Have you ever confronted the shadows within, those moments of betrayal and denial that haunt our collective human experience? Our latest conversation traverses the deep valleys of Matthew chapters 26 and 27, where we uncover the stark contrast between human fragility and divine perfection. As we navigate the treacherous actions of Judas and the failures of Peter, we're reminded of our shared vulnerability to sin's pervasive grip. Yet, in the midst of these narratives, the sinless nature of Jesus emerges as a beacon, offering redemption to even the most broken among us.
The clandestine maneuvers of the religious elite, spearheaded by Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, paint a stark portrait of corruption seeking to extinguish the light of truth. Their desperate ploys to silence Jesus through a rigged trial reveal a thirst for power that blinds them to the very prophecies they claim to uphold. As we dissect their machinations, alongside Peter's heartbreaking denial, we see the prophesied Messiah standing resolute, His love unwavering even as the world around Him crumbles into chaos.
In the final act of our journey, we embrace the themes of repentance and redemption that resound through the ages. The cross stands as a testament to a grace so profound that it transforms the very nature of our existence. Through reflection and worship, we find solace in the promise of resurrection, a gift that breathes new life into our weary souls. For those burdened by the weight of past transgressions, let this episode be a sanctuary of hope, offering a path to healing and an invitation to join a community united in the pursuit of grace and truth.
Have you ever confronted the shadows within, those moments of betrayal and denial that haunt our collective human experience? Our latest conversation traverses the deep valleys of Matthew chapters 26 and 27, where we uncover the stark contrast between human fragility and divine perfection. As we navigate the treacherous actions of Judas and the failures of Peter, we're reminded of our shared vulnerability to sin's pervasive grip. Yet, in the midst of these narratives, the sinless nature of Jesus emerges as a beacon, offering redemption to even the most broken among us.
The clandestine maneuvers of the religious elite, spearheaded by Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, paint a stark portrait of corruption seeking to extinguish the light of truth. Their desperate ploys to silence Jesus through a rigged trial reveal a thirst for power that blinds them to the very prophecies they claim to uphold. As we dissect their machinations, alongside Peter's heartbreaking denial, we see the prophesied Messiah standing resolute, His love unwavering even as the world around Him crumbles into chaos.
In the final act of our journey, we embrace the themes of repentance and redemption that resound through the ages. The cross stands as a testament to a grace so profound that it transforms the very nature of our existence. Through reflection and worship, we find solace in the promise of resurrection, a gift that breathes new life into our weary souls. For those burdened by the weight of past transgressions, let this episode be a sanctuary of hope, offering a path to healing and an invitation to join a community united in the pursuit of grace and truth.
The following resource is brought to you by Real Life Community Church in Richmond, Kentucky. We hope you're both challenged and encouraged by this message from Pastor Chris May.
Speaker 2:Matthew 26, beginning in verse 57,. I'm actually going to preach today through chapter 27, verse 10, but I'm going to begin by only reading through verse 68. We'll read the rest as we go. Matthew 26, verse 57,. Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered, and Peter was following him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. And now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they may put him to death, but they found none, though. Many false witnesses came forward At last. Two came forward and said this man said I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days. And the high priest stood up and said have you no answer? Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you? But Jesus remained silent and the high priest said to him I adjure you, by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. And Jesus said to him you have said so, but I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. And then the high priest tore his robes and said he has uttered his blasphemy. What is your judgment? And they answered he deserves death. They spit on his face and struck him and some slapped him saying prophesy to us, you, christ. Who is that who struck you? It's the word of the Lord and you may be seated.
Speaker 2:Well, if a person is critically ill, it is really important that they first know the diagnosis before they're offered the medication. If a doctor were to say to you imagine you go into the doctor for the first time and he just comes in and before he does any testing or gives you any information about your health, he just says hey, I've got a medication that's going to cure you. You'd like cure me from what? The diagnosis if you're going to appreciate the cure, you've got to understand the diagnosis. You've got to understand your illness and you know it's no different when we come to the gospel. If you are going to understand the beauty of the cross, the solution that Jesus offers, you have first got to understand that you are incredibly sick spiritually. You've got to understand your sin because, as Keller often said, that the summation of the gospel is this that you are more sinful than you ever dare to imagine. You are more wicked than you ever dare to imagine, aren't you glad you came to church today? But when you understand that, you can get the beauty and the wonder and the weight of the second part of that summation of the gospel. You're more wicked, yes, than you ever dare to imagine, but at the same time more loved in the Lord, jesus Christ, than you could ever dare hope. That's the gospel.
