Peter knew that Jesus was the long sought Messiah while
Judas was looking for a King David to overthrow the Roman authority. Some think
by betraying Jesus Judas was trying to force him into declaring Himself while
others think it was just sheer greed.
Both men failed Jesus, however, Peter repented and was forgiven.
Shortly before His ascension to heaven Jesus shared breakfast with the
disciples. Jesus allowed Peter to overcome his fall from grace. John 21:17, “He
saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was
grieved because he ‘sknowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus
saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”
Was Jude is ever a true follower of Jesus and then an
apostate? Would Judas have been better off if he had never known Jesus? By
knowing Jesus and being part of His ministry would Judas be held to a higher
stander? Had Judas crossed a line in the sand from which he could not retreat? Hebrews
6:4-6, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have
tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And
have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they
shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to
themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”
Judas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver and later tried to
return the silver to the temple. The “blood money” was used to buy a potter’s
field; fulfilling prophecy with amazing accuracy. Zachariah11:12-13, “And I said unto them, If
ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my
price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the
potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty
pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.”
From Peter we learn that our human nature and the will to
survive can cause us to fall from grace. The really good news is that
repentance brings forgiveness. After the resurrection, and the later filling of
the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter became a much convicted apostle capable of
performing miracles; even Peter’s shadow could heal. Unlike the televangelists
of today, the early apostles had little in the way of material things and
traveled by foot. The passage I like so well is from Acts 3:6, “Then Peter
said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
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