Grow Guide | March 27, 2022
Better Together
John 18:12-27
Connecting Questions
Make a list of possible reasons a person might turn on a good friend.
Have you ever been let down/disappointed, even betrayed by a friend? Describe how that made you feel.
Context
In our last two lessons (John 13 and 15) Jesus was having dinner with his closest friends and talked about the importance of love, unity, and self-sacrifice. Since that dinner one of his friends, Judas Iscariot, left the group, betrayed Jesus, and sold him out to the authorities. Judas led the police to the garden where Jesus and the disciples had gathered (read about that in John 18:1-11). That’s where our story begins.
Look at the Book
Read John 18:12-14.
Where did the soldiers take Jesus?
There are two scenes in this story. First, let’s look at the story of Jesus and Annas.
Read John 18:19-24.
What did Annas want to know?
How did Jesus respond?
Why did the soldier strike Jesus on the face?
What irony is Jesus (and the author of John) pointing out in this scene?
Now, let’s focus on the second scene. This one is about Peter.
Read the text, John 18:15-18, 25-27 (skipping verse 19-24).
How many times did Peter deny that he knew Jesus?
What happened immediately after his final denial?
Read John 13:37-38. How do you think Peter felt after his denial, having these words of Jesus ringing in his ears?
Taking it Home
Two of Jesus’ closest friends betrayed and abandoned him in his darkest moment. List possible reasons that might have motivated Judas and Peter to deny Jesus like this.
Our theme during this Lent is Better Together. How might the reasons you listed in the previous question impact or derail a community’s attempts to be better together?
This is a dark scene. Part of the Lenten journey is to take stock of our lives. Spend some time examining your own heart. In what ways have you betrayed a friend? betrayed or denied Jesus? How has that impacted your community? God loves you and forgives you. How can you seek reconciliation in these relationships?