Speaker 2:Now, it is easy for religious, decent, moral people to look at other people and say, yeah, that's their problem. I know they've got sin and we may not say this out loud, but sometimes we have this spiritual pride where we forget that we're just as malevolent as them, at least capable of that same level of malevolence and wickedness, because we are all sinners who fall short of the grace of God. Well, today's text corrects that view that some, you know, they need the Lord as Savior, and others maybe not so much. They're moral enough, good enough, or maybe the cross wasn't as much for them as it was the very, very sinful. But our text today reminds us that sin is universal. We see the universality of sin. Again, we've all sinned and fall short of the grace of God. But it also reminds us that there is a universal solution. Three points today, very easy. Number one sin is universal. Number two we're going to look at the universal solution. And number three we're going to consider how we should respond to that universal solution. So number one sin is universal. So this is taught from page three of your Bible.
Speaker 2:You go all the way back to the beginning in the book of Genesis and you see that God created this beautiful garden where heaven and earth overlapped, and he dwelled with man, and Adam and Eve were in the garden, our first parents and representatives of the human race, and all was going well for two pages. And then page three comes. Page three this is how long the book is. Page three we messed it up and you so wait a minute. And Adam and Eve messed it up A sin they disobeyed God. Well, you just read throughout the rest of the Bible and what you'll see is, generation after generation, their lives have echoed that same fall. We have inherited a sinful nature. And don't fool yourself If you were in that garden, you would have chosen to disobey as well. We're all sinful.
Speaker 2:When we take Matthew, chapters 26 and 27 as a whole, that point is very clear. We see the fact that we are all sinful and in need of a savior. There's four main characters in the chapter. You have Judas You're familiar with him and his sin. You have then Caiaphas, the high priest, and he, together with the whole Sanhedrin, the religious body of the Jewish people. They sin. Then you have Peter, beloved disciple, whom we call a saint. Peter sins, but then you have Jesus, the one who never sinned. He's the only human being to ever walk the earth fully man, fully God, tempted in every way, yet without sin. How many know? We all need a savior. Talk to me this morning. We all need a savior.
Speaker 2:Jesus has come see to to be Israel's long awaited Messiah. The Old Testament, oh, point it to this truth Over and over that they that God would send a deliverer through the people of Israel and that he would rescue and redeem his people. And Jesus has come to be that Messiah. He has come to save people from their sins, to inaugurate God's kingdom upon the earth and to give his life as a ransom for many. He's about to pour out his life on the cross and it is his darkest hour, though, he's betrayed time and time again, even by his closest disciples.
Speaker 2:Let's think about Judas for a moment. I'll only briefly mention him because we've looked at him for the last few weeks. But but Judas walked with Jesus for three and a half years. He saw his miracles, his compassion. Jesus was a friend to him. And yet Jesus, judas, full of greed, betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver.
Speaker 2:But then you have Caiaphas. Caiaphas was the uh, is, is the high priest. Matthew says, and with him, uh, in this trial are, are the scribes and the elders, the chief elders of the Jewish people. This, this is like the Senate of the Jewish people. So they have religious power. The high priest is the, the top dog in the temple. And then you have these other chief priests and elders, and they, they, they willed not only religious power, but political power. Even in Rome They've been given a certain measure of power.
Speaker 2:And so here the Sanhedrin, this Senate of the Jewish people, accused Jesus of blasphemy, which is a capital offense punishable by death. Look at verses 59 through 61. If you would. This is now. The chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death. That's the goal, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. They found that they were able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.
