 |
| THE LAST MEAL TOGETHER |
| page 2 |
| earth to return to the Father. But the Spirit would come and reside in many bodies. Jesus seemed aware that much of what they nodded their heads at now would not sink in until later. Pain before Joy Jesus concluded his words with a ringing declaration, "Take heart! I have overcome the world" (16:33). How hollow this statement would seem the next evening, when his pale, abused body hung on an executioner's cross. The disciples' emotions - and faith - would rise and plummet in one unforgettable day. Jesus predicted this, too, likening the pain to the spasms of childbirth before great joy breaks through (16:21, 22). In his longest recorded prayer, Jesus summed up his feelings and his plans for the tight circle of friends gathered around him. He prayed, too, for the others who would follow them, stretching in an unbroken chain throughout history. And then he led the little band to his appointment with death. Life Questions: Have you ever been around someone facing death? How did he or she act? What does his response to impending death reveal about why Jesus came to earth? |