Matthew 26
by Philip Layton
Jesus is anointed, betrayed, arrested, tried and denied
Discussion Questions
- Was the Last Supper a Jewish Passover meal?
- What was the significance of the meal?
- Do you feel sorry for Peter?
- Do you think his denial was predetermined or simply pre-known?
Share your thoughts below, or tweet about it with the #boundlessbible hashtag.
Going Deeper – from 'Words of Life'
What image comes to mind when you hear the word ‘beautiful’?
Perhaps a certain person; a flower; a scenic view; a newborn baby; the smile on someone’s face. For songwriter, Elizabeth Ashby, the word ‘beautiful’ was immediately associated with Jesus:
Beautiful Jesus, bright star of the earth,
Loving and tender from moment of birth;
Beautiful Jesus, though lowly thy lot,
Born in a manger, so rude was thy cot.
(SASB 175 v 1)
Born in 1881, Elizabeth eventually married and became a Salvation Army officer. Her song was written for the tune ‘Beautiful Flowers’ and reflects the beauty of Jesus, who came to earth for our salvation. No matter what we have done in the past, no matter the shame or guilt we might carry, our beautiful Jesus is ready to offer his forgiveness as we bow before him – asking for his cleansing:
Beautiful Jesus, so gentle and mild,
Light of the sinner in ways dark and wild;
Beautiful Jesus, O save such just now,
As at thy feet they in penitence bow!
(v 3)
We are to ‘welcome’ him into our lives, daily – letting him know we’re basking in his beauty and loveliness. Let’s sing this refrain together; a united affirmation that we welcome his presence:
Beautiful Christ, beautiful Christ,
Fairest of thousands, and pearl of great price;
Beautiful Christ, beautiful Christ,
Gladly we welcome thee, beautiful Christ.
Beverly Ivany
Photo courtesy of FreeBibleImages.org