Praying on the Mount of Olives

The Story

Read Matthew 26:36-57 or Luke 22:39-53 to learn the story of the Lord’s temptations and the way Judas betrayed Him on the Mount of Olives.

Ideas for discussion

1. Who went with the Lord to the Mount of Olives? (The disciples followed Him.)
2. In Luke, we read that “His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground” (22:44). The Lord suffered greatly as the hells attacked, trying to convince Him that the extent of evil in the world made it impossible to save anyone. But the Lord fought back from His boundless love to save the human race.
3. How do we know that the Lord knew what was going to happen next? (During the Last Supper, He indicated that Judas would betray Him. After praying at Gethsemane, the Lord said that He was about to be betrayed.)
4. As He began to pray, the Lord was sorrowful and deeply distressed (Matt. 26:37). How does this contrast with how He was when Judas came with a multitude of people to betray Him? (He was calm and ready to face His accusers.)
5. Why didn’t the Lord let His disciples defend Him when Judas came to betray Him? (He knew that these events needed to take place for Him to win the battles that were happening in the spiritual world.)
6. The days between Palm Sunday and Easter morning are an important part of the Easter story. How might reading about the Lord’s experiences on the Mount of Olives help us appreciate our Redeemer all the more?
7. What could we learn from the words the Lord said in prayer? “Father, if it is Your will, removed this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).

Read more about the story:

• “The Sorrow and Joy of Easter” by Geoffrey Howard (for 4-14)
  At Easter time we turn to the Lord once again with thankful hearts for having spoken all the truths contained in His Word. We can learn from all those things that the Lord said to His disciples when He was with them on earth.
• “Prophecies of Easter” by Andrew M. T. Dibb (ages 18 and up)
  Most people are familiar with the prophecies of the Old Testament which speak of the Lord’s birth, but how many of us are aware that many of the details of Easter were also foretold in the Word?
• “His Own Arm Brought Salvation” by Peter M. Buss, Sr. (ages 18 and up)
  Because the Lord came on earth and overcame the hells two thousand years ago, our battles are easier today. He fought the hells one by one, and each time He fought, He used a truth to combat them.

Projects and activities for various ages:

• The Last Supper Video (for all ages)
  Shows what the Lord was doing with His disciples before going to the Mount of Olives to pray.
• The Lord Praying at Gethsemane Coloring Page by Marguerite L. Acton
  Shows the Lord praying as Peter, James and John sleep nearby.
• Collage of the Lord Praying (for ages 3-12)
  Draw a picture of the Lord praying for the strength and set it in a collage made with torn paper suggesting olive trees and rocks in the garden of Gethsemane.
• Wax Resist Painting of Judas Betraying the Lord (ages 7-12)
  Use oil pastels to draw a picture of Judas approaching the Lord, then brush blue or black watercolor over it to show that this event happened at night.
• Easter Story Line (ages 8-14)
  Is the Easter story happy or sad? Make a story line with 10 events in the Easter story, deciding whether each event is happy, sad or somewhere in between.
• Make an Easter Week Accordion Book (ages 7-14)
  Illustrate several events which happened between Palm Sunday and Easter morning. Assemble these into an accordion book or use these illustrations for a bulletin board display.
• Easter Prophecies and Their Fulfillment (ages 10 and up)
  Match 5 prophecies in the Old Testament with their fulfillment in the New Testament.
• The Lord’s Contrasting States of Mind (ages 14 and up)
  While the Lord lived on earth, He sometimes felt separate from the Father. At these times, He prayed to the Father and said that He did the Father’s will. When He felt united with the Father, He did miracles and said that He and the father are one. Offers quotations and several activities to explore this contrast.

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