The Chosen Season 5 Episode 8: Bible Study & Discussion Guide (Exploring The Chosen with Small Groups and Youth)
- Kevin Keating
- May 19
- 6 min read
Episode 8 of The Chosen Season 5: Last Supper (Part 3) provides us with an opportunity to explore the story of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46), one of the most emotionally moving moments in the account of Holy Week found in the Gospels. Below I'll share a Bible Study and discussion questions that you can use to explore The Chosen Season 5, Episode 8 with your small group, Bible study, or youth ministry. Also be sure to check out my recap, review, and analysis of Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, and Episode 8.
Before Watching The Chosen Season 5 Episode 8: Review Questions
As usual, I’d encourage you to do a quick review before launching into your discussion of The Chosen Season 5 Episode 8:
What has Atticus been up to during Season 5? What have we learned about his plans and concerns?
What have we learned about Pilate’s attitude, concerns, and his relationship with his wife, Claudia?
Why are the religious leaders rushing to arrest Jesus? What legal obstacles and limitations do they need to work around?
Before Watching The Chosen Season 5 Episode 8: Bible Study & Discussion Questions
Episode 8 of The Chosen Season 5 is focused primarily on Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, although it also incorporates the story of God testing Abraham’s faith by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22) and Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14). It’s tempting to explore the Old Testament passages, since they are only briefly touched on in the episode, but I think it’s best to focus on Gethsemane, given how important this moment is:
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” (Matthew 26:36-46, ESV)
Before launching into discussion, it’s worth pointing out:
The Old Testament prophets sometimes use a cup of strong wine as an image of the wrath of God, which Israel and the nations have to “drink” because of their wickedness (e.g. Isaiah 51:17-22, Jeremiah 25:15-29). By taking this cup, Jesus is taking the judgment of God on himself.
The Passover meal typically unfolds over the course of four cups, the Cup of Sanctification, the Cup of Deliverance, the Cup of Redemption, and the Cup of Praise, which represents the fulfillment of God’s promises. The Gospel accounts seem to suggest that Jesus only presented three cups during the Passover, waiting to taste the final cup until his suffering and crucifixion had fulfilled God’s promises and brought God’s redemptive work to completion.
I think it’s also good to review the Lord’s Prayer:
Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. (Matthew 6:9-13, ESV)
To discuss the passage, ask your group:
Jesus tells his disciples that, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” If you were one of the disciples, what would you be thinking and feeling?
Although Jesus asks the Father, if possible, to let the cup pass, he ultimately prays, “not as I will, but as you will.” What does this prayer reveal about Jesus’ humanity? Does that humanity call into question his divine nature? Why or why not?
How does this story draw on or echo the Lord’s Prayer? What are some important words that we find in both?
Why is it significant that the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray resembles the prayer that he prayed during this moment? In what ways will we experience echoes of what Jesus went through? In what ways is Jesus’ experience unique?
What do you think Jesus means when he tells Peter, James, and John that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak? When we are entering into moments of intense difficulty, why is prayer essential?
How does this story contrast the attitude and behavior of the disciples with that of Jesus? How does this highlight the uniqueness of Jesus?
Jesus’ prayer takes place in a Garden, just as the temptation of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 took place in a Garden. How are these two stories similar? How do Jesus’ actions here help resolve the problems created by Genesis 3?
After Watching The Chosen Season 5 Episode 8: Bible Study & Discussion Questions
After watching an episode of The Chosen, I typically ask people a couple basic questions:
What stuck out to you about the episode? What did you connect with the most?
Did you have any questions? Was anything unclear?
As always, if the conversation takes on a life of its own, I encourage you to run with it instead of feeling bound by the questions that follow. However, if you need more structure, you can ask some of the following questions:
What did you think of Jesus’ speech to Thaddeus in the cold open? Did it highlight an aspect of following Jesus in a way that resonated with your own experiences?
How would you characterize how Peter and the other disciples react to what Jesus told them during the Last Supper? Why do you think they react this way?
Can you think of a time when God has been trying to warn you about something but you’ve refused to listen to him?
While praying in the Garden, the show has Jesus say, “I don’t think I can do this. You ask too much of me. I can’t. Make me stronger.” Although these words are not in the biblical accounts, do you think they fit with what we know about Jesus? Why or why not?
The show depicts Jesus experiencing three visions. The first is taken from the story of God testing Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac, only to provide a ram as a last-minute substitute (Genesis 22). Why do you think the show adds this vision? What does it tell us about Jesus’ sacrifice and his relationship with the Father?
In the second vision, Jesus encounters Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones and asks him if the bones can live. Why do you think the show adds this vision? What does it tell us about what Jesus’ sacrifice will make possible?
In the final vision, Jesus sees Joseph, his stepfather, and the two embrace. Why do you think the show adds this vision? What does it show us about Jesus’ relationship with both humanity and with his heavenly Father?
Between his visions, Jesus also briefly sees the sleeping Peter, James, and John, not as adults but as children. What do you think this moment shows us about how God looks at us in our weakness?
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