Be Diligent - It is not God's Job to Stop Us

Weighty instruction from the Son of Man. Jesus revealed his knowledge of his betrayal and coming crucifixion. "Lord is it I?" We each have a price. Follow diligently every day to develop self-control. Jesus moved resolutely to prepare his disciples through instruction, example and obedience. "Follow my example." Be a subjective servant to have joy. Aspire every day to become a better servant. ***108: Jesus At The Last SupperMatthew 26:14-30; Mark 14:10-26; Luke 22:3-39; John 13:1-17:26Judas’ BargainEVIL HAD entered Judas Iscariot, and he had gone to the chief priests secretly and had said to them:            “What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?”            When they promised to pay him thirty pieces of silver, he conspired how he could betray Jesus. From that moment he watched to see how he could deliver Jesus to the authorities in the absence of the multitude.Preparation For The Passover            When the day for the sacrifice of the Passover arrived, Jesus called Peter and John to him and said to them:            “Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat.”            Peter and John replied, saying:            “Where wilt thou that we prepare?”            Jesus answered:            “Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in, And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, ‘The Master saith unto thee, “Where is the guest chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ And he shall show you a large upper room furnished. There make ready.”            Peter and John did as Jesus requested and made the preparations.Jesus Pronounces This His Last Meal            When evening came, Jesus sat with his twelve disciples at their Passover Meal. Jesus said to them:            “With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say unto you, ‘I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’”            And Jesus took the cup and gave thanks, and said:            “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I say unto you, ‘I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.’”Jesus Washes The Disciples’ Feet            Jesus arose from the meal and poured water into a basin and washed the feet of his disciples, drying them with a towel.            Simon Peter said to Jesus:            “Lord, dost thou wash my feet?”            Jesus answered, saying:            “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.”            Peter replied:            “Thou shalt never wash my feet.”            Jesus said to him:            “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.”            Simon Peter answered him, saying:            “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”            Jesus answered, saying:            “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit and ye are clean, but not all.”            For he knew who was going to betray him. Thus Jesus said:            “Ye are not all clean.”The Servant Is Not Greater Than His Lord            After he had washed all their feet and had resumed his seat again, Jesus said:            “Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me ‘Master’ and ‘Lord’ and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily I say unto you, ‘The servant is not greater than his lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.’ If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.            “I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen. But that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.’Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. Verily, verily, I say unto you, ‘He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.’”The Betrayer Identified            Later Jesus said:            “But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined. But woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!”            The apostles began to question among themselves as to who the traitor might be.Then Jesus said:            “Verily I say unto you, ‘One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.’”            At this the apostles were very sorrowful, and each said:            “Lord, is it I?”            Jesus replied:            “He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him. But woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born.”            Judas Iscariot, who had betrayed him, said to Jesus:            “Master, is it I?”            Jesus replied:            “Thou hast said.”Who Is The Greatest?            An argument arose among the disciples as to which of them would be accounted the greatest. Jesus replied to them, saying:            “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so. But he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For which is greater: he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth?Is not he that sitteth at meat? But I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”Jesus Establishes Communion            Jesus took the bread and blessed it; then broke it and gave it to them, saying:            “Take, eat: this is my body.”            Thereupon Jesus took a cup, gave thanks, and passed it to the disciples, who drank from it. Then he said to them:            “This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.”Farewell Advice            As Jesus sat with his disciples in the upper room, he said to them:            “Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are...