1, 2. Under what circumstances did Jesus say his last words before he died?
It was Nisan 14, AD 33 and he had been falsely accused of a crime he did not commit, he is being mocked, unjustly tortured, and later is nailed to a tree.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
In addition, his body denotes all the ordeal that he is suffering; for they have nailed his hands and feet with 11.5 cm nails. Therefore every time he breathes he feels excruciating pain, but even so, he does not remain silent, for he still has to say some very important things.
We can learn a lot from his last words that he said when he was hanging on the tree, because basically what Jehovah wants is that we listen to his son as Matthew 17: 5 says.
In horrible circumstances, they want to kill him unjustly and for this they nail him to a torture stake, as if he were a criminal. It was on the 14th of Nisan in the year 33.
Despite all the pain he was going through, a nail was pierced through his hands and the heels of his feet on the tree, he finds the strength to say his last words, because he knows that what he has to say is really important.
"Father, forgive them"
3. Who was Jesus referring to when he said: “Father, forgive them”?
After being nailed to the stake, Jesus utters these words recorded in Luke 23:33, 34, and it is very likely that he was referring to the Roman soldiers who were the ones who had pierced his hands and feet, because they did not know who he was in reality.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
It is also very possible that Jesus in these words pronounced by him alluded to the people who asked for his death at that time, but who later came to have faith in him, as Acts 2: 36-38 says, because “ they felt wounded in the heart due to the preaching of Pedro ”.
By also asking his Father to forgive these people, Jesus showed that he did not feel resentment or bitterness, he did not allow this injustice to lead him to insult his aggressors, the record of 1 Peter 2:23 tells us “that he did not return his insults Not even when he felt the suffering did he threaten them, did he rather put himself in the hands of God, who is the one who judges ”.
The Roman soldiers who had pinned him to the stake did not know what they were doing, since they did not know who Jesus really was. Great difference from the religious leaders who had had him condemned, they acted knowingly and maliciously, for many of them forgiveness was not possible.
Also the people who would put faith in Jesus later, even if at that time they also wanted to see Jesus dead. As the account in Acts 2: 37,38 says, they will feel a pain that pierces their hearts and they will regret everything they did wrong.
4. What did Jesus teach us by being willing to forgive his enemies?
Jesus teaches us how important it is to be willing to forgive others, as Colossians 3:13 says, "We must bear with ourselves, and forgive ourselves generously, even if there is real reason to complain about another, just as Jehovah has generously forgiven us, thus we must do it ”.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
And this forgiveness we must extend to our own families, who many times perhaps have opposed our beliefs, our way of life, sometimes telling lies about us, or even humiliating us, breaking our publications, perhaps also threatening us in a physical sense, but Even so, we must remember the words of Jesus: that we must forgive them and not hold a grudge, asking Jehovah to open their eyes, and they accept the truth. Matthew 5:44, 45 alludes to just that, forgiveness and praying for our enemies so that they too benefit from divine goodness.
It may not be easy for us to forgive, especially if we have been treated badly, but we must remember that bitterness and resentment only hurts us; We have to do what the sister quoted in this paragraph does, “That forgiveness does not mean that we are approving of the way others act, or that perhaps someone takes advantage of us, but rather it is as this sister says, we must be determined to get rid of resentment ".
What a great heart Jesus had, despite everything they did to him, all the suffering they caused him, he was not filled with resentment or bitterness, he was willing to forgive those responsible for his death.
What a great lesson for us, even if people and even family members make life impossible for us, insult us, verbally mistreat us, threaten us, throw our publications at us, just like Jesus we do not have to hold a grudge against them, they do not understand our beliefs and our way to live. If we get angry and even seek revenge we are hurting ourselves, forgiving does not mean accepting what someone has done wrong, if it is wrong then it is wrong, forgiving means not trying to do the same, but forgetting the matter and undoing ourselves of all those bad feelings that only lead us to do something bad.
It is true that sometimes it is not easy to forgive if we have been hurt a lot and on top of that it comes from a person we love very much, but we are not alone, Jehovah is with us and will help us control those emotions if we ask him in prayer . Jehovah is the one who attracts people, it may be that one day those people will accept the truth.
