“June 12–18. Luke 22; John 18: ‘Not My Will, but Thine, Be Done,’” Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 (2022)

“June 12–18. Luke 22; John 18,” Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: 2023

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Christ and disciples in Gethsemane

Gethsemane Grove, by Derek Hegsted

June 12–18

Luke 22; John 18

“Not My Will, but Thine, Be Done”

Take your time reading Luke 22 and John 18 this week. Ponder and pray about what you read. Doing this can give the Spirit opportunity to bear witness to your heart that the scriptures are true.

Record Your Impressions

There were only three mortal witnesses to Jesus Christ’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane—and they slept through much of it. In that garden and later on the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the sins, pains, and sufferings of every person who ever lived, although almost no one alive at that time knew what was happening. Eternity’s most important events often pass without much worldly attention. But God the Father knew. He heard the pleading of His faithful Son: “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him” (Luke 22:42–43). While we were not there to witness this act of selflessness and submission, we are witnesses of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Every time we repent and receive forgiveness of our sins, every time we feel the Savior’s strengthening power, we can testify of the reality of what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane.

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Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

Luke 22:31–34, 54–62; John 18:17–27

Conversion is an ongoing process.

Think about the experiences Peter had with the Savior—the miracles he witnessed and the doctrine he learned. Why then would the Savior say to Peter, “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren”? (Luke 22:32; italics added). As you ponder this, it might help to consider what Elder David A. Bednar taught about the difference between having a testimony and being truly converted (see “Converted unto the Lord,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 106–9).

As you read about Peter’s experiences in Luke 22:31–34, 54–62 (see also John 18:17–27), think about your own conversion. Have you ever felt so committed that, like Peter, you were “ready to go with [the Savior], both into prison, and to death”? (Luke 22:33). Why do those feelings sometimes fade? There are daily opportunities to either deny or witness of the Savior; what will you do to be a daily witness of Him? What other lessons do you learn from Peter’s experience?

As you continue reading the New Testament, watch for evidence of Peter’s ongoing conversion. Also note ways he accepted the Lord’s charge to “strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32; see Acts 3–4).

The Savior suffered for me in Gethsemane.

President Russell M. Nelson invited us to “invest time in learning about the Savior and His atoning sacrifice” (“Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 40).

Consider what you will do to accept President Nelson’s invitation. You might start by prayerfully pondering the Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane, as described in these verses, and writing impressions and questions that come to mind.

For an even deeper study of the Savior and His Atonement, try searching other scriptures for answers to questions like these:

Why was the Savior’s Atonement necessary? (See 2 Nephi 2:5–10, 17–26; 9:5–26; Alma 34:8–16; 42:9–26.)
What did the Savior experience as He suffered? (See Isaiah 53:3–5; Mosiah 3:7; Alma 7:11–13; Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–19.)
How does Christ’s suffering affect my life? (See John 10:10–11; Hebrews 4:14–16; 1 John 1:7; Alma 34:31; Moroni 10:32–33; Dallin H. Oaks, “Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 61–64.)
Other questions I have:

As you learn about what happened in Gethsemane, it might be interesting to know that Gethsemane was a garden of olive trees and included an olive press, used to crush olives and extract oil used for lighting and food as well as healing (see Luke 10:34). How might the process of extracting olive oil symbolize what the Savior did for us in Gethsemane? For some ideas, see Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s message “Abide in My Love” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 50–51).

John 18:28–38

The Savior’s “kingdom is not of this world.”

As a political leader, Pontius Pilate was familiar with the power and kingdoms of this world. But Jesus spoke of a much different kind of kingdom. Thinking back on what you’ve read about the Savior’s life, what evidence do you see that His “kingdom is not of this world”? (John 18:36). Why is it important for you to know this? What else stands out to you about Jesus’s words to Pilate?

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Ideas for Family Scripture Study and Home Evening

Luke 22:31–32.How might Peter have felt to know that Jesus had prayed for him and his faith? Who can we pray for, “that [their] faith fail not”? (verse 32).

Luke 22:39–46.Learning about the Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane can be a sacred experience for your family. Consider what you can do to create a reverent and worshipful spirit as you study Luke 22:39–46. You might play or sing together some of your family’s favorite hymns or children’s songs about the Savior. You could look at related artwork or watch a video like “The Savior Suffers in Gethsemane” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). As you read the verses, family members could share passages that are especially meaningful to them—perhaps a passage that helps them feel the Savior’s love (see also Matthew 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–42). You might also invite them to share their testimonies of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.

Luke 22:42.Family members could share experiences when they learned to say, “Not my will, but thine, be done.”

Luke 22:50–51; John 18:10–11.What do we learn about Jesus from these verses?

John 18:37–38.How would we answer Pilate’s question “What is truth?” (verse 38). For some ideas, see John 8:32; Doctrine and Covenants 84:45; 93:23–28; and “Oh Say, What Is Truth?,” Hymns, no. 272.

For more ideas for teaching children, see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Primary.

Suggested hymn: “I Stand All Amazed,” Hymns, no. 193.

Improving Personal Study

Study the words of latter-day prophets and apostles. Read what latter-day prophets and apostles have taught about the truths you find in the scriptures. For instance, in the most recent general conference issue of the Liahona, you could search the topic index for “Atonement” (see Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 21).