Day Three Read John 18:1-11
*This week we’re looking at Jesus’ last days on earth, as told in the book of John. As we reflect, use the power of your imagination to enter in to these stories this Holy Week. Allow yourself to experience the wonder of Jesus again.*
“Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet [the Roman soldiers and Jewish chief priests and Pharisees]. ‘Who are you looking for?’ he asked. ‘Jesus the Nazarene,’ they replied. ‘I am he,’ Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) As Jesus said ‘I am he,’ they all drew back and fell to the ground! Once more he asked them, ‘Who are you looking for?’ And again they replied, ‘Jesus the Nazarene.’ ‘I told you that I am He,’ Jesus said. ‘And since I am the one you want, let these others go.’ He did this to fulfill his own statement: ‘I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.’” John 18:4-9 (NLT)
Discover
1. Once again, what does Jesus already know?
2. How does He respond to the authorities who come to arrest Him?
3. What do you think these authorities experience in Jesus that causes them to react the way they do?
Respond
Spend time now in worship of a Savior who came not to defend Himself, but to defend you. Jesus never hid. Instead, He stepped forward to be arrested for you. With a simple yet bold declaration, “I AM,” Jesus proclaimed Himself God, and the soldiers responded in wonder. Ask God to give you the kind of awe and wonder these Roman soldiers experienced as Jesus simply declared who He is.
For Further Reading: A Savior Stepped Forward
*TPCC does not necessarily endorse all For Further Reading/Learning sources. They are simply meant to be a helpful tool.
For Families with Kids at Home
We’ve created an Easter Parent Guide just for you and your family to walk your kids through the story of Easter this week! We hope this gives you a fun way to engage in the story of Easter together while providing you with basic language to get the conversation started.