Life is full of choices and contrasts. The Easter story is one of contrasts. There is good and there is evil. There is death in the crucifixion and life in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is grief and there is joy.
Our lives are full of contrast. Some of them come as a result of choices that we make and some of them come because life happens. Sometimes we experience a time of joy and sometimes it hurts beyond words.
Charles Dickens in his story, "A Tale of Two Cities" writes about the stark contrast between the rich aristocrats and the poor commoners leading up to the French revolution.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,
it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,
it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,
it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,
we had everything before us, we had nothing before us,
we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way
We live in a world that is filled with contrasts...
- Rich and Poor
- Big and Little
- Good and Bad
- Black and White
- Day and Night
- Light and Darkness 
2 Disciples
I want to tell you the story of two men. These two disciples were chosen by Jesus himself to be His followers.
I want to tell you the story of two men that play a very prominent role in the story of Easter. They both were followers of Christ. They both walked with Jesus for nearly three years. They heard the same sermons and witnessed the same miracles. They both made tragic decisions that made it onto the pages of the Bible forever.
Peter: He was a fisherman that Jesus called one day along with his brother Andrew. He allowed Peter to experience some of the most sacred moments of His life. Peter walked on the water to Jesus during a storm and he was one of three disciples asked to witness the very powerful moment of transfiguration. His conversations are most often recorded with our Lord and he was also known to occasionally say the wrong thing at the wrong time.
The Mount of Transfiguration: Peter said, “”Let’s build three tabernacles.” When Jesus began to talk about His upcoming death: Peter said, “No way that goings to happen.”
Peter had a real knack for saying the wrong things at the wrong time.
Judas: We are not told much about Judas but what we do know is that he definitely was one of the original twelve disciples. He was the one who took care of the funds for Jesus and the 12 disciples. There are tell-tale signs included in a careful reading of the bible that hint at internal spiritual problems.
1Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5"Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.[b]" 6He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
15During this time, on a day when about 120 believers[d] were present, Peter stood up and addressed them as follows: 16"Brothers, it was necessary for the Scriptures to be fulfilled concerning Judas, who guided the Temple police to arrest Jesus. This was predicted long ago by the Holy Spirit, speaking through King David. 17Judas was one of us, chosen to share in the ministry with us."
18(Judas bought a field with the money he received for his treachery, and falling there, he burst open, spilling out his intestines. 19The news of his death spread rapidly among all the people of Jerusalem, and they gave the place the Aramaic name Akeldama, which means "Field of Blood.") 20Peter continued, "This was predicted in the book of Psalms, where it says, `Let his home become desolate, with no one living in it.' And again, `Let his position be given to someone else.'[e]
21"So now we must choose another man to take Judas's place. It must be someone who has been with us all the time that we were with the Lord Jesus-- 22from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us into heaven. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness of Jesus' resurrection." Acts 1:15-22
Two disciples. Two Christ followers. 
2 Disappointments
Judas:
It’s the story of Jesus being betrayed by one of his own. From almost day one of his earthly ministry Jesus was being hunted by the religious leaders of His day. Now Judas plays into this unfolding drama.
14Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15and asked, "How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?" And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16From that time on, Judas began looking for the right time and place to betray Jesus. Matthew 26:14-16
47But even as he said this, a mob approached, led by Judas, one of his twelve disciples. Judas walked over to Jesus and greeted him with a kiss. 48But Jesus said, "Judas, how can you betray me, the Son of Man, with a kiss?"
Judas betrayed our Lord with a kiss. He sold Him out for thirty pieces of silver. What a disappointment and what a failure. Can you imagine being known for being the one who delivered Jesus into the hands of those who would kill him?
Peter
54So they arrested him and led him to the high priest's residence, and Peter was following far behind. 55The guards lit a fire in the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. 56A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, "This man was one of Jesus' followers!"
57Peter denied it. "Woman," he said, "I don't even know the man!"
58After a while someone else looked at him and said, "You must be one of them!"
"No, man, I'm not!" Peter replied.
59About an hour later someone else insisted, "This must be one of Jesus' disciples because he is a Galilean, too."
60But Peter said, "Man, I don't know what you are talking about." And as soon as he said these words, the rooster crowed. 61At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered that the Lord had said, "Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny me three times." 62And Peter left the courtyard, crying bitterly. Luke 22:47-62 
2 Desires
Both of these men experienced regret over what they had done. All of us have experienced the pain of a bad choice. Sometimes those choices we make have consequences that are far reaching beyond what we could imagine.
Judas
1Very early in the morning, the leading priests and other leaders met again to discuss how to persuade the Roman government to sentence Jesus to death. 2Then they bound him and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor. 3When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and other leaders. 4"I have sinned," he declared, "for I have betrayed an innocent man." Matthew 27:1-4
I believe that Judas was filled with regret and a desire to start over. How often do you hear current day criminals say how badly they wish they could redo a few seconds over. It is not unusual for someone who has failed to be filled with desire to do differently with their lives.
Peter
1Early Sunday morning,[a] while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!"
3Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. 4The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. 5He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. 6Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. John 20:1-6
1Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee.[a] This is how it happened. 2Several of the disciples were there--Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin[b]), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. 3Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." "We'll come, too," they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. 4At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn't see who he was. 5He called out, "Friends, have you caught any fish?"
"No," they replied.
