Thought: He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great
atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted
to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to
atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of
all who would ever live upon the earth.
Vs. 2 - Christ predicted his death & crucifixion at least 14
times in the Gospels & several times before his birth: Moses 7:55; Psalm
22:16; 2 Nephi 10:3, 5
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1
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1st Passover
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John 2:13-22
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2
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To Nicodemus
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John 3:14
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3
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To John's disciples
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Matthew 9:14-15
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4
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To scribes & Pharisees
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Matthew 12:38-40
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5
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To the Twelve
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Matthew 10:38-39
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6
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Bread of Life Sermon
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John 6:48-56
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7
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Caesarea Philippi
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Matthew 16:21
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8
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Mount of Transfiguration
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Luke 9:28-31
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9
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Disciples in Galilee
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Matthew 17:22-23
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10
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En route to Jerusalem
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Matthew 20:17-19
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11
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Teachings of Good Shepherd
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John 10:11-18
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12
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Parable of Wicked Husbandmen
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John 10:11-18
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13
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Two days before
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Matthew 26:1-2
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14
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At home of Simon
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Matthew 26:12
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Vs. 3 - Caiaphas was the High Priest from 18-36 AD. He was the
son-in-law of Annas-High Priest 7-14 AD.
Vs.
14–16 -
"Judas was rebuked and immediately betrayed his Lord into the hands of His
enemies because Satan entered into him. (TPJS p. 67) 30 shekels was the
compensation an owner for the death of a slave, (Ex. 21:32) $150 in today's
money? (Ogden) $17.00 (Talmage) Fulfilled prophecy in Zech. 11:12-13. 30 pieces
of silver from the temple treasury. Money earmarked for the purchase of
sacrifices. (Mortal Messiah 4:15)
Vs. 21-25- John says Judas left
before the sacrament.
Thus, with bread and water, we are reminded of Christ’s Redemption
of us from death and sin. The sequence of bread first and water second is not
inconsequential. In partaking of the bread, we are reminded of our own
inevitable personal resurrection, which consists of more than
just the restoration of body and spirit. By the power of the Resurrection, all
of us will be restored to the presence of God.28 That reality presents to us the
fundamental question of our lives. The fundamental question facing all of us is
not whether we will live but with whom we will live after we die. While every
one of us will return to the presence of God, not every one of us will remain
with Him.
In partaking of
the sacramental water, we are taught how we may be made clean from sin and
transgression and thus stand in the presence of God. By the shedding of His
innocent blood, Jesus Christ satisfied the demands of justice for every sin and
transgression. He then offers to make us clean if we will have faith in Him
sufficient to repent; accept all the ordinances and covenants of salvation, beginning
with baptism; and receive the Holy Ghost.
26:26;. (James J. Hamula see also Cheryl A. Esplin, CR Oct. 2014) The
JST says he broke it first. Note also the JST make it clear that Jesus did NOT
say it was His body, but in remembrance of His body.
(transubstantiation)
Vs. 25 in JST - Note that Jesus commands this ordinance to be
continued unto the end.
JST 26- Note the footnote and reference to D&C 27:5-14.
Vs.30- The “hymn”
the Savior and His disciples sang at the conclusion of the Last Supper was
probably the traditional Jewish recitation from Psalms 113–18, called the Hallel. Psalms 113–14 were traditionally sung at the
beginning of the meal, and Psalms 115–18 were traditionally sung as part
of the formal closing of a Passover meal.
Henry Kendall
"The hours that lay
immediately ahead would change the meaning of all human history. It would be
the crowning moment of eternity, the most miraculous of all the miracles. It
would be the supreme contribution to a plan designed from before the foundation
of the world for the happiness of every man, woman, and child who would ever
live in it. The hour of atoning sacrifice had come. God’s own Son, his Only
Begotten Son in the flesh, was about to become the Savior of the world.
As a final and specially
prepared Passover supper was ending, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it,
and gave it to his Apostles, saying, “Take, eat” (Matt. 26:26). “This is my body which is
given for you: this do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). In a similar manner he took
the cup of wine, traditionally diluted with water, said a blessing of thanks
for it, and passed it to those gathered about him, saying: “This cup is the new
testament in my blood,” “which is shed … for the remission of sins.” “This do
in remembrance of me.” “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup,
ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come” (Luke 22:20; Matt. 26:28; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:26).
With
a crust of bread, always broken, blessed, and offered first, we remember his
bruised body and broken heart, his physical suffering on the cross where he
cried, “I thirst,” and finally, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (John 19:28; Matt. 27:46.)
The
Savior’s physical suffering guarantees that through his mercy and grace (see 2 Ne. 2:8) every member of the human family shall be freed from the bonds of death and be resurrected
triumphantly from the grave. Of course the time of that resurrection and the degree of exaltation it
leads to are based upon our faithfulness.
With
a small cup of water we remember the shedding of Christ’s blood and the depth
of his spiritual suffering, anguish which began in the Garden of Gethsemane.