Follow the advice of Ephesians 4: 31,32, get rid of all bitter resentment, fury, anger, yelling, hurtful words, rather let us be kind to each other, forgiving each other generously as God does to us.
"You will be with me in paradise"
5. What did Jesus promise one of the criminals next to him, and why did he make that promise?
When Jesus was fixed to the stake, he was not alone, there were two criminals with him, who at first made fun of him, as Matthew 27:44 says, these thieves who were next to him insulted him, but one of them stopped doing it. because he realized that Jesus had not done anything wrong, and as the story in Luke 23:40, 41 says “he recognized that they as criminals should receive punishment, because it was just, but not Jesus”.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
It is very interesting that this man hanging next to Jesus, showed that he believed in the resurrection, by the words of Luke 23:42 when he said: "Jesus remember me when you enter your Kingdom", because these words denote that this man had a lot of faith.
The promise of Jesus made to the wrongdoer, gives us to understand that when Jesus says "you will be with me", it is a promise that Jesus makes him in a very personal way, and his promise includes that this man will be in paradise not in his Kingdom when Jesus is ruling in heaven, but he will be here on earth, brought back to life. Jesus knows that his Father is merciful, that is why he makes this promise to this criminal, thus giving him hope before he dies.
What Luke 23:43 says: "I assure you today: you will be with me in Paradise."
Jesus on the torture stake had at his side two thieves who, as Matthew 27:44 says, also insulted him. But one of them began to reason and say that they were receiving their punishment for the wrong they had done but that Jesus had not done anything wrong.
This criminal showed that he had faith in Jesus that he was the messiah, he was going to rise again and he would become king, so he asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus reigned.
Jesus was able to make that promise because as Psalm 103: 8 says, Jehovah is merciful and compassionate, he was going to forgive this criminal who had changed his wrongdoing, Jehovah notices the attitude of the sinner. This criminal will be resurrected in paradise, here on earth and will learn what God's will is to show whether he loves him or not.
6. What do we learn from what Jesus said to the criminal?
We learn that Jesus is forgiving, because Jehovah his Father is also forgiving, and Jesus is the reflection of Jehovah as Hebrews 1: 3 says “He is the reflection of the glory of God, the exact representation of his very being”. So we have no doubt that Jehovah forgives us and shows us mercy, if we sincerely repent of all the wrong we have done and if we have placed our faith in Jesus' sacrifice, because “the blood of his son Jesus cleanses us from all sin ”(1 John 1: 7).
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
It may sometimes be difficult for us to believe that Jehovah will forgive us our mistakes, but it is enough for us to remember what Jesus said to the criminal and the mercy he showed him even though this man was just showing his faith, then why should we doubt that mercy will be shown to us, if we have been faithful, and have endeavored to obey? Let us not forget to ask Jehovah for what Psalm 51: 1 says: “O God, out of your loyal love, grant me your favor. By your immense mercy, erase my offenses ”. In this way we show that we have learned what forgiveness involves the offender.
That Jesus was merciful and despite all the bad things the offender did, he showed him compassion because he saw a change in attitude and that he was beginning to show faith.
Jehovah is like that if we really repent of bad things we have done and put faith in Jesus we can be sure that he will forgive us and he wants it. Also, if he showed mercy to this man and had begun to show faith, all the more so he does so with his faithful servants who do their best to obey him, right? As Psalm 51: 1 says, out of love that Jehovah feels for his servants, he shows immense mercy, erasing our offenses.
The current situation of humanity is similar to that of that criminal about to die, in which everyone, regardless of our age, is paying the penalty for sin and we need to be saved. But, like the criminal, we can put our hope in Jesus. Through it the painful problems of old age will end. Let us never forget that Jesus has offered humanity the prospect of living forever enjoying physical and mental perfection in a paradise on Earth.
