1. In the Garden of Gethsemane, what did Jesus pray for?
The Lord Jesus Christ was the God-Man. The Divine and human natures, without merging into each other and without changing, "undivided and unseparated" (the dogma of the Chalcedonian Council) were united in Him in one Person. In accordance with His two natures, the Lord also had two wills. As God, Jesus Christ was of one substance with God the Father and had one Will with Him and the Holy Spirit. But as perfect man, consisting of a soul and a body, the Lord also had human feelings and a human will. His human will was completely obedient to His Divine will. The Lord subjected His human will to the Divine will – He sought only to do the will of the Heavenly Father (John 5:30); His spiritual food was to do the Father's will; He prayed for the Father's will be done.
2. What was Jesus final instruction following the scene in the garden?
Matthew 28:10 – Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
Matthew 28: 16- 20 – Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." After having spent 3 years with Jesus, it is now time to show and tell what they have been taught and what they have learned. Jesus here gives his final instructions to his disciples. All that they have been taught by Jesus must now be put into practice. In other words, now is the time to put feet to their faith! Jesus' final command to His disciples is given in Matthew 28:16-20, which is known as "The Great Commission." Their responsibilities and duties as a "Disciple" has not changed just because Jesus is present in Spirit and not flesh. Jesus clearly states that all power and authority has been given unto Him in heaven and on earth, therefore, He commands His disciples and all of us confessing Christians to "GO"! Nothing will happen until we "Go"! WHO WILL GO? We are commanded to make disciples, baptize and teach. If we do these things, Jesus promises that He will be with us always, even unto the end.
3. How did Jesus close His prayer for His disciples in John 17:14-19?
He asked God to sanctify them through His truth: His word is truth. As He has sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
4. Jesus prayed for all the disciples, but the one that was lost, who was that?
John 17:12 The phrase simply means "man doomed to destruction" and is not reserved for any one individual. In fact, there are two people to which the title "son of perdition" is applied. In context, John 17:12 is referring to Judas Iscariot, while 2 Thessalonians 2:3 is referring to the "man of lawlessness" who will appear in the end times before Christ's return – also known as the Antichrist. John 17:12 "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled." 2 Thessalonians 2:3; "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there comes a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition."
5. Jesus told His disciples their testimonies were going to be what?
Jesus told them that their greatest testimony to the world was going to be their love for one another and their spiritual like-mindedness. "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35) This love for one another included not only a mutual respect as men but also care and compassion as fellow eyewitnesses to the ministry of Jesus Christ. Unity among the disciples was critical.
6. What is the mystery of Christ?
Paul refers to the mystery of Christ in Ephesians 3:4-5 that "has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets." The first thing to note is that this was never a mystery to God, since He knows all things (I John 3:20). The Lord planned Christ's redemptive work "before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4), and has now "made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure" (Ephesians 1:9). But what changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament, and why is there a mystery in the first place? One of the key things that "changed" was that God's plan of salvation through Christ was fulfilled. There were hints of God's plan in (Genesis 3:15), which took place in the Garden of Eden immediately after the fall. Throughout the Old Testament, particularly through the prophet Isaiah, God revealed some of His plan, but it was primarily through the Jews. What God did in the Old Testament was really a picture of what was to come through Jesus Christ. God showed the Jews that they could not keep the law, and they had to keep making sacrifices to cover their sins. Then in the gospels, the ultimate sacrifice (Jesus Christ) came to cover their sins once and for all. What many Israelites obviously did not realize is that God's plan was not just for the Jewish people, but for everyone, both Jew and Gentile, who receives Jesus Christ as their Savior. God's plan throughout Scripture has always been the same, and since the fall, that plan has been in motion. God reveals to us only what we can handle and understand; He is all-knowing, and we have not even begun to fully comprehend the mind of God (Isaiah 55:8-9). Now that Christ's work on the Cross has been completed, and the mystery has been revealed to us through Paul (Ephesians 3:8-9), it is time to boldly proclaim the gospel to everyone—both Jew and Gentile (Romans 10:14-17).
7. How many years did Jesus ministry last?
John mentions three Passover festivals during the ministry of Jesus (Jn. 2:13, 6:4 and 11:55) – and possibly a fourth (Jn. 5:1). Note that these cannot be the same festival, because other festivals occur in between (Jn. 5:1, 7:2, 10:22). Thus, we can assume that Jesus's ministry lasted for at least three years, and that He was put to death in AD 32 or 33 (or later).
