This week’s readings: Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; John 18
Don’t forget to record your impressions and read the ideas outlined in the new Come, Follow Me manuals on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Related Videos
Scripture Insight
This scriptural insight comes from Verse by Verse: Volume 1 by Andrew C. Skinner and D. Kelly Ogden.
The garden [of Gethsemane] was appropriately named Gat Shemen, which in Hebrew means “oil press.” Just as the grape or olive is pressed and crushed by the heavy stone in the press, so the heavy burden of the sins of the world that Jesus had to carry would press the blood out of the body of this Anointed One.
Study Ideas
These ideas and topics are compiled from Come, Follow Me and have been adapted for specific situations. Check out the manuals online for more ideas, or come up with your own as you study!
For couples:
Whether it is a desire for one of your children, for your spouse, for yourself, or for a friend, sometimes the things that we want can interrupt our ability to understand and know what the Lord wants for us. As you read about the Atonement of Jesus Christ this week, you might talk together about the ways that Jesus Christ submitted His will to His Father’s and how you can both use that example to do the same. Together or individually, you could write down one desire you’ve been praying about that you want to focus on turning over to the Lord this week.
For singles:
In this week’s readings, we find some of the events of the end of the Savior’s life. As you read the account of Christ telling the apostles that one of them would betray Him and each asking “Is it I?” consider spending some time thinking about teachings of the gospel, whether scriptures or the recent words of the prophets from general conference, that you might have overlooked, thinking that they applied more to others in different circumstances. You might find that some of these teachings actually do apply to you in your situation. After you have identified a few areas for change in your life, you can pick one to focus on this week.
For families with young children:
As you study about the Savior’s sacrifice this week, you might focus on Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane and the angel that came to strengthen Him. You could watch the children’s Bible video that corresponds with this story, or you could simply read it and talk about what happened. As you discuss, you can emphasize the power of prayer, and that if Heavenly Father answered Jesus Christ’s prayer, He will also answer ours. Those who are old enough could take turns sharing about a time when prayer has helped them.
For families with teens:
If you have teenagers in your family, you may benefit from focusing one of your family study sessions this week on the sacrament. As you read about the Last Supper, you could encourage family members to think about and share what the environment would have been like during this time. For example, you might ask questions such as:
- What might the lighting and the sound have been like in that room? - What did the apostles and the Savior talk about during this time?
Then, you could have your family describe what the environment is like when your family is participating in the sacrament. What are the similarities? What are the differences? Discuss as a family one or two things your family can do or change to better respect and reverence the sacrament and evaluate how things went the following Sunday.
Stay in the loop on Come, Follow Me discussions and insights throughout the week by following the Brightly Beams Instagram account, or check out this week's related Come, Follow Me FHE lesson: Testimony and Conversion.