Speaker 2:Now there are two issues with this charge. It's a false charge for for two reasons at least. Number one they desired to charge Jesus with sedition, that they might have him put to death. That's what's happening here. They, they, they want to destroy the temple of God. They want Jesus put to death. That's what's happening here. They want to see him as a threat to their kingdom. So let let's just consider the charge before I get into the problem. They want Jesus put to death. So what they want Rome to see is that you know what he's a rebel, he's a renegade and you better be careful because he's a threat to the Roman empire.
Speaker 2:And then Jesus claims deity. That's the other charge. Look at verse 63 and 64. But Jesus remained silent and the high priest said to him I adjure you, by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, son of God. And Jesus said to him you have said so, but you, from now on, will see the Son of man. This is a fulfillment of the prophecy in Daniel You'll see the Son of man. It's about the ascension, seated at the right hand of power, and the coming on the clouds of heaven, jack.
Speaker 2:Jack Kingsbury explains why they might believe Jesus to be blasphemous and deserving of death. Number one Jesus has put himself on the level of God, you might remember, through Matthew, claiming to be able to forgive sins. They think him to be in collusion with the devil. Remember, they charged him with, you know, casting out demons by the prince of demons. They believe that he places himself above the law in the oral traditions of Israel and he has undermined their authority. Remember, he went into the temple. He has challenged them throughout his ministry. He turned over the money tables and all of that. He went in the temple and preached against them and he revealed their corruption. They want him dead.
Speaker 2:But the thing is, jesus has lived in a way that has backed up those claims. I mean, look at all of his miracles healings, casting out demons, raising the dead with a word, causing the wind and the waves to calm, something only God could do. Jesus has perfectly loved God and his neighbor. He has lived a sinless life. Yet, even with him fulfilling all the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah who would come, isaiah 53 and be the suffering servant. Even through all of that, israel's most religious deny him. Israel's most religious deny him. And in this trial they can find no fault against him. He's lived a perfect life. And so what do they have to find? They have to find what kind of witnesses? False witnesses.
Speaker 2:And I'll go here now that the claim is false, for two reasons. Number one it's a distortion when they talk about Jesus destroying the temple. It's a distortion of what he said Look at, well, actually I'll just read this to you John, chapter two, verse 19,. It says Jesus answered them destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. Jesus didn't say I'm going to destroy the temple. He said destroy it and I, in three days, will raise it up. So, number one they distorted his words. Number two they missed the meaning of his words, because Jesus was not talking about the physical temple, even though it would fall, to be sure, in AD 70. It's not what he was talking about. He was talking about his own body, which is the third temple. And he said you destroy this, which would happen in just hours at Calvary, and he said I'll raise it up in three days. It's about his resurrection. This was a false claim.
Speaker 2:And here's what's so ironic the Sanhedrin who are looking for sin and blasphemy within Jesus. They're in this trial, breaking their own laws and oral traditions. According to rabbinic Jewish traditions, a trial could not be held at night, and scholars believe this was happening somewhere after midnight, after the Garden of Gethsemane. A trial like this could not be held in secret and it could not be held on the fly without proper investigation. And finally, there are conflicting testimonies here, which means that by Jewish law, the claim should be thrown out, especially when it comes to a capital crime. The Old Testament law, I mean, you read it. It demanded justice. And this is not just. But like Judas, caiaphas and the whole Sanhedrin, the most religious in Israel, they are guilty, the most religious. They're guilty of sin, just like Judas.
Speaker 2:Then you come to Peter. Look at verses 69 through 75. It says now why Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard and a servant girl came up to him and said you also were with Jesus the Galilean. But he denied it before all saying I don't know what you mean. This is Peter folks. And when he went out to the interest, another servant girl saw him. And she said to the bystanders this man was with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied it with an oath. With an oath I do not know this man. After a little while, the bystanders came and said to Peter certainly you too are one of them. For you, your accent betrays you. And then he began to invoke a curse on himself and swear I do not know this man. And immediately the rooster crowed and Peter remembered the saying of Jesus before the rooster crows you'll deny me three times. And he went out and he wept bitterly. You know, peter, here is sinful Number one. He's full of spiritual pride, you you might remember.
