Temptation must be answered by humble, submissive, dependent prayer. Jesus instructed His apostles to pray but they did not follow His command or His example. Meanwhile, Jesus prayed fervently to His Father regarding the cup of suffering and substitution He was about to drink.

Jesus applied to Himself the passage from Isaiah's prophecy concerning the Suffering Servant- -For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, 'And He was numbered with transgressors.' -

Jesus warned all of His apostles and especially Peter of the dangers - that were to come upon them. They will be faced with failures from within themselves, opposition from the world, and animosity from Satan. Yet Jesus prayed for Peter particularly that he would live in faithful devotion to Him and thereby be useful to strengthen his brothers.

Jesus honored His apostles with kingdom appointments just before He went to the cross. While it may appear that His kingdom is being rejected, yet He promises special privileges for these men who remained faithful to Him throughout His ministry.

At the Last Supper, Jesus confirmed the presence of His betrayer among His own trusted apostles. While the Twelve initially question whether they could be the one, their conversation soon escalated into a dispute about who was regarded to be greatest in the kingdom. Jesus corrected their attitude by showing the necessity of humble service toward others as the real evidence of greatness in the kingdom, as typified by Jesus' own sacrifice of Himself for His people.

Peter's preaching at Pentecost exposed the people's guilt for their part in killing Jesus the Messiah, but he also showed how God's plan of redemption was accomplished through His death and resurrection.

In the Last Supper, Jesus gave His apostles the fuller meaning of the centuries-old Passover feast. His death would inaugurate the new covenant for those who would repent and trust God for salvation.

In this Last Passover, Jesus reframes the elements from referencing the events surrounding Israel's exodus from Egypt and He applies these truths of deliverance to the work He was about to perform on the cross.

Jesus earnestly desired to share this last Passover meal with His apostles. Because of the treachery of Judas, Jesus kept secret the location of the meal and arranged Peter and John to serve the others by making the necessary preparations. In these things, we see the sovereignty and purpose of our Lord in serving His people and desiring to be with them.

So many elements come together at the end of Jesus' earthly ministry. The people adored Him, the religious leaders despised Him, the Father was pleased with Him, Satan desired to destroy Him. In all these things Jesus persevered in proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom to those who would listen.