Both turned their backs on Jesus. One denied him, the other betrayed him.
Both felt an enormous amount of grief for what they had done. As we saw yesterday, Peter wept bitterly, but Matthew doesn't tell us what happens after that.
Does Peter repent, does he confess the name of Jesus, does he come back to Jesus, does he stand up for Jesus in the face of death? We find out that this is exactly what he does in the book of Acts.
But what about Judas?
And now we come to our text today:
1 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. 2They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
3 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. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. 8 That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10 and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me."
Remember what we talked about yesterday, how Peter's denials of Jesus happened during Jesus' trials before Caiaphas. Here, Judas' remorse occurs during Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin.
Both Peter and Judas are contrasted with Jesus.
And when Judas finds out what the verdict is about Jesus, look how he responds:
1 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. 2They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
3 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. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
Judas is devastated when he hears the news that Jesus was going to be put to death. He realizes what he has done.
He turned his back on the savior of the world!!!!
Jesus hadn't done anything wrong, he didn't deserve this, yet Judas betrayed him, sinned against him. Because of this, he tries to give back the money, but the chief priests and elders wouldn't take it.
So what does Judas do?
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
Have you ever been there?
Have you ever thought before...."I have too much baggage to be forgiven"; "I am too far gone now, there is no way I can go back"; "They can't forgive me, I hurt them too much"
Do you feel like there is no turning back, like you are at the end of your rope?
This is where Judas was, and look what he did.
He hung himself.
He ended his life, because he thought there was nowhere else to turn.
Yet...remember the story right before this one.
Peter did the same type of thing. He turned his back on Jesus. But what happens to Peter after this?
He REPENTS!!!!
He changes his life, does the 180, and comes back to Jesus.
And Jesus forgives him.
Judas...Judas runs off, by himself, and takes matters into his own hands.
So who are you going to be?
When you find yourself at the end of your rope, turn to Jesus, run to Jesus.
For the act of betrayal that Judas did to Jesus, is actually the very thing that provides forgiveness for all the acts of betrayal in the history of the universe!!!! Jesus died so you wouldn't have to. Jesus was hung on a tree so you don't have to.
So who are you?
Judas.....or Peter?
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