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00:00:01 Welcome to our special 00:00:03 Morning Worship program 00:00:04 for the most important day of the year. 00:00:07 It’s a real privilege this morning 00:00:10 not just to speak to the Bethel family 00:00:12 but to be able to share some Scriptural thoughts 00:00:15 with the majority of our dear brothers and sisters 00:00:18 right around the world, including you 00:00:21 wherever you may be this morning. 00:00:24 All of us are looking forward with excitement to this evening, 00:00:28 when we unitedly remember the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:00:32 But first, let’s start by reading 00:00:35 the scripture text selected for today. 00:00:38 We’re going to ask Brother David Schafer, 00:00:40 a helper to the Teaching Committee, 00:00:42 to read for us this morning. 00:00:44 Please, David, let’s have the scripture text read. 00:00:48 Tuesday, April 7, 2020 00:00:52 —the Memorial date after sundown. 00:00:55 The text is taken from Romans 5:8: 00:01:00 “Christ died for us.” 00:01:04 Thank you, David. 00:01:06 Imagine, please, that you are in a prison cell. 00:01:10 You’ve just been notified 00:01:12 that you will be executed in the morning because of your faith. 00:01:16 There is no further means of appeal. 00:01:18 The decision is final. 00:01:21 How will you spend this last night? 00:01:24 What will you do? 00:01:26 What will you think about? 00:01:29 Some of our brothers and sisters in the past 00:01:32 have found themselves in this challenging situation. 00:01:36 Many of these used their last night 00:01:39 to write letters to strengthen and comfort 00:01:41 their friends and relatives. 00:01:44 For example, consider the courageous words 00:01:48 written by one young brother to his family 00:01:50 as he awaited death at the hands of Nazi persecutors. 00:01:55 He wrote: “It is already past midnight. 00:02:00 “I still have time to change my mind. 00:02:03 “Ah! could I be happy again in this world 00:02:06 “after I had denied our Lord? 00:02:09 “Surely not! 00:02:11 “But now you have the assurance 00:02:13 that I leave this world in happiness and peace.” 00:02:19 Notice, this dear brother didn’t use 00:02:22 that final evening just to focus on his own hardships. 00:02:26 Rather, he used part of that evening 00:02:29 to encourage those whom he loved. 00:02:31 He wanted to strengthen them 00:02:34 so that they wouldn’t be overwhelmed 00:02:36 by the sad news of his death. 00:02:39 Well, with these thoughts in mind, 00:02:41 let’s now think about how Jesus spent his last evening 00:02:45 as a human here on earth. 00:02:48 To start with, let’s ask this question: 00:02:52 By the time of that evening, 00:02:55 what did Jesus know about the circumstances of his death? 00:03:00 To answer that question, 00:03:02 let’s read together what’s stated in Matthew chapter 20. 00:03:07 So if you turn with me, please, 00:03:09 to Matthew 20:18, 19, 00:03:14 Jesus said: 00:03:16 “Look! We are going up to Jerusalem, 00:03:19 “and the Son of man will be handed over 00:03:22 “to the chief priests and the scribes. 00:03:25 “They will condemn him to death 00:03:27 “and hand him over to men of the nations 00:03:30 “to be mocked and scourged and executed on a stake; 00:03:34 and on the third day he will be raised up.” 00:03:39 So on that final evening, 00:03:41 what did Jesus already know about his death, 00:03:44 and what would he have been thinking about? 00:03:48 These verses that we just read 00:03:50 mention four things. 00:03:53 First of all, it tells us that he knew 00:03:56 he would be handed over to the Jewish religious leaders 00:03:59 who would take him to court and find him guilty of a crime, 00:04:03 perhaps one including the charge of blasphemy. 00:04:08 Second, Jesus knew that he would be handed over 00:04:12 to “men of the nations” (in other words, the Romans), 00:04:16 and that they would violently abuse him. 00:04:20 Third, he knew that he would be executed on a stake. 00:04:25 And the final point, 00:04:27 he realized that he would be resurrected on the third day. 00:04:32 So on that final evening, 00:04:34 Jesus already knew some of the details concerning his death, 00:04:38 and these would have weighed heavily on his mind. 00:04:42 But were there any other things that he already knew? 00:04:46 Yes. 00:04:47 Let’s consider another three facts that were on his mind that evening. 00:04:52 The first one we’ll notice 00:04:54 if we turn to the book of John this time. 00:04:57 In John chapter 13, 00:04:59 we’re going to start by reading verse 21: 00:05:05 “After saying these things, Jesus became troubled in spirit, 00:05:10 “and he bore witness, saying: 00:05:12 ‘Most truly I say to you, one of you will betray me.’” 00:05:17 Now if we turn across to verse 26, 00:05:20 it tells us that Jesus continued to say: 00:05:24 “‘It is the one to whom I will give the piece of bread that I dip.’ 00:05:29 “So after dipping the bread, he took it 00:05:32 and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.” 00:05:37 Jesus knew that one of his apostles would betray him, 00:05:41 and he even knew who his betrayer would be. 00:05:45 Now for something else that Jesus knew, 00:05:48 let’s read verse 38 of the same chapter 00:05:51 —John 13:38. 