"There you have your son", "There you have your mother"
7. According to John 19:26, 27, what did Jesus say to Mary and John, and why?
Well let us remember that Jesus is hanging on the tree and there is Mary, his mother and the apostle John, and in those moments of so much pain that Jesus is suffering, he worries about the well-being of his mother, and makes a great effort to point out with the head the words that have just been read from John 19:26, 27 when he says to Maria: Woman, there you have your son !, and then he points to Maria and says to Juan: There you have your mother! Thus he entrusts to Juan the care of his mother who is apparently a widow, the other children of Maria still do not believe in him, they were not his disciples.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Jesus has great affection for John, because this apostle was his great friend, he knew that he would take care of her material needs and her spiritual needs as well. And he entrusts to John the care of his mother, because for Jesus those who worshiped Jehovah were like his family in a spiritual sense, Jesus himself declared it in Matthew 12: 46-50, “everyone who does the will of my father who is in heaven he is my brother, my sister and my mother. "
To his mother Maria he said: “there you have your son” and to Juan he said: “There you have your mother”.
Mary had surely become a widow, her children could take care of her material needs, but since Jesus always thought the first thing in her mind was the spiritual needs of her family, that is why she asked Juan to be with her and take care of that. John was one of Jesus' best friends and a faithful apostle, who better than him to take care of his mother in a spiritual sense. Jesus loved his mother very much and now that he was going to die he wanted his mother to take the best care of himself. Mary had made a great effort to take care of him since he was born and that Jesus had very much in mind and felt great affection for his mother.
After those words of Jesus, Mary saw John as a son and John cared for Mary as if she were his mother.
8. What do we learn from what Jesus said to Mary and John?
We learn that if our direct families oppose us and even abandon us, there is the promise of Jesus, from Matthew 10:29, 30 which is for this time, as that text says: “we will receive 100 times more than what we lose”. Many will be like sons, or daughters or mothers and even fathers to us.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Indeed, no matter where we go, we can enjoy a closer and more valuable friendship with our brothers in the faith than with our own relatives, so we must stay close to Jehovah and his organization so that these words may be true in us.
And this is so because it is fulfilled in us as true Christians what Colossians 3:14 says: "Put on love, because it is a perfect bond of union." We are a spiritual family and that is why we are united, we have the same faith, and above all we love Jehovah and our brothers.
That even if our family is not in Jehovah's people, they are against us or abandon us, Jesus promised in Mark 10: 29,30 that, if we are close to Jehovah and his organization, we will receive 100 times more than what we lose.
In the congregations we find mothers, fathers, sons, daughters who can be that for us, our spiritual family, we will not feel alone and it can happen that we are more united to the brothers than to our own family. We feel united by having the same faith and loving Jehovah above all things.
"My God, why have you abandoned me?"
9. What do the words of Jesus recorded at Matthew 27:46 teach us?
The words of Matthew 27:46 fulfill Psalm 22: 1 and those words teach us that Jesus understood, that Jehovah had withdrawn his protection in order to fully test his integrity and thus fulfill the Psalm. 22.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The fact that Jesus said those words that are quoted in Matthew 27:46 according to the asterisk that is in Psalm 22: 1; They do not indicate that Jesus said them because he is disappointed or because he lost faith for a moment, because he understood perfectly why he had to die and was willing to do so. He knew that Jehovah would remove any protective hedge around him at the time of his death.
There Jesus said: "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" The Bible doesn't give a reason why Jesus said that, but we can think about what they teach us.
Jesus did not quote those words because he was disappointed or because he had lost faith for a moment. He understood perfectly why he had to die and was willing to.
David in Psalm 22: 1 prophesied that Jesus would say, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Therefore, the prophecy was fulfilled exactly without any doubt.
Jesus in those words made it clear that Jehovah removed any protective fence to show that he would remain faithful no matter how hard his death was. He had to pay the ransom without the help of his Father Jehovah. With those words he defended his innocence, he had done nothing to deserve that punishment. They tried him hastily, at night and breaking the legal rules.
10. What lessons can we learn from what Jesus told his Father?
There are several lessons that we learn from what Jesus said to Jehovah, the first is that: we should not expect any special protection when undergoing trials, because we have to prepare ourselves to be faithful until death if necessary, because just like Jesus himself He said it, in Matthew 16:24, 25 “we have to renounce ourselves,” which means that we no longer live for ourselves because we have surrendered ourselves to God.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Another lesson is that just like Jesus, we may also suffer injustices, because people are against us, not because we have done something wrong, but because we are not part of this world, and because we are bearing witness to the truth, Jesus said clearly " The world has hated them because they are not part of the world ”(John 17:14).
