AVBC - Sunday - “The Operation (Repentance and Forgiveness)” – “The Anatomy of a Second Chance” Sermon Series (Part 2 of 4) – Matthew 26:14-16, 47-56, 69-75

 Sunday 04/26/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church

Sermon Title: “The Operation (Repentance and Forgiveness)” – “The Anatomy of a Second Chance” Sermon Series (Part 2 of 4) – Matthew 26:14-16, 47-56, 69-75

(Cover Picture)

          Last week we started a new four-week sermon series called “The Anatomy of a Second Chance”. This sermon series has a sort of medical theme. The sermons from this series are and will be “The Diagnosis (Admitting Failure).” Last week we discussed the Prophet Jonah, and how he failed God, and ran away when God called him. Yet, Jonah admitted his failure and God restored him. Today in this four-week series “The Anatomy of a Second Chance,” our message is “The Operation “Repentance and Forgiveness”. You we are diagnosed, as all of us fall short sometimes. Sometimes we “miss the mark,” which one way of defining sin. Sometimes we all do not fully do all we can, and sometimes we all fail in some way or another. God then forgives us and restores us.

          The message today then is focused on the part of this process of turning to God, turning to Jesus, repenting and being forgiven. This is spiritual surgery, and spiritual surgery that everyone, me included, has had a lot of, as we all make mistakes. Next week will be the post spiritual surgery, or “The Recovery (Living in Grace),” and finally “The Rehabilitation (Extending Grace to Others).”  

          Given all of this, how many of us have gone to God recently to ask for forgiveness for something? How many of us have thanked God recently for His love and His goodness? How many of realize that we all continue to need God’s grace in our lives? I ask these questions, because one of the things that I feel called to do as a pastor, and a Christian, is to humanize the characters of the Bible. All the characters were human, and even Jesus was fully God, but also fully human. Jesus never sinned, but everyone else sure did. The characters in the Bible made mistakes, just like the rest of us. Like the characters in the Bible though, our God still forgives and restores.

          Two such characters from the Bible that I want to discuss this morning are the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Judas Iscariot. Both the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Judas Isacariot where among the twelve original disciples of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter is largely seen today as a superstar, and the Apostle Judas Iscariot is largely seen as a villain. For example, there are lot of churches and other church institutions named after the Apostle or Saint Peter, but I have never been to the Church of Saint Judas Iscariot. The Apostle Peter and Judas both messed up big time in the Bible, yet Peter today is largely known differently, as Judas Isacariot is often seen as a villain. So, for today’s message of “The Operation “Repentance and Forgiveness” we are going to compare and contrast the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Judas Iscariot.

(Cover Picture)

          Let us first look at the Apostle Peter, and then we will look at the Apostle Judas Iscariot. In the gospels, Peter could be quirky and impulsive, but when properly focused could get a lot done. Peter tried to walk on the water, and he also told Jesus that he would not allow him to be killed. To which Jesus said to Peter, “get behind me Satan!” Peter could be outspoken, brash, and made a lot of mistakes. Instead of going in the order of the scripture readings that I read for this morning, I want start with the last one that we just looked at, that is listed on our cover picture for this morning. This scripture is Matthew 26:69-75, and this takes place on the first Good Friday, when Jesus died for us all. This is what it says, once again, picking up in Matthew 26:69:

Peter’s Denial of Jesus

⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus the Galilean.’ ⁷⁰ But he denied it before all of them, saying, ‘I do not know what you are talking about.’ ⁷¹ When he went out to the porch, another servant-girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ ⁷² Again he denied it with an oath, ‘I do not know the man.’ ⁷³ After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, ‘Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.’ ⁷⁴ Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, ‘I do not know the man!’ At that moment the cock crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: ‘Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly (Mt. 26:69-75, NRSV).

 

          Peter, who has already, like the rest of us, made mistakes and took missteps, publicly denies Jesus Christ our Lord three times. This is written in all four gospels of, Matthew 26:34, Mark 14:30, Luke 22:34, John 13:38. Not only does Peter tell Jesus that he won’t deny him prior to this, but he also says that he will die with Jesus. Yet, on that first Good Friday, the day of Jesus crucifixion, Peter says, “I don’t know Him, I don’t know Him, I don’t know Him”. Peter then hears the rooster or the cock crow as Jesus said that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed. I have always wondered if from that day on the Apostle Peter struggled every time that he heard a rooster crow?

          After this, we hear in our gospel reading for this morning in Matthew 26:75, once again,

⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: ‘Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly                                          (Mt. 26:69-75, NRSV).

