1, 2. Under what circumstances did Jesus say his last words before he died?
It is Nisan 14, ad 33. After falsely accusing and convicting him of a crime he has not committed, Jesus' enemies mock him, torture him mercilessly, and nail him to a stake. With his hands and feet crossed, every time he breathes and every time he speaks he feels excruciating pain. But he cannot remain silent, as he has important things to say.
Let's discuss what Jesus said when he was hanging on the tree and what we can learn from his words. In other words: let's listen to him (Matt. 17: 5).
"FATHER, FORGIVE THEM"
3. Who was Jesus referring to when he said, “Father, forgive them”?
What Jesus said. After he was nailed to the stake, Jesus asked Jehovah: "Father, forgive them." Who was he referring to? What he said next gives us a clue: “They do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:33, 34). He was probably referring to the Roman soldiers who had pierced his hands and feet. They didn't know who he really was. It may also refer to some of the people who earlier had demanded his death but would later put their faith in him (Acts 2: 36-38). Jesus did not allow the injustices he suffered to fill him with resentment and bitterness (1 Pet. 2:23). Rather, he asked Jehovah to forgive those responsible for his death.
4. What did Jesus teach us by being willing to forgive his enemies?
What we learn. Like Jesus, we must be willing to forgive others (Col. 3:13). It is possible that some people — including our family members — turn against us because they do not understand our beliefs and our way of living. They may tell lies about us, humiliate us in front of others, tear up our posts, or even threaten to hurt us physically. Instead of holding a grudge against them, we can ask Jehovah to open their eyes so that they will one day accept the truth. —Matt. 5:44, 45. Sometimes it can be difficult to forgive, especially if we have been treated very badly. But if we allow bitterness and resentment to poison our hearts, we hurt ourselves. A sister explains: “I understand that forgiving others does not mean that I approve of their behavior or that I allow myself to be taken advantage of; it means that I decide to get rid of the anger ”(Psalm 37: 8). When we decide to forgive, we choose not to let negative things make our lives bitter (Eph. 4:31, 32).
"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?
What Jesus said. Together with Jesus, they pinned two criminals to timber. At first, the two also mocked him (Matt. 27:44). But later one stopped doing it, realizing that Jesus had done “nothing wrong” (Luke 23:40, 41). And not only that; He also showed that he believed that Jesus would rise again and become king. He said, "Jesus, remember me when you enter your Kingdom" (Luke 23:42). It is clear that he had a lot of faith. Jesus replied: "I assure you today: you will be with me in Paradise", not in the Kingdom (Luke 23:43). The phrase "you will be with me" indicates that it was a very personal promise. Jesus knew that his Father is merciful; That is why he was able to give hope to that offender shortly before he died (Ps. 103: 8).
6. What do we learn from what Jesus said to the criminal?
What we learn. Jesus is the living reflection of his Father (Heb. 1: 3). Jehovah wants to forgive us and show us mercy if we sincerely repent of the wrong things we did in the past and have faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. --1 John 1: 7. But what can we do if we sometimes find it difficult to believe that Jehovah will forgive our past mistakes? Consider this: shortly before he died, Jesus showed mercy to the criminal who was just beginning to show faith. So how can Jehovah not show mercy to his faithful servants, who do their best to obey him? (Ps. 51: 1; 1 John 2: 1, 2).
"THERE YOU HAVE YOUR SON", "THERE YOU HAVE YOUR MOTHER"
7. According to John 19:26, 27, what did Jesus tell Mary and John, and why?
What Jesus Said (Read John 19:26, 27). Jesus wanted his mother, who was possibly a widow, to be well cared for. Once he died, his siblings could meet his material needs. But, apparently, they were not yet disciples. So who would take care of Mary's spiritual needs? John was a faithful apostle and one of Jesus' best friends. For Jesus, those who worshiped Jehovah were like his family in a spiritual sense (Matt. 12: 46-50). Because of this, because he loved his mother and was concerned about her well-being, Jesus entrusted his care to John, knowing that he would help her continue to serve Jehovah. He told Maria: "There you have your son", and then he said to Juan: "There you have your mother." From that moment on, Maria saw Juan as her son and he cared for her as if she were his mother.
8. What do we learn from what Jesus said to Mary and John?
What we learn. It is possible that we are closer to the brothers of the congregation than to our immediate family. Some relatives may turn against us or even abandon us. But, as Jesus promised, if we stay close to Jehovah and his organization, we will receive “100 times more” of what we lose. Many will become like sons, daughters, mothers or fathers to us (Mark 10:29, 30). How do we feel about being part of a spiritual family that is united because we all have faith and love Jehovah and our brothers and sisters? (Col. 3:14; 1 Pet. 2:17).
"MY GOD, WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?"
9. What do the words of Jesus recorded at Matthew 27:46 teach us?
What Jesus said. Shortly before dying, Jesus cried out: "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" (Matt. 27:46). The Bible does not explain why Jesus said those words. But let's think about what they teach us. On the one hand, by saying them, Jesus was fulfilling the prophecy found in Psalm 22: 1. * On the other hand, his words make it clear that Jehovah did not put “a protective fence” around his Son (Job 1:10). Jesus understood that his Father had left him completely in the hands of his enemies so that he could demonstrate his faith until death, as no other human being has ever been tested. In addition, with those words he confirmed that he had not committed any crime that deserved death.
