Thursday Of Passion Week Through Judas And Peter

Thursday of Passion Week is a night full of sharp turns: a shared meal, a towel and basin, a prediction of betrayal, a warning of denial, and a walk into the darkness of Gethsemane. We slow down and trace the emotional and spiritual weight of these moments, because they aren’t distant Bible scenes. They’re a window into how Jesus loves people who are about to break.\n\nWe talk about the Last Supper and why Jesus washing the disciples’ feet is more than a gesture. It’s a blueprint for Christian humility and servant leadership, offered by the very person the disciples call Lord. Then we follow the tension as Jesus names what’s coming: Judas will betray him, and Peter will deny him. Both men sit at the same table and receive the same love, yet their stories split apart based on what they choose next.\n\nJudas runs toward despair. Peter stumbles, grieves, and eventually returns, meeting Jesus again and finding restoration. That contrast pushes a question right into our daily life: when we fail, do we hide, or do we come back for forgiveness and a new start? If you want a short, focused Holy Week reflection on grace, repentance, and restoration, press play, then subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review so more people can start their day right.

Transcript

Thursday Of Passion Week Overview

Foot Washing As The Model

Judas Named As Betrayer

Peter Warned About Denial

Two Choices After Failure

Reflection And Tomorrow’s Preview

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Good morning and welcome to Starting Right with Danny Mack. I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great five-minute start to your day. So grab your cup of coffee, sit back, relax, and let me help you start your day right. It's really good to have you here as we are discussing the events of the Passion Week, that week leading up to Jesus' crucifixion and death on the cross, and then his ultimate victory with the resurrection on Easter Sunday. And today we're talking about the events of Thursday. There was a lot going on, particularly in the evening. This is when Jesus and the disciples had the last supper, and they talked together, they ate together, and there were some important lessons that Jesus gave that night, including washing the feet of the disciples, instituting the Lord's Supper, which we know as communion, and telling them what was going to happen over the next few days, even though they didn't understand it. And then after supper, Jesus and the disciples moved to the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed his most agonizing prayer of his lifetime here on earth. It was so impactful to him that he literally sweat blood from the stress and pressure of what he was about to face and what he knew was going to happen. It was in that same garden that Judas led the Sanhedrin, the religious leaders to Jesus, and betrayed him with a kiss. Jesus was arrested and taken to the high priest, where he underwent his first of six different trials over the next fifteen hours. But I want to go back to that last supper because there were some events there that were significant, particularly for two individuals. In John chapter thirteen, starting in verse two, it tells us that the evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God. So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that he poured water in a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with a towel that was wrapped around him. There of course was some discussion and some reaction, particularly from Peter, but at the end of it down in verse twelve, he says that when he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. Do you understand what I've done for you? he asked them. You call me teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you should also wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Shortly after this, Jesus revealed that someone was going to betray him. Matthew twenty six, starting verse twenty, tells the story. When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve, and while they were eating he said, I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me. Then down in verse twenty five, Judas, the one who would betray him, said, Surely not I, Rabbi. Jesus answered, Yes, it is you. Then after the meal there was another revelation to come, this one to Peter. Back in Mark chapter fourteen, verse twenty six tells us that when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And on the way Jesus told them, All of you will desert me, for the scriptures say that God will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered, but after I am dead I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there. Peter said to him, Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will. Jesus replied, I tell you the truth, Peter, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me. No, Peter declared emphatically, even if I die with you, I will never deny you. And all the others did the same. Now I've chosen to talk about Judas and Peter today because Jesus washed their feet even though he knew that they would betray him. When we know that God's love for us is unconditional as it was for them, we always know we can go back to God and find a relationship with him. Could Judas have repented and become a follower of Christ and one of the disciples in ministry? I believe he could have, but he chose not to. And as we read in scripture, we know that instead of following through on the things that he'd learned from Jesus the previous three years, he went out and he hung himself. Peter went a different route. After Jesus' death, he went back to work fishing. He didn't know what to do, he didn't know what to expect. But when Jesus appeared to him again along the Sea of Galilee, Peter jumped out of his boat and swam to shore, then fell down at Jesus' feet and worshipped him. And Jesus reinstated Peter as one of the great leaders of the new church and one of the great ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is where God's grace is so powerful and effective for every one of us. Even when we think we've let God down, even when we think we've done the greatest mistake possible, he is there to receive us back. The only thing that makes a difference is what we choose to do. Do we choose to return to him when we've made the mistakes? Do we choose to find forgiveness for what we've done wrong, or do we run away? These two men wound up going very different paths by the choices that they made. Throughout this passion week, I hope you're taking time to think about the Lord and meditate on what he has done for you and the miraculous things he's worked through in your life. Have a great day, my friends. We will talk to you tomorrow on Good Friday. Thank you for listening today. And I invite you to join me Monday to Friday right here on Starting Right with Danny Mack.