https://www.lds.org/manual/new-testament-seminary-teacher-manual?lang=eng
Lesson 57: Luke 22
Introduction
As His mortal ministry drew to a
close, Jesus instituted the sacrament, taught His
disciples to serve others, and commanded Peter to strengthen his brethren. The
Savior’s atoning sacrifice began in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was arrested
and tried before Caiaphas. While the Savior was being tried, Peter denied
knowing Him.
I.
Luke 22:1–38
The Savior institutes the sacrament and instructs His Apostles
---Ask students to each imagine (or
you could invite two students to act out this activity) that he or she and a family member are sitting
on the floor. The family member wants to stand up and asks for help.
- How well can you help them if you stay seated on the floor?
- What difference would it make if you stood up first?
---Explain that this analogy can
help us understand what we can do to help lift others spiritually.
---Look for truths as we study Luke 22 that will help you know how to help
lift others spiritually.
---Remember that in Luke 22:1–30 it says that near the end of His
mortal ministry, the Savior met with His Apostles to observe the Passover.
During that time, the Savior announced that one of His disciples would betray
Him, instituted the ordinance of the sacrament, commanded that it continue to
be administered in remembrance of Him, and taught His Apostles that those who
serve others are the greatest of all. The Savior also commended His Apostles
for continuing with Him and promised them that one day they would sit on
thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.
---Read Luke 22:31–32
looking for what the Savior said to Simon Peter. Invite a student to read verse 31, footnote a aloud.
- What did the Savior say that Satan desired? (Satan wanted to sift Peter and the Saints as wheat.)
---Wheat is sifted by separating
kernels of grain from the rest of the wheat.
- What have you learned about Peter that shows he already had a testimony? (If necessary, remind students that Peter had declared his testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God [see Matthew 16:13–17].)
- According to verse 32, what did Peter still need to experience before he could strengthen his brethren?
- What is the difference between having a testimony of the gospel and being converted to the gospel? (Having a testimony of the gospel means we have received a spiritual witness of the truth through the Holy Ghost [see Guide to the Scriptures, “Testimony,” scriptures.lds.org]. Being converted to the gospel means “changing [our] beliefs, heart, and life to accept and conform to the will of God (Acts 3:19)” [Guide to the Scriptures, “Conversion, Convert,” scriptures.lds.org]).
- Based on what the Lord told Peter, what can we do when we are converted to the gospel? (Students may use different words, but make sure they identify the following truth: When we are converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can strengthen others. Consider inviting students to mark the phrases that teach this truth in verse 32.)
---Read Luke 22:33–34
and look for how Peter responded to the Savior’s admonition to become converted
and strengthen his brethren.
- How did Peter respond to the Savior’s admonition?
- What did the Savior prophesy Peter would do?
---A more detailed version of this
account is recorded in Matthew 26.
---Read Matthew 26:35
aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what Peter said to the Savior
after hearing the prophecy.
- How did Peter respond after hearing this prophecy?
- What can Peter’s response teach us about what he thought of the strength of his testimony?
II.
Luke 22:39–53
The Savior suffers in Gethsemane, sweats great drops of blood, and is
betrayed by Judas
---After the Passover, the Savior
and His Apostles went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Invite several students to
take turns reading aloud from Luke 22:39–43. Ask the class to follow along,
looking for what the Savior did after He came to the Garden of Gethsemane.
Invite students to report what they find.
- According to verse 43, who helped the Savior have the strength to do Heavenly Father’s will?
- What truth can we learn from this account about what Heavenly Father will do for us if we seek to do His will? (Students may identify a variety of truths, but make sure it is clear that if we are willing to obey Heavenly Father, He will give us the strength to do His will.)
- What are some of the ways in which Heavenly Father might strengthen us?
---Most of the time the help we
receive from Heavenly Father will not come from the appearance of angels but
that He will help us in the ways He knows will be best for us. Invite students
to ponder a time when they felt strengthened by Heavenly Father as they sought
to do His will.
---Luke’s account of the Savior’s
suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane includes an important detail that is not
included in the accounts given by Matthew and Mark.
- How did Luke describe the Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane? (You may want to invite students to mark the words in verse 44 that teach the following truth: Jesus Christ sweat great drops of blood as He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane. You may want to point out that this aspect of the Savior’s suffering was prophesied of more than a century earlier [see Mosiah 3:7].)
---To help students further
understand what the Savior experienced, explain that the Savior described His
own suffering in a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 19. Consider inviting
students to cross-reference Doctrine and Covenants 19:18 with Luke 22:44 in their scriptures.
