A Little Betrayal, Denial and Restoration | S2E8

What do you do after you betray someone you once swore you would die for?

In this episode of the Dear God, Lettuce Pray podcast, we step into one of the most raw and human moments in the Bible. It is the night Jesus was betrayed and denied by two of the people closest to Him.

You've probably heard their names before: Peter the Apostle and Judas Iscariot.

Both walked with Jesus.

Both failed Him. 

Both felt the weight of what they had done.

So what made their endings so different? This episode breaks down the historical and cultural context of Passover in Jerusalem, the political tension under Rome, and how that pressure shaped the decisions made in one of the most pivotal nights in Scripture.

We take a closer look at Peter's bold, impulsive loyalty, the same man who pulled a sword to defend Jesus, and how fear led him to deny Him three times in a courtyard. We also examine Judas, wrestled with hidden patterns, and ultimately made a decision that changed the course of history. This is a deep dive into fear, pressure, guilt, and what what happens after failure. 

Whether you're a believer, skeptic, or somewhere in between, this episode invites you to wrestle with one question:

What do you do after you fail?

.

.

Follow on your favorite podcast platform, leave a review on Apple Podcast and connect on Instagram : @deargodlettucepray

Transcript

Santana 0:00

Hello and welcome everyone to another episode of the Dear God Let Us Pray podcast. I am your host, Santana, and today today we are gonna talk about today we're gonna talk about the night two disciples failed Jesus.

Santana 0:20

But before we begin, let me ask you something. What do you do after you betray someone you once swore you would die for? Like that question sits right in the middle of one of the most human stories in the entire Bible. Because the night before the crucifixion of Jesus, two of the men closest to him failed him in ways that still make readers pause, especially myself. Like these weren't people that just casually followed Jesus in the crowd. Like the disciples were the men who had spent several years walking beside him and listening to him teach and watching the miracles literally unfold right in front of them. And also believing, believing and knowing that they were witnessing the arrival of something world-changing. And when the pressure arrived in Jerusalem, both of them collapsed. And their names were Peter and Judas.

Santana 1:31

The gospel writers do something remarkable with their stories. Like they leave them unpolished. They show the loyalty, the fear, the betrayal, the regret, and even the aftermath without trying to smooth out the rough edges. Because this is a it's it's a disturbing story. And anyone who has ever wrestled with their own failures can acknowledge that something painfully familiar happened in these moments. So before we get to that final night, I want to slow it down and let's take a look at who these two men were. Now, Peter, Peter had a personality that stands out immediately in the gospel accounts. He talks quickly, he reacts quickly, and sometimes moves faster than his own judgment. Like loyalty seems to drive most of what he does. So when people like when Peter believes in something, he commits to it fully. There's one moment in the Bible that captures that personality perfectly. Uh-uh. Peter pulls out that blicky, but in biblical days, he pulls out his sword. Like John records the moment in simple language. John 18, 10 reads, Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. Peter cut this man's ear off when they came to arrest Jesus. And I ain't gonna lie. But in that moment, it does tell you a lot about Peter. Like the man sees a threat and immediately decides that action is required. Because, period. But no, seriously, though, there's like no committee meeting, like there's no discussion about nothing. Like Peter just simply reacts. So, like if you've ever had a friend who jumps into situations out of pure loyalty before thinking everything through, then you already understand Peter's energy. That loyalty also shaped the way Peter talked about Jesus.

Santana 4:35

Like earlier that same evening, Jesus warned the disciples that a crisis was coming and that they would scatter when it arrived. Peter heard that warning and responded with complete confidence. Matthew 26, 35, Peter, like, even if I must die with you, I will not deny you. Like you can almost hear the certainty in his voice. Peter believes, you know, what he's saying. So, like from his perspective, loyalty like this would never break under pressure.

Santana 5:11

Standing within that same group of disciples was another man whose personality moved in a quieter direction. And his name was Judas. The Gospel rarely showed Judas speaking, but yet they quietly leave clues about his character. One of those clues appears in the Gospel of John during a moment when a woman pours expensive perfume on Jesus. Like some of the disciples criticize the act because the perfume could have been sold to help the poor. So John pauses the story to explain something about Judas. John 12 6 reads, He was a thief, and having charge of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. Judas handled the group finances. So, like in practical terms, he functioned as the treasurer for the disciples. John's comment reveals that long before the events of the final week in Jerusalem, Judas had already begun allowing dishonesty to grow in the background of his life.

Santana 6:26

So both men followed the same teacher, Jesus, and both believed that they were witnessing the unfolding of God's kingdom. So to understand the events that follow, let's just like zoom in right now to picture the city where the story took place. Because Jerusalem during Passover was extremely intense. Like Passover celebrated Israel's memory of liberation from Egypt. Like pilgrims travel from across the Roman world to celebrate the festival, which meant the city filled with travelers, families, and worshipers pouring into the streets. At the same time, Judea lived under Roman rule. Like a holiday centered on freedom from empire had the potential to stir political tension, so Roman authorities watched the city very carefully. Like for that reason, the Roman governor Pontius usually came to Jerusalem during Passover to keep order. Into that crowded city now, you hear everything that's going on.