Speaker 2:In in verses 26, 33 through 35, jesus prophesies he says tonight you will all fall away from me. He's talking to the. You know Judas has already left the scene. This is the last supper Jesus has has gone through the Lord's supper and talked about this, this you know, being his bread, this or the bread being his body and the cup being his blood that would be poured out for them, the blood of the new covenant. And then he says oh, by the way, judas has left, but the 11 of you left, you're all going to fall away. And what did Peter say, he stands up. And he said you know what Jesus Never, maybe the rest of these guys, but not me, classic Peter. He said and Jesus says no.
Speaker 2:Before the, the, the rooster crows, he said you're going to deny me not once, but three times. And listen to what Peter said. He said even if I must die with you you know, it sounds like some young men when they're trying to you know to to get a girl. It's like how go? You know, I'll climb the highest mountain, cross the deepest sea. And that's what Peter is saying to Jesus. He says, Lord, even if I must die with you, I will not deny you. And the disciples then all said the same me either, jesus. But what does Peter do versus later? He does what Jesus said he would do. Imagine that. And he will deny Jesus three times. Not only did he deny him, but he took an oath, jesus remember. He said let your yes be yes and your no be no. Don't swear, don't take an oath. You ought to be the kind of person where your yes is enough.
Speaker 2:And and Peter's denial got more intense each time to where the last time he calls down this curse doesn't mean he said a cuss word. This was. This was way more serious. It's a curse. It's a curse, it's calling down damnation, so to speak. And he swore I do not know.
Speaker 2:This man, like Judas and Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin Peter, is guilty of sin, which tells me that sin is universal, beloved. It means we're all destined for damnation, but Jesus. The good news is this Jesus provides a universal solution. Look at verses 61 through 64. So, after the false witnesses accused Jesus of of threatening the destruction of the temple, the high priest asked this have you, jesus, no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you? But Jesus just said that these men testify against you. But Jesus just remains silent. And the high priest said to him I adjure you, by the living God, tell us if you're the Christ, the son of God. And Jesus said to them you've said so. And then he talks about his ascension. You may not see it, but Jesus actually gives the solution to the universal problem of sin. Right here, jesus is the temple. And you say well, how does that fix our problem?
Speaker 2:Well, let me tell you the temple, in the Bible, is the meeting place of God and man. The garden of Eden is is pictured as what we call a cosmic temple. Eden was a place where heaven and earth, or you could say God's face in man's face, overlapped. But when Adam and he sinned, what happened? There was a separation that took place. Are you with me? But then God, out of his grace, he gave, even though he's a holy God and in him there is no sin, and sin separated us from God. God, by his grace, gave Israel, who he called to be his children, part of his kingdom. He gave them in the wilderness, he gave them the tabernacle. And then, more permanently, what did he give them? What did he give them? The temple.
Speaker 2:And you remember that in the temple there is this place called the Holy of Holies. That housed the presence of God. But the Holy of Holies was veiled and only the high priest, and only once a year, could go into that most secret place. Are you with me? Only once a year, in one person. Think about that. But Jesus is the new and perfect temple. Help me somebody. He's the new and perfect temple. Well, why is he a temple? Let me tell you why. Because he became the meeting place between God and man. In Jesus, heaven and earth overlapped. Fully God, fully man, and at the cross he has. Peter says. He has brought us through the cross, he brought us near to God. Is anybody thankful today? He is that temple. And let me just, as a side note, just encourage somebody.
Speaker 2:Today, paul says that Jesus is the cornerstone of that temple. But you and I are all stones in that temple. Why? Because through Jesus, we are filled with the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:John 16 says that living water will not just flow to us but through us. That means when you're in Walmart even listen somebody. That means that you, walmart, ought to change, the atmosphere ought to change, that the people in their pajama bottoms in Walmart ought to fall on the floor in praise to God. It means when you walk into the supermarket or the mall or your job, that with you goes the presence of God. And because you are walking in the light of Jesus, it means that everywhere you go, you're walking in darkness but you're shining light everywhere you go, jesus is the cornerstone of that temple and that's why.
