Success and Failure

Matthew 26:14-35

The example of Judas and Peter - as followers of Christ – is both alarming and informing about the human condition.

One did not see what he wanted to see in Jesus, (Judas,) and one saw his own strength as being sufficient, (Peter.) One became an apparent success in his desire to redirect the course of Jesus’ ministry life, (Judas,) and one became an apparent failure in his desire to stand for Jesus.

Judas succeeded in his effort to betray Jesus. Peter, in his attempt to stand for Jesus, was an abject failure.

And so we have the answer to the question: Would you rather be successful in the eyes of the world and worldly religion - or a failure in your attempt to follow Christ?

Of course, all of us would rather be Peter than Judas, and this lets us know success or failure is not truly what matters – but devotion to Christ. I would rather be a failure a thousand times over in my devotion to Christ than to be successful in the eyes of the world, or to play any part in betraying Jesus’ ministry.

Yet we read Judas’ betrayal was both anticipated by Jesus, prophesied by Zechariah, and necessary to the cause of Christ. It was necessary for Jesus to die, and Judas’ betrayal was useful to Jesus in becoming the salvation for the sins of the whole world. Satan, in his effort to destroy The Christ through Judas, instead became a necessary implement for God’s purpose. This plan, in place since before the foundation of the world, would be to permit sin, (great sin, in this case,) to kill the Lamb slain since the foundation of the world - that all sin may be forgiven.

Peter failed miserably in his attempt to stand with Christ, but this had been prophesied by Zechariah and anticipated by Jesus as well. Jesus knew Peter was not strong enough to stand in his own strength, and His admonition to Peter was to not even try. In your own strength you will deny Me, not just once, not just twice, but three times over. How important a lesson it is for us to see how correct Jesus was in His assessment of the strength of Peter’s flesh. Yet we also know Peter was greatly restored from his failure, and this is an important example as well.

-Pastor Bill