Luke 22:31–34, 54–62—Peter Denies Jesus

In a talk entitled Peter, My Brother, Elder Spencer W. Kimball, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said that we should be careful about harshly judging Peter for his actions the night of Jesus’ arrest. He reminded us that Peter had forsaken everything to follow Jesus (see Matthew 19:27–28). Furthermore, on different occasions, Jesus had commanded the Twelve to not tell what they knew “until the Son of man be risen again from the dead” (Matthew 17:9; see also Matthew 16:20).

Elder Kimball then said: “I do not pretend to know what Peter’s mental reactions were nor what compelled him to say what he did that terrible night. But in light of his proven bravery, courage, great devotion, and limitless love for the Master, could we not give him the benefit of the doubt and at least forgive him as his Savior seems to have done so fully. Almost immediately Christ elevated him to the highest position in his church and endowed him with the complete keys of that kingdom” (Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year, 13 July 1971, 5).

Luke 22:39–44—Jesus Bled from Every Pore in Gethsemane

Elder Russell M. Nelson taught: “The ordeal of the Atonement centered about the city of Jerusalem. There the greatest single act of love of all recorded history took place. Leaving the upper room, Jesus and His friends crossed the deep ravine east of the city and came to a garden of olive trees on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives. There in the garden bearing the Hebrew name of Gethsemane—meaning ‘oilpress’—olives had been beaten and pressed to provide oil and food. There at Gethsemane, the Lord ‘suffered the pain of all men, that all … might repent and come unto him.’ He took upon Himself the weight of the sins of all mankind, bearing its massive load that caused Him to bleed from every pore” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1996, 46–47; or Ensign, Nov. 1996, 35).

Explain It to a Child

Read Luke 22:7–20 and look for reasons why these verses might be describing the first sacrament meeting. Imagine being asked to explain to a primary class what Jesus meant in verses 19–20. Write what you would say to those children.

What Does It Mean to You?

After reading Luke 22:39–53, consider the following testimony by President Joseph Fielding Smith: “Here we have the Son of God carrying the burden of my transgressions and your transgressions and the transgressions of every soul that receives the gospel of Jesus Christ. … He carried the burden—our burden. I added something to it; so did you. So did everybody else. He took it upon himself to pay the price that I might escape—that you might escape—the punishment on the conditions that we will receive his gospel and be true and faithful in it” (Fall—Atonement—Resurrection—Sacrament [address at the Salt Lake Institute of Religion, 14 Jan. 1961], 8).

Picture in your mind those events and Jesus alone in His suffering. Explain what Jesus’ suffering means to you.

Compare Two Men

Report the Facts

Reporters today who cover trials record and report the facts. If you were a reporter assigned to the trial described in Luke 22:66–71, what would you write? Write a report and include a headline that could be used in a newspaper.