00:05:56 Jesus here said to Peter: 00:05:58 “Will you surrender your life in my behalf? 00:06:02 “Most truly I say to you, a rooster will by no means crow 00:06:07 until you have disowned me three times.” 00:06:11 So Jesus also knew that Peter would deny him three times. 00:06:17 And for another point, let’s turn to John chapter 16 00:06:22 —John 16:32. 00:06:27 Here, speaking to his apostles, Jesus said: 00:06:31 “Look! The hour is coming, 00:06:33 “indeed, it has come, 00:06:35 “when each one of you will be scattered to his own house 00:06:39 and you will leave me alone.” 00:06:42 So Jesus also realized that the rest of his apostles 00:06:46 would run away and desert him. 00:06:49 So, what did Jesus have on his mind that evening? 00:06:53 Not only would Jesus have been thinking 00:06:55 about his upcoming court trial, persecution, 00:06:59 and execution but he also knew 00:07:02 that he would be betrayed, 00:07:05 denied, and abandoned. 00:07:09 Now, if you were Jesus, 00:07:12 how would you have reacted to this knowledge? 00:07:15 Perhaps you would have preferred to be by yourself, 00:07:19 avoiding those who would fail you. 00:07:21 You might have thought, 00:07:23 ‘It’s better for me to spend the evening in prayer 00:07:26 —preparing properly— without these negative distractions.’ 00:07:31 Just think about it: 00:07:33 Despite all these negative things, 00:07:36 Jesus didn’t hide away and stay by himself. 00:07:39 In fact, he told his apostles that he “greatly desired” 00:07:44 to celebrate this last Passover with them. 00:07:47 In other words, he wasn’t going to “miss the meeting” 00:07:51 because of these negative things. 00:07:54 Amazingly, even with all these things on his mind, 00:07:59 Jesus focused on how to help his faithful apostles. 00:08:03 He loved them, and he wanted to prepare them 00:08:06 for what was about to happen. 00:08:09 In fact, in John’s account, 00:08:11 five chapters are devoted to Jesus’ final words 00:08:14 of encouragement to his apostles. 00:08:17 What an amazing, unselfish love Jesus showed! 00:08:23 Just imagine, Jesus took the time 00:08:26 to wash the feet of his apostles, 00:08:29 even the feet of his betrayer, Judas Iscariot. 00:08:33 Not only were the apostles unwilling to do this lowly service 00:08:37 but when Jesus started to wash their feet, 00:08:39 not one of them stood up and offered to take over. 00:08:43 Yes, they had a real problem with their attitude. 00:08:46 That was further shown by the fact 00:08:48 that they had an argument that evening 00:08:51 about who was the greatest among them. 00:08:54 But do we see the evidence of Jesus’ love in all of this? 00:08:58 He didn’t give up on them. 00:09:01 Jesus didn’t allow these failures 00:09:04 to cause him to have a negative view of his apostles. 00:09:07 Instead, he commended his 11 faithful apostles 00:09:11 and even made a covenant with them to be part of his Kingdom. 00:09:15 Isn’t that truly amazing? 00:09:18 Additionally, Jesus earnestly prayed to Jehovah 00:09:22 not only to watch over those apostles 00:09:25 but also to care for those who would later believe in him 00:09:29 —that includes us today. 00:09:32 Despite all the negative things on his mind, 00:09:36 Jesus focused on strengthening others and praying for them. 00:09:41 What an expression of unselfish love! 00:09:46 This evening, we’ll be focusing on the love 00:09:49 Jehovah and Jesus expressed for us. 00:09:52 But as we meditate on the events of Nisan 14, 00:09:56 let’s also remember how Jesus proved his love 00:10:00 for his apostles by not giving up on them. 00:10:03 Even at a time when his thoughts would have been focused 00:10:07 on the excruciating death that lay ahead of him, 00:10:10 he patiently helped them 00:10:12 so that they could deal with what was about to happen. 00:10:17 What lessons can we learn from this? 00:10:20 Well, this may not be the last night of our life, 00:10:23 and we may not expect to be executed tomorrow. 00:10:27 But how can we imitate the love 00:10:30 that Jesus displayed that final evening? 00:10:33 Here are some things we can all be determined to do: 00:10:37 Don’t give up on our brothers and sisters, 00:10:40 even if at times they seem to fail us. 00:10:43 Continue to strengthen others, 00:10:46 even when we are facing difficulties. 00:10:50 In this way, we will also prove our genuine love 00:10:54 for Jehovah and his loving Son, Jesus Christ. 00:10:58 Now, David, let’s have our comments read. 00:11:02 “Jesus was willing not only to die for his disciples 00:11:06 “but also to live each day in a way that put their interests ahead of his own. 00:11:10 “For instance, he met with his followers 00:11:12 “even when he was physically tired or emotionally distressed. 00:11:16 “And he focused on what he could give to others, 00:11:18 “not on what he could get from them. 00:11:21 “We belong to the only true Christian brotherhood, 00:11:24 “and we enjoy spending as much time as possible 00:11:27 “inviting new ones to join us. 00:11:29 “However, we are particularly interested 00:11:31 “in helping those who are ‘related to us in the faith’ 00:11:34 “but who have become inactive. 