Walk with us through the pivotal final hours of Jesus’ life, as depicted in the Gospels. Discover how Jesus’ interactions with his disciples at the Last Supper reveal depths of love, sorrow, and sacrifice. Reflect on his agony in the garden, and learn from his unwavering commitment to fulfill the scriptures despite the betrayal by those closest to him. This episode offers a moving exploration of faith, redemption, and the path to spiritual renewal.
00:00:00 Introduction to the Night Before Jesus’ Death
Have you ever thought of what Jesus went through the night before His death? All for you and for me, friends. To God be the glory. And that’s our discussion ahead from the International Gospel Hour. Please stay with us.
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Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour.
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For 90 years, churches of Christ have proclaimed God’s Word through International Gospel Hour. You are about to listen to another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, starting now.
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Well, greetings and hello, everyone. Great having you with us today for our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. We’re delighted to have you with us, and we do appreciate our J-Web for his kind introductions, and as well as the offers that he will share with you throughout our broadcast. All of our material from the International Gospel Hour and links that we may share with you to search online are absolutely free. As a matter of fact, I want to begin the broadcast by sharing with you a free book courtesy of our friends at ApologeticsPress.org out of Montgomery, Alabama. It is a book called Why People Suffer, written by Dave Miller. We have that book absolutely free for your study. Here’s all you do. Call us toll free at 855-444-6988 and leave us your name, address, and just say, Why People Suffer. That’s all you have to do. You can also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the contact tab and leave us the same information, name and address and just type why people suffer in the message box and we’ll send that to you as soon as possible. Again, you can call us toll free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name and address and just say why people suffer and we will send you that book absolutely free. We’re honored to do so. We hope it will be of help to you. And speaking of suffering, friends, may I take us back to an evening of one whom the Scripture says he knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of this world, John 13, verse 1. And yes, I am speaking of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And for our broadcast today, would you study with me about the night before his death? This was a recent speaking assignment given to me, and the return to the Gospels and the study therein reminded me of the price that He paid for me to be redeemed and to be renewed every day. Now, we’re going to spend time in the Gospel accounts as follows. From Matthew 26, verses 20-75… Mark chapter 14 verses 17 through 72, Luke 24, 14 through 65, and John 13 verse 1 through chapter 18 verse 27. Now, I’m going to give those to you again in case you want to write them down. But these accounts are the night before the death of Jesus Christ. And here are the gospel accounts that contain all we need to know. Matthew 26, verses 20 through 75. That’s Matthew 26, 20 through 75. Mark 14, verses 17 through 72. Mark 14, verses 17 through 72. Luke 22, verses 14 through 65. Luke 22, verses 14 through 65. And finally, from John’s Gospel, John 13, verse 1 through chapter 18, verse 27. That’s John 13, verse 1 through John 18, verse 27. Now, throughout our study, I may mention Matthew’s account, Mark’s account, Luke’s account, John’s account, and I’ll be referring to those texts that I just gave you. We’re going to look at his last night and all that he faced, attempting to see his emotions the best that we can, and then embrace what we can learn and apply therein to take this dreadful night before his death as the hymn expresses, and to make our days better. But first, I’m going to defer to our J-Web, who has a free online video study just for you.
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Does It Matter? is a free online video study. The most important question in all the world is, where will you go when you die? God has provided from the Bible all that one must know. Any questions about salvation, sin, and the church? They will be addressed from God’s Word. May we send you the link and give it a try? Just call toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, email, and just say, Does It Matter? Again, call toll-free at 855-444-6988, and please leave your name, email, and just say, Does it matter? You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the Contact tab, and leave us the same information, name, email, and type Does it matter in the message blank. We will send the link right out to you.
