lesson twelve

JUNE 1117

Jesus Last

Days

This very night you will all fall away on account of

me . . . (Matt. 26:31, NIV).

sabbath
JUNE 11

Introduction

A New Commandment

Matt. 26:1, 2

Ill never forget when I spent a Christmas and New Years Eve with my
father at the hospital. He was 65 and had been healthy and strong. However, just a couple of days before Christmas, without any specific reason,
he got sick and was hospitalized. He couldnt talk, and he had to use gestures to communicate with us. It was a difficult time for my mother and me.
One evening, after my father had been in the hospital for more than three
weeks, I told him that I would be flying back to my place because I needed
to be at work for a while, but that I would return.

Jesus message to the disciples is for us as well.

Ill never forget his facethe face of the greatest man Ive ever known
and the way he looked at me. He looked sad as he tried his best to move
his hands to say something I just couldnt understand. Im sure it must
have been something like how hed like my family and me to stay with Jesus. I wish I had known then that this would be his last conversation with
me. He passed away the following morning, his head on my arms while I
was praying.
Jesus warned His disciples that the Son of Man will be delivered up
to be crucified (Matt. 26:2, NKJV). He knew His time on earth would
soon come to an end, so He reconfirmed to His disciples that He was the
Messiah (John 13:19). He also gave a special new commandment to His
disciples: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another;
as I have loved you, that you also love one another (John 13:34, NKJV).
This commandment to love others also applies to us.
Jesus gave this commandment because the disciples had not loved
one another as Christ had loved them. They had not yet seen the fullness
of the love that He was to reveal in mans behalf. They were yet to see Him
dying on the cross for their sins. Through His life and death they were to
receive a new conception of love.*
Jesus message to the disciples is for us as well. As we study this
weeks lesson, well learn more about the message Jesus gave during His
last days on earth.
____________
* The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, 2nd ed., vol. 5, p. 1140.

Osvald Taroreh, Cibubur, West Java, Indonesia

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sunday
JUNE 12

Evidence

Matt. 26:21, 25,

26, 31, 33, 35

Important Lessons for

Peter and Judas

The last time Jesus and His disciples were together before His death was
quite intense. He warned them about what would happen to Him, and He
told them, This very night you will all fall away on account of me (Matt.
26:31, NIV).

What happened to Peter and Judas is an excellent

lesson for us.
When Jesus warned Judas and Peter that they would betray Him, Judas replied, Surely you dont mean me, Rabbi? (verse 25, NIV). Peter
exclaimed, Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will. . . . Even if
I have to die with you, I will never disown you (verses 33, 35, NIV). These
responses show us how little the disciples knew of circumstances soon to
develop that would lead them to forsake Jesus and flee for their lives.*
Peter and Judas spoke these words to Jesus while they were on their way
to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus responded to Judas by saying, You
have said so (Matt. 26:25, NIV). Then He responded to Peter by saying,
Truly I tell you, . . . this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown
me three times (verse 34, NIV).
Why would Jesus respond in this manner to Peter and Judas? Did He
wish to frighten them? No. He wanted to warn them so they would be prepared for the events that were about to occur.
What happened to Peter and Judas is an excellent lesson for us. Even
though we may read the Bible daily, pray regularly and often, and attend
Sabbath School and church every Sabbath, we must listen to God carefully.
We should always be aware of what He is trying to teach us and where He
is leading us, fully depending on Him rather than on ourselves. The arrogant
self-assurance of Peter and Judas is a lesson for us all. Let us pray that we
do not become victims of such overconfidence, thereby falling into sin.

REACT
1. Peter was known for his self-confidence. How self-confident are you? Do
you often find yourself relying solely on your own abilities rather than on Gods?
2. Jesus last days before His crucifixion, and His crucifixion itself, were
extremely troubling for the disciples, despite the prophecies in the Old Testament and Jesus attempts to prepare them for it. Today, there are many signs
warning us that the last days of earth are near. How can you best prepare for
the difficulties ahead and for Christs return?
____________
*The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, 2nd ed., vol. 5, p. 524.

Dale Sompotan, Madiun, East Java, Indonesia

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monday
JUNE 13

Logos

Is It the Plan or the Plot?

Exod. 12:3; Isa. 53:7;

Matt. 26:15;
John 1:29;
1 Cor. 5:7;
Heb. 2:14

Christ Enters His Final Ministry (Matthew 26)

Matthew opens chapter 26 by saying that Jesus had finished saying all these things (verse 1, NIV). This implies that Jesus had finished
His ministry of teaching, which included instructing His disciples about
the end of time and His second coming. Next, He would enter His last
and most crucial ministrysacrificing His life on the cross on our behalf.
Some people might think that His death made Him a hero. However, His
death goes way beyond that. His death also brought death to the power
evil can hold over human beings. It goes beyond the murder of a hero.
Jesus death brought a death penalty to evil itself (Heb. 2:14, 15).