Jesus clearly understood the reason for their suffering. However, sometimes a faithful servant of Jehovah who has undergone trials may even have wondered, why Jehovah allows what is happening to him, just as the prophet Habakkuk once asked Jehovah if he would put an end to evil, because He felt helpless, perhaps that happens to many servants of God, but Jehovah understands this and he knows that it is not due to lack of faith, it is just that he needs comfort and Jehovah can provide it. As we can see, there are many lessons that we can draw from what Jesus said to his Father.
Jehovah is not going to miraculously remove the trials from us either, we will have to face it just like Jesus, so it is necessary that we always prepare ourselves for any situation and that we trust completely in Jehovah, praying often. But Jehovah does give us a guarantee, the one we find in 1 Corinthians 10:13, Jehovah is not going to allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. We can hold out for everything we go through.
Just like Jesus we will also suffer injustices, he already said it in John 17:14, we are not part of the world that is why the world hates us, we should feel joy because we are doing the right thing by following Jesus and Jehovah's standards.
Due to everything that we go through every day we can also come to ask ourselves the same thing as Jesus, the prophet Habakkuk in chapter 1 verse 3 asked these questions to Jehovah: Why do you make me see so many bad things? Why is there destruction and violence before me? Jehovah understands that asking such questions is not because of a lack of faith but because we all need comfort, just as Jesus understands why Jehovah allows us to suffer.
"I'm thirsty"
11. Why did Jesus say the words we read in John 19:28?
The words of John 19:28 fulfilled a prophecy that of Psalm 22:15 that implied that Jesus had his spirit crushed, dry as a clay pot, in fact his mouth was dry and that is why his tongue stuck to his gums .
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We cannot even imagine the terrible pain that Jesus was feeling hanging there on the tree, because of all that suffering he was going through, it was logical that he was very thirsty, and he needed to drink water.
There Jesus said: "I am thirsty." In Psalm 22:15 we find a prophecy: “My strength has dried up like a clay pot, my tongue sticks to my gums. Jesus spoke the words of John 19:28 to fulfill the prophecy. If we think about it, it is normal that he was thirsty, he was dying on the torture stake, suffering from being nailed.
12. What do we learn from Jesus saying that he was thirsty?
Something we learn from this paragraph is that Jesus expressed what he thought, and that was not a sign of weakness, and like Jesus we should not think that if we say something or ask for help, it is a sign that we are weak, because not it is like that; That is why if we have to go to a brother for any reason we should not hesitate to ask for that help, it could be a purchase or perhaps a medical appointment, or if we need a brother to help us if we are sick, we must do it, just as Jesus did. .
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Also if we feel discouraged, we can talk with the elderly or brothers who are mature and who will listen to us, giving us a good word of encouragement, a word that encourages us as Proverbs 12:25 says.
The brothers are ready to help us when we are going through bad times, they are as Proverbs 17:17 says “true friends in times of distress”. Our brothers will help us as long as we tell them, otherwise they will not know because no one can read our minds. A great lesson we draw again from the words of Jesus.
Being a strong person does not mean always being well, not expressing what you feel. We all go through many difficulties, no one is free from it, that is why we should not think that if we tell what happens to us it is a sign that we are weak, on the contrary, as Jesus did, if we talk to others about our feelings they will be able to us help and we will be able to feel better, relieved.
Our brothers are not fortune-tellers, they don't know if something happens to us if we don't tell them. They always want to help us because they love us and want to see us happy. Let us take them into consideration and let us help ourselves.
"It has been fulfilled!"
13. What did Jesus accomplish by staying loyal until death?
It was more or less three o'clock in the afternoon of Nisan 14 when Jesus expires and says what is recorded in John 19:30, he said: It has been fulfilled! In this way Jesus fulfilled everything that his Father wanted him to do, he remained loyal until his very death, making it clear that Satan lies, and that a perfect human could be faithful despite the fact that Satan made efforts to see him fall.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Another thing that Jesus achieved by remaining loyal until his death is that thanks to this sacrifice, all imperfect human beings can achieve a good relationship with Jehovah and hope to live forever. And as a final point, Jesus with his loyalty to the death, defended the sovereignty of God and the good name of Jehovah.
