“Luke 22; John 18,” Scripture Helps: New Testament (2024)
Scripture Helps
Luke 22; John 18
After Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament, He went with His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. He suffered in Gethsemane, causing Him to sweat “great drops of blood.” He was betrayed and arrested. Jesus was smitten, mocked, and questioned before the Jewish council. Then Jesus was brought before Pilate, who questioned Jesus and found no fault in Him.
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Background and Context
What was important about the Last Supper?
To learn more about the significance of the Last Supper, consider studying the following entries:
What does it mean to be sifted as wheat by Satan?
In New Testament times, stalks of wheat were harvested and combined into bundles, or sheaves. The sheaves were laid flat on a hard-surfaced floor and crushed by heavy implements (threshed) until the seeds separated from the outer coverings, or husks.
Golden Harvest, by David Merrill
The husks were not eatable and were considered chaff—something of no worth. On a windy day, the seeds and chaff were thrown up in the air with a winnowing fork. The heavier seeds would fall to the ground, and the lighter chaff would blow away. (See also “Matthew 3:12. What is the meaning of the phrase ‘[His] fan is in his hand’?”)
Jesus used the image of separating wheat seeds from the chaff to warn Peter of Satan’s desire to destroy him. Jesus said to Peter, “Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.” The Greek pronoun translated as “you” is plural. In this verse, Jesus taught that Satan wants to destroy all of the Savior’s disciples, not just Peter. Elder Ulisses Soares taught that to be sifted as wheat means “to lose our ability to influence the world for good.”
What can we learn from the Garden of Gethsemane about the Savior’s atoning sacrifice?
(Compare to Matthew 26:36; Mark 14:32; John 18:1.)
In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Savior began His suffering for the sins of all people. The Garden of Gethsemane was a grove of olive trees. This garden was a place the Savior often visited. It was located on the west side of the Mount of Olives, just outside of Jerusalem’s walls.
“The word gethsemane means ‘olive press.’” In the Savior’s time, olive oil was made by first rolling a large stone over olives to crush them. The crushed olives were called “mash.”
The mash was then placed in soft, loosely woven baskets. An olive press was used to exert great pressure on the olives in these baskets. When the olives were under the pressure of the press, the oil was initially red.
The process used to make olive oil can help us understand the Savior’s atoning sacrifice. President Russell M. Nelson taught: “Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane was literally pressed under the weight of the sins of the world. He sweated great drops of blood—his life’s ‘oil’—which issued from every pore. [See Luke 22:44; Doctrine and Covenants 19:18.] …
“Just as the body of the olive, which was pressed for the oil that gave light, so the Savior was pressed. From every pore oozed the lifeblood of our Redeemer.”
Why did Jesus Christ suffer in Gethsemane?
(Compare to Matthew 26:37–41; Mark 14:32–42.)
Three of the Gospels provide some details of how the Savior suffered in Gethsemane. From Restoration scripture, we learn some important reasons why the Savior suffered. King Benjamin taught that Jesus bled from every pore because of His great “anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.” The Savior explained that He suffered so we could repent of our sins. Alma explained that Christ suffered not only to deliver us from sin but also “to succor [help] his people according to their infirmities.”
Gethsemane, by Adam Abram
What does the cup symbolize?
(Compare to Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36.)
The cup the Savior referred to symbolizes the suffering He experienced during His Atonement. When Jesus Christ suffered for our sins in Gethsemane, He prayed to Heavenly Father, “If thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” At the time of His arrest, Jesus said to Peter, “The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” After Jesus’s death and Resurrection, Jesus referred to His suffering as drinking from a “bitter cup.” Speaking of the bitterness the Savior experienced in Gethsemane, Elder Bruce R. McConkie said: “We know He sweat great gouts [sudden flows] of blood from every pore as He drained the dregs of that bitter cup His Father had given Him.
“We know He suffered, both body and spirit, more than it is possible for man to suffer, except it be unto death.
“We know that in some way, incomprehensible to us, His suffering satisfied the demands of justice, ransomed penitent souls from the pains and penalties of sin, and made mercy available to those who believe in His holy name.
