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The text for this evening’s sermon is the Gospel lesson from Matthew chapter 26, focusing on verses 21-25. Allow me to read these verses again: ²¹And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” ²²And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” ²³He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. ²⁴The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” ²⁵Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”

It happened six weeks ago today, the tragic shooting at the Kirkwood City Hall which took the lives of five people and wounded two others. Then just a week after that shooting another shooting, this one occurring at Northern Illinois University, a place that I hold dear to my heart because it is the place where I earned my undergraduate degree. This shooting also took the lives of five young people. When tragedies like these occur the first question that is usually raised is why. Why would these men perform such horrible crimes? Why would they take the lives of innocent people? Why such horrible sins against mankind? Many times we never learn exactly why tragedies occur. This is true of the tragedy mentioned in our text for tonight. We find out that Judas is the disciple who will betray Jesus, a tragedy which is greater than the recent shooting tragedies. Jesus states that it would have been better for the man who was to betray him if he had not been born. Again we can raise the question why, why would one of Jesus’ closest followers betray him? The Bible simply doesn’t tell us why Judas betrays his Lord but the Bible does give us the Judas story for a reason. The story of Judas teaches us the elements of true repentance.

After Judas leaves the upper room, the next time that he is involved in the passion story occurs at the Garden of Gethsemane. Matthew writes in chapter 26; ⁴⁷While he (Jesus) was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” ⁴⁹ And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. After Jesus is betrayed, He is lead away by the crowd to be tried first by Caiaphas the High Priest and then by Pilate. We don’t know what Judas is doing during this time but we do know that he learns that Jesus has been condemned. Matthew writes further in chapter 27; ³ Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, ⁴saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” ⁵And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. It is in these verses where we encounter the first element of true repentance: true repentance is admitting wrong.

Does anyone doubt for a minute that Judas sincerely and fully admits that what he has done is wrong? He gives a full confession when he says, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” With these words, Judas is on record as saying that Jesus has done nothing wrong, that he has turned over an innocent man for prosecution, and this action is responsible for the shedding of Jesus’ blood.

His confession is like that of King David’s in the Old Testament. David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and then murders her husband. David is then confronted by the prophet Nathan and David admits that what he has done is wrong. David writes his confession which is recorded for us in Psalm 51: “³For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. ⁴Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight…”

Many confessions are really not confessions at all. Often our confessions express more remorse over being caught than remorse over doing something that is wrong and sinful. Our society’s normal confession is usually only one word, ‘sorry’. That one word is not a full confession. Such is not the case with Judas; he gives a complete confession by specifically stating what he has done wrong. This is the kind of confession that is needed if it’s to be true repentance, no ‘ifs, ands, or buts,’ no justifying, no excuses, nothing but sincere and specific disclosure. At this point Judas would have received an ‘A’ for his confession but confession is more than admitting that you are wrong.

True repentance is also making it right. Judas makes an effort to make amends for what he had done wrong. He makes an effort to return the silver that he took for betraying Jesus. Restitution was part of the Levitical Law, which stated,“Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. Whoever takes an animal’s life shall make it good, life for life. If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him.” Even today parents try to teach their children to make restitution for anything that the child breaks. It is not easy to convince a child that he has done wrong and that he needs to make restitution. Judas didn’t need anyone to convince him that he had done wrong. No one dragged him back to the chief priests to return the money. He decided to do that on his own. Judas couldn’t undo the pain and suffering that Jesus would endure but he did what he could, he attempted to return the silver. The high priests wouldn’t accept the silver back so Judas threw it down in the temple. I find it interesting that Judas shows better character than the priests. They don’t care about Judas or Jesus whom they have falsely accused. These accusations lead to the murder of an innocent man. But what is their only concern? They don’t want to take back Judas’ blood money because that would be a sin which would make them ceremonially unclean.

So far Judas looks to be handling repentance fairly well, maybe even better than his fellow disciple Peter. We don’t have any record of Peter admitting his wrong or trying to make things right, but Peter ends up being one of the leaders of the Christian Church and Judas ends up on the end of a rope. So why does Judas kill himself in despair and Peter becomes a prominent leader?

The answer is that the third element of repentance is present in Peter but not in Judas. The third element of true repentance is trusting in God. Judas didn’t believe that God would forgive him for betraying Jesus. I have no doubt that if Judas had gone to the cross and asked for forgiveness from Jesus that Jesus would have forgiven him. The whole purpose of Jesus coming and dying on the cross was for the forgiveness of sins. Judas didn’t believe that his Lord would forgive his sins, so he went out and in despair hung himself. David stated in Psalm 51 that he had sinned against God and God only. Had Judas realized like David did that all sins are against God and with God there is forgiveness, then his life would have ended differently.

Knowing and practicing the three elements of repentance makes a difference in our lives. You see it is these three elements which the Catechism instructs us to use to examine ourselves before receiving the sacrament of the Altar. Under question 303 in the Catechism it states that we are to examine ourselves to see whether we are sorry for our sins. The first element of true repentance is admitting wrong or admitting that you are sinful. The first step in examining ourselves before the Lord’s Supper is to realize that we are sinful and are in no way worthy to come before the Lord.

The Catechism also states that we are to examine ourselves to see whether we plan, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to change our sinful lives. The second element of repentance is making it right. Before coming to the Lord’s Table we need to not only recognize our sinful ways but also desire to change those sinful actions into actions that are pleasing to God and beneficial to our neighbor.

Lastly, the Catechism states that we are to examine ourselves to see whether we believe in our Savior Jesus Christ and in His words in the Sacrament. The third element of true repentance is trusting in God. We need to trust in these words spoken by Christ himself, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Those who believe these words receive the forgiveness of all of their sins.

As you come to the Lord’s Table tonight and from this time forward, examine yourself with the three elements of true repentance; admit your sin, plan to change sinful actions into God pleasing actions, and trust that at His table is plentiful forgiveness and in doing so you will be prepared to receive the Lord’s Supper. Receiving the Lord’s Supper worthily truly makes a difference in our lives. Amen.