Santana 7:48

Into that crowded city walked Jesus. And as he entered Jerusalem, crowds greeted him with words drawn from Israel's royal psalms. Matthew 21, nine. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. So you see the thing about the title Son of David, that carried very royal expectations. Like many people associated that phrase with the hope that God would raise up a king from David's line who would restore Israel. So religious leaders understood how explosive that language could become during a festival week filled with pilgrims. And you know, the book of Matthew, uh, it later describes their concern. Matthew 26, 5 reads, Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people. They wanted Jesus arrested quietly. And Judas became the key to making that possible.

Santana 9:01

At some point during that week, Judas approached the chief priest with a simple question, What will you give me if I deliver him over to you? Matthew 26, 15. They agreed to pay him 30 pieces of silver. Now, for the readers familiar with Hebrew scriptures, that number carried a very symbolic weight because 30 pieces of silver, or you know, 30 shekels was the compensation for the death of a slave. And that was according to the law of Moses. So Exodus records that amount clearly. He shall give to their master 30 shekels of silver. That was in Exodus 21, 32. Keep in mind, Exodus is well before Matthew. Alright? So later that night, soldiers and temple guards arrived to arrest Jesus outside the city. Judas approached Jesus and greeted him with a kiss, which served as a signal to identify him in the darkness. Matthew records the instructions Judas gave beforehand. Matthew 26, 48 reads, The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him. At that same moment Peter stood nearby. The soldiers moved forward. Peter responded exactly the way his personality suggests he would. That sword came out again. Like the chaos that followed ended with Jesus being taken away while the disciples scattered into the night.

Santana 10:46

Peter eventually circled back and followed at a distance to the residence of the high priests. Wealthy homes in Jerusalem often included like courtyards where servants and guards gathered. Matthew describes Peter entering that courtyard. So Matthew 26, 58, Peter was following him at a distance. A fire burned in the center as people warmed themselves in that cool night air. Someone looked over at Peter and recognized him as one of Jesus' followers. So it was actually a servant girl that spoke first. Peter quickly denied the accusation. I do not know what you mean. Matthew 2670. A little later someone else recognized him. Peter denied it again. Matthew 26 72. I do not know the man. Then a group nearby noticed something about the way Peter spoke. Matthew 2673 reads, Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you. You see, Peter came from Galilee, and Galilean accents sounded different from the speech patterns common in Jerusalem. Like the way that Peter talked gave him away. So the pressure of the moment kept building. So Peter finally responded with an oath. Then he began to invoke a curse on himself. I do not know the man. Matthew 26, 74. Immediately a rooster crowed. Luke records a quiet moment that follows.

Santana 12:34

And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Luke 22, 6 1. Peter remembered the warning Jesus had given earlier that evening. Like earlier that evening, Luke 22, 62 records, and he went out and wept bitterly. So like around that same time, Judas saw that Jesus had been condemned. Matthew records that Judas returned the silver to the temple authorities. Matthew 27 4 reads, I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. The religious leaders refused responsibility and Judas left the temple. The gospel narrative records that he later died by taking his own life. And Peter's story still continued beyond the crucifixion. After the resurrection, Jesus met the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. John records a quiet conversation between Jesus and Peter. Three times Jesus asked him a question Simon, son of John, do you love me? John twenty one fifteen. Each time Peter answered, each time Jesus entrusted him with responsibility. John twenty one seventeen reads, Feed my sheep. So Jesus was like feed my sheep. Within the language of the Bible, shepherd imagery represents caring for God's people.

Santana 14:13

The disciple who once denied Jesus publicly now receives a public restoration. Like the gospel writers leave us with a story that feels extremely and deeply human. Two disciples, one night of crisis, two very different paths afterward. And that's where we'll leave it today. Two men, one night, one moment where everything went sideways. One thing I absolutely love, like absolutely love about the Gospels is that the Gospels never hide the myth. They show Peter, the guy who once pulled a sword for Jesus, standing by a fire trying to convince strangers he had never met him.

Santana 15:08

They show Judas making choices that led him further and further into isolation. They show fear, guilt, betrayal, heartbreak, and the complicated ways people respond after they realize what they've done. These stories feel real because they are real. People fail. People panic. Like people say things in moments of fear they have never imagined they would say. And yet the same pages that record Peter's lowest moment also record a morning by the sea where Jesus calls him forward again.

Santana 15:49

If this episode helped you see these stories in a new light, follow the podcast on your favorite platform and share the episode with someone who enjoys digging into historical context behind scripture. You can connect with the show on Instagram at Dear God Let Us Pray and send your thoughts about today's episode. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for sitting with me in the Word today. This is the Dear God Let Us Pray podcast where we slow down Scripture, explore its world, and remember that even the messiest human stories in the Bible still point back to God. Alright, this is Santana signing out.