- What additional details do we learn about the Savior’s suffering from His own description in verse 18? (Jesus Christ’s suffering caused Him “to tremble because of pain, … to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit.”)
- What thoughts do you have knowing that Jesus Christ suffered so much for you?
---In Luke 22:45–48 it says that after the Savior
suffered in Gethsemane, He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot.
---Read Luke 22:49–51
looking for what Peter did when the chief priests and others came to arrest
Jesus (see John 18:10, which is the only account that
identifies Peter as the Apostle who cut off the servant’s ear).
- What did Peter do to the servant of the high priest?
- What is remarkable about what the Savior did for the servant?
---Luke 22:52–53 states that the Savior asked why the chief
priests and others were arresting Him during the night instead of during the
day when He was at the temple.
III.
Luke 22:54–71
Jesus is tried before the Sanhedrin, and Peter denies knowing Him
---Luke 22:54 says that when the Savior was taken to
the high priest’s house to be tried, Peter followed.
---Divide students into pairs.
Provide each pair with a copy of the following chart (or write it on the
board). Invite students to read the scriptures referenced in the chart and
complete the chart with their partners.
What
happened to Peter?
|
What
did Peter say?
|
|
© 2015 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
All rights reserved.
- Why do you think Peter might have been tempted to deny knowing Jesus to each of these people?
- What happened after Peter denied knowing the Savior?
---If possible, display the picture Peter’s Denial, by Carl Heinrich Bloch. This
picture is available on LDS.org.
Peter’s Denial, by Carl Heinrich
Bloch. Courtesy of the National History Museum at Frederiksborg Castle in
Hillerød, Denmark. Do not copy.
- If you had been in Peter’s position, what thoughts or feelings do you think you might have had as the Savior looked at you? Why?
- How does Peter’s experience illustrate the difference between having a testimony of the gospel and being converted to it?
---Although Peter had a testimony of
the gospel, he was not yet completely converted. However, he recognized his
weakness, became wholly converted, and devoted his life to serving God and
sharing the gospel.
- What lessons can we learn from Peter’s experience?
---In Luke 22:63–71 the Savior was mocked and smitten
by the chief priests.
---Conclude the lesson by inviting
students to write in their class notebooks or scripture study journals several
things they can do that can help them become truly converted to the gospel of
Jesus Christ. Encourage them to do one of the things on their list this week.
Commentary
and Background Information
Luke
22:32. Peter’s conversion to the gospel
Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught the following about Peter:
“Peter is the classic example of how
the power of conversion works on receptive souls. During our Lord’s mortal
ministry, Peter had a testimony, born of the Spirit, of the divinity of Christ
and of the great plan of salvation which was in Christ. ‘Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God,’ he said, as the Holy
Ghost gave him utterance. (Matt. 16:13–19.) When others fell away, Peter
stood forth with the apostolic assurance, ‘We believe and are sure that thou
art that Christ, the Son of the living God.’ (John 6:69.) Peter knew, and his knowledge came by
revelation.
“But Peter was not converted,
because he had not become a new creature of the Holy Ghost. Rather, long after
Peter had gained a testimony, and on the very night Jesus was arrested, he said
to Peter: ‘When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.’ (Luke 22:32.) Immediately thereafter, and
regardless of his testimony, Peter denied that he knew Christ. (Luke 22:54–62.) After the crucifixion, Peter went
fishing, only to be called back to the ministry by the risen Lord. (John 21:1–17.) Finally on the day of Pentecost
the promised spiritual endowment was received; Peter and all the faithful
disciples became new creatures of the Holy Ghost; they were truly converted; and
their subsequent achievements manifest the fixity of their conversions. (Acts 3; 4.)” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 162–63).
Luke
22:32. “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles confirmed the importance of being converted:
“In order to strengthen his
brethren—to nourish and lead the flock of God—this man who had followed Jesus
for three years, who had been given the authority of the holy apostleship, who
had been a valiant teacher and testifier of the Christian
gospel, and whose testimony had caused the Master to declare him blessed still
had to be ‘converted.’
