Acts 2:14a, 36-41 On the night that he was betrayed, Jesus and his disciples gathered in the upper room for the Passover meal. They remembered God’s deliverance of his people by the shed blood of spotless lambs.
Seated around the table, Jesus was filled with sorrow and warned them that one of them would betray him. He said “Woe to that person who betrays the Son of Man. It would be better for him if he had never been born.” One after the other asked the Lord: “Is it I”? And when Judas spoke up, Jesus said, “Yes, it is you.” At that moment Judas fled from the room.
A few days before, Judas had gone to Jesus’ enemies on the ruling council and asked what they would give him to betray Jesus. They settled on thirty pieces of silver. Judas would lead them to Jesus and in the darkness of night and, so that there was no confusion, Judas would identify Jesus with a kiss.
And so it was that after Jesus and the disciples finished their meal they traveled to the Garden of Gethsemane. It was there that a group of soldiers came, led by Judas who ran up to Jesus and betrayed him with a kiss.
In very short order, Judas had a change of heart. He went back to the men who had given him the silver and he said “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood” and he threw down the silver coins on the temple floor and went out and killed himself.
Despite his sin—his greed, his betrayal, his despair—who among us cannot but count his death as a terrible tragedy—as something that didn’t have to be? After all, the other disciples failed the Lord too. Peter denied him three times! He too wept bitterly at his sinful weakness.
That night as Jesus stood before the Council, in different parts of Jerusalem, two men cried deep, heart-wrenching tears of sorrow: Peter and Judas were both heart-broken at their sin—both of them knew how badly they failed—but one of them died by his own hand and one of them became the leader of the church. What was the difference between the two?
The difference was the resurrection. All Judas knew was that his sin led to the death of Jesus. Peter knew that too. But early in the morning, on the first day of the week after Jesus’ death on the cross—Peter knew something more—he knew that death was not the end. Yes, the judgment of God was real-- but Jesus’ resurrection means life and forgiveness and peace—even for those who sin greatly.
God wants us to know and believe the same so that we would turn from our sins- and trust in Jesus for forgiveness -and receive the Holy Spirit for the strength to live a new life because Easter Christians are repentant and willing to change. The Bible says that:
Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
There was no doubt in Judas’ mind that he had betrayed an innocent man. There was no doubt in Peter’s mind that he had failed the Lord when he needed him most. There was no doubt in the disciples’ minds that they valued a nap in the garden more than prayer for the Lord in his time of need. They all knew the role that they had played in Jesus’ death.
But it was not only their sins that brought Jesus to the cross. It was the sins of all people that caused him to die. That is what they told the crowd—that is what they tell us.
Fifty days had passed between Jesus’ resurrection and the harvest festival of Pentecost. Thousands of Jews from all over the world gathered in Jerusalem for the holiday and Peter told them what had happened in those fifty days—that yes, Jesus died and their sins were the cause—but God had raised him up and that the disciples were witnesses of his resurrection and ascension. The Bible says that:
When they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
This is exactly the response that God is looking for when we see what our sins have done. It’s called contrition--sorrow. It means that we understand what our sins are—admit that they are real—and recognize that, while we didn’t drive the nails or cast the spear, our sins are responsible for what happened at the cross. How can that not cut us to the heart?
It certainly did for Peter and Judas! Both of them were broken-hearted. Both of them felt guilty and ashamed of their sins. That is the beginning of salvation. God wants to bring us to the same place-to recognize and confess our sins—to understand just how deeply we have offended our God—and to amend our sinful life. But how? What shall we do?
That is the question that comes from a heart convicted of sin. We want to do something to make it right. Judas returned the money. He admitted what he had done. But he couldn’t UNDO what he had done. There was no going back and he couldn’t see a way forward. And the ruling council did nothing to help him either. “What is that to us?” they said. In other words, “that’s your problem”.
And it was! Because his sin was all he knew—because all he could do to make it up was not enough—it was his problem and he died under the guilt and shame of his failure, despairing of hope because all he knew was his sin.
Those who gathered at the festival knew the same about themselves—that their sins had caused the death of Jesus—they knew what it was to feel guilt and shame just like we do. But Peter promises something more. Despair isn’t the end. The end of our story isn’t the death of an innocent man on a cross. There is something more.
Jesus has been raised from the dead! He is the Christ—the Savior of the world--and his resurrection is God’s declaration of not guilty upon the world—upon the disciples and the Jews and you and me. And so their question “what must we do” was answered by Peter by directing their attention to what Jesus had done for them. The Bible says that:
Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
When we hear that word “repent” we think of sorrow of Judas over his sins and that is part of it—but only part. It means to change direction—not only to stop going the way of sin but turn to Christ and receive his gifts in faith. When the crowd wanted to know what they had to do for God to make things right-- Peter told them what God wanted to do for them: to give them the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection by baptizing them into Christ’s death and resurrection.
In the waters of Holy Baptism we receive the forgiveness of sins won by Jesus at the cross- and we receive new life guaranteed by Christ’s resurrection- and we receive the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live out this new life.
That is what Judas needed and never received. He never got to experience the peace of the risen Christ like Thomas did. He never heard from the risen Christ that he was forgiven like Peter did. He never got to learn that there was still room for him at Jesus’ side like Jesus’ brothers did.
The great tragedy is that Judas died alone with his sin just like the devil wanted him too when all along the promise of forgiveness and new life in Jesus’ resurrection is intended for all people—even those who sinned greatly like he did. The Bible says that:
The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
This Good News that rings forth from the empty tomb, promising forgiveness and peace and hope and new life ISfor all people without exception—young and old, rich and poor, men and women. Jesus died for all sins and he rose for all people so that we can know and believe that this promise of forgiveness and life is for us too.
Not one of us are excluded. No matter what we have done. No matter how far we have wandered. Jesus wants us to know and believe that we are not alone with our sins but that he has entered into our flesh to die and rise again so that we don’t have to go through life with a burden of guilt and shame—so that we don’t have to die alone and in despair like Judas.
As surely as the voice of Peter rang out on that harvest festival, so the voice of the Lord is heard in this place, calling every one of us to genuine sorrow over our sins—calling us to trust in Jesus for forgiveness—calling us receive the Spirit’s gifts and be saved. The Bible says that:
With many other words Peter bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
I can picture Judas in my mind’s eye standing in the temple courts after betraying Jesus with a kiss in the garden of Gethsemane. “I have sinned against an innocent man!” was his cry as he threw the hated money on the floor. And then the words of the religious leaders, “What has that to do with us?” A message devoid of hope and peace and forgiveness.
I can see Judas running through the streets of Jerusalem, the weight of guilt and shame crushing his soul. With every step he takes we want to say to him what Peter says to us: It’s not too late! Turn to Christ! Seek his forgiveness! Save yourself from this crooked generation!
Salvation IS the message of the cross and empty tomb: Sin has been paid for! You are forgiven! There is a new beginning and a new life for you!
What happened to Judas was a tragedy because it was completely unnecessary. His sin was not greater than the cleansing blood of Jesus. His betrayal was not greater than the love of Jesus for him. The darkness that filled his heart and mind was not greater than the bright shining light of the first Easter morning when our Lord rose from the dead.
As Easter Christians we know and believe that Christ’s resurrection is the power we need to repent and believe and be changed forever. Amen.
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