Will you be faithful to Jesus? As a follower of Jesus, this is something we all hope we can do. Peter bravely said he would die for Jesus, and a few hours later, he denied him three times. Luke 22:61 At that moment, the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” 62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly. [1]
His failure humbled Peter, and Jesus later reinstated him after His resurrection, and He went on to be a fantastic disciple. I believe there are times in all lives when we can slip and not be faithful to Jesus. I remain silent when I should speak up or fail in other ways. The good news is when we repent of our sins, the Lord forgives us and lifts us out of the muck and the mire.
Judas Failed Jesus and Failed to Repent
Judas failed Jesus when he betrayed him. Mark 14:10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus. [2]
What motivated Judas to betray Jesus? We don’t know what was in Judas’ heart, but we know what happened next. Matthew 27:3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.” “What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.” 5 Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself. [3]
Failure Does Not Have to End in Disappointment When the Lord Forgives
If Judas had repented of his sin, God would have forgiven him. Often when people fail, they think the Lord can’t forgive them. It is satan who tells people that, not the Lord. When Jesus died on the cross, He died for all our sins, including sins of failure.
In our human weakness, we can be overwhelmed and quickly fail. This is not an excuse but a reality. Because we are weak, we need to continually ask the Lord to help us be strong and courageous. The Lord Himself gives martyrs the strength to stand for their faith. Revelation 2:10Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life. [4]
Will you be faithful to Jesus? To hear more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/mark-jesus-anointed-at-bethany
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.