SPEAKER 01 :
Friends, let’s begin at the table. In Luke 22, verses 14 through 16, we find Jesus at the table at the Last Supper. Let’s look at His disposition at the table. In Luke 22, 14-16, when the hour was come, he sat down and the twelve apostles with him, and he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. Now, friends, to see that word desire, it is a word that expresses passion, fervor, and eagerness. Jesus anticipated this very moment. And you think about everything that went on before. The preparation of the upper room in verses 7 through 13. The washing of the disciples’ feet in John’s account of John 13, 4 through 17. And yes, friends, this was his last meal. Note the phrase, with desire I have desired. The passion, the fervor, the eagerness, I have desired such a great meaning and this was so important to him. You know, I have read of individuals who were on death row and their final request, they would request a last meal, whatever they would wish. Did they have any last words, any final requests, someone of whom they wanted to speak to? They would always try to meet those final words and final requests. Here Jesus, desiring to meet with his apostles, not his final request per se, but not what he wanted to do, but what he saw they needed to do, and his passion, his fervor, his eagerness to do that and to be with them. John 13, 21 says that he had a troubled spirit. He had more concern for others than himself, as we mentioned. This goes back to Jesus serving his apostles there at the last meal. Now, from the disposition, let’s look at the disciples who were there with him. You cannot help but to think of Judas, who had his hand in the dish and his hand on the table, if you will. Mark’s account, Jesus stated clearly, “…one of you which eats with me shall betray me.” The phrase, the question asked over and over, Master, is it I? And even Judas asking that specifically, Matthew 26, 25. In John’s account, the sopped bread that was given and taken by Judas and Satan entered in as well. Not only the sop, but Satan entered in. And in Matthew 26, 24, the conclusion, Jesus said, Woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It had been good for that man if he had not been born. Think of the tragedy of Judas and how he ended his life. Now, of course, there’s Peter at the table. And before the rooster would crow, he would have denied the Lord three times. Now, John’s account said Jesus said that at the table. In Luke’s account, he was possibly away from the table. And in Matthew and Mark’s account, it was expressed on the trail. Could it be possible that Jesus told this to Peter on two occasions? That he would deny him before the rooster would crow? He would deny Jesus three times? Jesus had already rebuked Peter in Matthew 16, verses 21 through 23, when Jesus began to show to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised the third day. And if you remember, Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, Far be it from you, Lord, this shall not happen to you. But he turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense to me. You are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. And in Luke’s account, chapter 22, verse 32, he looked at Peter and says, But I have prayed for thee, that your faith fail not, and when you are converted, strengthen your brethren. Jesus had hope in Peter. And when you think about how he very well could have said that more than once, Do you ever recall a teacher that seemed to be very hard on you? Or maybe a boss that was a little strong towards you? Not because they did not like you, but they wanted you to bring their very best. Maybe it was a coach in ball playing or something of that nature. I wonder often if Jesus, seeing this of Peter, saying this, When you are converted, when you mature, when you grow, you strengthen your brethren. How many individuals have been strengthened as Christians because of 1 and 2 Peter in the New Testament? Now, what about the strife among them at the table in Luke’s account? And when you look at John 13, 31 through 35 of loving one another, could we concur how Jesus was addressing their concerns? Don’t try to be one above another. Don’t try to do this, but love one another. When we go into John 14, we find Thomas to where he said to Jesus, Can you show us the way? And how can we know the way? And in verses 1-7, the conversation with Thomas, when Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. What about Philip in verses 8-14 of chapter 14 of the book of John? Show us the Father, and that is sufficient for us. And Jesus addressed Philip, Have I not been with you, and you have not seen the Father? What about the other Judas in verses 22-25, Manifest thyself unto us, and not the world? And, of course, Jesus in turn would instruct all of his apostles of what they needed to hear. John 16, beginning with verse 17, some of his disciples said among themselves, What is this that he says to us, A little while, and you will not see me? And again, A little while, and you will see me? And, Because I go to the Father? They said, Therefore, what is this that he says, A little while? We do not know what he is saying. Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask him, and he said to them, Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, A little while, and you will not see me? And again, A little while, and you will see me? Most assuredly I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. And you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. In John 13, verse 1, the Bible says he loved them unto the end. And you and I can see what the apostles did when they took the great commission of Christ and granted by God Almighty and through the power of the Holy Spirit took the gospel into all the world. Now we see at the table His disposition, His disciples, and then He brings forth His direction. Where the promise of the Holy Spirit would come upon the apostles, as He stated in John 14, verses 16 and 26, John 15, verse 26, and John 16, verses 7 and 13. And the Holy Spirit came upon them in Acts 1 and 2. Thus they are preaching the gospel. They are affirming the word with signs and miracles as stated in Mark 16. The words that we have, the Holy Bible, the scripture by inspiration, 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17. And where holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, 2 Peter 1, 20 and 21. Therefore we know from that night at the table before his death, the direction of which the Holy Spirit would come upon the apostles, and praise God we have the power, the word of the Spirit, that teaches us today. What about the Lord’s Supper when Jesus took the bread and the cup, and in Luke 22, 19, this do in remembrance of me? We find this in Luke 22, but also in Matthew and Mark’s account. His body which is given, the blood of the New Testament which is shed for the remission of sins, and the instruction to the church that we find in Acts 2.42 and Paul’s explanation and clear teaching of how the church should observe the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11.23-25. This they did upon every first day of the week, Acts 20 and verse 7. All of this, friends, the night before his death, at the table. For them which shall believe in me through their word, John 17, 20. All of this for us, dear friends, and how thankful we are. May we now move from the table, let’s go outside, and let’s go on the trail to the garden. We think about His prayer in the garden, His pleas, His suffering, yet the will of God be done for you and for me. When he prayed in his prayer, thy will be done on three occasions. O my Father, Matthew 26, 39 and 42. Abba, Father, Mark 14, 36. Please, as a child unto his Father, please that things could be better. Please that things could come or things would move from him. But in Luke’s account, we find an angel appear to him from heaven, strengthening him. Being in agony, he prayed more earnestly than his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. A soul that was sorrowful and heavy, Matthew 26, 37, and yet expressed as exceeding sorrowful even unto death, Matthew 26, 38. the great suffering the night before. Then Peter, James, and John failing to watch and falling asleep in Matthew and Mark’s account to where Jesus would say, Could you not watch with me one hour? And then finally, Sleep on now. Oh, what was upon Jesus Christ for you and for me! Then here came Judas with his kiss of betrayal and his Hail Master, Matthew 26, 49. And he was with the mob, a band of men that in John’s account said that they fell backward. They were shocked. Peter drawing the sword in defense and severing the ear of Malchus in Matthew, John, and Luke’s account, and Jesus immediately healing Malchus, restoring his ear, Luke 22, 51. Friends, that is true healing, restoring his ear as if nothing happened. Peter and John followed in John 18, 15-16, while all the other disciples forsook him and fled in Matthew and Mark’s account. Dear friends, when we look at Jesus on the trail, we see such a hard, horrid night and we wonder, Friends, it was because that the Scriptures must be fulfilled, Matthew 14, 49, as well as Mark 14, 49, as well as Matthew 26, 54, and 56. And yes, friends, according to Matthew 26, 53, He could have called twelve legions of angels, That reflects the hymn that we sing from time to time. He could have called 10,000 angels. But he did not. Friends, at the table and on the trail, he died, and he suffered, rather, for you and for me. Let’s pause here for just a moment. A few words from our J-Web, then let’s come back and let’s go to the trial.
