Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ of Nazareth, but their motives and responses were very different afterwards. Judas premeditated his betrayal. He sought out those who wanted to kill Jesus, discussed the matter with them, consented to the act, and even accepted payment for it. According to Luke 22:4–6:
And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.
On the other hand, Peter’s betrayal stemmed from his promises to Jesus—whether to impress Him or out of a sincere, albeit impulsive, love. But when his own life was in danger, a servant girl confronted him, and Peter, overwhelmed by fear, denied even knowing Jesus. Luke 22:56–57 says:
A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.
A few moments later, Peter remembered what Jesus had told him, and when the rooster crowed, he was overcome with grief. He wept bitterly and later sought forgiveness, which Jesus graciously gave. As recorded in Luke 22:62:
And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Judas, on the other hand, was filled with remorse but not repentance. His grief led him to despair and ultimately to suicide. According to Matthew 27:1–5:
Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans to have Jesus executed. So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
We all make mistakes. We betray friends. We betray our values at times. But the stories of Peter and Judas present two very different choices for us after we fall. We can repent and seek forgiveness and restoration. Judas’ remorse, though intense, did not lead to redemption. I wish he had reached out to Jesus and asked for forgiveness. How much more willing would Jesus have been to forgive a man He had walked with for years—especially considering that He forgave a thief He met just minutes before dying on the cross?
Error, sin, and failure are not the end of the road. There is forgiveness and a fresh start available. All that’s needed is true remorse, a desire for forgiveness, and the determination to move forward into a new life, free from the burdens of past mistakes. You don’t have to wait for the third rooster crow. Even now, you can choose to rise above your past and begin again.