Speaker 2:That's why Paul writes that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and he warns us don't defile them with sexual impurity, because your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Oh, so Jesus is saying here by his silence I am the temple. You're misquoting what I said, but I am the temple and he's about to die and he knows that he's prophesied it over and over. I am the temple. I'm going to die, but be raised. That temple would be raised and it became a structure that would never be destroyed, a temple that would never fall. 2 Corinthians 521,.
Speaker 2:For our sake, god made him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that we might, in him, become the righteousness of God. So he is the temple and he's also the son of God, because man is sinful. No mere man could save us. They could not stand in our place, but Jesus became what the Bible calls a propitiation for our sins, meaning that that simply means that he stood in our place and he appeased the wrath of God that was due us On the cross. He didn't just die physically, but he was forsaken by the Father. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why was he forsaken so that you and I didn't have to be Come on somebody? Sin is universal and that's very important for you to understand. Before we villainized the sinful characters Peter, the high priest, the Sanhedrin, judas before we villainize the sinful characters in the story. We must realize. Look at me. We're the characters in this story.
Speaker 2:I love the song Hallelujah, what a savior. One of the lies in there says ashamed, I hear my mocking voice, my mocking voice. Jesus here is mocked and spat on. Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice. That's the point. You're not just supposed to see Peter and Judas and Caiaphas, you're supposed to see you, I'm supposed to see me, because we have all sinned, which means if we don't get that point, we won't see the beauty of the cross. Sin is universal, but Jesus provides a Calvary, a universal solution. So, finally, what's the correct solution to that, or what's the correct response to that solution? Mark Mark, chapter one, 14 and 15. That says now, after John this will be. John the Baptist was arrested.
Speaker 2:Jesus came into Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God and saying listen, the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. And what does Jesus say to do? Repent and believe in the gospel. In Acts, chapter two, under the unction of the Holy Spirit, peter, who denied Christ, at this time is used greatly by Christ, by his grace, and he preaches a dynamite message under the unction of the Holy Spirit. Thousands of people are there, thousands of Jewish people are there, many who had rejected Jesus. And in verses 37 and 38 of Acts two, it says now, when the crowd heard Peter's message, that they were cut to the heart. Oh God, let somebody be cut to the heart today through the preaching of your word. And it says the crowd said to Peter and the arrest of the apostles, brothers were cut to the heart. What shall we do? And Peter said to them two things repent. 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. Repent and be baptized.
Speaker 2:I want to hone in on this word, repentance, because it's more than just saying oh, I'm sorry, but it is a change. It's a change of mind that leads to a change of action. It's to turn from yourself and turn to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul in 2 Corinthians I'd like you to go there with me. 2 Corinthians, chapter seven Paul contrast let's say godly grief and let's say godly repentance and worldly grief.
Speaker 2:Second Corinthians, chapter seven, beginning in verse eight, it says Paul writes to the church at Corinth for even if I made you grieve with my letter, paul called him out on many things, he says. I don't regret it, though I did regret it, for I see that the letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. Paul didn't want the Corinthians just to feel bad. He wanted them to be grieved in such a way that it would lead them to repent.
Speaker 2:How many know, it's the kindness of the Lord that leads us to repentance, he says, for you felt a godly grief so that you suffered no loss through us, for godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves. What indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment. At every point, you have proved yourself innocent in this matter.
Speaker 2:Beloved, when a Christian sins, that person ought to feel great conviction, which includes fillings of grief. Have you ever been grieved over your sin? I hope so. It ought to break our hearts when we sin against the holy God who gave his son for us. Just because God forgives us doesn't mean we act like nothing ever happened. No, we feel convicted, we experience the discipline or, as the Bible says, the chastising of the Lord which causes grief.