“Jesus’ challenge shows that the
conversion He required for those who would enter the kingdom of heaven (see Matt. 18:3) was far more than just being
converted to testify to the truthfulness of the gospel. To testify is to know
and to declare. The gospel challenges us to be ‘converted,’ which requires us
to do and to become. If any of us relies solely upon our knowledge and
testimony of the gospel, we are in the same position as the blessed but still
unfinished Apostles whom Jesus challenged to be ‘converted.’ We all know
someone who has a strong testimony but does not act upon it so as to be
converted. …
“Now is the time for each of us to
work toward our personal conversion, toward becoming what our Heavenly Father
desires us to become” (“The Challenge to Become,” Ensign, Nov.
2000, 33).
President Harold B. Lee
described how being converted to the gospel can help us to strengthen others:
“You cannot lift another soul until
you are standing on higher ground than he is. You must be sure, if you would
rescue the man, that you yourself are setting the example of what you would
have him be” (“Stand Ye in Holy Places,” Ensign, Oct. 2008, 47).
Elder David A. Bednar of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained the relationship between testimony and
conversion, as well as differences between them, in his general conference
address “Converted unto the Lord” (Ensign or Liahona,
Nov. 2012, 106–9).
Luke
22:44. “His sweat was as it were great drops of blood”
Elder James E. Talmage of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained that the Savior’s agony was physical,
mental, and spiritual:
“It was not physical pain, nor
mental anguish alone, that caused Him to suffer such torture as to produce an
extrusion of blood from every pore; but a spiritual agony of soul such as only
God was capable of experiencing. No other man, however great his powers of
physical or mental endurance, could have suffered so; for his human organism
would have succumbed, … [producing] unconsciousness and welcome oblivion. In
that hour of anguish Christ met and overcame all the horrors that Satan, ‘the
prince of this world’ could inflict” (Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed.
[1916], 613).
Luke
22:62. “And Peter went out, and wept bitterly”
President Gordon B. Hinckley
noted that we can make errors similar to Peter’s, but through repentance we can
be forgiven of those errors:
“Peter, affirming his loyalty, his
determination, his resolution, said that he would never deny. But the fear of
men came upon him and the weakness of his flesh overtook him, and under the
pressure of accusation, his resolution crumbled. …
“As I have read this account my
heart goes out to Peter. So many of us are so much like him. We pledge our
loyalty; we affirm our determination to be of good courage; we declare,
sometimes even publicly, that come what may we will do the right thing, that we
will stand for the right cause, that we will be true to ourselves and to
others.
“Then the pressures begin to build.
Sometimes these are social pressures. Sometimes they are personal appetites.
Sometimes they are false ambitions. There is a weakening of the will. There is
a softening of discipline. There is capitulation. And then there is remorse,
self-accusation, and bitter tears of regret. …
“… Recognizing his error,
repenting of his weakness, [Peter] turned about and became a mighty voice in
bearing witness of the risen Lord. He, the senior apostle, dedicated the
remainder of his life to testifying of the mission, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus
Christ, the living Son of the living God. …
“… These mighty works and many
more unmentioned were done by Peter who once had denied and sorrowed, and then
rose above that remorse to carry forward the work of the Savior. …
“Now, if there be any … who by word
or act have denied the faith, I pray that you may draw comfort and resolution
from the example of Peter who, though he had walked daily with Jesus, in an
hour of extremity denied both the Lord and the testimony which he carried in
his own heart. But he rose above this, and became a mighty defender and a
powerful advocate. So too, there is a way for you to turn about, and add your
strength and faith to the strength and faith of others in building the kingdom
of God” (“And Peter Went Out and Wept Bitterly,” Ensign,
May 1979, 65–67).
Supplemental
Teaching Idea
Luke 22:39–51. Video presentation—“The Savior Suffers in
Gethsemane”
Instead of inviting students to read
about the Savior’s experience in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39–51), consider showing the video “The Savior Suffers in Gethsemane” (8:31) from The
Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos. This video can be found on LDS.org.
(Note: You may have shown a portion of this video in a previous lesson. If so,
you may want to stop the video at time code 5:52.)
Before showing the video, write the
following incomplete statement on the board: Jesus Christ’s suffering caused
Him to …
Invite students as they watch the
video to consider how they would complete the statement on the board. After the
video, invite students to report how they would complete the statement. Then
invite a student to read Doctrine and Covenants 19:18 aloud. Ask the class
to follow along and look for what they could add to the statement on the board.
© 2016 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Right margin
extras:
Teaching
about Jesus Christ’s suffering in Gethsemane
There are three accounts of the
events that occurred in Gethsemane. In this manual, the lesson for Matthew 26 focuses on the Savior’s
submission to the Father’s will. The lesson for Mark 14 addresses what Jesus suffered in
Gethsemane. The lesson for Luke 22 emphasizes the severity of His
suffering. Teaching students these unique aspects of the Atonement can enable
them to have distinctive experiences as they study each account.