There he said, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death” (Matt. 26:38). He was in agony and “prayed
more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down
to the ground” (Luke 22:44).
The Savior’s spiritual suffering
and the shedding of his innocent blood, so lovingly and freely given, paid the
debt for what the scriptures call the “original guilt” of Adam’s transgression
(Moses 6:54). Furthermore, Christ suffered for the sins and sorrows and pains
of all the rest of the human family, providing remission for all of our sins as
well, upon conditions of obedience to the principles and ordinances of the
gospel he taught (see 2 Ne. 9:21–23). As the Apostle Paul wrote, we
were “bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:20). What an expensive price and
what a merciful purchase!
That
is why every ordinance of the gospel focuses in one way or another on the
atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, and surely that is why this particular
ordinance with all its symbolism and imagery comes to us more readily and more
repeatedly than any other in our life. It comes in what has been called “the most
sacred, the most holy, of all the meetings of the Church”
Perhaps
we do not always attach that kind of meaning to our weekly sacramental service.
How “sacred” and how “holy” is it? Do we see it as our passover,
remembrance of our safety and deliverance and redemption?
With so very much at stake, this
ordinance commemorating our escape from the angel of darkness should be taken
more seriously than it sometimes is. It should be a powerful, reverent,
reflective moment. It should encourage spiritual feelings and impressions. As
such it should not be rushed. It is not something to “get over” so that the
real purpose of a sacrament meeting can be pursued. This is
the real purpose of the meeting. And everything that is said or sung or prayed
in those services should be consistent with the grandeur of this sacred
ordinance.
The administration and passing of
the sacrament is preceded by a hymn which all of us should sing. It doesn’t
matter what kind of musical voice we have. Sacramental hymns are more like
prayers anyway—and everyone can give voice to a prayer!
We may not know, we
cannot tell, What pains he had to
bear, But we believe it was for us He hung and suffered there.
It is an important element of our
worship to unite in such lyrical and moving expressions of gratitude.
If
remembering is the principal task before us, what might come to our memory when
those plain and precious emblems are offered to us? 1)We could remember the Savior’s premortal life and all that we
know him to have done as the great Jehovah, creator of heaven and earth and all
things that in them are. 2)We could remember that even in the Grand Council of
Heaven he loved us and was wonderfully strong, that we triumphed even there by
the power of Christ and our faith in the blood of the Lamb (see Rev. 12:10–11).
3)We
could remember the simple grandeur of his mortal birth to just a young woman,
one probably in the age range of those in our Young Women organization, who
spoke for every faithful woman in every dispensation of time when she said,
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38).
4)We
could remember his magnificent but virtually unknown foster father, a humble
carpenter by trade who taught us, among other things, that quiet, plain,
unpretentious people have moved this majestic work forward from the very
beginning, and still do so today. If you are serving almost anonymously, please
know that so, too, did one of the best men who has ever lived on this earth.
5)We
could remember Christ’s miracles and his teachings, his healings and his help.
We could remember that he gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf and
motion to the lame and the maimed and the withered. Then, on those days when we
feel our progress has halted or our joys and views have grown dim, we can press
forward steadfastly in Christ, with unshaken faith in him and a perfect
brightness of hope (see 2 Ne. 31:19–20).
6)We
could remember that even with such a solemn mission given to him, the Savior
found delight in living; he enjoyed people and told his disciples to be of good
cheer. He said we should be as thrilled with the gospel as one who had found a
great treasure, a veritable pearl of great price, right on our own doorstep. We
could remember that Jesus found special joy and happiness in children and said
all of us should be more like them—guileless and pure, quick to laugh and to
love and to forgive, slow to remember any offense.
7)We
could remember that Christ called his disciples friends, and that friends are
those who stand by us in times of loneliness or potential despair. 8)We could
remember a friend we need to contact or, better yet, a friend we need to make.
In doing so we could remember that God often provides his blessings through the
compassionate and timely response of another. For someone nearby we may be the
means of heaven’s answer to a very urgent prayer.
9)We
could—and should—remember the wonderful things that have come to us in our
lives and that “all things which are good cometh of Christ” (Moro. 7:24). Those of us who are so blessed
could remember the courage of those around us who face more difficulty than we,
but who remain cheerful, who do the best they can, and trust that the Bright
and Morning Star will rise again for them—as surely he will do (see Rev. 22:16).
10)On
some days we will have cause to remember the unkind treatment he received, the
rejection he experienced, and the injustice—oh, the injustice—he endured. When
we, too, then face some of that in life, we can remember that Christ was also
troubled on every side, but not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed (see 2 Cor. 4:8–9). When those difficult times
come to us, we can remember that Jesus had to descend below all things before
he could ascend above them, and that he suffered pains and afflictions and
temptations of every kind that he might be filled with mercy and know how to
succor his people in their infirmities (see D&C 88:6; Alma 7:11–12).