6Then he said, "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get plenty of fish!" So they did, and they couldn't draw in the net because there were so many fish in it. 7Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and swam ashore. John 21:1-7 Peter was so desirous to see and encounter Jesus. In fact Jesus was desiring to see Peter. In one of the gospel accounts of this story Jesus tells the women at the tomb to tell his disciples and Peter that He is alive. 
2 Trees: 1 Death and 1 Deliverance
C.S. Lewis, in The Screwtape Letters, vividly describes Satan’s strategy: “He gets Christians to become preoccupied with their failures; from then on, the battle is won.”
Judas:
4"I have sinned," he declared, "for I have betrayed an innocent man." "What do we care?" they retorted. "That's your problem." 5Then Judas threw the money onto the floor of the Temple and went out and hanged himself. Matthew 27:4,5
You know there was moment in Judas’s life when he could have done something about his actions and that was before he took them. Sin will always take you much further than you could ever imagine. In the book of John we read that after Jesus told Judas that He knew he was going to betray Him some thought Jesus was sending him away to buy things. There is a very interesting note here.
29Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. 30As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. John 13:29,30
I know it was literally night but for Judas it was night in many ways. He never recovered from the night that had fallen on his soul. Does it have to be that way? Absolutely not! Taking the wrong road is a choice that we all make. Staying on the same pathway after we know we did wrong is also a choice we all make. Jesus is all about us repenting and turning from our roads of destruction to His way of eternal life.
Peter
It’s a long and dramatic story but because of Peters willingness to come to Jesus he was put on a pathway that led a stumbling coward and deserting disciple to become one of the most influential of the New Testament characters.
Listen to his own words as recorded in 1 Peter 1,
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9
There are two roads in life. The Bible clearly says that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Which road are you on today? Which road do you think it would be best to be on when you die? Kay Arthur writes the following in her book, Lord I Need Your Grace to Make it Today”
“When I wanted to excel as a wife and a mother, I failed in both. I had no other ambition as a woman. Being religious but not knowing God, I thought it was impossible to live with a manic-depressive. So I packed up my possessions, put our two sons in the car, and left. Lonely, longing for someone to love me unconditionally, and wanting to live without moral restraints, I shook my fist in the face of God and through clenched teeth said, “To hell with You, God; I’m going to find someone to love me.”
In my desperate search for love, I compromised every standard I once held. I not only became immoral, but I also had an affair with a married man. That was something I never dreamed I would do. And yet, isn’t that the way with so many of us. We give in to sin and eventurally find ourselves plunged deeper and deeper into its cesspool.
All this time my husband was threatening suicide. Trying to bluff him out of it and not really believing that he was serious, I would say, “Go ahead and kill yourself so I can get your money.” Bluff or not, to the hearer these words were like the noose he eventually put around his neck. Soon after I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ, and before I got around to telling Tom I would go back to him, Tom hung himself.
She told God to go to hell and that is exactly what He did. It’s the story of Easter. Christ descended into hell and paid the awful penalty of sin which is death or separation from the Father. He came out of hell and the tomb on resurrection morning with the message that you and I don’t have to die but we can live eternally with Him. Jesus responded to Kay Arthur just like He responds to those who have come to the ages. “To Heaven with you.”
Among the apostles, the one absolutely stunning success was Judas, and the one thoroughly groveling failure was Peter. Judas was a success in the ways that most impress us: he was successful both financially and politically. He cleverly arranged to control the money of the apostolic band; he skillfully manipulated the political forces of the day to accomplish his goal. And Peter was a failure in ways that we most dread: he was impotent in a crisis and socially inept. At the arrest of Jesus he collapsed, a hapless, blustering coward; in the most critical situations of his life with Jesus, the confession on the road to Caesarea Philippi and the vision on the Mount of transfiguration, he said the most embarrassingly inappropriate things. He was not the companion we would want with us in time of danger, and he was not the kind of person we would feel comfortable with at a social occasion.
Time, of course, has reversed our judgments on the two men. Judas is now a byword for betrayal, and Peter is one of the most honored names in the church and in the world. Judas is a villain; Peter is a saint. Yet the world continues to chase after the successes of Judas, financial wealth and political power, and to defend itself against the failures of Peter, impotence and ineptness. Eugene Petersen, in Little House on the Freeway, Tim Kimmel, pp. 191-192
Marjorie Holmes was struggling with some past failures in her life until she got an interesting letter from a friend. The stationery recounted a recent visit this woman had with her granddaughter when they went to see a plane write messages in the sky. The young girl loved watching the words being drawn in the air, but was puzzled when the letters started disappearing. She studied the situation for a moment then suddenly blurted out, “Maybe Jesus has an eraser!” When we find ourselves wrestling with our own fallen humanity, we can take comfort in the fact that God is able to erase all of our failures with his remarkable eraser . . . a cross. Today’s Christian Woman, July/Aug. 1992, p. 19
14Whatever we do, it is because Christ's love controls us.[a] Since we believe that Christ died for everyone, we also believe that we have all died to the old life we used to live.[b] 15He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live to please themselves. Instead, they will live to please Christ, who died and was raised for them.
16So we have stopped evaluating others by what the world thinks about them. Once I mistakenly thought of Christ that way, as though he were merely a human being. How differently I think about him now! 17What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! 1 Cor. 5:16-17