Lesson 58: Luke 23
Introduction
The Savior was tried before both
Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas. Neither of these men found the Savior guilty
of the crimes the Jews accused Him of, but Pilate nevertheless gave Him up to
be crucified. Jesus forgave the Roman soldiers who crucified Him and spoke to a
thief who was also being crucified. After Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea
placed His body in a tomb.
I.
Luke 23:1–25
The Savior is tried before Pilate and Herod
---Before class, write the following
questions on the board:
When have you felt mistreated
because of another person’s words or actions?
How did you respond in that
situation?
---Begin class by inviting students
to ponder the questions on the board.
---Look for a truth as we study Luke 23 that will help you know how to
respond when you feel mistreated by others.
---Remember that after Jesus had
suffered in Gethsemane, the chief priests arrested Him and condemned Him to
die. Explain that from that time through His death, Jesus interacted with the
following people: Pontius Pilate, Herod Antipas, a group of faithful women,
Roman soldiers, and two thieves who were being crucified on either side of Him.
Pontius Pilate was a Roman ruler in the territory of Judea, which included the
capital city of Jerusalem; Herod Antipas (who had put John the Baptist to
death) ruled the territories of Galilee and Perea under Roman authority (see Luke 3:1).
---Divide students into pairs and
invite each pair to read Luke 23:1–11
together, looking for the differences between the Savior’s response to Pontius
Pilate and His response to Herod Antipas. To help them understand the Savior’s
response to Pilate, invite them to also read Joseph
Smith Translation, Mark 15:4 (in Mark 15:2, footnote b).
---Invite students to discuss with
their partners the answers to the following questions:
- How was Jesus’s response to Pilate different from His response to Herod?
- Why might Pilate have been surprised by the Savior’s response to him?
- Why might Herod have been disappointed by the Savior’s silence?
---In Luke 23:12–25 neither Pilate nor Herod could find fault with
Jesus, so Pilate told the multitude that he would punish Jesus and release Him.
The people cried for Pilate to release Barabbas instead and demanded that Jesus
be crucified. Pilate released Barabbas and gave Jesus up to be crucified. (Note:
The account of Jesus before Pilate will be taught in greater detail in the
lesson on John 18–19.)
II.
Luke 23:26–56
Jesus is crucified between two thieves
---In Luke 23:26–31 a large group of faithful women who had been
with Him since His ministry in Galilee wept as they followed Jesus while He was
led to the place of His crucifixion. Jesus told them not to weep for Him but to
weep for the impending destruction that would come upon Jerusalem because the
Jews had rejected their King.
---Read Luke 23:32–34
aloud. Also invite him or her to read Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 23:35 (in Luke 23:34, footnote c). Invite students to follow along, looking for what the
Savior did as He was being nailed to the cross.
- What did the Savior do as He was being nailed to the cross? (You may want to suggest that students mark the Savior’s words recorded in verse 34.)
- Why is the Savior’s prayer at this moment so remarkable?
- What principle can we learn from the Savior’s example about how we should respond when others mistreat us? (Students may use different words, but make sure they identify the following principle: We can follow Jesus Christ’s example by choosing to forgive those who mistreat us.)
- What does it mean to forgive?
---You may want to explain that
forgiving others does not mean that those who sin against us should not be held
accountable for their actions. Nor does it mean that we should put ourselves in
situations in which people can continue to mistreat us. Rather, forgiveness means to treat
with love those who have mistreated us and to harbor no resentment or anger
toward them (see Guide to the Scriptures, “Forgive,” scriptures.lds.org).
---Ask students to consider silently
whether there is anyone they need to forgive. Acknowledge that at times it can
be difficult to forgive another. Invite a student to read aloud the following
statement by President Gordon B. Hinckley. Ask the class to listen for
what they can do if they are struggling to forgive someone.
“I plead with you to ask the Lord for strength to forgive. …
It may not be easy, and it may not come quickly. But if you will seek it with
sincerity and cultivate it, it will come”
(“Of You It Is Required to Forgive,” Ensign, June
1991, 5).
- What did President Hinckley counsel us to do if we are struggling to forgive someone?
- How do you think praying for strength can help us to forgive?
---Ask students to think of a time
when they have forgiven someone. Invite a few students to share their
experiences with the class. (Ask them not to share names with the class, and
remind them not to share anything too personal.)
