Image Source: Scene from Son of God movie, Lightworkers Media

Welcome to Week 9 of our study as we enter into the final week of Christ’s life before his crucifixion and resurrection. I pray that you will allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart and give you a fresh perspective from this familiar series of events, and may the familiarity not be a hindrance to the depth and power of this portion of Scripture. May your life be richer and your relationship with Jesus become deeper and more intimate than ever before!

Due to the amount of information included in the Gospels compared to the amount of time we have to study it, we have had to skip some portions in order to focus on others. We did not have time to cover Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, nor his tirade in the temple over the dishonest money changers who had disrupted the sacred atmosphere of His Father’s house. Rather, we have begun with the working of Satan on the heart of Jesus’ betrayer, Judas.

Day One

The question many have wondered is how it is possible for Satan to enter a follower of Jesus, and can it happen to them? First of all, Satan cannot possess a true believer in Christ. He certainly tries to oppress Christians, and he hurls all kinds of flaming arrows our way, but he can never enter our hearts if the Holy Spirit dwells there.

So what is different with Judas? He had followed Christ the entire time, but he had never truly given his heart to him or allowed Jesus to be his Lord. John 12 tells us that Judas was a thief and had often dipped his hand into the funds that had been collected to meet the disciples’ needs while traveling with Jesus. 1 John 2:19 further explains that those who left the church did so because they never really belonged in the first place. That explains why Judas was able to follow the path he did. Judas’ didn’t just sin, but he showed his true colors by turning his back on Jesus and obeying his true master, Satan.

Luke 22:3 says that Satan entered Judas’ heart, and it was Judas who initiated the meeting with the religious leaders in order to betray Jesus. But we know that Satan’s feeble attempt to defeat the Son of God will never succeed. He may strike at Jesus’ heal, but Jesus will crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15)! Praise the Lord!

So how do we defend ourselves? We will be talking about this in our small groups this week, so I hope you will join us!

Day Two

The Passover had been the most holy feast of the Jewish people for centuries, commemorating the angel of death passing over those who were protected by the blood of lambs painted on their doorposts so that they could be delivered from their oppression in Egypt. What is so amazing is that all those years, this holy day was ultimately pointing forward to what Jesus would fulfill by his death, burial, and resurrection! That is why he came! He came to be the final, perfect lamb who would take away the sins of the world for all eternity if we would repent and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. No longer would sacrifices need to be made again because Jesus was the only one worthy to actually remove our guilt and make us right with God once and for all. (For more about the Old and New Covenants, see Hebrews 10.)

As Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples on the night he would be betrayed, he established a new order that would represent the New Covenant he came to establish. From now on, when we break the bread, it represents his body that was broken for us, and when we drink the wine, it represents the blood that Jesus shed to cleanse us from our sins. I can imagine that the disciples didn’t quite understand what Jesus was saying at first, but they would in time! Now, when we participate in the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion, we are to do this with pure hearts and holy reverence as we remember Christ’s sacrifice (1 Corinthians 11:23-31).

Day Three

Sifting wheat… hmmm. I wonder what Jesus meant by this when he told the disciples that Satan had asked to sift them like wheat. Does this mean that Jesus gave him permission? Would Satan have asked otherwise? Is he referring to what the disciples would endure during the hours of Jesus’ arrest just before his crucifixion?

It is interesting that sifting is a process that can separate impurities and make the wheat fine and pure. It may be a painful process in our lives, but when God allows us to go through such an ordeal, it is for a purpose, and He is always with us. Satan tries his best to torment or hinder us, but God can use Satan’s weapons against us as the very tools He will use to strengthen us (1 Peter 1:6-7 Romans 5:3-5). Our times of sifting can bring about patience, endurance, character, and hope!

After Jesus addressed his disciples, he then looked at Peter personally and instructed him that when he turns back, he must encourage his brothers. Turn back from where? I believe Jesus was referring to Peter’s denial of Him three times in one evening. Peter wept bitterly as an expression of the darkest moment of his life to that point, but it would eventually result in a heart prepared for building the church in its early days. I believe the books of 1 and 2 Peter were born partly out of Peter’s experience, and just as Jesus had instructed him, he encouraged and strengthened the church, particularly during its early years of persecution. His letters continue to do so for us today too!

