Rev. Dr. M. Taylor Bach

2 Corinthians 7:8-13 John 18:25-27 & 21:15-18

Perhaps you remember from your history lessons in high school the story of betrayal around the time of the birth of our country. The year was 1779. The Continental Congress had convened to create an army. It named five men generals and left out one particular man who was young, healthy, bright, vigorous and extremely disappointed. George Washington talked this man into not resigning his commission in the Continental Army. The man's name was Benedict Arnold. You probably know the rest of the story. Benedict Arnold made an agreement with the British that for twenty thousand pounds, the currency of the time (worth about one million in today's dollars), that he would turn over West Point to the British. George Washington somehow got wind of this. He immediately sent Alexander Hamilton to intercept the British and to thwart the plan. But one of his biographers records that after he did this, he left the room bringing Lafayette with him, went into a private room and wept. Benedict Arnold was his friend and now he was a traitor.

There are many times people are betrayed in life. Maybe you have felt betrayal at some time in your life. One can imagine the feelings of George Washington and therefore easily remember the worst betrayals of all time that are recorded in the Bible - the stories of Peter and Judas  and know something of what Jesus felt. Tom Matthew just read the story of Peter. If we read a little bit further, we would discover after Peter betrayed Jesus when the cock crowed, he wept. He felt remorse - tremendous remorse. It was because of his remorse that he was able to repent, and when Jesus confronted him after His resurrection, it was Peter's ability to say, “You know, I have failed you but I love you.” Then Jesus commissioned him. “Therefore, I am OK with you. Go feed my sheep.”

Contrast that with Judas. Judas also betrayed Jesus almost simultaneously with Peter. Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver in a bizarre act of betrayal. He kissed Jesus on the cheek to alert the Roman centurions that this was the person they were looking for. Jesus confronted him. “Do you betray a person with a kiss?” What was Judas' reaction? Did he repent like Peter? No, he didn't. He became depressed, angry with himself, hating himself. He threw the pieces of silver back into the Temple, went out and while Jesus was hanging on the cross, he hung himself from a tree. Had he waited three more days, he could have received redemption, the forgiveness, the freedom of a new life, where Jesus erased the past and like Peter, he could have turned the whole thing around. But instead, he turned to despair and chose death instead of remorse and repentance.

The lesson in this is that when we betray Jesus, and we all do at some time or another, we can repent of that betrayal and God can use it for His own power and glory as He did in Peter's case. So here is a thought I want to challenge you with. If someone said to you, “I'll give you a million dollars if you never go to church again,” would you take that deal? If someone said to you, “If you deny Christ, you will live. If you keep your belief in Christ, you will die,” how would you respond to that?

One of the research magazines that I receive entitled The Voice of the Martyrs said that three hundred thousand Christians die a martyr's death each year in foreign countries. We have it so easy in the United States that we don't take our faith that seriously. Would we give our life for Christ as these people are doing? Would we say, “I love you.”? “You know that I love you, Lord,” like Peter did. Peter also gave his life. The tradition has it Peter was crucified on the Appian Way and he chose to be crucified upside down because he didn't think that he was worthy to be crucified right side up as Jesus was. If all of your possessions were taken away, would you be bitter or better? Would you be able to find the blessing in that? Would you be able to turn to God and say, “God, I know that the lesson in scripture is that you can take our betrayals, our flaws and our thoughts, and you can turn them to good.” Have you done something you are not proud of? Have you ever done something that you view as a serious sin? Do you realize that God forgives that? You are redeemed! All you have to do is what Peter did. All you have to do is repent and tell Jesus you love Him. Then Jesus will give you a task. “Feed my sheep.” “Go out there and do something worthy of your calling. Do something that will make life better for somebody else.” That is the answer. Jesus erases our past. It no longer matters. That is the message of the cross and the resurrection. All betrayals can become part of His redemption. This is exciting. We no longer have to hold on to the past. We are people of the future. We can experience great joy in that!