Speaker 2:But this grief, understand me, it's not to crush you, the grief of God, it is to help you and to lead you to repentance. Are you with me? When you cut yourself? Let's say that you're walking by, you know, and there's a piece of metal sticking out or something, and you cut your arm. It hurts. That would hurt, and that pain is a gift, so that you know to attend to the wound, because if you didn't feel it, you might not attend to the wound and it might get infected and you might lose your whole arm. So this grief, this conviction, is a gift. And when we repent of our sin, are there still earthly consequences? Yes, but as Christians, when we repent, christ cleanses us from our sin and we are restored. That fellowship is restored with God. It's a beautiful thing. That's godly grief.
Speaker 2:But let's look at worldly grief. Godly grief says I'm sorry. Worldly grief, you know what it normally says I'm sorry I got caught. Godly grief also says, first and foremost, I sinned against God. Your sin, my sin, first and foremost. Yes, it hurts one another. We sin against one another. That's been clear even in the book of Matthew, chapter 18. But our sin, first and foremost, is against, it's a offense against the holy God, someone who is not a Christian.
Speaker 2:As we think about worldly grief, someone who's not a Christian may grieve over a sin that they committed against another person, particularly if they hurt somebody that they really loved, and they may grieve over a loss of reputation. You think of politicians and sometimes that seems to be what they care about most. But worldly grief, hear me, it does not drive you to the arms of Jesus Christ. It does not lead you to repentance, it leads to condemnation. Are you grateful today that in Christ there is no condemnation? If God before us, who can be against us and listen to me, apart from Jesus? Apart from Jesus, there's no way of getting rid of that condemnation. You can try to drink it away, which many people do. You can try to ignore it. You can do yoga and meditate for 20 hours a day, but, beloved, that grief will never go away. That condemnation will never go away, because worldly grief, as the text says, produces death. It's crushing, it's a weight you and I cannot bear. Let's just close by looking at Judas versus Peter. Both Judas and Peter grieve over their sin.
Speaker 2:Look with me now at chapter 27, verses one through 10. It says when morning came this is back in Matthew, by the way. When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to pilot the governor. Then, when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying I've sinned by betraying innocent blood. So he's not talking to God. Do you see that he's talking to the chief priests and elders? And they said what is that to us? See it yourself. See to it yourself. And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed and he went out and hanged himself. But the chief priests taking the pieces of silver said it's not lawful for us to put them in the treasury since it's blood money. So they took counsel and brought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers, and therefore that field has been called the field of blood to this day. And then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah saying and they took the 30 pieces of silver, the price of him, on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them the potter's field. As the Lord directed me another fulfillment of scripture.
Speaker 2:Judas realizes in some sense the horrors of what he's done. Stay with me for just another five minutes here. Judas realizes the horrors of what he's done. He has betrayed the Messiah, the one who never sinned, and Judas grieves, but his grief does not lead him to the arms of Jesus, it leads him to the chief priests.
Speaker 2:You know what Judas tried to do? Judas tried to fix it himself, and that's what every other religion says to do. It says, yeah, we've all messed up and none of us are perfect. So what you need to do, like if you want heaven, if you want God, you fix it, you do good works and you serve the poor and you serve in charity and you give a lot of what you have away and then perhaps in the end, if the good outweighs the bad, perhaps you'll be saved. Boy, that's a precarious way to live. How could you ever be sure? Because even in our good works, are our motives pure? If all you're doing is trying to gain heaven with your good works, you're not really serving the poor, for the poor's sake or for God's sake.
Speaker 2:Judas finds out that even throwing back the money, trying to undo his sin, doesn't work, because there's not enough good works in the world to take away our condemnation. But Peter, verse 75, it says, peter wept bitterly. Peter has denied the endosmant man whom he loves dearly, and now he has to look him in the eye. Peter's overcome with grief and he weeps. But Peter's grief is different than Judas's. Judas, he grieves, but it leads him to condemnation. You see that he grieves, but he tries to fix it himself. His grief leads him to a tragic death. That's the end. But but Peter, however? He just simply weeps bitterly. He knows he can't undo what he's done, and the implication is this Peter actually repents. And so what are the results of this? Judas? Again, he hangs himself, he's disemboweled, he ends in grief and in condemnation.
