Easter - "A Resurrection Story"

The resurrection of Jesus is the reason we are able to have our own resurrection stories. God offers us total forgiveness and welcomes us with open arms, no matter how we betray Him, but we fall into the lies that His mercy isn’t available to us or we don’t need it. Judas and Peter’s stories teach us the importance of our response to guilt and that God’s love for us is available in every situation. Key Verses: John 12:3-8, Mark 14:10-11, Matthew 26:47-50, Matthew 27:1-5, Mark 14:27-31, 66-71, 2 Cor. 7:10 1. What was Judas’s attitude about Mary pouring the ointment on Jesus’ feet? Why did he have that reaction? Why does God care about money? What does it show about our hearts? 2. What characteristics does Judas have that you can see in yourself? Why is it so hard to identify those qualities in ourselves? Why is it important to? 3. What were the two ideas that Judas believed about himself that led him to betray Jesus? (I know best, what’s in it for me?) 4. Judas guilt ended up destroying him. What lies did Judas believe about God’s mercy? (it wasn’t available to him, he didn’t need it). Have you ever believed these lies? How does that influence the guilt you have? 5. Peter also betrays Jesus and feels incredible guilt. How does Peter’s reaction differ from Judas’s? They both betrayed and hurt their closest friend, teacher, and themselves, but how does Peter’s reaction to his guilt differ from Judas? 6. How does Jesus react to Peter on the beach? What does this show us about how God feels about us when we fail or betray Him?