What’s the difference between Peter and Judas?
Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.
Luke 22:56-62
Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Later Jesus came to Peter with the three “do you love me” statements where Peter, essentially, repents of his three denials. It’s a beautiful picture of what it means to lead within the church. You don’t have to be perfect, in fact, you can’t be, your leaders are not, and they also cannot be… You just have to be repentant.
Peter and Judas both betrayed Jesus, but Judas gave up, he quit, he fell into despair. Peter, on the other hand, wept, he repented, he came back. When you get knocked down, when you slip up and fall, get back up, Jesus is there for forgiveness. “Do you love me?” well, that’s all you need! Get after it!
