Jesus Practiced Advance Care Planning: Biblical Basis and Possible Applications

Background: Persons from a Christian tradition may have concerns that impede advance care planning for end of life. Sharing how Jesus practiced advance care planning may provide a pivot point to help ameliorate this problem. Objective: To present a novel approach to advance care planning from a Christian tradition. Evolution of the Novel Approach: Experiential learning that resulted in the novel approach is described using Kolb's learning cycle: proceeding from concrete experience to reflective observation followed by abstract conceptualization and then active experimentation. Results: The novel approach builds on events toward the end of Jesus' life to demonstrate how he practiced advance care planning: telling those close to him that he was going to die even though they did not want to hear this, participating in a celebration of his life on Palm Sunday, sharing a Last Supper with those close to him, showing them how he wanted to be remembered, asking his friends to pray with him in the garden of Gethsemane, and saying to his mother that John would care for her. Questions related to these events are posed for use by health and spiritual care professionals to innovatively engage persons in advance care planning. Discussion: This approach might be adapted for persons of other religious traditions by exploring their sacred teachings. It is proffered for others to explore, adapt, and evaluate for its utility in initiating and facilitating advance care planning.