What Messiah did, He did voluntarily and cheerfully, in

order that doomed sinners might be saved.
The Plan Versus the Plot (Matt. 26:15)
Was the Crucifixion a plot or a plan? The plan of salvation involves the
death of Jesus. Matthew indicates that there was a plan that involved a
plot, or scheme, against Jesus. Jesus . . . said to his disciples, As you
know, the Passover is two days awayand the Son of Man will be handed
over to be crucified. Then the chief priests and the elders of the people
assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,
and they schemed [plotted] to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him (Matt.
26:14, NIV).
Passover celebrated the escape of Gods people from bondage in
Egypt. For hundreds of years they were enslaved without any hope or
power to save themselves. Then God intervened for His people by sending 10 plagues upon the Egyptians. The most significant plague was the
final onethe death of the firstborn of all the Egyptian families.
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, This month is to be for
you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community
of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb
for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for
a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having
taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine
the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.
The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you
may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the

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fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of
Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the
blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses
where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted
over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do
not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a firewith the
head, legs and internal organs. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some
is left till morning, you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your
cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in
your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lords Passover.
On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every
firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all
the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the
houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No
destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt (Exod. 12:113,
NIV).

The Submission of Jesus (Isa. 53:7; Acts 8:32)

Like a lamb to the slaughter, Jesus was handed over by the religious
leaders to the authorities to be crucified. Surely this was the most difficult
and painful part of His ministry. However, it is only because of His death
that we can be free from the evil power of Satan. Matthew shows that the
death of Jesus was not really due to a plot but rather to a plan. He quotes
Jesus as saying that the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified
(Matt. 26:2, NKJV).
Scripture says that when the religious leaders came for Jesus, He did
not open his mouth (Isa. 53:7, NIV). In other words, He did not attempt
to defend himself, neither did He protest or complain. What Messiah did,
He did voluntarily and cheerfully, in order that doomed sinners might be
saved.*

REACT
1. When you find yourself in the middle of great pressure because you
are a Christian, how can you be sure that you follow Jesus plan for your
life?
2. None of us enjoys suffering. How can we prepare ourselves beforehand so that when we are suffering because of our faith, we can remain
steadfast?
____________
* The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, 2nd ed., vol. 4, p. 291.

Eduard H. M. Palar, Jakarta, Indonesia

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tuesday
JUNE 14

Testimony

Burning Like Fire,

Shining Like the Sun

Matt. 26:39;
John 20:21;
Rom. 13:13

The irony is incredible: the gift of free will that Adam and Eve abused,
and therefore plunged the world into sin, brought Jesus to the cross. Freely
He chose to come to earth as a babe. Freely He showed us how to live.
And freely He chose to die the death of a criminal on a cross. This was the
second death, the death that has no hope of salvation. He chose to die this
death so that we might choose Him and have eternal life.

With almost impatient eagerness

the angels wait for our co-operation.
Peter, Judas, and the woman with the alabaster box all had to make
choices. And so do we. Shall the human agent show no special interest in
giving the light of the gospel message to those who sit in darkness? There
are some who are willing to go to the ends of the earth in order to carry the
light of truth to men, but God demands that every soul who knows the truth
shall seek to win others to the love of the truth. If we are not willing to make
special sacrifices in order to save souls that are ready to perish, how can
we be counted worthy to enter into the city of God?1
Isaiah testified, For Zions sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns. The Gentiles shall see your
righteousness, and all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name,
which the mouth of the Lord will name (Isa. 62:1, 2, NKJV).
Jeremiah said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in
His name. But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my
bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not (Jer. 20:9, NKJV). If
our hearts burn like fire for Christ and overflow with love for Him, we will not
be able to resist sharing Christ with others. We are to be laborers together
with the heavenly angels in presenting Jesus to the world. With almost impatient eagerness the angels wait for our co-operation; for man must be the
channel to communicate with man. And when we give ourselves to Christ
in wholehearted devotion, angels rejoice that they may speak through our
voices to reveal Gods love.2

REACT
Why is testifying of God a duty for Christian believers?

____________
1. Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 103.
2. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 297.

Paul E. Zai, Jakarta, Indonesia

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wednesday
Matt. 26:3646;
Mark 1:35, 36;
John 4:34

How-to

JUNE 15

Full Surrender
Is the Key

From the time we wake up until the time we go back to bed, we are faced
with many choices. Sometimes we choose the right things. On other occasions, we do not. Sometimes we even choose not to choose. And other
times, we know what God wants us to choose, but we neglect His desires
and choose something else instead. Then there are times when we actually
do choose what God desires for us.

Jesus always connected with His Father

through earnest prayer.
When Jesus lived on earth, He gave us an example of how to do Gods will.
Thus He proved that to do Gods will is not impossible. He was aware of His
mission to the world. Yet there was a time just before His crucifixion when He
shuddered at the thought of His brutal death and the suffering He would have
to endurenot only the physical suffering but the anguish of believing that He
would be eternally separated from the Father. He went a little farther and fell
on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass
from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will (Matt. 26:39, NKJV).
Can we be as obedient as Jesus was? Of course we can. Lets look at
some steps Jesus took in order to comply with Gods desires for us:
He was aware of what God wanted Him to do. Jesus knew exactly what
the Father expected of Him, and He desired to do just that (John 6:3840).
He knew that doing the will of our Father in heaven is an indisputable
obligation. He even described it as being like food, which is necessary for
life itself (John 4:34).
Jesus always connected with His Father through earnest prayer. He did
so in order to receive strength, guidance, and comfort (Mark 1:35).
He remained consistent until His death. Jesus always did the Fathers will,
which included dying on the cross for the salvation of sinners (Phil. 2:58).