00:11:37 “We prove our love for them by encouraging them to attend our meetings, 00:11:41 “especially the Memorial. 00:11:44 “Like Jehovah and Jesus, 00:11:46 we are deeply moved when an inactive one returns to Jehovah.” 00:11:52 Thank you, David, for reading for us this morning. 00:11:55 Now we’re going to turn our attention 00:11:57 to our scheduled Bible reading for this morning. 00:12:08 “Now on the first day of the Unleavened Bread, 00:12:11 “when they customarily offered up the Passover sacrifice, 00:12:16 “his disciples said to him: 00:12:18 “‘Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?’ 00:12:22 “With that 00:12:24 “he sent two of his disciples and said to them: 00:12:27 “‘Go into the city, 00:12:29 “‘and a man carrying an earthenware water jar will meet you. 00:12:33 “‘Follow him, and wherever he goes inside, 00:12:37 “‘say to the master of the house, 00:12:39 “‘“The Teacher says: 00:12:41 “‘“‘Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 00:12:46 “‘“And he will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. 00:12:50 “Prepare it for us there.’” 00:12:53 “So the disciples went out, 00:12:55 “and they entered the city and found it just as he said to them, 00:13:00 and they prepared for the Passover.” 00:13:09 “On the first day of the Unleavened Bread, 00:13:12 “the disciples came to Jesus, saying: 00:13:15 “‘Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?’ 00:13:19 “He said: ‘Go into the city to So-and-so and say to him, 00:13:24 “‘“The Teacher says: ‘My appointed time is near; 00:13:29 “I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your home.’”’ 00:13:33 “So the disciples did as Jesus instructed them 00:13:36 and prepared for the Passover.” 00:13:44 “After evening had fallen, 00:13:47 “he came with the Twelve. 00:13:51 “And as they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said: 00:13:55 “‘Truly I say to you, one of you 00:13:58 “who is eating with me will betray me.’ 00:14:02 “They began to be grieved 00:14:04 “and to say to him one by one: 00:14:08 “‘It is not I, is it?’ 00:14:11 “He said to them: 00:14:14 “‘It is one of the Twelve, the one dipping with me into the bowl. 00:14:18 “‘For the Son of man is going away, just as it is written about him, 00:14:23 “‘but woe to that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! 00:14:28 “It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.’ 00:14:35 “And as they continued eating, 00:14:38 “he took a loaf, said a blessing, 00:14:41 “broke it, and gave it to them, saying: 00:14:45 “‘Take it; this means my body.’ 00:14:50 “And taking a cup, he offered thanks and gave it to them, 00:14:54 “and they all drank out of it. 00:14:57 “And he said to them: 00:14:59 “‘This means my “blood of the covenant,” 00:15:02 “‘which is to be poured out in behalf of many. 00:15:06 “‘Truly I say to you, I will by no means drink anymore 00:15:10 “‘of the product of the vine until that day 00:15:13 “when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.’ 00:15:17 “Finally, after singing praises, 00:15:21 “they went out to the Mount of Olives 00:15:25 “And Jesus said to them: 00:15:27 “‘You will all be stumbled, for it is written: 00:15:31 “‘“I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered about.” 00:15:36 “‘But after I have been raised up, 00:15:38 “I will go ahead of you into Galilee.’ 00:15:41 “But Peter said to him: 00:15:44 “‘Even if all the others are stumbled, I will not be.’ 00:15:48 “At that Jesus said to him: 00:15:52 “‘Truly I say to you that today, yes, 00:15:55 “‘on this very night, before a rooster crows twice, 00:16:00 “you will disown me three times.’ 00:16:03 “But he kept insisting: 00:16:07 “‘If I have to die with you, I will by no means disown you.’ 00:16:11 “Also, all the others began to say the same thing. 00:16:18 “So they came to a spot named Gethsemane, 00:16:21 “and he said to his disciples: 00:16:24 “‘Sit down here while I pray.’ 00:16:27 “And he took Peter and James and John along with him, 00:16:32 “and he began to feel deeply distressed 00:16:35 “and to be greatly troubled. 00:16:37 “He said to them: 00:16:40 “‘I am deeply grieved, even to death. 00:16:44 “‘Stay here and keep on the watch.’ 00:16:48 “And going a little way forward, 00:16:52 “he fell to the ground and began praying that, 00:16:55 “if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him. 00:17:00 “And he said: 00:17:03 “‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you; 00:17:08 “‘remove this cup from me. 00:17:11 “Yet, not what I want, but what you want.’ 00:17:16 “He returned and found them sleeping, 00:17:21 “and he said to Peter: 00:17:23 “‘Simon, are you sleeping? 00:17:26 “‘Did you not have the strength to keep on the watch for one hour? 00:17:31 “‘Keep on the watch and pray continually, 00:17:35 “‘so that you do not come into temptation. 00:17:38 “‘The spirit, of course, is eager, 00:17:41 “but the flesh is weak.’ 00:17:45 “And he went away again and prayed, 00:17:47 “saying the same thing. 00:17:50 “And he came again and found them sleeping, 00:17:53 “for their eyes were weighed down, 00:17:56 “so they did not know what to answer him. 00:18:00 “And he returned the third time and said to them: 00:18:04 “‘At such a time as this, you are sleeping and resting! 