VERSES: Matthew 26:30-46; Mark 14:26-42; Luke 22:39-46; John 17:1-26
MEMORY VERSE: John 17:17. "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Joel. Write "Joel" on small slips of paper, so the students may memorize the book at home.
PRAYER: May we pray with our whole heart as Jesus prayed.
SPECIAL SONG: How Do Christians Worship God? - (see May 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #5 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)
VISUAL AID: Large Activity (see below)
LESSON POINTS:
- After Jesus and His disciples had sung a hymn or a song, they went to the Mount of Olives. Near the foot of the mountain, there was a garden called the Garden of Gethsemane. As they walked, Jesus told His disciples that soon they would be upset because of what would happen to Jesus that night. Peter spoke up and said, "Even if everyone else is upset or offended, I will not be." Jesus knows everything. Jesus told Peter that before the rooster crowed two times, he would deny Jesus three times. Peter spoke even more passionately and said that he even if he would die with Jesus, he would not deny Him. All of the other disciples began to say the same thing, but Jesus did not say anymore about it.
- When they arrived at the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told the disciples to stay there while He went a little farther to pray. Jesus took Peter, James and John with Him and began to feel extremely sorrowful or sad. He knew what was going to happen soon. He instructed the three men to stay there and to stay alert and watch.
- Jesus went a little farther into the garden and knelt down on the ground and prayed. He prayed for many things, including that if it were possible, that He might be spared the suffering that was coming soon. He prayed so fervently that His sweat was like great drops of blood falling to the ground. Jesus was praying hard! He went back to Peter, James and John and found them sleeping because they were so sad. He asked Peter, "Are you sleeping? Could you not watch for one hour?" He said to watch and pray, then went away and prayed again, praying the same words. When he returned to them, again, He found them sleeping because their eyes were very heavy. The disciples did not know how to answer Him.
- Some of the things Jesus prayed for during this difficult time are found in John 17. This chapter is truly the Lord's prayer. Jesus, praying fervently, prayed to God, His Father.
- He prayed that God would glorify Him that would glorify God as well.
- He said that He had finished the work which God had given Him to do.
- He said that His disciples believed that Jesus was God's Son.
- He told God that none of the disciples that God had given Him were lost, except the one who betrayed Him. He called Judas the son of perdition.
- He said that He had given the disciples His Word which was Truth.
- He asked God to sanctify them or set them apart with the Truth.
- He prayed for the unity of His disciples.
- But in all things, Jesus prayed that the Lord's Will be done, not His own will.
- When Jesus returned to His disciples the third time, He found them sleeping again. Jesus told His disciples to get up because the one who had betrayed Him was close by.
- As we can see from Jesus prayer, He was very sad and grieved, knowing what was to come and what He must go through to save the world from their sins.
- Jesus was deeply concerned for His disciples. He knew what was going to happen to Him, but they did not. He had given them all of the comforting words He had. He had told them to be watchful. He had told them to pray.
- We need to watch and pray, too.
ACTIVITY: Jesus Prays In The Garden - Tear Art Project
Materials needed: 9" x 12" black construction paper, 9" x 10" brown construction paper, 4" x 4" green construction paper, scraps of brown, blue, orange, purple, white, tan paper, glue, marker, crayons (no scissors needed!).
- Hand out black paper. This is the foundation.
- Hand out brown paper.
- Tear top edge of brown. This is the Mount of Olives.
- Hand out scrap of brown paper.
- Tear brown strip of paper for tree trunk.
- Glue tree trunk.
- Hand out green paper.
- Tear corners of green paper to form tree top.
- Glue tree top to top of trunk.
- Hand out blue, orange, purple, white, tan and brown scraps of paper.
- Tear brown strip for sign post.
- Glue sign post to the middle bottom of the picture
- Tear small rectangle out of the white paper.
- Write "Garden of Gethsemane" in the middle of the white rectangle.
- Glue sign to the top of the sign post.
- Tear four triangles out of blue, orange, purple and white paper. These are the men's robes.
- Tear four small circles out of tan paper. These are the men's heads.
- Glue tan circle to the top of each torn triangle.
- Write "Peter," "James," "John," and "Jesus" at the bottom of their robes.
- Draw sleeping faces on Peter, James, and John.
- Glue Peter, James, and John sleeping on the ground.
- Tear a small triangle out of Jesus' robe to make him look like he is kneeling.
- Draw Jesus' face, praying.
- Write "Mount of Olives" on top of mountain.
- Write "Jesus Prays In The Garden" and "Matthew 26:30-46" and "John 17" at top of black paper.
- Draw black olives on tree.
- Draw grass on ground.