Recently we celebrated Easter – on Resurrection Sunday. We celebrated the fact that Jesus rose from the grave. Jesus lived a sinless life and died a horrific death for sinners like you and me. He always obeyed the will of God the Father. He willingly laid down His life – no man took it from Him. He suffered God’s wrath, God’s anger over our sin (the sin of those who put their trust in Jesus) as He hung on that cruel cross. He died and rose victoriously three days later. Thank you Jesus for your wonderful sacrifice!
Prior to Jesus’ crucifixion and subsequent resurrection, the Bible tells us of the paths of two men that were His disciples. They were two sorry men. Two men that both did things that they were sorry for, but ended up with very different results.
Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ 12 apostles. He ministered with Jesus for around three years. He saw the many miracles that Jesus performed. In fact, he was one of the disciples that Jesus sent out two by two and they also had performed miracles by the power of Jesus and in His name.
But the apostle John tells us that Judas Iscariot was the treasurer for Jesus and His men and John goes on to say that Judas was a thief. John relays the story of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive ointment in John 12:1-8. Specifically in verses 4-6 he states: Then said one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
The apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:27 that we are not to give place to the devil. We are not to give the devil a foothold. We are not supposed to give him a place or an opportunity to lead us astray. 1 John 3:8 says He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
We are to submit ourselves to God; we are to resist the devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7). But Judas did not resist the devil. By already being a thief to begin with it, the devil had no problem tempting Judas to do even worse evil deeds.
Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Satan also entered into Judas on the night of the Passover; the very night that Judas later betrayed Jesus with a kiss. You should really stop and pause on this thought. Satan entered into Judas. Living in open rebellion to almighty God is a scary place to be. You don’t fully understand the amount of evil that you are inviting in. You don’t truly understand the amount of evil that you are capable of, until it’s too late.
After Judas betrayed Jesus, the Bible tells us that he tried to give the money back. The religious leaders wouldn’t accept it, so Judas scattered the money in the temple. Judas was sorry for his actions. In Matthew 27:4-5 Judas is speaking and he says, I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood. And they (the religious leaders) said, What is that to us? You see to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
The other sorry fellow on that fateful night was Peter. He also was an apostle of Jesus Christ. Peter was bold. He walked on water with Jesus (until he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the stormy waves). Yes, Peter was a bold follower of Jesus of Nazareth. In fact, in the garden of Gethsemane, after Judas betrayed Jesus, Peter took a sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. (As a side note, Jesus healed his ear. Can you imagine what this servant thought later that night when people made all kinds of false accusations against Jesus? The meanwhile this guy was standing there rubbing his ear, knowing that Jesus was the one who healed him. Knowing without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus was who He said He was because the servant had just been the recipient of one of Jesus’ many miracles).
So as bold as Peter was, he still ran away in fear like all the disciples ran away when Jesus was arrested. The apostle John did come back and follow Jesus all the way to His crucifixion. But after Peter ran away, he followed the happenings from a distance. Peter knew that Jesus had already warned him that he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed and it happened just as Jesus predicted that it would.
Luke 22:54-62 tells us the story. 54 Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.
58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, You are also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilean. 60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what you say, And immediately, while he yet spoke, the rooster crowed.
61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter, And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, Before the rooster crows, you shall deny me thrice. 62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. Mark 14:71 even tells us: But he (that is Peter) began to curse and swear, saying, I know not this man of whom you speak.
So here we have two men that both denied Jesus Christ by their words and their actions. They both did things that they shouldn’t have done. But the end results were worlds apart.
2 Corinthians 7:10 says For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death. The sorrow of the world works death.
Judas Iscariot, betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Satan had entered into him. Judas was a thief before Satan entered him. Wrong thoughts lead to wrong motives which lead to wrong actions. James 1:14-15 states, But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.
Judas’ sin brought forth death. He was sorry that he betrayed the Son of God. He even tried to give the money back, but the religious leaders wouldn’t take it. (They ended up buying a field to bury poor people in it that couldn’t afford a burial). So you can say that Judas was sorry. But he did not have godly sorrow. He went out and hung himself. His worldly sorrow resulted in death and not only did Judas physically died, but he will spiritually be separated from God for all of eternity. I’m sure that he truly wishes that he had never been born at all.
Again, 2 Corinthians 7:10 states, For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death.
Peter was also sorry for his actions. The Bible says that he even wept bitterly. Can you imagine Jesus looking you in the eye after you denied Him three times, just exactly like He predicted you would do? Don’t you know that you would feel lower than low? Peter must have felt like the most worthless human being that was ever born.
But Peter didn’t go out and kill himself. He didn’t have worldly sorrow that works death. No, Peter went back to his old line of work. That is until Jesus appeared to him on the lake shore – that is after the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus asked Peter three times do you love Me? Each time Peter said, Lord you know that I do. Jesus then told him, Feed my sheep.
Through Jesus, Peter was put back in a right standing with God. Jesus forgave Peter for denying Him and Peter had godly sorrow.
What kind of sorrow do you have today? Are you even sorry for your sins? When you wrong someone, do you truly feel sorry for your actions? Or is your conscience so seared over that you don’t even feel any sorrow anymore? Let’s say you steal something from your roommate. Do you feel guilty for what you’ve done or do you just try to hide it? Do you come clean with your roommate or do you go on like nothing ever happened?
Are you sorry for your sins? Are you sorry to God that you have rebelled against Him? Are you sorry for breaking God’s Law – the 10 Commandments? Are you truly sorry for your sins? Do you feel any guilt over them? Do realize that all sin is primarily against God? Have you asked God to forgive you? Do you have a shallow understanding of God’s grace and mercy? In other words, do you continually commit the same sin over and over again and continually keep asking God to forgive you?
We are to confess and forsake our sins. Proverbs 28:13 says, He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy. 1 John 1:9 states If we confess or sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Godly sorrow works repentance to salvation. Have you ever really repented from your sins? Have you ever reached the point where you admit that you are a sinner and that Jesus is the only Savior? Have you ever cried out to God to have mercy on you, a sinner? Have you repented from your sins and put your trust in Jesus Christ? Have you really trusted Him to save you?
When you are truly saved, you keep on repenting. Repentance is not a one-time event. After God saves you, He sends the Holy Spirit to reside inside you. God continually shows you areas of your life where there is sin. This process is called sanctification. God keeps sanctifying you after you have been born again until the day you die. If you claim Christ as your Savior, but you are still stuck in the same sins that you committed years ago, you need to examine yourself to see if you are truly in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).
If you are here today and you merely have worldly sorrow, then you are still working for death. Not only will you die some day, but you will be spiritually dead and separated from God for all of eternity in the next life. Hell is real and it is really an unpleasant place. It’s a place where you will gnash your teeth forever. You will catch no break in Hell. There are no do-overs. It is a place of everlasting damnation and torment.
Today, I’m hoping and praying that God will open your blind spiritual eyes and that He will grant you repentance and faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. Be saved today. Turn away from your sins and put your faith in Jesus. Godly sorrow leads to this. Godly sorrow leads to salvation. Be saved today. Repent and believe the Gospel.
(This message was lifted up in the open-air at MSU and downtown Springfield, MO the week of April 21, 2014)