When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself (Matthew 27:1-5).
Judas must have been following the events of Jesus’ trial from afar, as did Peter. As he watched what was happening, the full weight of his sin sunk in. He had betrayed innocent blood. For the price of 30 pieces of silver, Judas sold Jesus into death. We don’t really know why Judas did what he did, except for St. Luke’s explanation that Satan entered into him.[1] When he turns to the Chief Priests in his remorse over his sin, he does not receive absolution. They tell him that he must deal with his sin on his own. What is that to us? You see to it!
Judas wasn’t the only one of Jesus’ disciples to betray Him. When the Shepherd was struck, all of the sheep were scattered, most notably Peter. Jesus told His disciples that they would all fall away. Peter tells Jesus he will not fall away, even if it means death. The other disciples agree. Jesus assures Peter that he will deny Jesus before the cock crows twice. This he does, with oaths, calling down curses on himself. And, when the cock crowed the second time, and Jesus turned to look at Peter, Peter remembered Jesus’ words. He went away and wept bitterly.[2] Peter realized what he had done; the full weight of his sin sunk in. Later, the risen Christ would absolve and restore him.[3]
Why the different outcomes for Judas and Peter? They both committed the same sin. They denied Christ. They both betrayed Him. Why did Judas end up dead by his own hand, burst open in a field with his guts spilling out,[4] and Peter end up in his usual place as leader of the disciples? Did Jesus not, by His holy, precious blood, and His innocent suffering and death, purchase and win all mankind from sin, death, and the devil? Both men felt sorry for their sin; Judas turned to the Chief Priests for a remedy for his sin. The Law however, whom these men represent, doesn’t fix sin; the purpose of the Law is to show us our sin.[5] The Law always accuses. It crushes the sinner under it’s weight. Judas, despairing under the weight of his sin, took the advice of the Chief Priests: He saw to it himself. Peter did not see to his sin himself. Christ dealt with it. Peter came to Christ, and heard authentic absolution. Only Christ is able to give us that. To seek remedy for our sin from any other source than Christ is to betray and reject Him. It is to reject the gift of forgiveness He gives to us, as Judas did. Such rejection and denial can only end, as it did for Judas, in despair and death.
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