 

          As our cover picture shows, Peter, after realizing that he had forsaken the Lord of Life himself three times, went out and wept or cried, with great guilt and shame. Here is one amazing painting of a depiction of one of the three of Peter’s denials of Christ on that first Good Friday:                           

(Peter’s Denial of Jesus - Picture)

Some of you might think or say, “well Pastor Paul I have done a lot of things wrong”. Did you ever deny Jesus Christ three times after Jesus himself told you that you would do so? I can imagine that on that first Good Friday, that first Holy Saturday, and until the tomb was empty on Easter Sunday that the disciples were probably in very lowly, broken, and saddened state. Even after the tomb was found empty on that first Easter Sunday, the disciples still struggled to have faith and still struggled to fully believe. As we talked about a few weeks ago, the Apostle Thomas or “Doubting Thomas” said that he would not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until he saw the risen Christ and could his finger in Jesus’ nail holes in hands, and the spear wound in His side. Peter denies Him three times, all the disciples, except “the beloved disciple” or John, flee and hide. One would think on that first Good Friday that Peter’s doom was now sealed, but this message for this morning is called “The Operation “Repentance and Forgiveness”.

          So, what then happens after the Apostle Peter denies Jesus publicly three times on Good Friday? The answer is that Jesus restores him and forgives him. Here is a picture depicting this:

(Jesus Restores Peter - Picture)

After Jesus rose from the dead Easter Sunday, we have multiple accounts in the gospels and the New Testament of Jesus appearing to many after His resurrection. In the gospel of John 21:15-17, and only in this gospel, Jesus appears to Peter and the other disciples. At this point, minus the Apostle Judas Isacariot. In this scene the remaining eleven disciples are fishing all night, but they catch nothing. Jesus appears in the famous scene and tells Peter to through his net over the right side of the boat, and the catch ends up being 153 fish. Jesus makes breakfast for the disciples in this post-resurrection appearance, and then this what the gospel of John 21:15-17 says:

Jesus and Peter

¹⁵ 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.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ ¹⁶ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep (Jn. 21:15-17).

 

Peter denies Jesus three times publicly, then Jesus returns to Peter and the other disciples, and He ask Peter three times if he loves Him. Why? Jesus wanted to forgive the Apostle Peter and restore him to a leader in the church. We have to accept forgiveness from Jesus though. We have to be sincere and desire to be restored, to be forgiven.

          Where did the Apostle Peter end up then? Here is a clue:

(St. Peter’s Basilica - Picture)

Does anyone know what famous church this is? This is church is St. Peter’s Basilic in the Vatican, in Rome Italy. This is the church the Roman Catholic Pope, Pope Leo XIV performs his religious duties while in Vatican City. The Apostle Peter’s bones are entombed under this massive basilica, or church. Why? Well, because The Roman Catholic Church, and maybe some other churches claim that there first Pope or leader was Peter. This means that in the Roman Catholic Church, that Pope Leo XIV is seen as the successor of Peter. The guy who publicly denied knowing Jesus three times, who made many other mistakes in the scriptures, was restored by the same Jesus in John 21:15-17. Restored so much in fact, that the Roman Catholic Church still claims the Apostle Peter as there first leader. While we do not believe that we need a central leader in the Baptist tradition, the story of the Apostle Peter is certainly an impressive story.

          The second person that I want to discuss in this “The Operation “Repentance and Forgiveness” is the Apostle Judas Isacariot. Well, how did Judas Isacriot fail Jesus and sin, you might ask?

(Judas Iscariot 30-Pieces of Silver - Picture)

This is what our reading from Matthew 26:14-16 from this morning says, once again:

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

 

¹⁴ Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and said, ‘What will you give me if I betray him to you?’ They paid him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him (Mt. 26:14-16).

 

          The Apostle Judas Iscariot sells his soul and sells out his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for thirty-pieces of silver. Do we still have people in this world that will willingly sell their souls, their self-respect, and their morals and values for money? I am sure we can think of many “Judas Iscariots” both past and present, that have sold their souls for a bag of coins. What is worse, is that Jesus of course already knew that Judas Iscariot was going to do this. Even so, Jesus still offered Judas Iscariot communion at the Last Supper. What is one of the reasons that I believe in an open communion table for all people? Well, Jesus gave communion to Judas Iscariot at the Last Supper, so if we desire to know Jesus more, then come to the table.