---Encourage students to follow
Jesus Christ’s example and forgive those who have mistreated them. Invite them
to pray for the strength and ability to do so.
---In Luke 23:35–38 the Jewish rulers and Roman soldiers mocked
the Savior as He hung on the cross.
---Display the picture The Crucifixion (Gospel Art Book [2009], no. 57; see also LDS.org).
---Read Luke 23:39–43
looking for how the two thieves who hung on either side of the Savior treated
Him.
- How did each of the two thieves treat the Savior?
- What might the thief have meant when he said, “We receive the due rewards of our deeds” (verse 41)?
- How did the Savior respond to this thief when he asked the Savior to remember him in God’s kingdom?
---To help students better
understand what the Savior meant when He told the thief that he would be with
Him in paradise, invite a student to read aloud the following statement:
“In the scriptures, the word paradise is used in different
ways. First, it designates a place of peace and happiness in the postmortal
spirit world, reserved for those who have been baptized and who have remained
faithful (see Alma 40:12; Moroni 10:34). …
“A second use of the word paradise is found in Luke’s
account of the Savior’s Crucifixion. … The Prophet Joseph Smith explained that
… the Lord actually said that the thief would be with Him in the world of
spirits” (True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference [2004], 111; see also History of the Church, 5:424–25).
- According to the Prophet Joseph Smith, where would the thief go after he died? (The spirit world [see Alma 40:11–14].)
- What truth can we learn from the Savior’s statement that the thief would be with Him in paradise (Luke 23:43)? (Students may use different words, but make sure they identify the following truth: The spirits of all people enter the spirit world at the time of their death.)
---Other scriptures can help us
better understand what would happen to the thief and others like him in the
world of spirits. Write Doctrine and Covenants 138:28–32, 58–59 as a
cross-reference in the margin of your scriptures next to Luke 23:43.
--- Doctrine and Covenants 138 contains a
revelation given to President Joseph F. Smith in which the Savior revealed
truths about the spirit world. These truths can help us understand what the
Savior meant when He said, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
---Take turns reading aloud from Doctrine and Covenants 138:11, 16, 18, 28–32. looking for what
the Savior did when He went to the spirit world.
- What did the Savior do when He went to the spirit world?
- According to verse 29, where did the Savior not go while He was in the spirit world?
- What did the Savior organize His righteous messengers to do?
- What truth can we learn from these verses? (Students may use different words, but they should identify the following truth: Under Jesus Christ’s direction, righteous messengers teach the gospel to those in spirit prison.)
---Read aloud the following
statement by Brother Alain A. Petion, former Area Seventy. Ask the class
to listen for what the Savior’s message might have done for the criminal on the
cross.
“The Savior graciously answered and gave him hope. This
criminal likely did not understand that the gospel would be preached to him in
the spirit world or that he would be given an opportunity to live according to
God in the spirit (see 1 Pet. 4:6; D&C 138:18–34). Truly the Savior cared for
the thief who hung beside Him; surely He cares greatly for those who love Him
and strive to keep His commandments!”
(“Words of Jesus: On the Cross,” Ensign, June
2003, 34).
- What hope do the words in D&C 138:29–32 give us regarding all those who have died without a knowledge of the gospel?
---Even though the gospel would be
preached to this thief, he would not automatically be saved in God’s kingdom.
---Read Doctrine and Covenants 138:58–59 looking for what the thief and others in spirit prison
would have to do in order to be redeemed.
- What would the thief, or any other spirit in spirit prison, need to do in order to be redeemed?
- What will happen to those spirits who repent and accept the temple ordinances performed on their behalf? (Spirits “who repent will be redeemed, through obedience to the ordinances of the [temple],” be cleansed through the Atonement, and “receive [their] reward” [D&C 138:58–59].)
- What can we do to help those spirits who, like the thief, need to be redeemed? (We can complete family history work and participate in temple ordinances for the dead.)
---In Luke 23:44–56 says that as the Savior died on the
cross after He said, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (verse 46). Joseph of Arimathea then wrapped
the Savior’s body in linen and laid Him in a tomb.
---Conclude by testifying of the
truths you discussed in this lesson.
Commentary
and Background Information
Luke
22:34. “Father, forgive them”
President Henry B. Eyring of
the First Presidency stated one reason why we too should forgive those who
offend us:
“We must forgive and bear no malice
toward those who offend us. The Savior set the example from the cross: ‘Father,
forgive them; for they know not what they do’ (Luke 23:34). We do not know the hearts of those
who offend us” (“That We May Be One,” Ensign, May 1998, 68).
