Repent and Believe - Matthew 26:69-27:10

I recently read a story about the famous English preacher, Charles Spurgeon. Charles Spurgeon was the pastor at Metropolitan Tabernacle in London where he preached to thousands of people each week. It was a huge church in the mid-nineteenth century.

But apparently, after one sermon a young man approached Spurgeon and told him, “Mr. Spurgeon the Spirit tells me that I am to preach here, in this Tabernacle, next Thursday night.” 

Spurgeon looked at the young man and said, “Well, it is a curious thing that the Spirit has not told me that.”

Obviously, the young man never preached there.

It was quite clear that the young man had confused his personal desires with the Spirit. And it happens to the best of us. We’ll often think we’re supposed to do this or that, and then it doesn’t work out. 

The truth is, we can be easily confused just like the young man who approached Charles Spurgeon. 

Our passage is going to bring out something that is often confused today, which is this: regret, a guilty conscience, or sorrow, is not the same as true repentance. 

We often think that because we feel bad about something, we’ve repented. We conflate the two feelings together, a lot like the young man conflated his desires with the Holy Spirit. 

This misunderstanding has led to the “authenticity movement” within the church. In other words, being transparent or authentic about your sin struggles is the highest form of spirituality. It’s good to be honest, but here’s the problem with being authentic: if you simply talk about your sin without ever turning from it or repenting of it and turning to Christ for forgiveness, it’s meaningless. Empty words. 

We confuse authenticity, a guilty conscience, and sorrow, with true repentance. Often we think we’re actually penitent when we simply have a guilty conscience. 

And our passage really addresses this subject quite well. Let’s look at it together.

The sin of denial leads to death

Previously, in chapter 26 Jesus tells Peter that he’s going to deny him three times before the rooster crows.  And do you remember how arrogant Peter was when Jesus told him that? He said, Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!”

That took place in verse 35 and here we are a few verses later, the same night, and Peter denies Jesus three times. Jesus is on trial before the counsel and Peter followed him so he could watch. 

And apparently, through his actions and the way he talked, Peter gave himself away. He denied knowing Jesus before two servant girls and a bystander. 

By no means were these people of power or influence. They appear to be lower class folks and Peter is still afraid of what may come upon him if he confesses Jesus Christ to them.

The third denial is so strong he invokes a curse upon himself. 

The gospel of Luke tells us that at the moment Peter denied Jesus for the third time, Jesus turned and looked at him. 

He made eye contact with the Lord immediately after denying him.

It’s quite easy to pile onto Peter; after all, he committed a grievous sin. This man walked with Jesus for three years and then denied him to three people he didn’t know. Imagine that. He didn’t deny him once. Or twice. But three times. 

The Savior of the World. Imagine making eye contact with Jesus in that moment. 

Peter felt the weight of his sin and wept bitterly. And immediately after Peter denies Jesus, Jesus is condemned to death. 

If there was ever a moment that Jesus could have used some support. Jesus is marching toward his death on the cross and none of his followers are there to say, “Hey, wait!” “You’re making a huge mistake!” 

Instead it’s, “I don’t know the man.” Isn’t it interesting that the only two disciples who witnessed Jesus’ verdict at the counsel of the High Priest and elders were Peter, who denied him, and Judas, who betrayed him?

Where were the rest of the disciples? They all fled and ran away. But the two that were there committed two of the most memorable sins in the entire Bible. 

It’s a healthy reminder that sin is always crouching at your door. Now let’s look at the final act of Judas’s betrayal. 

The sin of betrayal leads to death

Again, notice that Judas was there watching Jesus as he is delivered over to Pilate and as Jesus is being condemned. Verse 3 says, “he changed his mind.” He even says to the Pharisees, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”

It sounds good doesn’t it? I don’t think there’s any doubt that Judas felt bad. He had a guilty conscience. He knew he had made a mistake.

Why else would he have returned the money? 

