EasterÀpẹrẹ

After Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples, they went to a garden to pray. While there, soldiers came and arrested Jesus. One of his disciples, Judas, agreed to hand Jesus over to the authorities in exchange for money because he knew that some people didn’t like Jesus and wanted him to be killed. They took Jesus to be questioned and put on trial before the council of leaders of the time. While there, some of Jesus’ followers waited outside for him. Peter, who was one of Jesus’ best friends, stood outside, warming himself by the fire when three different people asked him if he was one of Jesus’ followers. Peter was afraid they would hurt him, too, so he denied that he followed Jesus or even knew him. Peter allowed fear to lead him in that moment. He got caught up in protecting his identity, reputation, and well-being and decided to betray his friend instead of telling the truth. Sometimes it can be scary to stick up for our faith or what we know is right. But even in the most challenging moments, the best thing we can do is choose to tell the truth and stand up for our beliefs. The best part is, Jesus is always with us, so we don’t have to be afraid. Challenge: Take a moment to identify an area where you would be afraid to share your faith. Maybe it’s in front of your friends, a specific family member, or in front of a group of people. Then, take a moment to pray and ask God for the courage to share your story. Take it deeper: Take some time today to write out what you would say if someone accused you of following Jesus. How would you respond? How would you defend your faith? Ask Jesus for help and courage.