“The Cup Which My Father Hath Given Me, Shall I Not Drink It?”
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Judas is giving Jesus a kiss on the cheek, a band of men with torches are behind them
Jesus Christ was fully committed to doing Heavenly Father’s will. This is especially evident in His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, His arrest that followed, and the events leading up to and during His Crucifixion. This lesson can help you follow Jesus Christ’s example by choosing Heavenly Father’s will in your life.
Student preparation: Invite students to think of a time when they chose to do what Heavenly Father wanted instead of a personal preference. Ask students to think about what was difficult and why they made the choice.
Possible Learning Activities
Placing Heavenly Father’s will above our own
To help students think about the difficulties of placing Heavenly Father’s will before our own, consider using the following scenario. A student could be invited to the front of the class to share their thoughts about the choices presented in the scenario.
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Drawing of two doors and siding.
Display the image above, or draw two simple doors on the board.
Imagine that you were standing in front of two doors. By choosing to enter the first door, you would be following Heavenly Father’s will, but you would face a difficult trial. If you chose to go through the second door, you would escape the trial, but you wouldn’t be doing what Heavenly Father wanted for you.
Why might someone choose door one? door two?
What do you know about Heavenly Father that could help you choose to enter the first door?
Take a moment to reflect on Jesus Christ’s life and how choosing the first door is similar to how He chose to live. In today’s lesson, you will have the opportunity to read about the choices the Savior made toward the end of His mortal life. As you study, look for what inspires you about Jesus Christ’s actions.
Jesus Christ is betrayed and arrested in Gethsemane
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Christ asked His Father to “remove this cup from me,” but He made it clear that He was committed to doing the Father’s will when He said, “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). The cup that Jesus talked about refers to His suffering and death.
Read John 18:1–4, looking for how the Savior continued to demonstrate His commitment to doing Heavenly Father’s will.
Make a list of some of the difficult things that Jesus knew would “come upon Him” in the coming hours but that He accepted (verse 4).
Read John 18:5–11, looking for how the Savior responded to the armed mob that had come to take Him.
For additional details not recorded by John that show Jesus Christ’s amazing love and determination, read Matthew 26:52–54 and Luke 22:50–51. You may also want to watch “The Savior Suffers in Gethsemane” from time code 5:55 to 8:30, available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
What impressed you about Jesus’s encounter with the armed mob?
What does Jesus Christ’s example help you understand about facing opposition?
Why do you think the Savior was able to handle these situations in the way He did? What does this teach you about Him?
The statement from Elder Bednar in the “Commentary and Background Information” section might be useful here as part of the discussion about the Savior’s characteristics and what students learned from His actions. (See David A. Bednar, “Meek and Lowly of Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 33.)
Jesus Christ is brought to trial
After Jesus’s arrest, he was brought before the high priest, Caiaphas, and other Jewish leaders. Read Luke 22:63–65 to find out about some of the unjust treatment Jesus received from them. You may also want to watch the video “Jesus Is Tried by Caiaphas, Peter Denies Knowing Him” from time code 0:00 to 1:39, available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Why do you think the Savior was willing to endure such harsh and unjust treatment?
In the Book of Mormon, Nephi and Abinadi taught about why the Savior willingly submitted to such treatment. Read 1 Nephi 19:8–9 and Mosiah 15:5–7 to find out what reasons they listed.
In your study journal, write down what lessons you can learn about or from Jesus Christ from these verses.
You may want to write down a few reasons why understanding these lessons is valuable or personally meaningful to you.
If students need help thinking of lessons they can learn from these verses, consider sharing an example. One example, in addition to the bolded principle below, is that Jesus Christ was willing to suffer for us because He is loving and kind. If students chose to write about this truth in their study journals, consider asking a few volunteers to share why they feel this lesson is important.
Ask for volunteers to share what other lessons they wrote about and why.
One lesson that is important to understand from these verses is that Jesus Christ submitted to His Father’s will in all things.
What do you think Jesus understood about Heavenly Father that would make Him perfectly submissive to His will?
If students were invited to do the student preparation portion of the lesson, consider inviting a few volunteers to share their experiences with the class.
To help students have a meaningful discussion about why it is hard to submit our will to God’s will, consider using Elder Maxwell’s statement in the “Commentary and Background Information” section.
What blessings have you received by choosing to follow Heavenly Father’s will even when it was hard?
President Russell M. Nelson asked a series of questions about our willingness to submit to God’s will. Take some time to ponder how you can honestly answer these questions. Think about what it might take for you to be able to say yes to each question.
To help students take time to reflect on the questions posed by President Nelson, consider displaying the following statement.
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President Russell M. Nelson
Are you willing to let God prevail in your life? Are you willing to let God be the most important influence in your life? Will you allow His words, His commandments, and His covenants to influence what you do each day? Will you allow His voice to take priority over any other? Are you willing to let whatever He needs you to do take precedence over every other ambition? Are you willing to have your will swallowed up in His?
(Russell M. Nelson, “Let God Prevail,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 94)
Based on what you learned about the Savior’s submission to His Father’s will, write a few sentences about what you want to remember, do, or become. Consider the following prompts to help you record your thoughts and desires.
I want to remember that the Savior …
Like Jesus Christ, I can do Heavenly Father’s will by …
One attribute I will try to develop to become more like Jesus Christ is …
Commentary and Background Information
What can we learn about the Savior from His willingness to submit to Heavenly Father?
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that the Savior’s meekness was the key attribute that allowed Him to submit His will to the will of Heavenly Father.
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Elder David A. Bednar
The consistency of the Lord’s willing submission and strong self-restraint is both awe-inspiring and instructive for us all. As an armed company of temple guardsmen and Roman soldiers arrived at Gethsemane to seize and arrest Jesus, Peter drew his sword and cut off the right ear of the high priest’s servant [see John 18:10]. The Savior then touched the servant’s ear and healed him [see Luke 22:51]. Please note that He reached out and blessed His potential captor using the same heavenly power that could have prevented Him from being captured and crucified.
… The Savior’s meekness is evidenced in His disciplined response, strong restraint, and unwillingness to exert His infinite power for personal benefit.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Elder Neal A. Maxwell
So many of us … mistakenly think that, somehow, by letting our will be swallowed up in the will of God, we lose our individuality (see Mosiah 15:7). What we are really worried about, of course, is not giving up self, but selfish things—like our roles, our time, our preeminence, and our possessions. No wonder we are instructed by the Savior to lose ourselves (see Luke 9:24). He is only asking us to lose the old self in order to find the new self. It is not a question of one’s losing identity but of finding his true identity! …
… The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we “give,” brothers and sisters, are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!
To help students gain a greater appreciation for the Savior and His willingness to fulfill Heavenly Father’s will, consider emphasizing the symbolic cup Jesus Christ drank from. Help students understand that the cup Heavenly Father asked Jesus Christ to drink from symbolized His suffering and death, which brought about His Resurrection. Students could be asked to write down what they learn about the Savior as they read the following scriptures referencing the cup. They could also be asked to ponder how they have been blessed because Jesus Christ drank the bitter cup.