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Lesson 1: Jesus prays for his friends.
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A unit on the events of Holy Week.
Bible Passage: The Gospels.
John 17 - Jesus prays and speaks to God about his mission and his followers. First, he asks the Father to glorify him so that he can glorify God and give eternal life to those who believe. Then, he prays for his disciples, asking God to protect them, keep them unified, and set them apart in the truth as they continue his work in the world. Finally, he prays for all future believers, desiring that they would be united in love, just as he and the Father are one, so that the world may know God’s love.
John 21 - After his resurrection, Jesus appears again to his disciples by the Sea of Galilee. Several disciples, including Peter, go fishing but catch nothing until Jesus, standing on the shore (though they don’t recognize him yet), tells them to cast their net on the right side of the boat, leading to a miraculous catch. Recognizing Jesus, Peter jumps into the water to reach him. After having breakfast together, Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him, restoring him after his earlier denial and commissioning him to “feed my sheep.”
John 20:1-23 - Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene discovers the stone rolled away from Jesus’ tomb and runs to tell Peter and another disciple. They race to the tomb and find it empty, with the burial cloths left behind. After they leave, Mary remains outside weeping and then sees two angels in the tomb. Turning around, she encounters Jesus, though she doesn’t recognize him at first. When he says her name, she realizes that it’s him, risen from the dead. Jesus tells her not to cling to him but to go and tell the disciples. Later that evening, Jesus appears to his disciples behind locked doors, offers them peace, shows them his wounds, and breathes on them, saying “Receive the Holy Spirit,” thus commissioning them to continue his mission.
John 12:12-19 - This passage describes Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. As Jesus approaches the city, a large crowd gathers, having heard about his miraculous raising of Lazarus. They welcome him by waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord — blessed is the King of Israel!” Fulfilling prophecy, Jesus rides in on a young donkey, a symbol of peace. His disciples don’t fully understand the significance at the time, but later they recognize it as a fulfillment of Scripture. The Pharisees, witnessing the growing support for Jesus, express frustration, remarking that the whole world seems to be following him.
John 18:1-27 - Jesus is arrested after Judas leads soldiers to him in the Garden of Gethsemane. When they come for him, Jesus identifies himself, causing them to fall back. He also stops Peter from violently resisting. Jesus is then taken for questioning while Peter follows from a distance. In the courtyard, Peter denies knowing Jesus three times, just as Jesus foretold, and a rooster crows. Meanwhile, Jesus is questions about his teachings and is struck by an officer before being sent to the high priest.