00:18:09 “‘It is enough! The hour has come! 00:18:13 “‘Look! The Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 00:18:18 “‘Get up, let us go. 00:18:21 “Look! My betrayer has drawn near.’ 00:18:26 “And immediately, while he was still speaking, 00:18:29 “Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived 00:18:33 “and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, 00:18:37 “sent from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 00:18:42 “Now his betrayer had given them an agreed sign, saying: 00:18:48 “‘Whoever it is I kiss, he is the one; 00:18:52 “take him into custody, and lead him away under guard.’ 00:18:56 “And he came straight up and approached him 00:19:01 “and said, ‘Rabbi!’ 00:19:04 “and gave him a tender kiss. 00:19:08 “So they seized him and took him into custody. 00:19:12 “However, one of those standing by drew his sword 00:19:17 “and struck the slave of the high priest, taking off his ear. 00:19:21 “But in response Jesus said to them: 00:19:26 “‘Did you come out to arrest me 00:19:28 “‘with swords and clubs as against a robber? 00:19:32 “‘Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, 00:19:35 “‘and yet you did not take me into custody. 00:19:38 “Nevertheless, this is to fulfill the Scriptures.’ 00:19:43 “And they all abandoned him and fled. 00:19:49 “However, a certain young man wearing only a fine linen garment 00:19:54 “over his naked body began to follow him nearby, 00:19:58 “and they tried to seize him, 00:20:00 “but he left his linen garment behind and got away naked. 00:20:06 “They now led Jesus away to the high priest, 00:20:10 “and all the chief priests and the elders 00:20:13 “and the scribes assembled. 00:20:15 “But Peter, from a good distance, followed him 00:20:20 “as far as into the courtyard of the high priest; 00:20:23 “and he was sitting together with the house attendants 00:20:26 “and warming himself before a bright fire. 00:20:32 “Now the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin 00:20:34 “were looking for testimony against Jesus 00:20:37 “in order to put him to death, but they were not finding any. 00:20:41 “Many, indeed, were giving false witness against him, 00:20:46 “but their testimonies were not in agreement. 00:20:52 “Also, certain ones were standing up 00:20:53 “and bearing false witness against him, saying: 00:20:57 “‘We heard him say, “I will throw down this temple 00:21:02 “‘“that was made with hands, and in three days 00:21:05 “I will build another not made with hands.”’ 00:21:08 “But even on these grounds, 00:21:11 “their testimony was not in agreement. 00:21:16 “Then the high priest stood up in their midst 00:21:18 “and questioned Jesus, saying: 00:21:21 “‘Do you say nothing in reply? 00:21:24 “What is it these men are testifying against you?’ 00:21:27 “But he kept silent and made no reply at all. 00:21:33 “Again the high priest began to question him and said to him: 00:21:38 “‘Are you the Christ the Son of the Blessed One?’ 00:21:43 “Then Jesus said: 00:21:46 “‘I am; and you will see the Son of man 00:21:50 “sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ 00:21:57 “At this the high priest ripped his garments and said: 00:22:01 “‘What further need do we have of witnesses? 00:22:05 “You heard the blasphemy. What is your decision?’ 00:22:09 “They all condemned him as deserving of death. 00:22:14 “And some started to spit on him 00:22:17 “and to cover his face 00:22:19 “and hit him with their fists and say to him: 00:22:23 “‘Prophesy!’ 00:22:25 “And slapping him in the face, the court attendants took him. 00:22:31 “Now while Peter was below in the courtyard, 00:22:35 “one of the servant girls of the high priest came. 00:22:38 “On seeing Peter warming himself, 00:22:41 “she looked straight at him and said: 00:22:45 “‘You too were with the Nazarene, this Jesus.’ 00:22:49 “But he denied it, saying: 00:22:52 “‘Neither do I know him nor do I understand what you are talking about,’ 00:22:57 “and he went outside to the entryway. 00:23:03 “There the servant girl saw him and again began to say to those standing by: 00:23:08 “‘This is one of them.’ 00:23:10 “Again he was denying it. 00:23:13 “And after a little while, 00:23:15 “those standing by again began saying to Peter: 00:23:19 “‘Certainly you are one of them, 00:23:22 “for you are, in fact, a Galilean.’ 00:23:26 “But he started to curse and swear: 00:23:29 “‘I do not know this man of whom you speak!’ 00:23:34 “Immediately a rooster crowed a second time, 00:23:38 “and Peter recalled what Jesus had said to him: 00:23:43 “‘Before a rooster crows twice, 00:23:46 “you will disown me three times.’ 00:23:50 And he broke down and began to weep.” 00:23:57 We’re sure that those verses have helped 00:24:00 to prepare us for the Memorial this evening. 00:24:04 But before we finish, 00:24:06 we’d like to assure you that the Governing Body loves you all. 00:24:11 Wherever you may be this evening, 00:24:13 no matter what challenges you may face, 00:24:16 it’s our heartfelt wish 00:24:18 that Jehovah will richly bless you all. 00:24:22 May our united efforts to be at the Memorial this evening 00:24:25 bring praise to our loving heavenly Father, Jehovah, 00:24:29 and his Son, Jesus Christ!
