An Adhesive Prison

Mrs. Billie Cannon, a Knoxville, Tenn., homemaker was preparing to paint her back porch. In order to protect the floor, she carefully placed around the edges a strip of Scotch tape– he kind with adhesive on both sides. It was her plan to place a drop cloth over the floor and secure it with the tape. Having succeeded in placing the tape around the entire surface, she went back inside the house to get a drop cloth.

Returning to the porch sometime later, she found that all of her carefully placed tape was gone. She was completely mystified. Where could it be? Who would possibly have taken the time to pull up that tape and why? As she was surveying the situation and mulling over her puzzling predicament, she noticed something moving in her back yard.

Looking more closely, she discovered that it was a snake. It was a rather large creature of its species, but it was no threat to her. It was hopelessly immobilized by being totally enmeshed in a large ball of Scotch tape. Evidently, while Mrs. Cannon was in the house, the snake had crawled up on the back porch and had eased itself onto that tape with the adhesive on both sides. Sensing that the tape was sticking to its skin, the snake obviously put up a terrible struggle. In doing so, it pulled every bit of tape from the floor. The harder it fought, however, the more hopelessly it became entangled in its adhesive prison until it was totally held captive.

This is the story of a lot of people who make a mistake or have made bad choices. We try to work our way out of the bad choice or try to fix the mistake. We end up becoming entangled in its adhesive prison until we become totally captive. To make this a little clearer, we can’t forgive ourselves because we haven’t honestly repented of our rebellion towards God or we feel bad for what we did at the time but it never effects us. Many Christ followers never get to the point where they can admit they have rebelled against God.

There are two stories that are found in Matthew 26 which give us a clear contrast of being remorseful – or feeling sorry for what you have done vs. being repentant – or admitting your rebellion against God.

The first story is found in Matthew 26:14-16,

14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Judas was remorseful but could never admit his rebellion against God. We find out later in the story that he did this (watch this two minute clip)

Judas got entangled in his adhesive prison and never admitted his rebellion against God. This leads to giving up on the one who could have gave him hope.

Like Judas, we all have made mistakes. We all have rebelled against God a time or two this past week.  We might not have kissed Jesus on the cheek and betrayed him but we definitely have nailed him back on the cross a few times because of our refusal to allow the Easter story – this Easter experience – to change the way WE think, change the way WE act, and change our rebellious heart to an obedient heart.

Like Judas, we create this emotional and spiritual prison by believing the lies of the Enemy that we can’t be forgiven.

Like Judas, we are deceived by the enemy into thinking that God has stopped loving us because we have betrayed Him.

Like Judas, we stay in this emotional and spiritual prison because we can’t admit that we have rebelled against God.

Judas was remorseful. Being remorseful leads one in an attempt to make up for the mistake. If you remember the story, after Judas betrayed Jesus he went back to the religious officials and he tried to make up for it by going back to them and giving them back the 30 pieces of silver. Judas was trying to correct his mistake. But there is no way he could correct it – there was nothing he could do to change it – there was nothing he could do to make up for it. He was remorseful but the scriptures never mention him repenting. If you watched that clip you learned that he went and hung himself.

The second story is found in vs. 34&35 of the same chapter:

34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
35 “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.

Watch this two minute clip of  Peter denying Jesus (click here)

He denied he even knew Him. Many scholars agree this was far worse than what Judas did. The bottom line is they both betrayed him. What they did was equally despicable. Peter also ran to the nearest tree. He didn’t hang himself. He ran to the nearest tree and wept bitterly. It is described as a gut-wrenching weeping. The kind of weeping that makes your stomach hurt. The kind of weeping that stretches those midsection muscles to the point of almost pulling them off the bone.

Unlike Judas, Peter turned to Jesus for mercy and repented. Peter admitted his rebellion towards God. He wasn’t just sorry for what he did – he was afraid he had totally ruined his relationship with Jesus. He was so bold and so cocky and said that he would follow Jesus to the point of death. But he failed and he failed miserably.