While serving as a member of the
Presidency of the Seventy, Elder David E. Sorensen taught that when we
forgive others, we let go of the past and move with faith and love into the
future:
“When someone has hurt us or those
we care about, that pain can almost be overwhelming. It can feel as if the pain
or the injustice is the most important thing in the world and that we have no
choice but to seek vengeance. But Christ, the Prince of Peace, teaches us a
better way. It can be very difficult to forgive someone the harm they’ve done
us, but when we do, we open ourselves up to a better future. No longer does
someone else’s wrongdoing control our course. When we forgive others, it frees
us to choose how we will live our own lives. Forgiveness
means that problems of the past no longer dictate our destinies, and we can
focus on the future with God’s love in our hearts” (“Forgiveness Will Change Bitterness to Love,”
Ensign or Liahona, May 2003, 12).
Luke
23:7–12. “He answered him nothing”
Elder James E. Talmage of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote about the exchange between the Savior and
Herod:
“Herod began to question the
Prisoner; but Jesus remained silent. The chief priests and scribes vehemently
voiced their accusations; but not a word was uttered by the Lord. … As far as
we know, Herod is … the only being who saw Christ face to face and spoke to
Him, yet never heard His voice. … For Herod the fox He had but disdainful and
kingly silence. Thoroughly piqued, Herod turned from insulting questions to
acts of malignant derision. He and his men-at-arms made sport of the suffering
Christ, ‘set him at nought and mocked him’; then in travesty they ‘arrayed him
in a gorgeous robe and sent him again to Pilate’ [Luke 23:11]. Herod had found nothing in Jesus to
warrant condemnation” (Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 636).
Luke
23:7–34. The Savior’s response to those who mistreated Him
Elder Robert D. Hales of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared these thoughts on how we might follow the
Savior’s example when other people criticize or persecute us:
“When we respond to our accusers as
the Savior did, we not only become more Christlike, we invite others to feel
His love and follow Him as well.
“To respond in a Christlike way
cannot be scripted or based on a formula. The Savior responded differently in
every situation. When He was confronted by wicked King Herod, He remained silent.
When He stood before Pilate, He bore a simple and powerful testimony of His
divinity and purpose. Facing the moneychangers who were defiling the temple, He
exercised His divine responsibility to preserve and protect that which was
sacred. Lifted up upon a cross, He uttered the incomparable Christian
response: ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’ (Luke 23:34).
“Some people mistakenly think
responses such as silence, meekness, forgiveness,
and bearing humble testimony are passive or weak. But to ‘love [our] enemies,
bless them that curse [us], do good to them that hate [us], and pray for them
which despitefully use [us], and persecute [us]’ (Matthew 5:44) takes faith, strength, and, most of
all, Christian courage” (“Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship,”
Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 72).
Luke
23:31. The green tree and the dry tree
“The ‘green tree’ described in Luke 23:31 represents the time of Jesus
Christ’s mortal ministry. The Savior’s statement implied that if the
oppressors of the Jewish people could carry out such evil acts (see Luke 23:28–30) at a time when Jesus was among
them, they would do much worse things to the Jewish people after He was gone—a
time represented by the ‘dry tree.’ The Joseph
Smith Translation adds a sentence to this verse (see Luke 23:31, footnote b), which describes the
destruction that would occur after the Savior’s death” (New Testament Student
Manual [Church Educational System manual, 2014], 188).
Luke
23:46. “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit”
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained the importance of the Savior’s final
words on the cross:
“When the uttermost farthing had
then been paid, when Christ’s determination to be faithful was as obvious as it
was utterly invincible, finally and mercifully, it was ‘finished’ [see John 19:30]. Against all odds and with none to
help or uphold Him, Jesus of Nazareth, the living Son of the living God,
restored physical life where death had held sway and brought joyful, spiritual
redemption out of sin, hellish darkness, and despair. With faith in the God He knew
was there, He could say in triumph, ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my
spirit’ [Luke 23:46]” (“None Were with Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May
2009, 88).
© 2016 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Right margin
extras:
Cross-references
A cross-reference is a scripture
reference that can provide additional information and insight about the passage
being studied. Cross-referencing, or linking, is connecting scripture
references that help students understand a scripture passage. The
cross-references you share as part of your lesson should enhance students’
understanding of a scripture passage and not merely restate truths they have
already identified.
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