves. If we are doing what is right, if we are speaking and standing for the truth, then like Jesus, we don’t need to answer the charges people speak against us. If they ask is Jesus Lord and king, it is enough to say, as Jesus did:  “It is as you say.”  There is a saying, from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which says:   "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."   Often times when we feel the need to justify ourselves, defending ourselves rather than simply standing for truth, we diminish the justification of Christ and the cross. We should not and cannot, like Judas justify ourselves. Only Jesus, the Messiah, the King can pay the price. Only through Him and the finished work of the cross are we forgiven and receive the gift of life.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit, thank You that with You there is conviction regarding sin, but not condemnation. In Christ I am forgiven. Like Peter I choose to run to the resurrection and to walk and stand with You and for You.   Amen.