Lesson 26: “To This End Was I Born”

Purpose

To help you feel the Savior’s love for you and increase your love for him and your gratitude for his atoning sacrifice.

Preparation

1. 1.

   Read, ponder, and pray about the following scriptures:

   1. a.

      Matthew 26:47–75; Mark 14:43–72; Luke 22:47–71; John 18:1–27. Shortly after his agony in Gethsemane, Jesus is betrayed by Judas, who appears with chief priests, Pharisees, and soldiers. Jesus submits himself to his captors, who take him from the garden and subject him to a Jewish trial. He is questioned first by Annas, a former high priest, and then by Caiaphas, Annas’s successor and son-in-law. The chief priests and elders who are present spit on Jesus, mock him, bind him, and accuse him of blasphemy, an offense punishable by death. Outside Caiaphas’s palace, Peter denies that he knows Jesus.

   2. b.

      Matthew 27:1–26; Mark 15:1–15; Luke 23:1–25; John 18:28–19:16. Because the chief priests and elders do not have power to sentence Jesus to death, they send him to be tried by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Judea (Bible Dictionary, “Pilate,” 751). Before Pilate, Jesus is accused of being an enemy to Caesar. Learning that Jesus is from Galilee, Pilate sends him to Herod, a governor over Galilee. Herod refuses to judge Jesus and sends him back to Pilate, who yields to the crowd’s demands that Jesus be crucified.

   3. c.

      Matthew 27:27–66; Mark 15:16–39; Luke 23:26–56; John 19:17–42. Jesus is scourged and crucified. On the cross he experiences great agony while offering himself as a sacrifice for mankind.

2. 2.

   Additional reading: Isaiah 53; Mark 15:39–47; John 3:16; 15:13; 1 Nephi 11:32–33; 19:7–9; 2 Nephi 9:21–22; Bible Dictionary,“Crucifixion,” 651.

3. 3. Watch the video To This End Was I Born available in the LDS Media Library

   http://lds.org/media-library/video/new-testament-presentations?lang=eng&query=videos+end+born#1996-06-18-lesson-26-to-this-end-was-i-born
4. 4. Listen to the BYU Scripture discussions -Episode 31- The Arrest and Trial and Episode 32 - The Crucifixion.
   

5. 
   

   "Lesson 26: “To This End Was I Born”," New Testament Class Member Study Guide, (1997)

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   Matthew 26:47–27:66; Mark 14:43–15:39; Luke 22:47–23:56; John 18–19

   • •

     What did Peter do when people outside Caiaphas’s palace said that he knew Jesus? (See Matthew 26:69–75; see also verse Matthew 26:34.) How do some of us, like Peter, sometimes deny our faith? What can we learn from Peter’s life after he denied the Lord?

   • •

     How do you feel when you ponder the Savior’s suffering in your behalf? How can you show your gratitude for the Atonement? (As you ponder these questions, you may want to record your thoughts in your journal.)

   Suggestion for Family Discussion

   Discuss the following people mentioned in the scripture account of Jesus’ death and burial. Ask family members what they remember about each person or group of people.

   Scripture Chain: “Greater Love Hath No Man”

   Luke 23:33–46

   John 15:13

   1 Nephi 19:9–10

   D&C 34:1–4