Session 3

Fixing What’s Broken

From Overcoming Darkness: Seeing Easter in a New Light

The Big Idea: Our greatest opportunities for growth start when we're most aware of how far we have to go.

From the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, Judas was there. He sat under Jesus’ teaching and watched as He performed miraculous signs and wonders. If anyone believed in Jesus as the Son of God, it should’ve been Judas. But when given the chance to make money by betraying Jesus, Judas jumped at the opportunity.

It’s easy to read this story and be shocked at what Judas did, but we’ve all sold Jesus out for less.

Sometimes all it takes is an argument or a sleepless night for us to start making bad decisions. When our defenses are down and we feel weak, it’s easier to make the convenient decision over the right one.

The darkness shows us how inadequate and broken we really are. We realize we can’t defeat the darkness on our own—and sometimes the darkness is a product of our own bad decisions.

Our brokenness shows us we need to be made whole. If we can’t fix ourselves, there must be someone else who can.

When we see how incomplete we are, we can choose to run to God for Him to complete us.

We don’t have to go through the darkness alone. Going through dark times gives us the chance to ask God for help and healing.

When we see how incomplete we are, we can ask God to complete us. That doesn’t mean He’ll immediately lift the darkness and solve all our problems; but He will strengthen us and give us the grace we need through it.

Reflect:

• What’s one poor decision you’ve made while going through a difficult season?
• How have you seen mistakes from the past help you make better decisions in the future?

Above right: a doorway in the Old City of Jerusalem, the area that has been most unchanged since Jesus was there

Below: the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem. This is the path Jesus walked to His crucifixion.