His conscience was bearing down on him. He said that to the Pharisees and they respond with indifference. They don’t care. They discuss what to do with the silver and buy a field with it. 

His conscience was bearing down on him so hard that he ended up taking his own life. He felt guilt and shame over what he had done. 

Prophecies from Jeremiah and Zechariah are fulfilled by Judas’ payment and the Pharisees purchase of the field. When you just think about what Peter did and what Judas did there are a lot of similarities.

Similarities between Peter and Judas

They were both disciples of Christ. They both witnessed the miracles of Christ. They both heard all of Jesus’s great sermons. And then both Peter and Judas commit grievous sins. 

The difference between a denial and a betrayal is razor thin. Couldn’t a denial of someone or something be a betrayal?

You might even be able to say that Peter’s denial of Christ was, in fact, a form of betrayal. 

And things get even more complicated when you consider this: Both felt regret and sorrow over what they did. 

Peter wept bitterly after he denied Jesus three times. He was clearly upset over what he had done. In a similar fashion, Judas changed his mind and even said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” 

What they did is so similar. They both committed very serious sins.

There isn’t a lot of difference between Peter’s denial and Judas’s betrayal, and yet we know Peter is in heaven and Judas is in hell.

Peter’s name is held in high esteem and Judas’s name is an insult.  

How can that be? Is betraying Christ is a more severe sin than denying Christ?  

It would seem that way, wouldn’t it? All sin deserves God’s wrath. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 

The question is what happens to your sin? Does Christ die for you and your sin or are you going to die alone in your sin?

You see, Peter truly repented, turned from his sin and trusted in Christ. Judas had a guilty conscience, felt regret or sorrow but never really turned from his sin to Christ.

Christ died in Peter’s place.  But Judas took his own life and died alone.

Difference between repentance and regret.

This raises an incredibly important point: There is an eternal difference between regret, a guilty conscience, sorrow, whatever you might call it, and true Godly repentance. 

I always sort of chuckle to myself whenever I hear about a politician being vetted, which is code for the media hunting for skeletons in the closet. I can’t imagine how terrifying that must be for them. 

Because if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ve all done things we’ve regretted. If someone knew every single detail of your life, it wouldn’t take very long for them to find something that you have done that you regret. 

We all have skeletons in the closet that if I was able to throw up on this screen would humiliate you. We all have those memories that wake us up in the middle of the night and fill us with guilt. Why did I do that? Why did I say that?

Sometimes people suddenly decide not to do x,y, and z anymore or they only admit to wrongdoing because they were caught red-handed.

That’s not true repentance!

It’s completely Godless. It’s self-centered. It’s self-serving. 

The Puritan Thomas Watson wrote a little book called “The Doctrine of Repentance” and in it he says, “Repentance is a pure gospel grace. Repentance came in by the gospel. Christ has purchased in his blood that repenting sinners shall be saved.”

True repentance requires a turning from sin to God. You have to desire holiness. You have to desire to please him. That has to be the primary reason for turning from your sin. Leaving sin because it makes you a “bad person” or you felt shame or whatever isn’t right. 

The Christian is called to live a life of righteousness not to make you feel better about yourself, but because you genuinely want to please God.

Difference Between Peter and Judas

And herein lies the difference between Peter and Judas. You see, Peter isn’t better than Judas. Peter’s sin is very serious, just like Judas’s betrayal. 

But Peter truly repented. He turned from his sin and to the Lord. Judas never did. He had regret over his actions. Do you think that if Judas would have repented the Lord would have forgiven him?

Of course!

It’s easy to fool people with false humility or an attitude of sorrow. Often you and I cannot tell the difference between true repentance and false repentance. They often look the same outwardly speaking. 

But you know the attitude of your heart and so does God. 

You might be able to fool men, but you cannot fool God. Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart. 

Peter and Judas committed big sins. And one was forgiven and one was condemned.

