How Can the Savior’s Suffering in Gethsemane Influence My Life?
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Jesus Christ lying on the ground in the garden of Gethsemane
This is the second of a two-part lesson about the Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane and its doctrinal significance. As part of His Atonement, Jesus Christ took upon Himself our sins, pains, sicknesses, and infirmities. Because of His atoning sacrifice, He is able to help us with the challenges we face in mortality. This lesson is intended to help you feel a greater need for the strength and help Jesus Christ can offer you through His Atonement.
Speaking about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. President Russell M. Nelson taught, “It is doctrinally incomplete to speak of the Lord’s atoning sacrifice by shortcut phrases, such as ‘the Atonement’ or ‘the enabling power of the Atonement’ or ‘applying the Atonement’ or ‘being strengthened by the Atonement.’ … There is no amorphous entity called ‘the Atonement’ upon which we may call for succor, healing, forgiveness, or power. … The Savior’s atoning sacrifice—the central act of all human history—is best understood and appreciated when we expressly and clearly connect it to Him” (Russell M. Nelson, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 40).
Student preparation: Invite students to think about how Jesus Christ can bless them because of His Atonement.
Possible Learning Activities
This lesson is the second of two lessons about Jesus Christ’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. If there is only enough time to teach the content of both lessons in one class period, refer to the previous lesson (“Matthew 26:36–46; Luke 22:39–46, Part 1”) for ideas that may need to be incorporated into this lesson.
Why did Jesus Christ have to suffer so much?
Imagine the following scenario.
Your friend Chandler has been interested in learning more about the Church for the past few months. He has spent a lot of time in your home learning more about the gospel and has even participated in scripture study with your family a few times. One evening, after studying the events associated with the Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane, Chandler asks, “Why did Jesus have to suffer so much?”
Consider dividing the students into partnerships to discuss the following question.
How would you respond to Chandler’s question?
Think about your feelings about Jesus Christ and His Atonement. When you think about His atoning sacrifice, what questions do you have? How does knowing that He suffered for you impact your feelings about Him?The previous lesson (“Matthew 26:36–46; Luke 22:39–46, Part 1”) emphasized many of the details of the Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane. Take a moment to study Matthew 26:36–39 and Luke 22:41–44 again. Look for specific words or phrases, including those you may have already underlined, that are meaningful to you about the Savior and that describe what He experienced in Gethsemane.
Give students an opportunity to share what they found. One way to do this would be to invite students to come to the board and write a word or phrase from the verses they studied that stands out to them about Jesus Christ’s sufferings in Gethsemane.
Using modern revelation to better understand the Savior’s suffering
Without the blessing of the modern revelation that the Prophet Joseph Smith received about the Savior and His Atonement, there would be much that we would not understand about what Jesus Christ suffered, both in Gethsemane and on the cross, as part of His Atonement and about why He suffered these things.
What did these verses help you understand about why Jesus Christ suffered so much?
What do these verses help you understand about the Savior’s love for you?
Read Alma 7:11–13, and complete the following table in your study journal. It might be helpful to know that the word succor in verse 12 means “to give relief or aid” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 61).
What did the Savior suffer or take upon Himself?
What is Jesus Christ able to do for us because of His Atonement?
It may be useful to copy the previous chart on to the board and write students’ answers in the appropriate columns after asking them to share what they found.
Answers for the first column include the following:
“pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind” (Alma 7:11)
“the pains and the sicknesses of his people” (Alma 7:11)
“succor his people according to their infirmities” (Alma 7:12)
“blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance” (Alma 7:13)
What did you learn from these verses about what Jesus Christ suffered and why He suffered them?
How do the Lord’s sufferings in Gethsemane bless each of us?
One truth we can learn from Alma 7:11–13 is that Jesus Christ suffered to save us from sin and death and to help us through the challenges of mortality. You may want to write this truth in your scriptures. You may also write this truth and your answers to the following questions in your study journal.
Which of the blessings listed in the second column of your table would be most meaningful for you to experience right now? Why?
When have you experienced the hope, peace, comfort, or strength that can come to you through the atoning sufferings of Jesus Christ?
To see an example that illustrates the divine help we can receive through the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, consider watching either “Atonement—Not a One-Time Thing” (3:00) or “Alek’s Story” (6:26). Both videos can be found on ChurchofjesusChrist.org.
See the “Supplemental Learning Activities” section at the end of this lesson for other ideas or videos that could be used to illustrate the divine help we can receive because of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice.
To learn more about how the Savior can bless our lives because of His Atonement, study some of the teachings of our Church leaders in the “Optional: Want to Learn More?” section located at the end of this lesson.
What have you learned or felt about Jesus Christ that you want to remember?
What will you do differently because of what you learned or felt about Jesus Christ?
Commentary and Background Information
In what ways can the Savior’s Atonement affect our lives?
President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency:
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President Dallin H. Oaks
The opportunity to be forgiven of our sins is the major meaning of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. …
Our Savior and Redeemer endured incomprehensible suffering to become a sacrifice for the sins of all mortals who would repent. This atoning sacrifice offered the ultimate good, the pure lamb without blemish, for the ultimate measure of evil, the sins of the entire world. It opened the door for each of us to be cleansed of our personal sins so we can be readmitted to the presence of God, our Eternal Father. This open door is available to all of the children of God.
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
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Elder Dale G. Renlund
In unfair situations, one of our tasks is to trust that “all that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ” [Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service (2018), 52]. Jesus Christ overcame the world and “absorbed” all unfairness. Because of Him, we can have peace in this world and be of good cheer. If we let Him, Jesus Christ will consecrate the unfairness for our gain. He will not just console us and restore what was lost; He will use the unfairness for our benefit.
Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
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Elder Ulisses Soares
I testify to you that as we genuinely repent of our sins, we allow the atoning sacrifice of Christ to become wholly effective in our life. We will become free from the bondage of sin, find joy in our earthly journey, and become eligible to receive eternal salvation, which was prepared from the foundation of the world for all who believe in Jesus Christ and come unto Him.
An increasing understanding that the Atonement of Jesus Christ applies to us personally and individually will help us know Him. Oftentimes it is easier for us to think and speak of Christ’s Atonement in general terms than to recognize its personal significance in our lives. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is infinite and eternal and all-encompassing in its breadth and depth but wholly personal and individual in its effects. Because of His atoning sacrifice, the Savior has power to cleanse, heal, and strengthen us one by one.
Sister Reyna I. Aburto, second counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency:
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Sister Reyna Aburto
Through the redeeming Atonement and glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ, broken hearts can be healed, anguish can become peace, and distress can become hope. He can embrace us in His arms of mercy, comforting, empowering, and healing each of us.
The following idea could be used to help students practice teaching others about the Savior and His Atonement.
Consider dividing students into groups of three. In each group, two students could act as full-time missionaries and the third student could be the person they are teaching. Have the missionaries teach a five-minute lesson about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. They could read Alma 7:11–13 with the person being taught and explain the verses. The person being taught could ask questions, and the missionaries could conclude with their testimonies of how the Savior’s sacrifice has affected their lives.
“A Change of Heart”
To help students see an example of the change that can occur in our lives through Jesus Christ, consider showing the video “A Change of Heart” (4:39), located on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