REACT
1. The Bible tells us that Jesus was well aware of who He was and that
He always was willing to do the will of His Father. He gained knowledge of
who He was and what He was to do partly through prayer. Prayer always
brings us closer to God. So why do you think it is sometimes difficult for
Christians to pray?
2. What other obstacles prevent us from doing Gods will?
Orlando Sinambela, Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia
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thursday
JUNE 16

Opinion

Never Give Up!

Ps. 37:23, 24;

Matt. 26:3646

Have you ever thought about what would have happened if Jesus had not
spent agonizing hours in Gethsemane praying to God for strength to carry
through with the plan of salvation? Our lives today would be meaningless,
and there would be no hope for the future, because there would be no Second Coming.

Let Jesus help you to rise from your fall!

But thank God! Jesus did endure the temptations of Satan and any urge
He might have had to run in the opposite direction of the cross. Thank God
that He didnt give up, that He trusted His Fathers love, that He believed that
the victory could be achieved through struggle and sacrifice.
Although your faith may be shaken because of a failed class, a disastrous
romance, the death of a friend or a beloved relative, or a sin you dare not
confess to anyone but God, continue to believe that the toughest test a human ever had to endure was experienced by our Savior, Jesus Christ. He
was the winner at the cross. He defeated Satan, our enemy.
Let God work in you. The future of Jesus and our future are one, because
He was victorious over evil and reconciled us to His Father. . . .
. . . Had Jesus failed, the God we now know would not be our God. In other
words, with respect to us, He would have ceased to exist. The failure of Jesus
would have meant that God was unable to overcome the forces of evil and
that Satan was powerful enough to overcome Him by derailing His plan of
salvation, thus forcing God to abandon us.
As you can see, in my speculations the stakes are very high. The defeat
of our biblical God at the moment of His greatest manifestation of power on
the cross of Christ is something we can hardly begin to imagine, much less
take seriously.
Since the biblical God is by definition unbeatable, our question remains
almost unanswered. Had the human nature of the Son of God failed, God
Himself would have failed. But He did not.* So dont give up! Let Jesus help
you to rise from your fall!

REACT
1. Why should we believe that God will always forgive us even when we fall?
2. If you see that your friends leaning away from God, what can you do to
help them return?

____________
*ngel Manuel Rodrguez, What If Jesus Had Sinned? accessed April 9, 2015, https://www
. adventistbiblicalresearch.org/materials/theology-jesus-christ/what-if-jesus-had-sinned.

Sanny Manoppo, Jakarta, Indonesia

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friday

Isa. 62:1, 2;
Matthew 26

Exploration

JUNE 17

Deeper Meanings

CONCLUDE
The closing scenes of Jesus life and ministry continue to reverberate on
earth centuries after His death, resurrection, and ascension. His life and death
are the subjects of theatrical performances, miniseries, films, and more. While
many people in our culture are excited by this seemingly enigmatic historical
figure, millions have come to see in Jesus selfless sacrifice a Savior worthy
of their love and devotion. When we press past the atmospherics surrounding
Jesus death to examine the motivations that led Him to the cross, we will be
moved to surrender our lives to Him and to be changed into His likeness.

CONSIDER
Mapping the places where significant episodes in the final days of Jesus
life occurred. Identify the location of Jesus last supper, Caiaphass palace, Pilates judgment hall, Calvarys hill, and Josephs tomb.
Listing three other ways that God could have chosen to deal with the
problem of sin. Compare and contrast each of these ways with the plan
God chosethe plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Listening to Redeemed by the Winans, the gospel foursome who garnered acclaim in the late 1980s and 1990s for their powerful vocals and
great harmonies. Look for the song on YouTube. Consider how the plan
of salvation was no arbitrary, haphazard work of God.
Reading Matthew 26. Then take time to meditate and reflect on its contents. Write a short contemporary news feature covering the story for your
local television stations evening news broadcast.
Selecting one scene from the closing moments of Jesus life. Create a
one-person dramatic presentation of this scene to share with others.
Reflecting on recent news events. In one incident, Islamic extremists murdered travelers on a bus when they identified themselves as Christians.
Think about what gift God has given you for which you are willing to die?
Thinking about the enduring truth that when seeds are planted, they
experience a type of death in the process of growing into something
greater. Humanity is by far the biggest beneficiary of Jesus death. How
has nature benefited from the seed of Jesus death?

CONNECT
Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, chap. 1, Our Example.
Billy Graham, The Journey, chap. 6, A New Beginning.
George R. Knight, Walking With Paul Through the Book of Romans,
pp. 3577.
Dwain Esmond, Gaithersburg, Maryland, U.S.A.
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