Matthew 26:20-22: [20] Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. [21] As they were eating, He said, "Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me." [22] Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, "Surely not I, Lord?"
Today much is made of joy and peace within the congregation of Believers in Christ Jesus – those who make a profession of faith. Yet, all throughout the scriptures of the Holy Bible we read a testimony of personal struggles, griefs, and emotional traumas and devastations of God's people. We read of offense after offense taken by the words spoken by God, the Prophets, Disciples, etc. Jesus’ life was not sweet and trouble free. Nor has been the life of any of God’s people. The peace Jesus gives is not a peace with the world around us. Jesus gives us peace with God. In the world Jesus said He not come to bring peace, but a sword.
That said, who among God’s children has not been deeply grieved not by an outside influence, but at their own personal betrayal of the Lord Jesus Christ? Oh such disappointment and sorrow wells up within the Child who has fearfully betrayed His Savior, whom he/she loves! Our peace departs. Even the thought of the possibility deeply grieves the One who loves Jesus. It is so bitter an event we do not want to experience in relationship to our Lord! Yet, who of God’s Children has not been guilty?
The night of Jesus’ betrayal not only was He famously betrayed by Judas, He was also famously betrayed by Peter – not once, but three times.
Both Judas and Peter witnessed the consequences of the betrayal of Jesus. Judas, and Peter, witnessed an innocent man condemned. After Jesus was condemned they witnessed this: “Then they spat in His (Jesus) face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, and said, "Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?" Matthew 26:67-68
…And, that was just the beginning of the abuses inflicted on Jesus in His betrayal and death.
Both Judas and Peter experienced deep remorse. Judas responded to the grave horror and grief of his betrayal of Jesus by throwing the blood money into the Temple Sanctuary, and then hanging himself from a tree. Peter responded by leaving the Courtyard where he had three times denied Jesus. He went outside the Courtyard weeping bitterly. Peter bore this deep guilt, regret, shame, and sorrow for days, until after the Resurrection of Jesus…
“…when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs." He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep. He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep.” John 21:15-17
Three times Peter had betrayed Jesus before His crucifixion. Three times Jesus mercifully gave to Peter to declare His love for Jesus after His resurrection.
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
“…if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us." 1 John 1:7-10
May the Reader find peace with God, through the gift of His only Begotten Son. As long as we are breathing there is opportunity in Christ Jesus for repentance and peaceful reconciliation with God.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18
No comments:
Post a Comment