The Bad Boys of Easter: My Private Nation INTRODUCTION In the days and weeks preceding the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, the high priest, Caiaphas, found his way into the story. He had an opportunity to stand in the presence of the Savior of the world, but refused to abandon his quest for control and surrender to his Creator. It’s easy to dismiss Caiaphas as a fool. But we’re also prone to resisting God and putting something else in his place. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS What part of Sunday’s message stood out to you? Was there anything you disagreed with or that encouraged you? “Saying ‘yes’ to God will cost you something. Saying ‘no’ will cost you more—including the thing you chose over Him.” What’s one area of your life that you feel in control of right now? Why do you feel like you have that area in order? During the message, Andy said, “Christians often resist the God we say we trust.” Talk about a time you saw a Christian resisting God. Did that person’s behavior influence your view of God? If so, how? Read: John 11:47–53 Context: Jesus had been leading a peaceful rebellion against the religious rulers. When He raised Lazarus from the dead, the religious leaders could not hide their real agenda any longer. All along they hid their real agenda behind concerns about His theology and teaching. But that’s not what really bothered them. What really bothered them was His success, His popularity with the people. His success threatened them. They were losing what they had worked so hard to gain. ● Why were the religious leaders so angry at Jesus that they would plot to kill Him? Why did it become so important that they missed the Messiah they all had been waiting for? ● How were these religious leader unknowingly bringing about God’s will? ● Caiaphas, the chief priests, and the Pharisees worried about losing their temple and their nation because of Jesus. What are some things you worry about losing because of Jesus? ● Read John 10:17–18. Who alone had authority to take Jesus’ life? ● What have you put in the place of God in your life? ● What is it in our life that causes us to not surrender to God, but hold on to a “little god” in His place like the religious leaders did? ● What area of your life feels chaotic right now? What would it look like for you to say “yes” to God in that area? ● Are you resting or wrestling with God right now? If you’re wrestling with him, what is one thing you can do this week to move towards resting with him? How can this group support you? MOVING FORWARD There’s a little Caiaphas in each of us. We try to preserve whatever it is we’ve replaced God with in our lives—reputation, relationships, position, control, beauty, GPA, or standard of living. But those things are already diminishing in value. Generally, your greatest regrets are connected to attempts at preserving something that isn’t even a part of your life anymore. Pressure to preserve the little gods will eventually drive you to extremes that harm you or others . LIVE IT OUT Memorize: Learn John 10:17–18 Journaling: Take time this week to dream about what life would look like if you gave up that “little god” for God as the center of your life. Prayer: Pray for God to give you strength to surrender your will to His will. Accountability: Ask someone in your group to follow up with you on your follow through on one thing you need to surrender to God so that God’s will can be done in your life.