Are You More Like Peter or Judas?

Are you more like Peter or Judas? Your initial reaction to that question may be filled with confusion or a resounding “Peter, of course!” but the answer may not be as simple as it appears.

During the time of Jesus’ ministry, He had many followers. However, twelve were appointed by Jesus to be His disciples, with Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot being two of those twelve.

Peter

Peter was a fisherman by trade. He was known to have a quick temper and was a very outspoken person. His brother, Andrew, gathered him to meet Jesus, leading to Peter becoming one of Jesus’ followers. Peter would be one of the closest men to Jesus during His ministry. He would declare Jesus as the Messiah and Jesus empowered Peter to start the church (Matt.16:13-20, Mark 8:27:30).

Judas

Not much is known or shared about Judas throughout the Gospels. However, Judas was the treasurer and keeper of the money bag for Jesus and the disciples (John 12:4-6).

Jesus entrusted Judas to look after the funds, but Judas was a greedy man. He had a money problem and would often steal from the money bag. He had a heart problem.

What do they have in common?

Both men were first-hand witnesses to the miracles Jesus performed and the life He lived. They were there when He fed the five thousand with five loaves and two fish.

They were there when He cast out demons and helped the blind see. They were there when He calmed the storm. Peter even walked on water.

Both men saw clearly the fulfilment of Messianic prophecies performed by Jesus. Both men joined the other disciples in performing miracles and saw the work of God take place (Mark 6:7-13). Yet both men had moments of rejecting Jesus. Both men turned their back on Him when He needed them the most.

Peter would deny Jesus three times and fall asleep in the garden when Jesus asked him to stay awake (Matt. 26:36-46; Luke 22:54-62). Judas would betray Jesus and give him up to authorities for thirty pieces of silver (Matt. 26:14-16; Luke 22). However, both men responded to their rejection of Jesus in two very different ways.

Before we get into how they responded, let’s go back to the Last Supper for a very subtle, but major distinction in the way Peter and Judas saw Jesus.

Matthew 26:21-25 says:

“And while they were eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, ‘Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?’ Jesus replied, ‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.

The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.’ Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said ‘Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?’ Jesus answered, ‘You have said so."

Did you catch that? All the disciples of Jesus, including Peter, referred to Him as Lord, when asking if they were the ones that were going to betray Him, except for one. Judas referred to Jesus as Rabbi. After spending three years of life with Jesus and seeing everything He did throughout His ministry, Judas still only viewed Jesus as a great teacher and a great man. He didn’t see Him as the Messiah. He didn’t see Him as LORD.

Judas, who betrayed Jesus and gave away His whereabouts for thirty pieces of silver, would never fully understand who Jesus was. He felt immense guilt and regret of what he had done. He knew instantly he had done something wrong and he returned the money.

“When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 'I have sinned’, he said, ‘for I have betrayed innocent blood’…So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.”

– Matthew 27:3-5

“Betrayed innocent blood.” Judas knew Jesus was innocent. Judas knew Jesus was a good man. But he still didn’t know him as LORD.

Peter, when questioned of whether he knew Jesus or not, denied knowing Him on three separate occasions just as Jesus had predicted (Luke 22:31-62). It was during Jesus’ prediction of these events that Peter emphatically denied that he would ever do such a thing. After he denied Jesus, Peter felt immense guilt and regret. He knew he had done something wrong. He returned to his life as a fisherman, only to have an encounter a few days later with the risen Christ on a beach.

As Peter and the disciples were fishing, a man was trying to help them from the shore.

John 21:7 says:

“Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, ‘It is the Lord,’ he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.”

There it is again. LORD. As soon as Peter heard those words from John, he humbly and eagerly ran to Jesus. After they had all finished eating, Jesus and Peter had a conversation. To resemble the three times that Peter denied Jesus, Jesus asks Peter on three separate occasions “Do you love me?” – a beautiful showing of love and grace. Each time, Peter responds with “Yes, Lord. You know that I love you."

Peter knew Jesus. He knew Jesus was LORD. And Jesus knew Peter. He knew that Peter loved Him.

Judas felt shame, regret and guilt and tried to pay for his own sins. He took it upon himself to suffer for his mistakes. In return, he received the punishment by ending his own life. A sad ending to a man’s life who walked together with Jesus. An unchangeable decision and regrettable price to pay.

Peter also felt regret and guilt, but instead of paying for his own sins, his encounter with the Risen Christ allowed him to receive the fullness of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. Jesus paid the punishment. Jesus bore the shame and guilt. Jesus paid the price.

Peter and Judas both experienced Jesus intimately, but only Peter was a changed man. Both men rejected Jesus, but only Peter would see true life transformation and forgiveness. Both men sinned greatly, but only Peter repented. Peter’s denial of Jesus, like Judas’ betrayal, was caused by the human nature of pride and sinfulness and giving into the temptations of Satan. However, Peter sought forgiveness for his denials; whereas, Judas couldn’t and didn’t. His heart wasn’t in the right place.

The lack of transformation in Judas’ life despite being around Jesus is a sad and scary thought. Despite being around Him, Judas never truly knew who Jesus was. He just thought He was a great teacher and a great man – which He was. But He is so much more than that. He is the Christ. The Messiah. The Saviour of the world. He is LORD.

How many of us have experienced Jesus yet haven’t been transformed? How many of us have seen Jesus work miracles yet we don’t view Him for who He truly is?

How many of us sin and deny Jesus (even rejecting what God has for you or ignoring His conviction is a form of denial), but don’t run to Him for forgiveness? How many of us don’t truly know who Jesus is and what He has done for us?

So, are you more like Peter or Judas?

When you sin, when you deny and disobey Jesus, when you make a mistake – do you try to punish yourself or do you humbly run to Jesus and allow His finished work on the cross to pay the price for you? Do you misunderstand who Jesus is and what He’s done or do you humbly come to Him in repentance and gratitude?

Conversations of apostasy or never being saved surround this contrast of these two men, but our focus is on the finished work of Jesus on the cross and the forgiveness that comes with that. Come to Jesus.

Jesus died for a reason. He did something none of us could do. He did something none of us have to do, if we choose to receive His finished work. What a wonderful Saviour. What an act of love, grace and mercy. Let us choose to be like Peter and run towards the LORD.

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

 

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