Swimming to Jesus: A Contrast Between Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot … N.H. Steed

Creative Works… 140 Swimming to Jesus: A Contrast Between Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot

by N.H. Steed We all sin. Even as Christians, we all sin every day. There’s a somewhat popular church saying that goes, “as Christians we aren’t sinless [meaning we are not yet perfect and still at times commit sin], but we strive to sin less [meaning we strive to walk in obedience to God’s commandments].” I personally have mixed feelings about this saying, and I admit it’s a bit cheesy and cliché. However, at its basic message, I would say it’s true. As Christians, we are not yet sinless (not on this side of heaven, at least), and we do strive to pick up our cross daily, die to ourselves, and sin less.

There is only one appropriate response to sin: running to Jesus, and trusting in His grace, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness. Running to Jesus with our sin is not a one-time thing. Yes, when we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, our debt of sin is canceled and washed away; however, as we continue to walk with Him, working out our faith with fear and trembling, as Paul says, we must continue to confess and lay down our sin at His feet. Running to Jesus with our sinful mistakes should, and must be, a continuous routine for the Christian, for we are not just dependent on His grace and mercy one time, when we first receive Him as our Lord and Savior, but always, each and every day! As Christians, our salvation is secured when we first call upon His name but walking in righteousness and repenting of sin is a daily journey. This concept of running to Jesus with our sin is something that really hits home for me. I am in constant need of His mercy. I am in constant need of His grace, love,

Creative Works… 141 and forgiveness. I am so glad that Jesus forgives us more than just seven times, or even seventy-times-seven. I am so grateful for His endless faithfulness, because it seems that I need it endlessly. Truly grasping His never-ending merciful grace is something that, admittedly, I struggle to understand. I suppose we all do (if we’re being honest with ourselves). For me, one of the most amazing passages of scripture is 1 John 1:9: “But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of from all wickedness.” Wow! What a promise, and one to which I cling to with white-knuckled hands. “If we confess, He will forgive us of our sins!” Now, of course, this passage doesn’t mean we have permission to abuse His grace. That is not the heart of one who truly knows and loves Christ. But wow, this is a promise that says, “I am always here, ready to forgive you; just come to Me.” As I said, understanding this concept is something I struggle with. Not because I don’t believe it (I believe it wholeheartedly), but because it’s too wonderful for me to comprehend: amazing grace. However, over the last few months, I feel like God has been showing and teaching me a little bit more about confession or running to Him with our horrible, heinous, disgusting sin, trusting in His grace. As all good lessons, this one can be found within the gospel of Jesus. When talking about the twelve disciples of Jesus, it is without a doubt that Judas Iscariot is the most infamous. After all, he is the one who betrayed Jesus— talk about a heinous sin. But what is interesting to me is that, in all four of the gospels, the story of Judas betraying Jesus is always quickly followed by the story of Peter betraying Jesus: Matthew 23:47 and 69, Mark 14:43 and 66, Luke 22:47 and

Creative Works… 142 54, and John 18:1 and 15. In every gospel, both stories take place within the very same chapter. This is no coincidence (at least, I don’t think it is). There is a massively important contrast between Peter and Judas, and until the last couple of months, I didn’t even see it. You see, both Peter and Judas commit the same terrible sin of betraying Christ. Judas betrays Jesus to His enemies in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:47-49). In a very similar manner, Peter betrays Jesus. While Jesus is being taken away, the Bible tells us that Peter follows at a safe distance. During this time, Peter is confronted by three different people accusing him of being with Jesus. Each time, Peter denies Christ, which is undoubtedly a betrayal. This can be seen in Luke 22:54-62. Now it is important to note that Peter’s sin was intentional. He did not accidentally betray Jesus. He did so knowing it was wrong. This is important because, as Christians, when we sin, it is done so intentionally, making the sin all the more despicable. Thus far, both Peter and Judas have sinned and betrayed Christ, and for now, the comparison continues. After their sins, both men show great regret for what they have done. In Luke 22:62, it says that Peter “went out and wept bitterly.” Clearly, he feels awful for what he has done. In the same way, Judas regrets his sin; Matthew 27:3-5 tells us that Judas felt remorse, and even threw the silver (his reward) back to the chief priests. In verse four, he even says, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” It is very evident that both Peter and Judas not only sinned, but also felt great remorse for what they had done. Now, here in the story is where the comparison of Peter and Judas ends, and the contrast begins. Feeling the awful shame for his sin, Judas does what many people in

Creative Works… 143 the past have done and what many people today still do: he kills himself (Matthew 27:5). Burdened and crushed by the weight of his sin, Judas takes his own life: a complete and utter victory for the Devil, for this is what he wants — death. However, by the sheer grace of God, Peter’s story has a completely different ending (John 21:7-8). Later, after Christ’s death and resurrection, Peter and John are in their fishing boats (back where they had first started) when John points to the beach and says to Peter, “Hey, it’s Jesus!” Immediately, Peter looks up and, seeing Jesus, dives into the water. One can only imagine the feelings he had in that moment. After all, this wasn’t the first time Peter jumped out of a boat to go to his Savior, and though this time he isn’t walking on the water, he is again desperate to be with his Lord, his God. This here is the contrast: Judas didn’t really know Jesus, but Peter did. If Judas had only known, perhaps his story would be different as well (I think about that sometimes). But no, Judas had no hope, and was crushed by his sin. Judas wallowed in his own mistakes, and it cost him his life. Peter, on the other hand, sees Jesus and swims to Him. Still carrying the full burden of his sin, Peter sees his Savior and goes to Him. He probably didn’t know what exactly would happen next, but this much is clear: Peter knew of Jesus’ grace and mercy, and utterly counted on it. Peter was already counting on 1 John 1:9 before it had even been written. This contrast of Judas and Peter has been so encouraging for me because it serves as a reminder of how good Jesus is and how essential it is for us (as Christians) to take our sins to Him, no matter how terrible or heinous they are. When we sin, our first gut reaction is to do what Adam did in the Garden of Eden—run and hide. But this story

Creative Works… 144 illustrates what happens when we run away with our sin. No, we must not be like Adam or Judas, but rather, Peter. When we sin, we must fully count on the love, grace, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness of Jesus. We must run to Him (or even swim, if that’s what it takes).