Mark 14:53-65
Matthew 26:57-68
Mark 14:66-72
Matthew 26:69-75
Luke 22:54-65
John 18:25-27
Mark 15:1
Matthew 27:1, 2
Luke 22:66-71
Matthew 27:3-10
Having been arrested in Gethsemane, Jesus was taken to the house of
Caiaphas, the High Priest. Though this “trial” was illegal, it didn’t seem to
matter. The religious leaders heard testimonies from false witnesses in order
to invent charges against Him. In the end, the only charge they could levy at
Him was blasphemy, for claiming to be the Messiah, the Son of God. However,
this charge was false as well, because Jesus was who He said He was.
In the background of this staged trial was the betrayal of two of
Jesus’ disciples — Peter and Judas. Judas delivered Jesus to the chief priests
for thirty pieces of silver, and three times Peter denied that He had anything
to do with Jesus. Both of these men were guilty of the same sin, but each of
them responded differently to the conviction of his guilt.
Judas was condemned by his conscience that he had sinned. He even felt
remorse for what he had done and returned the money. However, his remorse did
not lead him to repent of his sin or to ask God for forgiveness. Instead, it
led him to take his own life. Paul best described this kind of remorse when he
wrote, “God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek
salvation. We will never regret this kind of sorrow; but sorrow without
repentance is the kind that results in death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).
Judas’ lack of repentance and failure to ask for forgiveness are
evidence that he did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the only means of
salvation. In Jesus’ prayer with His disciples, He said, “During My time here,
I have kept them (the disciples) safe. I guarded them so that not one was lost,
except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold” (John 17:12). Simply put, Judas
was not a believer in Christ. He will not be in heaven.
In contrast to Judas is Peter, who was also guilty of betrayal.
However, his remorse was godly sorrow which led to repentance and
restoration. That restoration came after Jesus’ resurrection, when He appeared to
the disciples at the Sea of Galilee. Although Peter had to have been nervous to
see Jesus, the Lord gave him an opportunity to make things right. He asked Him
three times, “Do you love Me?” Peter confirmed his love for Jesus and was
restored to Him (John 21:15-19). Peter would go on to be one of the leaders of the early church.
Daily Reflection
How would you describe the difference between remorse and repentance?
Are there sins in your life for which you have felt remorse but have
never asked forgiveness? What are some of the effects of unrepentance?
What exactly produces godly sorrow in you? Why is that a good sign?
BiAY.org |Day 306 — 59 Days to Go
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