          At the same Last Supper, Jesus tells the twelve disciples that one of them will betray Him, which of course is Judas Icariot. Jesus then tells Judas to go quickly and do what he must. Judas Iscariot will be sure that Jesus will be arrested early in the morning on Good Friday, because he will lead the wolves right to Jesus. Not only this, is gets even worse picking up Matthew 26:47-56, saying, once again this:

(Judas Iscariot greets Jesus with a kiss - Picture)

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

 

⁴⁷ While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.’ ⁴⁹ At once he came up to Jesus and said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him. ⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, ‘Friend, do what you are here to do.’ Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him (Mt. 26:47-50, NRSV).

 

          So, Judas sells out Jesus, for thirty-pieces of silver, which according to the Old Testament book of Exodus was the cost of a slave, as Judas Iscariot sold his soul for money. Then after Jesus is up all night praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, which by the way, Peter was there with James and John, and they all fell asleep on Jesus twice, after Jesus asks them to stay awake. Judas then leads Jesus’ persecutors right to Him. In addition to this, Judas greets Jesus with a brotherly kiss, after he said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” which means teacher. Judas Iscariot sold Jesus out for thirty-pieces of silver and then led those who were going to arrest Jesus and get him crucified. He even sealed this with a brotherly kiss. After this brotherly kiss, Jesus says in Matthew 26:50:

‘Friend, do what you are here to do’ (Mt. 26:50, NRSV).

Or as some version of the Gospel of Luke 22:48, Jesus says to Judas Iscariot something like, “you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”

          So here is the million-dollar question then, if Jesus restored Peter, then what happened to Judas Iscariot? The answer is, Judas Iscariot committed suicide.           

(Judas Commits Suicide - Picture)

The two scriptural narratives said that Judas Iscariot out of great guilt and shame hung himself, another scripture said fell over and his bodily organs burst out. Some scholars like to say that Judas’ hanging rope broke, and then his organs burst out as he fell. Judas had at this point returned the thirty-pieces of silver, but it was too late. So, Judas Iscariot took his own life. The question I have always had though is, if Judas Iscariot had not committed suicide out of guilt and shame, would Jesus have come to him to like he did to the Apostle Peter and forgiven him and reconciled with him? I think he would have.

          So, we have the Apostle Peter who made plenty of mistakes, but Jesus forgave him and reconciled him, and then Judas who also made some huge mistakes, but committed suicide. Would Jesus have come to Judas Iscariot to offer him forgiveness and reconciliation. I think so.

(Forgiveness of Christ - Picture)

This is one of my favorite paintings, as we see in this Jesus forgiving a man, a person just like any of us who nailed him to the cross. We all fall short brothers and sisters, and yet Jesus is mighty to save. He forgives us, then He forgives some more. How grateful are we for Jesus our Lord! We are all fallen, all are imperfect, but we have Jesus, who forgives and is mighty to save. Next week will discuss “The Recovery (Living in Grace),” and finally “The Rehabilitation (Extending Grace to Others).”    

          With all this said, how can we take this sermon out the church and into Adams and the world with us this week? Here are some sermon application points:

The betrayals of Jesus by Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter represent two distinct responses to sin and failure. Judas’s calculated betrayal for money signifies premeditated treason and final apostasy, whereas Peter’s impulsive threefold denial represents a momentary failure of fear and cowardice. Judas resulted in remorse without repentance, while Peter led to repentance and eventual restoration, illustrating the power of grace.

Judas Iscariot: Calculated Treason and Despair 

·       Nature of Betrayal: Judas, motivated by greed and influence, intentionally sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, handing him over to authorities.

·       Significance: His act represents the ultimate rejection of Jesus, a cold, premeditated action that resulted in his total ruin.

·       Result: Filled with despair and lacking true repentance, Judas committed suicide instead of seeking forgiveness. 

Simon Peter: Impulsive Failure and Restoration

·       Nature of Betrayal: Peter, despite vowing loyalty, denied knowing Jesus three times out of fear in his darkest hour.

·       Significance: Peter's action demonstrates that even close followers are prone to failure through fear, cowardice, and overconfidence.

·       Result: Peter wept bitterly, repented of his actions, and was restored by Jesus after the resurrection, going on to play a pivotal role in the early Church. 

Key Contrasts and Lessons

·       Repentance vs. Remorse: Both men felt immense guilt, but only Peter sought repentance (a turning back to God), while Judas fell into despair.

·       Restoration: The narratives highlight that no sin is too great for forgiveness if one seeks it, as seen in Peter’s rehabilitation compared to Judas’s tragic end.

·       Fulfillment of Prophecy: Both betrayals were predicted by Jesus, highlighting that even in his humiliation, Jesus remained in control of his destiny. 

My friends, brothers and sisters, whatever we have done, whatever we have said, if we turn to Jesus, He is mighty to forgive, and mighty to save. Amen.