00:00:01 Welcome to our special 00:00:03 Morning Worship program 00:00:04 for the most important day of the year. 00:00:07 It’s a real privilege this morning 00:00:10 not just to speak to the Bethel family 00:00:12 but to be able to share some Scriptural thoughts 00:00:15 with the majority of our dear brothers and sisters 00:00:18 right around the world, including you 00:00:21 wherever you may be this morning. 00:00:24 All of us are looking forward with excitement to this evening, 00:00:28 when we unitedly remember the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:00:32 But first, let’s start by reading 00:00:35 the scripture text selected for today. 00:00:38 We’re going to ask Brother David Schafer, 00:00:40 a helper to the Teaching Committee, 00:00:42 to read for us this morning. 00:00:44 Please, David, let’s have the scripture text read. 00:00:48 Tuesday, April 7, 2020 00:00:52 —the Memorial date after sundown. 00:00:55 The text is taken from Romans 5:8: 00:01:00 “Christ died for us.” 00:01:04 Thank you, David. 00:01:06 Imagine, please, that you are in a prison cell. 00:01:10 You’ve just been notified 00:01:12 that you will be executed in the morning because of your faith. 00:01:16 There is no further means of appeal. 00:01:18 The decision is final. 00:01:21 How will you spend this last night? 00:01:24 What will you do? 00:01:26 What will you think about? 00:01:29 Some of our brothers and sisters in the past 00:01:32 have found themselves in this challenging situation. 00:01:36 Many of these used their last night 00:01:39 to write letters to strengthen and comfort 00:01:41 their friends and relatives. 00:01:44 For example, consider the courageous words 00:01:48 written by one young brother to his family 00:01:50 as he awaited death at the hands of Nazi persecutors. 00:01:55 He wrote: “It is already past midnight. 00:02:00 “I still have time to change my mind. 00:02:03 “Ah! could I be happy again in this world 00:02:06 “after I had denied our Lord? 00:02:09 “Surely not! 00:02:11 “But now you have the assurance 00:02:13 that I leave this world in happiness and peace.” 00:02:19 Notice, this dear brother didn’t use 00:02:22 that final evening just to focus on his own hardships. 00:02:26 Rather, he used part of that evening 00:02:29 to encourage those whom he loved. 00:02:31 He wanted to strengthen them 00:02:34 so that they wouldn’t be overwhelmed 00:02:36 by the sad news of his death. 00:02:39 Well, with these thoughts in mind, 00:02:41 let’s now think about how Jesus spent his last evening 00:02:45 as a human here on earth. 00:02:48 To start with, let’s ask this question: 00:02:52 By the time of that evening, 00:02:55 what did Jesus know about the circumstances of his death? 00:03:00 To answer that question, 00:03:02 let’s read together what’s stated in Matthew chapter 20. 00:03:07 So if you turn with me, please, 00:03:09 to Matthew 20:18, 19, 00:03:14 Jesus said: 00:03:16 “Look! We are going up to Jerusalem, 00:03:19 “and the Son of man will be handed over 00:03:22 “to the chief priests and the scribes. 00:03:25 “They will condemn him to death 00:03:27 “and hand him over to men of the nations 00:03:30 “to be mocked and scourged and executed on a stake; 00:03:34 and on the third day he will be raised up.” 00:03:39 So on that final evening, 00:03:41 what did Jesus already know about his death, 00:03:44 and what would he have been thinking about? 00:03:48 These verses that we just read 00:03:50 mention four things. 00:03:53 First of all, it tells us that he knew 00:03:56 he would be handed over to the Jewish religious leaders 00:03:59 who would take him to court and find him guilty of a crime, 00:04:03 perhaps one including the charge of blasphemy. 00:04:08 Second, Jesus knew that he would be handed over 00:04:12 to “men of the nations” (in other words, the Romans), 00:04:16 and that they would violently abuse him. 00:04:20 Third, he knew that he would be executed on a stake. 00:04:25 And the final point, 00:04:27 he realized that he would be resurrected on the third day. 00:04:32 So on that final evening, 00:04:34 Jesus already knew some of the details concerning his death, 00:04:38 and these would have weighed heavily on his mind. 00:04:42 But were there any other things that he already knew? 00:04:46 Yes. 00:04:47 Let’s consider another three facts that were on his mind that evening. 00:04:52 The first one we’ll notice 00:04:54 if we turn to the book of John this time. 00:04:57 In John chapter 13, 00:04:59 we’re going to start by reading verse 21: 00:05:05 “After saying these things, Jesus became troubled in spirit, 00:05:10 “and he bore witness, saying: 00:05:12 ‘Most truly I say to you, one of you will betray me.’” 00:05:17 Now if we turn across to verse 26, 00:05:20 it tells us that Jesus continued to say: 00:05:24 “‘It is the one to whom I will give the piece of bread that I dip.’ 00:05:29 “So after dipping the bread, he took it 00:05:32 and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.” 00:05:37 Jesus knew that one of his apostles would betray him, 00:05:41 and he even knew who his betrayer would be. 00:05:45 Now for something else that Jesus knew, 00:05:48 let’s read verse 38 of the same chapter 00:05:51 —John 13:38. 