It’s not enough to  just feel sorry about your sin. Judas was sorry for his sin but nowhere in scripture can we find that he repented. He never admitted he rebelled against God. Peter was not only sorry but he also repented and his life went in a totally different direction. If you know the rest of story, Peter introduced a lot of people to Jesus after Jesus rose from the dead. Peter admitted his rebellion and turned to Jesus. Peter became the boldest witness of Jesus’ death and resurrection. His boldness led him to his death on a cross. He requested that the cross be hung upside because he felt unworthy to die in the same Jesus died. How is that for a heart transformation!?

Can you see the difference between the two?

Judas’ regret led to remorse but it did not lead to repentance. He realized what he should have done but he was so swallowed upped with regret that tried to fix it himself. He tried to make it better. But nothing he did worked. He couldn’t see a way out.

An important note to make is you don’t have to know God to be remorseful. Remorse is a feeling. Everyone has this feeling knit into them when they are being put together by God in their mother’s womb. Everyone is born with it. You do need to know God to be repentant.

Peter’s regret lead to repentance. Peter’s regret lead him to confess that he had rebelled against God. Peter’s regret lead to a broken and contrite heart. Peter’s regret led him to the mercy of Jesus. Peter’s regret led to humility.

The bottom line is Peter agreed with God that he messed up. Repentance is agreeing with God that you messed up and you need help! Repentance is an action. Repentance is a willingness to agree with God that you are messing up and something inside of you needs to change. Repentance leads to brokenness. Without being broken, you haven’t truly repented. Repentance leads to a different way of thinking.

Look at King David. He committed adultery and murder. He was remorseful and tried to cover it up. When he was confronted, he was broken. He was humbled. He eventually agreed with God that he messed up. David repented and got help! He didn’t just say he was sorry and go about his life as usual – no- he was broken and began to think in a different way.

For us in the 21st century, we still sin against a God. We still mess up. We still make mistakes. In fact Romans 3:23 reminds us that we all still fall short of the glory of God. God is not surprised that we still can’t get it right. He told us in Romans that we will always struggle with getting it right.

There are some things I do believe God is surprised about.  He’s surprised that we don’t ask for forgiveness and live like a forgive people. He’s surprised that we choose to live in our regrets like Judas. He’s surprised that we don’t accept the free gift (not the cheap gift) of grace.

If we are not going to except these things from Jesus, why on earth did Jesus go to the cross?

He didn’t go to the cross to make us nice, better, moral people.
He didn’t go to the cross so we would just say we are sorry for sinning against him.
He didn’t go to the cross to help us feel better about ourselves.
He didn’t go to the cross so we could live a normal, All-American, Christianity –in -a –box,  kind of life.

He went to the cross so that we would not need to live in our past regrets.
He went to the cross so that we can turn away from sin.
He went to the cross so that we can be forgiven.

He went to the cross to make grace available to us.

He went to the cross to change our Judas-like thinking into Peter-like thinking.

For some reason Judas couldn’t agree with God that he messed up. He tried to make it better by turning the money back in, but he couldn’t get to the point to agree with God that forgiveness was meant for him as well.

Judas totally missed the Easter experience. He couldn’t agree with God that he messed up.  He tried to fix everything by turning the money back in. He didn’t trust Jesus.

Peter had an Easter experience. He agreed with God that he messed up. He didn’t try to fix anything, he accepted the fact that he rebelled against God. He trusted Jesus.

Most people understand that the Easter experience is more than bunnies, Easter clothes, egg hunts, and Easter baskets. This is what many people have made it.  A lot of people are sorry that Jesus had to die and they may feel sorry for their sin but there are not very many people who have had an Easter Experience.

If you believe that Jesus came to make us nice, normal, American citizens then you haven’t had an Easter experience.
If you believe just saying sorry that you have sinned against him is enough then you have not had an Easter experience.
If you believe that Jesus went through all that He went through to help us feel better and have a better self-esteem then you haven’t had an Easter experience.
If you believe that you can live a normal, All-American, church-going- Christian life without having to pay any price for following Him – you haven’t had an Easter experience.

Jesus came and died not to make our life easier. He came and died not so that we can say a little prayer and feel better about our self.

He came and died so that we can have the same experience that Peter did. Even though we rebel against Him on a daily basis, we can meet with Him, seek Him, follow Him, and sacrifice for Him and like Peter, serve Him with all our heart.