Losers Like UsMuestra

The Turncoats

When my car broke down in that bitter Montana snowstorm, I repeatedly cursed God and shouted that I was done with him. And I meant it. So why would he ever take me back now? I was worse than the prodigal son: I had deserted my Father and blown my inheritance, many times over. There must come a time, I thought, when the Father shakes his head and coldly announces that he has nothing left to give. “Dan, you’ve done enough. Don’t let the screen door hit you on your way out.”

It’s chilling to realize, after rejecting God repeatedly, that you do want him after all—but you might have traveled to a place beyond forgiveness. Beyond grace. Beyond where God could reach you, or would even want to try.

Peter and Judas share one big loser trait: they are turncoats. They both turn on Christ when he needs them most.

Judas is first. After years of being a disciple, he decides to become a traitor. Things haven’t gone as he hoped; if they had, he would not have turned traitor. Like virtually all Jews of his time, he is surely expecting the one true Messiah to establish an earthly political kingdom, and he sees that Jesus has the power to do so. But this expectation goes unfulfilled. By delivering Jesus to his enemies, Judas—not understanding that Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world—may be hoping to force Jesus’ hand and make him assert his kingship.

So Judas leads the Jewish leaders to Jesus. But when Jesus is condemned, Judas cries, “I have sinned… I have betrayed innocent blood” and then commits suicide in remorse (Matthew 27:3-5, NIV).

This repentance and remorse is the reason I think Judas didn’t want to get Jesus killed but only wanted to force his hand. Yet even, after repenting, Judas still commits suicide; apparently he cannot see himself being forgiven and restored to a meaningful life. Sadly, his view is a gross underestimation of the depth of God’s love and grace.

Peter turns too. Like Judas, Peter sees Christ condemned to death—but, afraid of being next (as are all of the disciples), he stays at a distance. Three times strangers recognize him as Jesus’ disciple and three times he denies it—until the rooster crows, fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy that “before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times” (Matthew 26:34, NIV). Then, like Judas, Peter feels overwhelming remorse.

However, unlike Judas, Peter does not kill himself but instead sticks around, waiting to see what happens next. And amazingly, Jesus rises from the dead and restores Peter to full relationship (John 21:15-19).

Judas and Peter are similar in their sin and remorse, but dissimilar in their ability to believe that God can make all things new. Judas cannot imagine a future, but Peter has just enough hope to wait around and see if there might be one. And there is.

Judas and Peter both become losers by showing faithlessness. But Judas gives up afterward; Peter doesn’t. Peter’s life reaches us to trust God always for redemption, regardless of our sin.