Betrayed And Denied – How Peter Denied Jesus

We know that Judas betrayed Jesus, and that Peter denied Jesus, but did you ever take a look at the similarities between the two incidents? Steph Nickel discusses the relation between the two passages, and provides some insight on Judas’s motives for betrayal, and why Peter denied Jesus.

Betrayed And Denied

Matthew 26:20-23 says,

“When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, ‘Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.’ And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, ‘Is it I, Lord?’ He answered, ‘He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me.’”

Verses 69-75 tell of another betrayal, Peter’s. This passage says,

“Now 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 them all, saying, ‘I do not know what you mean.’ And when he went out to the entrance, 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: ‘I do not know the man.’ After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, ‘Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.’ Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, ‘I do not know the man.’ And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.”

The Similarities Between The Two

I’ve never considered how these two passages are related, but I would like to do that today.

There are similarities:

1. Jesus knew ahead of time that each of these incidents would happen.

2. Both brought sorrow to His heart.

3. Both declarations were met with confusion.

4. Both included betrayal.

And …

5. Both included men who had been numbered among the Lord’s disciples.

These incidents are more alike than I ever realized. And yet, they are vastly different.

Judas Betrayed Jesus

The first included a man who never wholeheartedly understood what it meant to be a follower of Jesus Christ. When Mary anointed Jesus, Judas objected, saying the ointment should have been sold and the money given to the poor. Though that may sound reasonable, John 12:6 tells us,

“He [Judas] said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.”

Peter Denied Jesus

Peter desperately wanted to serve the Lord—though sometimes he messed up big time. Although he sank when he looked at the waves rather than Jesus, Peter still walked on the water. He was bold enough to climb over the side of the boat, something the other disciples didn’t attempt. And although he couldn’t live up to his claim that he would die for the Lord, I believe Peter meant it when he said it. After all, he did cut off the servant Malchus’ ear when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He did try to defend his Master.

Their Motives

Judas’ motive for following Jesus seems to have been greed. We learn this from the verse I read earlier from John 12. It is likely that he thought Jesus had come to establish an earthly kingdom. It stands to reason that he would have expected a position of authority, considering the fact that he was numbered among the Lord’s disciples. Others had made the same mistake, but it hadn’t led them to betray their Master.

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From the passages I mentioned earlier and from others, I’ve come to the conclusion that Peter truly loved the Lord and wanted to follow Him no matter where He led. Without the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which came upon Jesus’ followers at Pentecost, Peter was unable to live up to his aspirations. And yet he went on to further God’s kingdom in mighty ways and to author two books of the New Testament.

God’s Sovereignty

Finally, I want to address this issue of God’s sovereignty. Although we can’t fully understand God’s plans, we must come to trust that they are good, right, and holy. For reasons we cannot fully understand, God’s plans for these two men were very different.

Jesus lay down his life for us, but the one who betrayed him paid a high price for doing so. Matthew 26:24 says,

“The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

After Jesus rose from the dead, He gave Peter the opportunity to declare his love for the risen Lord three times, the same number of times he had denied knowing Jesus. Not only that but also Jesus commissioned Peter to feed His lambs. And after giving a single sermon a short time later, Peter saw 3,000 people come to faith. Talk about God’s transformative power!

For further study, I encourage you to read these passages (Matthew 26:20-23 and Matthew 26:69-75) and consider the similarities and differences between the two.

Have you, like Peter, denied Jesus? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.