00:05:56 Jesus here said to Peter: 00:05:58 “Will you surrender your life in my behalf? 00:06:02 “Most truly I say to you, a rooster will by no means crow 00:06:07 until you have disowned me three times.” 00:06:11 So Jesus also knew that Peter would deny him three times. 00:06:17 And for another point, let’s turn to John chapter 16 00:06:22 —John 16:32. 00:06:27 Here, speaking to his apostles, Jesus said: 00:06:31 “Look! The hour is coming, 00:06:33 “indeed, it has come, 00:06:35 “when each one of you will be scattered to his own house 00:06:39 and you will leave me alone.” 00:06:42 So Jesus also realized that the rest of his apostles 00:06:46 would run away and desert him. 00:06:49 So, what did Jesus have on his mind that evening? 00:06:53 Not only would Jesus have been thinking 00:06:55 about his upcoming court trial, persecution, 00:06:59 and execution but he also knew 00:07:02 that he would be betrayed, 00:07:05 denied, and abandoned. 00:07:09 Now, if you were Jesus, 00:07:12 how would you have reacted to this knowledge? 00:07:15 Perhaps you would have preferred to be by yourself, 00:07:19 avoiding those who would fail you. 00:07:21 You might have thought, 00:07:23 ‘It’s better for me to spend the evening in prayer 00:07:26 —preparing properly— without these negative distractions.’ 00:07:31 Just think about it: 00:07:33 Despite all these negative things, 00:07:36 Jesus didn’t hide away and stay by himself. 00:07:39 In fact, he told his apostles that he “greatly desired” 00:07:44 to celebrate this last Passover with them. 00:07:47 In other words, he wasn’t going to “miss the meeting” 00:07:51 because of these negative things. 00:07:54 Amazingly, even with all these things on his mind, 00:07:59 Jesus focused on how to help his faithful apostles. 00:08:03 He loved them, and he wanted to prepare them 00:08:06 for what was about to happen. 00:08:09 In fact, in John’s account, 00:08:11 five chapters are devoted to Jesus’ final words 00:08:14 of encouragement to his apostles. 00:08:17 What an amazing, unselfish love Jesus showed! 00:08:23 Just imagine, Jesus took the time 00:08:26 to wash the feet of his apostles, 00:08:29 even the feet of his betrayer, Judas Iscariot. 00:08:33 Not only were the apostles unwilling to do this lowly service 00:08:37 but when Jesus started to wash their feet, 00:08:39 not one of them stood up and offered to take over. 00:08:43 Yes, they had a real problem with their attitude. 00:08:46 That was further shown by the fact 00:08:48 that they had an argument that evening 00:08:51 about who was the greatest among them. 00:08:54 But do we see the evidence of Jesus’ love in all of this? 00:08:58 He didn’t give up on them. 00:09:01 Jesus didn’t allow these failures 00:09:04 to cause him to have a negative view of his apostles. 00:09:07 Instead, he commended his 11 faithful apostles 00:09:11 and even made a covenant with them to be part of his Kingdom. 00:09:15 Isn’t that truly amazing? 00:09:18 Additionally, Jesus earnestly prayed to Jehovah 00:09:22 not only to watch over those apostles 00:09:25 but also to care for those who would later believe in him 00:09:29 —that includes us today. 00:09:32 Despite all the negative things on his mind, 00:09:36 Jesus focused on strengthening others and praying for them. 00:09:41 What an expression of unselfish love! 00:09:46 This evening, we’ll be focusing on the love 00:09:49 Jehovah and Jesus expressed for us. 00:09:52 But as we meditate on the events of Nisan 14, 00:09:56 let’s also remember how Jesus proved his love 00:10:00 for his apostles by not giving up on them. 00:10:03 Even at a time when his thoughts would have been focused 00:10:07 on the excruciating death that lay ahead of him, 00:10:10 he patiently helped them 00:10:12 so that they could deal with what was about to happen. 00:10:17 What lessons can we learn from this? 00:10:20 Well, this may not be the last night of our life, 00:10:23 and we may not expect to be executed tomorrow. 00:10:27 But how can we imitate the love 00:10:30 that Jesus displayed that final evening? 00:10:33 Here are some things we can all be determined to do: 00:10:37 Don’t give up on our brothers and sisters, 00:10:40 even if at times they seem to fail us. 00:10:43 Continue to strengthen others, 00:10:46 even when we are facing difficulties. 00:10:50 In this way, we will also prove our genuine love 00:10:54 for Jehovah and his loving Son, Jesus Christ. 00:10:58 Now, David, let’s have our comments read. 00:11:02 “Jesus was willing not only to die for his disciples 00:11:06 “but also to live each day in a way that put their interests ahead of his own. 00:11:10 “For instance, he met with his followers 00:11:12 “even when he was physically tired or emotionally distressed. 00:11:16 “And he focused on what he could give to others, 00:11:18 “not on what he could get from them. 00:11:21 “We belong to the only true Christian brotherhood, 00:11:24 “and we enjoy spending as much time as possible 00:11:27 “inviting new ones to join us. 00:11:29 “However, we are particularly interested 00:11:31 “in helping those who are ‘related to us in the faith’ 00:11:34 “but who have become inactive. 