Doing Jehovah's will without failing him, showing that a perfect man can serve Jehovah because he loves him, not out of interest, leaving Satan for what he really is, a liar.
He was willing to give his life to rescue humanity from sin, thanks to his death, we can have a close relationship with Jehovah now and in the near future live in paradise eternally.
Staying loyal to Jehovah also managed to defend Jehovah's sovereignty, only he has the right to rule us, as the good Creator that he is and he also defended the good name of God.
14. Explain how we should live each day.
Well each day we must be determined to be loyal to Jehovah, Brother Maxwell Friend, who was a professor at the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead in an assembly said: "Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do or say today" ... but I ask; Are you sure there will be a tomorrow? and concluded by saying ... "Live each day as if it were your last chance to prove that you are worthy of living forever."
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Brother Maxwell's words give us to understand that we should live our lives as if it were the last chance to remain loyal to God, and even if we did die, to be able to say to Jehovah, “I have done everything possible to be loyal to you, to to demonstrate that Satan is a liar and to vindicate your name and your sovereignty ”. We must make those words our own and be very determined to be faithful until the end of our days.
As Jesus did, we remain loyal to Jehovah always, every hour of every day of our lives.
To make our own the words that this brother in the paragraph said, we do not know for sure if tomorrow we will still be alive, so we live each day as if it were our last chance to show that we want to be loyal to Jehovah and we are worthy to live forever. Even if we die, we can be sure that we have done everything we can to serve Jehovah loyally and prove that Satan is the liar and vindicate his name and sovereignty.
"In your hands I ignite my spirit"
15. According to Luke 23:46, of what was Jesus convinced?
When Jesus says: Father, into your hands I commend my spirit! He is telling us that he was totally convinced that Jehovah would resurrect him, thus with total trust in his Father, he kept his faith intact until the end, although Jehovah did not save him. .
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
That, even if he died, Jehovah his father would not abandon him and would resurrect him. He left his life in his hands because he fully trusted him. That confidence made him endure the most terrible test anyone has ever faced.
16. What do we learn from Joshua's example?
We must be willing to leave our lives in Jehovah's hands, but first we must learn to trust him with all our hearts, as Proverbs 3: 5 reminds us.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The young Jehovah's Witness, named Joshua, leaves us a great example of faith, because at just 15 years old and with a terminal illness, he flatly refused to accept medical treatments, which were against God's laws, because he had a faith strong and fully trusted in Jehovah. We can reflect on this case and ask ourselves, if we were faced with a trial, and if our life is in danger, will I remain loyal and trust God to remember me and resurrect me? Well, the answers are in us, in the quality of our faith, in the love we have for Jehovah, his son, his standards and teachings.
The example of this young brother was captured in the words he said to his mother before he died: “I can tell you this with certainty, Mom: I know that Jehovah will resurrect me. He has seen my heart and knows that I really love him ”. Joshua's firm stance set a precedent in Canada, being a tremendous legal victory in his country, this case was considered a victory for Jehovah's people. Therefore the words that Jesus said in his last moments reach all of us who are true Christians, and help us make good decisions.
Joshua so young, at 15, had a terminal illness. Instead of being discouraged, what he did was trust Jehovah in every respect, as Proverbs 3: 5 says to do with all his heart. Joshua left his life in Jehovah's hands and was not persuaded by doctors to accept treatments that were against Jehovah's laws and save his life.
Although he was a minor, he had very clear ideas and knew how to defend himself. He was totally convinced that even if he died, Jehovah would remember him and resurrect him, this he told his mother before he died and also some very nice words: “Jehovah has seen my heart and knows that I love him you'll see".
Will we trust Jehovah and remain loyal, even though our lives are at stake? Let us never forget that if we do Jehovah's will, he will never forget us and will have us on his mind at the resurrection.