Jesus died for all sin

You see, Jesus didn’t just die for the little sins. He didn’t just die for the white lies. Or for you doing 40 in a 35 or something. He died for those sins. 

But he also died for the big sins of your life. Those sins that haunt you. Those moments that keep you awake at night. He died for those as well. 

That’s why it was necessary for him to go to the cross. And like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. He was willing to lay down his life for the forgiveness of sins. 

Jesus went to the cross for all sin. All types of sin. The little sins and the big sins. Sometimes we deceive ourselves into believing our sin is so great that God could never forgive us. 

I had a conversation with someone recently where they told me that. I was telling him that there was forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ and he told me that I don’t understand what he’s done… and I told him it didn’t matter.

But that’s exactly what Satan wants you to believe. He wants you to think that your sin is too great. If people found out what you did they would treat you differently. And so, you suppress the sin. You suppress the memory of it and you try to live your life like it never happened. 

This is exactly what happened to Judas. He decided that he would rather die than live with the guilt and shame of his sin. But there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. You see, no matter what you’ve done you can experience the freedom from sin that is only found in Jesus Christ.

Judas could have been forgiven. You can be forgiven.

Even believers sin grievously. Peter certainly did. And guess what? If you repent and put your hope in Christ then you can experience the grace of God in a way that will restore your soul.

But you have to see your sin as it really is - the very thing that separates you from God. The thing that condemns you before God. 

But what’s the big deal? Why does repentance matter so much? This leads me to what I really want each one of you to remember as you leave here today. 

True repentance, truly turning from your sin, is the key to unlocking the immeasurable grace of God. The grace of God will change your life!

George Whitefield is one of the greatest evangelists to step foot on American soil. But he has a really interesting conversion. He along with John and Charles Wesley formed what they called, “The Holy Club” at Oxford. The whole idea was that they would endeavor to live the most righteous lives they possibly could. So they were fasting, praying, and abstaining from “worldly pleasures.” 

You see through all of his effort Whitefield never felt peace with God. He never felt like he had a real relationship with God. They had been trying to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. They were trying to make themselves holy. 

He was a whitewashed tomb. Spiritually speaking, he looked clean on the outside but there was a dead body inside. Repentance and faith in Christ is what saves you. Once Whitefield realized that it altered the course of his life and American history, because his preaching sparked the Great Awakening. 

Here’s what’s scary: you can look like a Christian, talk like a Christian, but be condemned before God. Why? Because you never truly repented of your sins. Jesus’s first message was one of repentance. He said, “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand!”

But repentance is hard. Turning from your sin is hard as long as you have a small view of God. 

If you don’t think God is truly good, then you’ll never want to turn from your sin. But if you see God as he really is, if you see him as gracious, holy, and deserving of all praise, honor, and glory, then turning from your sin will make perfect sense. 

Repentance isn’t the end of your life. Repentance and faith in Christ is really the beginning of your life. Have you ever really experienced the grace of God? Have you experienced it in such a way that it completely changed your life? 

Peter’s life completely changed after denying Christ. He experienced the grace of God when he spoke with Jesus after his resurrection. Jesus asks Peter three times, Peter do you love me? Peter responds three times, “I love you, Lord.” 

Jesus gives Peter an opportunity to correct his denial by telling him three times that he loved him.

The grace of God transformed the life of Peter. Because what happened next? Pentecost happens when the Spirit descends upon the Apostles; and they're sharing the gospel in different languages and then who stands up to preach? It’s Peter. 

And what does Peter say toward the end of his sermon in Acts chapter 2 verse 38? He says “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…”

And three thousand people were saved that day. Don’t remain under the guilt and shame of your sin. And don’t confuse the regret you harbor for true repentance.

True repentance is turning from your sin, trusting in Christ. Repentance is humbling, but experiencing the grace of God is worth it.

That is the gospel. And it will change your life. 

Have you experienced it?