00:11:37 “We prove our love for them by encouraging them to attend our meetings, 00:11:41 “especially the Memorial. 00:11:44 “Like Jehovah and Jesus, 00:11:46 we are deeply moved when an inactive one returns to Jehovah.” 00:11:52 Thank you, David, for reading for us this morning. 00:11:55 Now we’re going to turn our attention 00:11:57 to our scheduled Bible reading for this morning. 00:12:08 “Now on the first day of the Unleavened Bread, 00:12:11 “when they customarily offered up the Passover sacrifice, 00:12:16 “his disciples said to him: 00:12:18 “‘Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?’ 00:12:22 “With that 00:12:24 “he sent two of his disciples and said to them: 00:12:27 “‘Go into the city, 00:12:29 “‘and a man carrying an earthenware water jar will meet you. 00:12:33 “‘Follow him, and wherever he goes inside, 00:12:37 “‘say to the master of the house, 00:12:39 “‘“The Teacher says: 00:12:41 “‘“‘Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 00:12:46 “‘“And he will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. 00:12:50 “Prepare it for us there.’” 00:12:53 “So the disciples went out, 00:12:55 “and they entered the city and found it just as he said to them, 00:13:00 and they prepared for the Passover.” 00:13:09 “On the first day of the Unleavened Bread, 00:13:12 “the disciples came to Jesus, saying: 00:13:15 “‘Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?’ 00:13:19 “He said: ‘Go into the city to So-and-so and say to him, 00:13:24 “‘“The Teacher says: ‘My appointed time is near; 00:13:29 “I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your home.’”’ 00:13:33 “So the disciples did as Jesus instructed them 00:13:36 and prepared for the Passover.” 00:13:44 “After evening had fallen, 00:13:47 “he came with the Twelve. 00:13:51 “And as they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said: 00:13:55 “‘Truly I say to you, one of you 00:13:58 “who is eating with me will betray me.’ 00:14:02 “They began to be grieved 00:14:04 “and to say to him one by one: 00:14:08 “‘It is not I, is it?’ 00:14:11 “He said to them: 00:14:14 “‘It is one of the Twelve, the one dipping with me into the bowl. 00:14:18 “‘For the Son of man is going away, just as it is written about him, 00:14:23 “‘but woe to that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! 00:14:28 “It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.’ 00:14:35 “And as they continued eating, 00:14:38 “he took a loaf, said a blessing, 00:14:41 “broke it, and gave it to them, saying: 00:14:45 “‘Take it; this means my body.’ 00:14:50 “And taking a cup, he offered thanks and gave it to them, 00:14:54 “and they all drank out of it. 00:14:57 “And he said to them: 00:14:59 “‘This means my “blood of the covenant,” 00:15:02 “‘which is to be poured out in behalf of many. 00:15:06 “‘Truly I say to you, I will by no means drink anymore 00:15:10 “‘of the product of the vine until that day 00:15:13 “when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.’ 00:15:17 “Finally, after singing praises, 00:15:21 “they went out to the Mount of Olives 00:15:25 “And Jesus said to them: 00:15:27 “‘You will all be stumbled, for it is written: 00:15:31 “‘“I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered about.” 00:15:36 “‘But after I have been raised up, 00:15:38 “I will go ahead of you into Galilee.’ 00:15:41 “But Peter said to him: 00:15:44 “‘Even if all the others are stumbled, I will not be.’ 00:15:48 “At that Jesus said to him: 00:15:52 “‘Truly I say to you that today, yes, 00:15:55 “‘on this very night, before a rooster crows twice, 00:16:00 “you will disown me three times.’ 00:16:03 “But he kept insisting: 00:16:07 “‘If I have to die with you, I will by no means disown you.’ 00:16:11 “Also, all the others began to say the same thing. 00:16:18 “So they came to a spot named Gethsemane, 00:16:21 “and he said to his disciples: 00:16:24 “‘Sit down here while I pray.’ 00:16:27 “And he took Peter and James and John along with him, 00:16:32 “and he began to feel deeply distressed 00:16:35 “and to be greatly troubled. 00:16:37 “He said to them: 00:16:40 “‘I am deeply grieved, even to death. 00:16:44 “‘Stay here and keep on the watch.’ 00:16:48 “And going a little way forward, 00:16:52 “he fell to the ground and began praying that, 00:16:55 “if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him. 00:17:00 “And he said: 00:17:03 “‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you; 00:17:08 “‘remove this cup from me. 00:17:11 “Yet, not what I want, but what you want.’ 00:17:16 “He returned and found them sleeping, 00:17:21 “and he said to Peter: 00:17:23 “‘Simon, are you sleeping? 00:17:26 “‘Did you not have the strength to keep on the watch for one hour? 00:17:31 “‘Keep on the watch and pray continually, 00:17:35 “‘so that you do not come into temptation. 00:17:38 “‘The spirit, of course, is eager, 00:17:41 “but the flesh is weak.’ 00:17:45 “And he went away again and prayed, 00:17:47 “saying the same thing. 00:17:50 “And he came again and found them sleeping, 00:17:53 “for their eyes were weighed down, 00:17:56 “so they did not know what to answer him. 00:18:00 “And he returned the third time and said to them: 00:18:04 “‘At such a time as this, you are sleeping and resting! 