10. What lessons can we learn from what Jesus told his Father?
What we learn. One lesson is that we should not expect Jehovah to protect us from trials. Like Jesus, we must be prepared to be faithful until death if necessary (Matt. 16:24, 25). But we know that God will not allow us to be tested beyond what we can bear (1 Cor. 10:13). Another lesson we learn is that, like Jesus, we may suffer injustice (1 Pet. 2:19, 20). People do not turn against us because we have done something wrong, but because we are not part of the world and we bear witness to the truth (John 17:14; 1 Pet. 4:15, 16). Jesus understood why Jehovah was allowing him to suffer. Instead, some faithful servants, when going through trials, have wondered why Jehovah allowed what was happening (Hab. 1: 3). As he is merciful and patient,
"I'M THIRSTY"
11. Why did Jesus say the words we read in John 19:28?
What Jesus Said (Read John 19:28). Why did Jesus say he was thirsty? So that the prophecy found in Psalm 22:15 would be fulfilled, which says: “My strength has dried up like a clay pot; my tongue sticks to my gums ”. Also, considering the terrible pain he felt when hanging on the tree, and after all that he had suffered, it is logical that he was very thirsty. He needed help to calm her down.
12. What do we learn from Jesus saying that he was thirsty?
What we learn. Jesus didn't think that expressing how he felt was a sign of weakness, and neither should we. We may not generally feel comfortable telling others about what we need. But, if at any time we need help, let's not hesitate to ask for it. For example, if we are old or sick, we may have to ask a friend to take us to do some shopping or to a medical appointment. If we feel discouraged, we may need to ask an elder or another mature brother to listen to us or to say “a good word” to encourage us (Prov. 12:25). Let us remember that our brothers love us and want to help us "in times of distress" (Prov. 17:17). But they can't read our minds, so they won't know we need help unless we tell them.
"IT HAS BEEN COMPLETED!"
13. What did Jesus accomplish by staying loyal until death?
What Jesus said. At about three o'clock in the afternoon on Nisan 14, Jesus said: "It has been fulfilled!" (John 19:30). Just moments before he died, Jesus knew that he had done everything Jehovah wanted him to do. What did you get by staying loyal to the death? First, he made it clear that Satan is a liar, demonstrating that a perfect human being could be totally faithful despite Satan's efforts. Second, he gave his life as a ransom. Thanks to their sacrifice, imperfect human beings can have a good relationship with God and hope to live forever. And third, Jesus defended Jehovah's sovereignty and his Father's good name.
14. Explain how we should live each day.
What we learn. We must be determined to stay loyal every day. Let's see what Brother Maxwell Friend, who was a professor at the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, said. At an international assembly, he said the following in a speech on loyalty: “Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do or say today. Are you sure there will be a tomorrow? Live each day as if it were your last chance to prove that you are worthy of living forever. " Like brother said, let's live each day as if it's our last chance to stay loyal. Thus, even if we die, we can say to Jehovah: "I have done everything possible to be loyal to you, to prove that Satan is a liar, and to vindicate your name and your sovereignty."
"I LEAVE MY SPIRIT IN YOUR HANDS"
15. According to Luke 23:46, of what was Jesus convinced?
What Jesus Said (Read Luke 23:46). Full of confidence, Jesus said: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit!" He knew that his future depended on Jehovah and he was convinced that his Father would remember him.
16. What do we learn from Joshua's example?
What we learn. Let us be willing to put our lives in Jehovah's hands. To do that, we must trust him with all our hearts (Prov. 3: 5). Consider the example of Joshua, a young Witness who was 15 years old and terminally ill. He refused to accept medical treatments that were against God's laws. Shortly before he died, he told his mother: "I am in the hands of Jehovah." She added: “I can tell you this with complete certainty, Mom: I know that Jehovah will resurrect me. He has seen my heart and knows that I really love him. * We should all ask ourselves: "If I am faced with a trial and my life is in danger, will I remain loyal and trust that Jehovah will remember me and resurrect me?"
17, 18. What lessons have we learned? (See also the box “What His Last Words Teach Us”).
Without a doubt, the last words of Jesus teach us important lessons. They remind us that we need to forgive others and trust that Jehovah will forgive us. We are honored to belong to a wonderful spiritual family that is there to help us. But when we need help, we must ask for it. We know that Jehovah will help us endure any trial. We understand how important it is to live each day as if it were our last chance to show our loyalty, and we are confident that Jehovah will resurrect us if we die.
If we put all these lessons into practice, we will be doing what Jehovah said about his Son: “Listen to him” (Matt. 17: 5).
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 includes even our family members, who have done us a lot of harm at times out of ignorance. And also that we must have a lot of faith in Jehovah's promises, in the paradise that he has promised us, which is the same that Jesus promised to the criminal, also just as Jesus was convinced that Jehovah would resurrect him, so we have to be totally convinced that in the event of loss of life, whatever the reason, Jehovah will return it to us without question.
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.
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.
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