Choosing Joy Now

living above the fray

A dark night in the garden

*You can find this in Luke 22, Mark 14, and John 18 in your Bible

Bible: Watch the video to hear the Bible Story read from The Jesus Storybook Bible written by Sally Lloyd Jones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBbSWuI12xE&feature=youtu.be 

Activities/Crafts:

Option 1: https://www.mymundaneandmiraculouslife.com/activity-for-the-jesus-storybook-bible-good-friday-jesus-arrest-an-easter-object-lesson/

Option 2: Gethsemane is the name of the garden where Jesus went to pray.  The word Gethsemane literally means “the place where olive oil is pressed.”  Olive trees grew in the garden and the olives were placed into the press under a lot of pressure in order to get out the precious oil.  Give your child a small piece of fruit (a slice of apple works well or a grape) and let them press it between two pieces of wood or something similar.  Let them try pressing a piece of carrot and other harder food item.  After watching the video, kids may want to try adding pressure by placing weights on top of their press.  (This is a longer process, but shows the importance of the weight to get the juice running.)
Discuss what has to happen to the carrot or apple in order to get the juice (the fruit is destroyed or crushed).  Explain how Jesus felt crushed like an olive while He prayed in the garden. 
*If your child is older, you may want to use these verses to go deeper into the idea of oil and how it is used in Scripture. (Olive oil is produced under pressure. It brings joy to those who produce it  look at  Psalms 45:7, Isaiah 61:1-3, and Hebrews 1:9.  Compare that to what is said of Jesus in Hebrews 12:2 “for the JOY set before Him,” He endured the cross.)

Watch the video of an Olive Press in Israel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVENKLP82X8

Discussion Questions:

*Why was the separation from God the worst part about what Jesus would endure? (He is Creator God, John 1:1-3, holy and righteous…completely without sin.  He was about to allow every sin ever committed and ever to be committed to be placed on His shoulders…The Father would look away from His Son at that point when Jesus bore our sins because no sin is allowed in His presence.)

*Jesus prayed desperately for “this cup” to pass over Him, but He knew this was the only way for our salvation and He was willing to submit to His Father.  Have there been times you have submitted to God when you didn’t want to?  

*What do you think Jesus was teaching His disciples and the soldiers when He healed the guard’s ear? (Did it show a willingness on Jesus’ part to go with them of His own will?)


*What do you think Jesus meant when He said, “This is the reason I was born into this world?”

 Songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOgpwSM4D7M&list=PLh_ZCcaNyX7f4BwV4-n7pWv-5r73jOM5M&index=2 Christ Arose 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgAxl77iLpc Savior of the World

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