“We know that He lay prostrate upon the ground as the pains and agonies of an infinite burden caused Him to tremble and would that He might not drink the bitter cup.”
Did Jesus really bleed in Gethsemane?
Luke is the only Gospel writer who recorded that the Savior’s suffering included “great drops of blood.” The Savior confirmed this reality in latter-day scripture: “Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore.”
What is important about the Savior’s response “I am he”?
When the Jewish leaders said they were seeking Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus answered, “I am he.” “I Am” is a title and name of Jesus. Jesus used the title “I Am” several times in His ministry. The Jews would have understood this title as a declaration of Christ’s divinity.
Who were Caiaphas and Annas?
(Compare to Matthew 26:57.)
Caiaphas was the high priest for the Jerusalem temple during the Savior’s ministry. His responsibilities included overseeing temple rituals and controlling the temple treasury. He was wealthy and influential. He would have regarded Jesus’s cleansing of the temple courtyards as a challenge to his authority. After Jesus brought Lazarus back to life, Caiaphas stated that it was necessary to put Jesus to death.
Caiaphas was the son-in-law of a previous high priest, Annas. Historical sources describe Annas’s family in terms of power and influence. Both men were Sadducees. Over the centuries, the position of high priest had become corrupted. Rather than being a lineage-based priesthood office, it became a political appointment. As high priest, Caiaphas presided over the Sanhedrin that tried and interrogated Jesus. Only John’s Gospel mentions that Jesus appeared in front of Annas as well.
Who was Pilate?
The Roman Empire was divided into provinces that were each ruled by a magistrate. Pontius Pilate was the Roman leader over Judea from AD 26 to 36. Shortly after assuming office, he angered many of the Jews by bringing into Jerusalem ensigns with a representation of the Roman emperor on them. The Jews viewed these images of the emperor as idolatry. Pilate also ordered the slaughter of certain Galileans.
Why did the Jewish leaders bring Jesus before Pilate?
The Jewish leaders declared Jesus guilty of blasphemy and wanted to put Him to death. However, they faced several obstacles: (1) under Roman rule, the Jews did not have the authority to put someone to death; (2) the Romans, who could put someone to death, did not recognize the Jewish crime of blasphemy; and (3) because of Jesus Christ’s influence, the Jewish leaders feared there could be a riot if they publicly condemned Him to death.
The Jewish leaders needed Rome’s help to kill Jesus Christ. So they brought Jesus to the Roman magistrate, Pilate. They wanted him to find something to charge the Savior with that was punishable by death. It would then appear to the people that Rome was responsible for the execution of Jesus, not the Jewish leaders.
What were the charges against Jesus?
While the chief priests presented Jesus as a criminal, it isn’t entirely clear from the Gospels what crime Jesus was being charged with. However, the Gospel accounts record that Pilate’s questioning of Jesus focused on whether He considered Himself a king. Additionally, it was customary to place a sign above a crucified person to display the “accusation” against him. The sign Pilate had placed above the Savior’s cross read “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews.” It thus seems likely that Jesus was executed on the charge of sedition, or actions against the emperor or state. (See also “Matthew 26:59–68. What was significant about the charge of blasphemy?”)
Learn More
The Savior’s Atonement
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Bruce R. McConkie, “The Purifying Power of Gethsemane,” Ensign, Apr. 2011, 56–59
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Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign, Mar. 2008, 32–38
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Tad R. Callister, “The Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 85–87
For more talks about the Savior’s Atonement, go to Gospel Library, General Conference, Topics, “Atonement.”
Media
Videos
“The Savior Suffers in Gethsemane” (8:47)
“Jesus Is Tried by Caiaphas, Peter Denies Knowing Him” (4:16)
“Jesus Is Condemned before Pilate” (3:29)
Images
The Betrayal of Jesus, by Ted Henninger
Model of the city of Jerusalem showing Herod’s palace in the foreground
Ecce Homo, by Antonio Ciseri