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And now, friends, at the trial of Christ, when we look at the night before his death. To Annas I in John 18, 13, he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Friends, you knew where this was going to go. History depicts this man Annas as a Sadducee, so you know the teaching of Jesus concerning the resurrection was going against his grain, if you will. And Jesus entering the temple and sending the money changers in John 2 and again in Matthew 21, sending them out probably did not sit well with Annas because that affected the gathering of taxes plus much more. So unto Caiaphas, as the presiding judge of the Sanhedrin, who was one to be impartial, but he had already conspired against Christ, according to Matthew 26, verses 3-5, and in Matthew 26, verses 57-65, they secured false witnesses, and Caiaphas inaccurately called upon Jesus when he said, I adjure you, and then refused witnesses after accusing Jesus of blasphemy. Dear friends, there have been many records, many things written about the laws that were broken that day, how Jesus Christ indeed was railroaded, how he was treated that violated the law very clearly. Dear friends, there was no doubt this was a trial that Jesus did not have a chance. The only chance he had was calling legions of angels. He endured all of that suffering to die for me and for you. Matter of fact, at that trial, how about Peter, who in Matthew’s account was setting from a distance? He was close enough, but he was far away. His denials became stronger. In Mark’s account, his speech as a Galilean gave him away. In Luke 22, he followed afar off, sat by the fire. But the stunner is verse 61. When Peter denied the Lord three times, the Bible says the Lord turned and looked upon Peter, and Peter remembered. In John 18, verses 15 and 18, as well as verses 25 through 27, here is Peter standing at the fire with the servants and the officers. And then a kinsman of Malchus recognized Peter, who had just cut off his kinfolk’s ear earlier. Friends, with all of this, Jesus knew what was ahead before this night, as we noted from Matthew 16, 21-23. It was all done for you and for me. I cannot help but to notice His enduring strength and His compassion for us. And yet the worst was yet to come. He died upon the cross for you and for me. Friends, are you living for Christ? Do you see all that He suffered, all that He endured, all that He did for you and for me? And would you like to be closer to the Lord? maybe a Bible study by mail will be of help to you. We can see this is sent out to you along with the other things we’ve mentioned earlier. But here is our J-Web with the specific details of how you can receive our Bible course by mail.
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Our well-received Bible study course by mail is available to everyone absolutely free. Would you like to try it? All you do is call us toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address, and just say, Home Study. That’s it. That’s all you have to do. You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the Contact tab and leave us the same information, name, address, and type Home Study in the message box. At your own pace, you can study the Bible in your own home. Again, it’s free. Give it a try. And it’s from your friends here at International Gospel Hour.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, friends, at the table, on the trail, and at the trial, we have journeyed this last night of the life of Christ. Imagine eating your final meal with those who just don’t seem to be getting it. Yet people that you chose to serve with you, but you still see hope in them. And friends, when we go to the book of Acts, we know how it continues for the disciples. Amen. He was taken as a criminal. And as a citizen, his own laws let him down. We shake our heads and shake our fists to those who treated Jesus the way they did. But then we think of his words. that the Scriptures be fulfilled, and know it was all for us. The Hebrew writer said in Hebrews 5, 7-9, Who, in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to him, who was able to save him from death, and was heard because of his godly fear, though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered, and having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. Friends, if this was our last night, our last day on this earth, would we have everything in order as Jesus did? That’s why we offer the study materials that we do. That’s why we’re willing to help you in your journey. Friends, if you believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, You reflect the teaching of John 3, 16, John 8, 24, and Hebrews 11, 6. Allow that faith to move you to change your life, to change your heart, to repent of your sins, Luke 13, verse 3 and verse 5. To change your decision, change your direction, confess your faith in Christ, as commanded in Matthew 10, 32 and 33, and as we witnessed the eunuch doing in Acts 8, 37, and then ask the eunuch to be baptized into Christ into water. For the remission of your sins, Acts 2, verse 38. To put on Jesus Christ, Galatians 3, verse 27. To be added to His church, Acts 2, verse 47. We will help you every way possible toward that end. If we can be of help to you in your spiritual walk, please reach out to us at 855-444-6988. That’s 855-444-6988. Or internationalgospelhour.com. and go to our contact tab, and we’ll be glad to hear from you. We’ll continue our studies at another time, but thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
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Thank you for listening to our broadcast today. To God goes all the glory, and we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. To listen to it again or our other broadcasts, please visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com.