The Lord Jesus Christ was the God-Man. The Divine and human natures, without merging into each other and without changing, "undivided and unseparated" (the dogma of the Chalcedonian Council) were united in Him in one Person. In accordance with His two natures, the Lord also had two wills. As God, Jesus Christ was of one substance with God the Father and had one Will with Him and the Holy Spirit. But as perfect man, consisting of a soul and a body, the Lord also had human feelings and a human will. His human will was completely obedient to His Divine will. The Lord subjected His human will to the Divine will – He sought only to do the will of the Heavenly Father (John 5:30); His spiritual food was to do the Father's will; He prayed for the Father's will be done.
2. What was Jesus final instruction following the scene in the garden?
Matthew 28:10 – Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
Matthew 28: 16- 20 – Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." After having spent 3 years with Jesus, it is now time to show and tell what they have been taught and what they have learned. Jesus here gives his final instructions to his disciples. All that they have been taught by Jesus must now be put into practice. In other words, now is the time to put feet to their faith! Jesus' final command to His disciples is given in Matthew 28:16-20, which is known as "The Great Commission." Their responsibilities and duties as a "Disciple" has not changed just because Jesus is present in Spirit and not flesh. Jesus clearly states that all power and authority has been given unto Him in heaven and on earth, therefore, He commands His disciples and all of us confessing Christians to "GO"! Nothing will happen until we "Go"! WHO WILL GO? We are commanded to make disciples, baptize and teach. If we do these things, Jesus promises that He will be with us always, even unto the end.
3. How did Jesus close His prayer for His disciples in John 17:14-19?
He asked God to sanctify them through His truth: His word is truth. As He has sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
4. Jesus prayed for all the disciples, but the one that was lost, who was that?
John 17:12 The phrase simply means "man doomed to destruction" and is not reserved for any one individual. In fact, there are two people to which the title "son of perdition" is applied. In context, John 17:12 is referring to Judas Iscariot, while 2 Thessalonians 2:3 is referring to the "man of lawlessness" who will appear in the end times before Christ's return – also known as the Antichrist. John 17:12 "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled." 2 Thessalonians 2:3; "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there comes a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition."
5. Jesus told His disciples their testimonies were going to be what?
Jesus told them that their greatest testimony to the world was going to be their love for one another and their spiritual like-mindedness. "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35) This love for one another included not only a mutual respect as men but also care and compassion as fellow eyewitnesses to the ministry of Jesus Christ. Unity among the disciples was critical.
6. What is the mystery of Christ?
Paul refers to the mystery of Christ in Ephesians 3:4-5 that "has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets." The first thing to note is that this was never a mystery to God, since He knows all things (I John 3:20). The Lord planned Christ's redemptive work "before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4), and has now "made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure" (Ephesians 1:9). But what changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament, and why is there a mystery in the first place? One of the key things that "changed" was that God's plan of salvation through Christ was fulfilled. There were hints of God's plan in (Genesis 3:15), which took place in the Garden of Eden immediately after the fall. Throughout the Old Testament, particularly through the prophet Isaiah, God revealed some of His plan, but it was primarily through the Jews. What God did in the Old Testament was really a picture of what was to come through Jesus Christ. God showed the Jews that they could not keep the law, and they had to keep making sacrifices to cover their sins. Then in the gospels, the ultimate sacrifice (Jesus Christ) came to cover their sins once and for all. What many Israelites obviously did not realize is that God's plan was not just for the Jewish people, but for everyone, both Jew and Gentile, who receives Jesus Christ as their Savior. God's plan throughout Scripture has always been the same, and since the fall, that plan has been in motion. God reveals to us only what we can handle and understand; He is all-knowing, and we have not even begun to fully comprehend the mind of God (Isaiah 55:8-9). Now that Christ's work on the Cross has been completed, and the mystery has been revealed to us through Paul (Ephesians 3:8-9), it is time to boldly proclaim the gospel to everyone—both Jew and Gentile (Romans 10:14-17).
7. How many years did Jesus ministry last?
John mentions three Passover festivals during the ministry of Jesus (Jn. 2:13, 6:4 and 11:55) – and possibly a fourth (Jn. 5:1). Note that these cannot be the same festival, because other festivals occur in between (Jn. 5:1, 7:2, 10:22). Thus, we can assume that Jesus's ministry lasted for at least three years, and that He was put to death in AD 32 or 33 (or later).
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