Speaker 2:The nation Judas's story is over, but not Peters. Not Peters who denied Jesus thrice. No, after Jesus resurrection, in fact, he reveals himself. Jesus does to the disciples and he singles out Peter. And he asked Peter three times Do you love me? How many times did Peter deny him? Three times? And so here's Jesus saying he's doing something here. Peter, do you love me, peter? Do you love me, peter, do you love me? Jesus knows the answer is yes, he's saying. I think Jesus is saying to Peter I forgive you, I Know you love me, I know you love me, I know you love me. What a god of grace.
Speaker 2:And John 21, 17, the second part. It says Peter says Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you. And and Jesus said to him feed my sheep. In other words, peter, you're called still to be one of my apostles, to take the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth and to be a leader of my people. Godly grief moves Peter to repentance and it's restored his fellowship with God. His past I love this. His past doesn't determine his future.
Speaker 2:Some of you are wallowing in sin that you committed 20 years ago and I want to tell you, if you'll turn to Jesus and You'll get, you'll understand the, the beauty of the cross, not only where he forgive you, but first John says he'll cleanse you from all unrighteousness. He doesn't want you to walk in shame. He took not only your sin but your shame and your guilt. You don't have to walk in that. I hope that frees somebody today. So how is it that we receive the cure to sin? We acknowledge our sin before a holy God. I hope you've done that. We believe upon the Lord, jesus Christ's death and resurrection, you let your past go and you cling to grace, to the blood that Jesus shed for you.
Speaker 2:In Shakespeare, mick bat, shakespeare's Macbeth, lady Macbeth is ridden with guilt because of her part in persuading Macbeth to kill the king. In her madness I don't know if you you've seen this, but she, she hallucinates and she begins sleepwalking. She's overcome by feelings of guilt. And so when she hallucinates, she sees blood on her hands, a stain which cannot be removed. And in Matt madness, she scrubs her hands and she, she's crying out. I won't say the word, but but out, darned blood, out, darned blood. And she is, oh, she's stricken with guilt and she's washing and washing her hands. But the blood will not go away. And she can smell the blood even in her sleep. And she exclaims quote all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten their blood, arabia will not sweeten this little hand.
Speaker 2:We have all sinned, which means we're guilty. We're guilty. It is us that sent Jesus to the cross. Our hands are stained with the blood of our Messiah. Our hands are stayed, our hands are stained with the, with the blood of of sin. But what can wash away my sin? Blood upon blood. What can, what can cleanse the blood? It's not the blue dawn DAWN, right Stuff's magical, but it won't cleanse your sin. It won't take the stain off your bloody hands, but blood, the blood of Jesus, will take away the blood of your sin, the guilt. You and I cannot remove the condemnation, but we can turn to Jesus and we no longer will have to cry out darn spot out, darn spot. Jesus in moment will cleanse it. That's bright God. Oh, how we love you.
Speaker 2:We admit today we have all sinned, even this week.
Speaker 2:We have done those things which we ought not to have done and we've not done the things which we ought to have done.
Speaker 2:But, lord, you're a god of grace. We humbly repent before you today, say forgive us and cleanse us. Thank you for sending Jesus as a substitutionary atonement To take your wrath, to appease your wrath, that you might be just in forgiving us. Thank you for, not for, yes, allowing Jesus to die, but also from raising him from the dead, that in him we might have life. And there's one here today that doesn't know you as lord and savior, may today again be the day of salvation. May they believe upon your death, burial and resurrection. May they repent and turn to you. And for those of us who are Christians, who who still are walking in shame from past sin, let us repent today and let us turn to you and realize that our hands are clean, something that lady mcbeth could not get lord, you give us in christ. We can walk out of here clean because of the blood of the lamb. We thank you and we worship you In jesus name.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening. If you'd like to know more about how you can have a relationship with jesus christ, or if you have questions about our church, you can email us at info at myrealchurchorg. Real life community church is located at 335 glendon avenue in richmond, kentucky. We invite you to join us for worship sunday at 10 45 am or wednesday at 7 pm. Visit us online at myrealchurchorg.