00:18:09 “‘It is enough! The hour has come! 00:18:13 “‘Look! The Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 00:18:18 “‘Get up, let us go. 00:18:21 “Look! My betrayer has drawn near.’ 00:18:26 “And immediately, while he was still speaking, 00:18:29 “Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived 00:18:33 “and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, 00:18:37 “sent from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 00:18:42 “Now his betrayer had given them an agreed sign, saying: 00:18:48 “‘Whoever it is I kiss, he is the one; 00:18:52 “take him into custody, and lead him away under guard.’ 00:18:56 “And he came straight up and approached him 00:19:01 “and said, ‘Rabbi!’ 00:19:04 “and gave him a tender kiss. 00:19:08 “So they seized him and took him into custody. 00:19:12 “However, one of those standing by drew his sword 00:19:17 “and struck the slave of the high priest, taking off his ear. 00:19:21 “But in response Jesus said to them: 00:19:26 “‘Did you come out to arrest me 00:19:28 “‘with swords and clubs as against a robber? 00:19:32 “‘Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, 00:19:35 “‘and yet you did not take me into custody. 00:19:38 “Nevertheless, this is to fulfill the Scriptures.’ 00:19:43 “And they all abandoned him and fled. 00:19:49 “However, a certain young man wearing only a fine linen garment 00:19:54 “over his naked body began to follow him nearby, 00:19:58 “and they tried to seize him, 00:20:00 “but he left his linen garment behind and got away naked. 00:20:06 “They now led Jesus away to the high priest, 00:20:10 “and all the chief priests and the elders 00:20:13 “and the scribes assembled. 00:20:15 “But Peter, from a good distance, followed him 00:20:20 “as far as into the courtyard of the high priest; 00:20:23 “and he was sitting together with the house attendants 00:20:26 “and warming himself before a bright fire. 00:20:32 “Now the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin 00:20:34 “were looking for testimony against Jesus 00:20:37 “in order to put him to death, but they were not finding any. 00:20:41 “Many, indeed, were giving false witness against him, 00:20:46 “but their testimonies were not in agreement. 00:20:52 “Also, certain ones were standing up 00:20:53 “and bearing false witness against him, saying: 00:20:57 “‘We heard him say, “I will throw down this temple 00:21:02 “‘“that was made with hands, and in three days 00:21:05 “I will build another not made with hands.”’ 00:21:08 “But even on these grounds, 00:21:11 “their testimony was not in agreement. 00:21:16 “Then the high priest stood up in their midst 00:21:18 “and questioned Jesus, saying: 00:21:21 “‘Do you say nothing in reply? 00:21:24 “What is it these men are testifying against you?’ 00:21:27 “But he kept silent and made no reply at all. 00:21:33 “Again the high priest began to question him and said to him: 00:21:38 “‘Are you the Christ the Son of the Blessed One?’ 00:21:43 “Then Jesus said: 00:21:46 “‘I am; and you will see the Son of man 00:21:50 “sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ 00:21:57 “At this the high priest ripped his garments and said: 00:22:01 “‘What further need do we have of witnesses? 00:22:05 “You heard the blasphemy. What is your decision?’ 00:22:09 “They all condemned him as deserving of death. 00:22:14 “And some started to spit on him 00:22:17 “and to cover his face 00:22:19 “and hit him with their fists and say to him: 00:22:23 “‘Prophesy!’ 00:22:25 “And slapping him in the face, the court attendants took him. 00:22:31 “Now while Peter was below in the courtyard, 00:22:35 “one of the servant girls of the high priest came. 00:22:38 “On seeing Peter warming himself, 00:22:41 “she looked straight at him and said: 00:22:45 “‘You too were with the Nazarene, this Jesus.’ 00:22:49 “But he denied it, saying: 00:22:52 “‘Neither do I know him nor do I understand what you are talking about,’ 00:22:57 “and he went outside to the entryway. 00:23:03 “There the servant girl saw him and again began to say to those standing by: 00:23:08 “‘This is one of them.’ 00:23:10 “Again he was denying it. 00:23:13 “And after a little while, 00:23:15 “those standing by again began saying to Peter: 00:23:19 “‘Certainly you are one of them, 00:23:22 “for you are, in fact, a Galilean.’ 00:23:26 “But he started to curse and swear: 00:23:29 “‘I do not know this man of whom you speak!’ 00:23:34 “Immediately a rooster crowed a second time, 00:23:38 “and Peter recalled what Jesus had said to him: 00:23:43 “‘Before a rooster crows twice, 00:23:46 “you will disown me three times.’ 00:23:50 And he broke down and began to weep.” 00:23:57 We’re sure that those verses have helped 00:24:00 to prepare us for the Memorial this evening. 00:24:04 But before we finish, 00:24:06 we’d like to assure you that the Governing Body loves you all. 00:24:11 Wherever you may be this evening, 00:24:13 no matter what challenges you may face, 00:24:16 it’s our heartfelt wish 00:24:18 that Jehovah will richly bless you all. 00:24:22 May our united efforts to be at the Memorial this evening 00:24:25 bring praise to our loving heavenly Father, Jehovah, 00:24:29 and his Son, Jesus Christ!
