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Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

Peter, unlike Judas, became a pillar of the church. He upheld Jesus, the rock upon which Christianity stands! But it wasn’t always that way. Peter said he would never deny Jesus. Peter pledged his life for his Lord… and as soon as he was given an opportunity, Peter denied Jesus.  So what happens when faith doesn’t work? You have a choice, you can be Judas and go on and walk away from Jesus, or you can be Peter. Peter went out and wept bitterly. Jesus came and restored Peter. When you fall, when you backslide, when you doubt… you get to choose. Will you be Judas or Peter? When your faith fails, get back up! God didn’t call you because you’re perfect, he won’t walk away from you when you mess up.

Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

We’ve all probably heard the old cliche “the Devil made me do it.” Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent, and the Devil blamed God. We like to put the blame on someone else. Our childhood, the way we were raised, our parents, a former pastor, a church you used to attend, it’s always someone else’s fault why you don’t follow Jesus. Actually, we’re each responsible for our own actions. Even Judas, the Devil, Satan himself, entered into Judas and that’s why he betrayed Jesus… yet, Judas went down to destruction because of what he did. “the Devil made me do it” isn’t really an excuse. Follow Jesus, no excuses, just start following Him today.

And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus initiated the New Covenant in His blood. He gave His disciples his body to eat. Except, it was just bread and wine. When Jesus was talking about these elements, He wasn’t saying that the bread was or would become his physical body, He wasn’t somehow transforming the wine into His actual blood, it is a symbol. Just as baptism is symbolic of death, burial, and resurrection, so too, the Lord’s Supper is a symbol of the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31. It’s through His death we have life, it’s about believing in Jesus’ sacrifice, not about what you eat or drink…

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

I don’t know if Judas was anti-Jesus. Maybe he believed in him at first. Perhaps he didn’t think he was getting anything from Jesus, or at least, he wanted to check his options. “what will you give me.” Why do you follow whom you follow? Why do you go to the church you attend? Is it because of what they give you? That’s a dangerous road to walk down. Follow Jesus, trust Him.

when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

When you care for the sick in your church or visit Christians in prison you are ministering to Jesus! We have a mandate to care for Christians. You may recall the “cup of cool water” quote from Matthew 10:42

And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Did you catch that again? If you give a cup of cold water to even the least of those in the church because they follow Jesus, you are doing what Jesus commanded you to do. Care for those who follow Jesus and proclaim the gospel to the lost!