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Good Friday
First Lesson
Genesis 22:1-18
1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt
Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here
I am.
2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou
lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there
for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell
thee of.
3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass,
and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and
clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went
unto the place of which God had told him.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the
place afar off.
5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the
ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again
to you.
6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it
upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife;
and they went both of them together.
7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father:
and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire
and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for
a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham
built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac
his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to
slay his son.
11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and
said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou
any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing
thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind
him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went
and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in
the stead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as
it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be
seen.
15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven
the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because
thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine
only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will
multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand
which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate
of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
because thou hast obeyed my voice.
1st Lesson Questions -
God tested Abraham, and Abraham passed with flying colours! Would I have done the same?
or Wisdom 2:1, 12-24. Do I believe that God created man to be immortal? (V. 23) RESOLVE.
Second Lesson
John 18
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples
over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he
entered, and his disciples.
2 And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus
ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.
3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from
the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns
and torches and weapons.
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him,
went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them,
I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward,
and fell to the ground.
7 Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus
of Nazareth.
8 Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore
ye seek me, let these go their way:
9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them
which thou gavest me have I lost none.
10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high
priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name
was Malchus.
11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath:
the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
12 Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took
Jesus, and bound him,
13 And led him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law
to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.
14 Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that
it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple:
that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with
Jesus into the palace of the high priest.
16 But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other
disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto
her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.
17 Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not
thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not.
18 And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a
fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and
Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.
19 The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of
his doctrine.
20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught
in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always
resort; and in secret have I said nothing.
21 Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said
unto them: behold, they know what I said.
22 And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood
by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest
thou the high priest so?
23 Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of
the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?
24 Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.
25 And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore
unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it,
and said, I am not.
26 One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman
whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden
with him?
27 Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.
28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment:
and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment
hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the
passover.
29 Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation
bring ye against this man?
30 They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor,
we would not have delivered him up unto thee.
31 Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according
to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful
for us to put any man to death:
32 That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake,
signifying what death he should die.
33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called
Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or
did others tell it thee of me?
35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief
priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom
were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should
not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from
hence.
37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus
answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born,
and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear
witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth
my voice.
38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said
this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I
find in him no fault at all.
39 But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at
the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King
of the Jews?
40 Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas.
Now Barabbas was a robber.
2nd Lesson Questions -
Would I have reacted the same, had I been Peter? When was the last time I picked a Barabbas over Jesus Christ? RESOLVE.