17, 18. What lessons have we learned? (See also the box “What His Last Words Teach Us”).
In this study of the Watchtower we have learned valuable lessons that remind us that we must forgive others, and in the same way Jehovah will forgive us.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We have also learned that we belong to a wonderful spiritual family, and that as such, we must help each other, when we need help, ask for it because as we saw through this article, no one can read our minds, Jesus did so and we learned from his words.
We also learned that Jehovah will help us through trials, and we will be able to endure them, and that we should live each day as if it were the last chance to show Jehovah our loyalty, never forgetting that Jehovah can resurrect us if we lose our lives. Therefore, if we put all this into practice, we will do what Jehovah said regarding his son, we will be listening to him.
We learn a lot from the last words of Jesus before he died.
"Father, forgive them." (Luke 23:34). We must be willing to forgive others and not hold a grudge, even if it costs us sometimes. Remember that Jehovah forgives us every day for all the bad things we do.
"You will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43). Jehovah shows us mercy because we strive to serve him and want to please him. He will reward us for it.
"There you have your son", "There you have your mother." (John 19: 26,27). Although our family abandons us because they do not believe in Jehovah, we have a wonderful spiritual family that will give us the necessary help.
"My God, why have you abandoned me?" (Matthew 27:46). Jehovah is not going to miraculously take the trials away from us, but what he does do is that he does not allow that trial to go beyond what we can bear. It helps us at all times.
"I'm thirsty". (John 19:28). We should ask for help when we need it, that is not a sign of weakness.
"It has been fulfilled." (John 19:30). Be determined to be loyal each day to show that Jehovah is the only true God.
"I leave my spirit in your hands". (Luke 23:46). Leave our life in the hands of Jehovah, if we have to die because of doing his will, be sure that he will have us on his mind in the resurrection.
What lessons have we learned from what Jesus said in… Luke 23:34, 43, 46?
That we must be willing to forgive, just as Jesus asked forgiveness for those who led to death, and that forgiveness even includes our family members, who have done us a lot of harm at times out of ignorance. And also that we must have great faith in promises of Jehovah, in the paradise that he has promised us, which is the same that Jesus promised to the criminal, in addition, just as Jesus was convinced that Jehovah would resurrect him, so we have to be totally convinced that in case of losing his life, Whatever the reason, Jehovah will return it to us without question.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Always be willing to forgive others, even if we do not accept what they have done, but do not hold a grudge against them and forget the matter as soon as possible. Jehovah shows us mercy by forgiving us and making beautiful promises, like that eternal life that will soon arrive in a precious Paradise.
Leave our life in the hands of Jehovah, do not ignore his standards, even if it means dying, the main thing is Jehovah's will. If we die, we can be sure that, if we have been loyal, Jehovah will remember us and will resurrect us.
What lessons have we learned from what Jesus said in… Matthew 27:46?
A lesson that we must have very clear in our mind and heart is that Jehovah will not completely protect us from the trials that come upon us, therefore we already have to prepare ourselves to be faithful until death, trusting in what Jehovah has told us. , which will not allow us to be tested beyond what we can bear, as 1 Corinthians 10:13 says. And another lesson is that just as Jesus suffered injustice, so it can happen to us, because we are no longer part of the world and our message of truth is not liked by the majority. But under all these circumstances Jehovah will give us comfort.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Jehovah always helps us to overcome trials, even if he does not remove them yet, trust him and thus we can be calm and at peace.
What lessons have we learned from what Jesus said in… John 19: 26-28, 30?
We learned in this lesson that we must be very close to our brothers, who are our direct family, and that we must also ask for help not only from the brothers but also from the elders of the congregation or mature brothers of our trust, for different things that can happen to us, but we must tell them, because they won't help us unless we tell them. And we learned that we must remain loyal, living as if each day is our last chance to demonstrate that loyalty.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We will never be alone, even if our carnal family leaves us, in the congregations we have our spiritual family, Jehovah gives us much more than what we lose. That is why it is vital that, if something happens to us, we have to tell our brothers about it so that they can help us.
Remaining loyal every day of our lives to show who deserves our worship and to defend Jehovah and his name from all the lies that are told about him.
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