Day Four

My heart breaks at the picture of Jesus praying with such agony and grief at the Garden of Gethsemane. His sweat was as drops of blood which signifies stress beyond the body’s ability to endure it. Yet, He surrendered His will completely and was obedient to the Father. The thought that Jesus could have called thousands of angels to deliver him from the cross, but he chose to endure the suffering and the humiliation for my sake is more than I can stand! I deserve death for my sin, but He took my place and made me right with God. It was the only way to set us free once and for all, and He loved us that much!

We then read of Judas’ betrayal and of Jesus’ arrest. The religious leaders had been after him all this time, but they were prevented until now. Now was the right time. The beginning of Passover was the perfect time for our Passover Lamb to lay down His life for us.

At this point, things begin progressing very quickly. Judas led the soldiers to the Garden to arrest Jesus. Peter tried to defend Jesus by cutting off the ear of one of the soldiers, but Jesus said this is not the way. He then healed the soldier’s ear. Eventually, Jesus’ followers, the very ones who had all pledged loyalty to the end, all scattered and ran. I can imagine their fear, but my heart breaks to see Jesus go through this alone.

Day Five

On our final day of study this week, we sifted through the details of Peter’s denial and what led up to it. Perhaps if Peter had instead denied himself as Jesus had taught, he might not have denied Jesus. We also see that Peter followed Jesus from a distance. As a lesson to us, we must follow Christ closely if we are to remain steadfast in our faith.

Another important element here is that Peter plopped himself down in the middle of a bad influence. He was warming his hands by the fire near those who were not allies of Christ. This had some influence in Peter’s behavior. Similarly, we must be careful about who we allow to influence our lives. Loving all people, as Jesus did, is one thing, but to allow them to have access to our hearts can have a detrimental effect on our lives. We must choose wisely!

I might also add that Peter didn’t just deny Jesus once, but he did so repeatedly. There was no excuse. When we repeat the same sins over and over again, our consciences become calloused, and we may find ourselves spiraling down a cliff of defeat rather quickly!

Oh, but to lock eyes with Jesus immediately upon hearing the rooster crow after Peter had denied Him the third time must have been the darkest, most bitter moment of all for Peter. I can picture the intensity of his weeping and waling as he realized that he was capable of denying his Lord. He was so sure he would be loyal to the end, but he had a sinful tendency that needed to be revealed and dealt with. We will see his repentance and reconciliation next week, so don’t let this get you down!

That pretty much sums up many of the major points for this week, so let’s get ready for our small groups. I hope to see you there! Here are the questions we will use for our discussions:

Week Nine Discussion Questions

QUESTION 1: How is it possible that Satan could enter the heart of one of Christ’s followers, Judas? What are some ways we can we defend ourselves from Satan’s weapons against us as believers? (pp. 196-197)

QUESTION 2: “The people of Israel had observed the Passover for approximately 15 centuries. But that particular night, a change occurred. Christ not only observed the ancient memorial of the Passover, but also He instituted something new.” Describe the new observance Christ instituted. What is most meaningful to you? (p. 198, Luke 22:7-23, 1 Cor. 11:23-31)

QUESTION 3: What do you think Christ meant when He used this figure of speech to Peter: “Satan has asked to sift you as wheat” (Luke 22:31)? How did Peter eventually “strengthen his brothers” as Jesus instructed him? What can we learn from this?

QUESTION 4: What is your reaction when you consider that God could have spared Jesus’ suffering and chosen to let us bear the consequences of our own sin?  (p. 208)

QUESTION 5: Can you relate to Peter on any level as you read of his denial of Christ or of his grief-filled weeping afterward? What is our hope?

QUESTION 6: What is something you learned this week that you can personally apply to your life?

Homework for the Week

1. Please work on the five days of homework in Week 10: “The Risen Hope,” pp. 216 – 238.
2. (Optional) View Beth Moore’s video. (This is not required because of the cost. The study can be completed without the videos.) Here is a link to the viewer guides with the answers if you are unable to view the videos.
3. Attend a small group meeting in our Heart to Heart Facebook group. 
4. Scripture of the week:

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19 NIV

Have a blessed week!