Lesson 119 - Elementary

Memory Verse

"Thy will be done"  (Matthew 26:42).

Notes

Beautiful Words

We have learned about Jesus and His disciples' eating the Passover Supper in the upper room. After supper they left the goodman's house and walked out to a quiet garden, called Gethsemane. Jesus often went to this garden to pray to His heavenly Father.

As they walked along, He said many beautiful things to His disciples. He told them they should pray often and keep close to Him so that they would be saved, be good, and kind, and make other people happy. He told them they should love one another very much, even as much as He loved them.

Peter's Boast

Jesus also said that they all would feel hurt and troubled about what was going to happen to Him that night, and they would be separated from one another. Peter said that he would stand by Jesus no matter what happened. Do you think Peter prayed and asked God to help him? Each of us must have God's help in order to be good and do what is right.

Jesus told Peter that before the cock crowed Peter would say three times that he did not know Jesus. Peter was very sure he would not deny Jesus, but he seemed not to have learned that he must pray and ask God to help him to do what he knew was right.

Gethsemane

Jesus was sad. He knew some wicked men were angry because many people loved Him and wanted Him to be their King, and these bad men were coming to take Jesus that night and put Him on a cross.

As Jesus came to the Garden, He asked His disciples to sit down and wait for Him while he went on farther to pray. Only Peter and James and John walked on with Jesus. He told them He felt very, very sad. Then He said something like this: "I want to be alone to pray to My Father, but don't leave. Pray with me.”

Jesus knew the only way He could make it possible for us to go to Heaven was to let these cruel men take His life. He had made up His mind to do what God wanted Him to do, no matter how hard it was, and He asked God to help Him to be brave. As Jesus prayed, He thought of you and me, and all the bad and naughty things every man and woman, boy and girl ever did, and He was very, very sorry.

When Jesus came back, He found Peter and James and John asleep. He said, "Could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.” Jesus meant that they must be careful and pray often or they would not always be able to do what they knew was right.

Jesus Sold

Judas, one of the disciples, had left the goodman's house before the supper was ended. We know that Judas had turned against Jesus, even though he still pretended that he loved Him. Judas was selfish. He perhaps wanted good clothes and a fine home, and wanted people to think that he was a great man. We do not think he cared about sharing with others who did not have the good things he had, as Jesus wants us to do.

It may be that even during the supper Judas had in his pocket the money which the chief priests had promised to give him to help them take Jesus. Perhaps he thought as he sat at the table: I believe I can help them take Jesus tonight. He often goes to the Garden of Gethsemane in the evening, and most of the people who love Jesus will be in their homes, so they will not be able to help Him.

Willing to Go

Judas went to the chief priests, and they sent him out with soldiers and others who had swords and sticks so they could make Jesus go with them. Judas told them that the man whom he kissed would be Jesus. Judas walked ahead of all the people and when he found Jesus, he said, "Hail, master”; and kissed Him. Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

At first Peter was very brave, as he said he would be, and tried to fight for Jesus. Jesus told him not to fight. He said God would send angels to help Him if he prayed and asked for them. But Jesus had told His Father He would do what He wanted Him to do. Jesus knew His Father was willing for Him to suffer that everyone could be saved and go to Heaven.

Jesus asked the bad people not to take His disciples too. He was to suffer alone. So all the disciples left, except Peter and John who followed along as the people took Jesus to the high priest's home.

Jesus Denied

When Peter saw that the people were hurting Jesus, he may have thought: If they know I am His friend, they will hurt me too. Peter was afraid. John tells us in his Gospel that a girl asked Peter if he were one of Jesus' disciples, and he said, "I am not.” Peter had been warming himself at a fire in the open courtyard of the house; and a little later another person asked him if he had not been with Jesus, and he said, "I do not know the man.” There were many people in the house waiting to see what would happen to Jesus. After a while someone said to Peter, "Surely thou art one of them.” This time Peter was angry, and said again that he did not know Jesus. Just as he spoke, the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said he would deny Him three times before the cock crowed.

Oh, how sad Peter felt! He wished he had stood by Jesus and let everyone know that he was His friend. Peter turned away and left the house, crying as if his heart were broken. How much better it would have been if Peter had told the truth! But Peter had not prayed in the Garden when it was time to pray, and he became afraid. Jesus prayed with all His heart and God helped Him to be brave.

We should never be afraid to tell the truth, even though we might be punished, because it makes us feel good inside, and it makes Jesus glad, too.

Questions

1. What did Peter say he would do? [MAT:26:33], [MAT:26:35].

2. What did he really do? [MAT:26:69-74].

3. What should Peter have done so that he would have been brave? [MAT:26:41].

4. What did Jesus mean when He prayed, "Thy will be done”? [MAT:26:42].

5. What did Judas do to show the people who Jesus was? [MAT:26:48].