In the Easter story, Judas tried to get Jesus to do what he wanted, without regard for Jesus’ ministry and mission. That may seem ridiculous, but there’s a little Judas in all of us.

In the days and weeks preceding the first Easter, the high priest Caiaphas stood in the presence of Jesus, the Savior of the world. But he refused to abandon his quest for control and surrender to his Creator. It's easy to dismiss Caiaphas as a fool, but what have we put in the place of God?

He is the treasure we seek, and to be with Him, we need to know Him. Once we know Him, we can have a fulfilling life with Him. It means surrendering our life in exchange for His, our will for His will in our life.

For God: People think that what they accomplish for God is more important than His love for them. We think we are good compared to others who are not as good. The reality, however, is that we know we don't fare well when compared to another group. Chasing the standard leads to fear, insignificance, and despair. However releasing control and surrendering to God by placing our faith and control in Christ leads to freedom and peace.

From God: People view God for what they can get from Him rather than a relationship with Him. We often reduce God to a vending machine. Understanding what God wants from us, changes things. He wants a relationship with us.

Over God: When we think we have something figured out, we tend to leave God out of the equation. When we learn that God’s ways are helpful, we focus on His way instead of Him. Living a life of Godly principles should flow from our relationship with God, not the other way around. To learn more, we need to spend time in His word and ask Him to reveal Himself.

Under God: Out of fear, we try to protect ourselves by attempting to control God and others. By reacting this way, we create a standard that no one can live up to, including ourselves. There is a solution, however, and it may be easier than you think.

Religion vs. Relationship: We know we are separated from God. The good news is that he wants to have a relationship with us. We can't do this on our own through religion. The only way is through a relationship with Jesus. He made a way for us to have a relationship with him.

Once upon a time, Jesus stood against the injustice of the Roman empire and the hypocrisy of religious leaders. He changed the course of human history. What will our Once upon a time… story be?

What if our faith was characterized by fearlessness, humility, confidence in Jesus, and love of others? Imagine how that would change the world around us.