In
fact, in a resurrected, otherwise perfected body, our Lord of this sacrament
table has chosen to retain for the benefit of his disciples the wounds in his
hands and his feet and his side—signs, if you will, that painful things happen
even to the pure and perfect. Signs, if you will, that pain in this world is not
evidence that God doesn’t love you. It is the wounded Christ who is the
captain of our soul—he who yet bears the scars of sacrifice, the lesions of
love and humility and forgiveness. Those wounds are what he
invites young and old, then and now, to step forward and see and feel (see 3 Ne. 11:15; 3 Ne. 18:25). Then we remember with Isaiah
that it was for each of us that our Master was “despised and rejected … ; a man
of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). All this we could remember
when we are invited by a kneeling young priest to remember Christ always.
One
request Christ made of his disciples on that night of deep anguish and grief
was that they stand by him, stay with him in his hour of sorrow and pain.
“Could ye not watch with me one hour?” he asked longingly (Matt. 26:40). I think he asks that again of
us, every Sabbath day when the emblems of his life are broken and blessed and
passed.
How
great the wisdom and the love That filled the courts on high And
sent the Savior from above
To suffer, bleed, and die! “Oh, it is wonderful,
wonderful to me!” (Hymns, # 193). (JRHolland CR-Oct. 95)
Vs. 36–46- Video, Painting, Up to this time in his 33 years,
Jesus had never felt guilt or any of the feelings associated with guilt.
"We know an angel came from the courts of glory to strengthen him in his
ordeal and we suppose it was the mighty Michael, who foremost fell that mortal
man might be. As near as we can judge, those infinite agonies-this suffering
beyond compare continued for some 3 or 4 hours (BRM CR Apr. 1985) "First, an enormous
sense of responsibility, for He realized that except it be done perfectly, not
one of His Father’s children could return to Him. They would be forever
banished from His presence since there would be no way to repent for broken
laws and no unclean thing can exist in the presence of God. His Father’s plan
would have failed, and each spirit child would have been under the eternal
control and torment of Satan. “Second, in His absolutely pure mind and heart,
He had to personally feel the consequences of all that mankind would ever
encounter, even the most depraved, despicable sins. “Third, He had to endure
the vicious attack of Satan’s hordes while physically and emotionally pressed
to the limit. Then, for reasons we do not fully know, while at the extremity of
His capacity, at the time the Savior most needed succor, His Father allowed Him
to shoulder the onerous responsibility with only His own strength and capacity”
(RGScott Ensign May 2010, 76–77).
Vs. 57–75. Caiaphas’s
palace, Sanhedrin: trial of Jesus, seek false witnesses, charge changed from
Blasphemy to Sedition. Why? 1 Nephi 19:9, Bruce D.
Porter
of the 70 taught that the Atonement required the Savior to endure the abuses of the Jewish
and Roman leaders without sinning: “The cruelties and indignities suffered by
Jesus during the various trials represented a last-ditch effort by Lucifer to
cause Christ to stumble. A single misstep—a cross word, an angry outburst, even
a moment’s indulgence in self-pity or pride—and all was lost. Hence, every
possible indignity was heaped upon the Savior: false accusations; blasphemous
outbursts; a crown of thorns; the horrible scourging by bone-embedded whips;
the mock robe of royalty; the spitting, taunting, and physical blows of the
soldiers. The whole pitiable drama was masterminded by Lucifer in the hope that
he might yet find a way to nullify the Redeemer’s triumph at Gethsemane” (The King of Kings [2000],
106–7). Peter’s three denials-"Peter My
Brother" SWKimball-BYU Speeches of the Year, 1971
Vs. 1-2Pontius Pilate was
appointed governor of Judea in 26 AD. He was described as vindictive, cruel,
greedy & stubborn. He resented concessions made to Jews by previous
governors because of their religion. He enjoyed teaching crowds a lesson by
unnecessarily setting his troops loose on them. He was removed from office in
36 AD & sent back to Rome. His wife was made a saint by the Greek Orthodox.
Vs. 11–31. Jesus is
tried before Pilate; Pilate’s wife, multitude, Barabbas. Vs. 27 has the ? of
ages!
Vs.32–51.
Crucifixion - IF in vs.
29-44. Is it harder to deal with "stuff" when you are sick or tired?
Vs. 62–66. Pilate
sets a guard
Chapter 28
“[Jesus Christ’s] Atonement included His suffering for
the sins of mankind, the shedding of His blood, and His death and subsequent
resurrection from the grave” (Guide to the Scriptures).
“The greatest events of history are those which affect
the greatest number for the longest periods. By this standard, no event could
be more important to individuals or nations than the resurrection of the
Master. The eventual resurrection of every soul who has lived and died on earth
is a scriptural certainty, and surely there is no event for which one should
make more careful preparation. Nothing is more absolutely universal than the
resurrection. Every living being will be resurrected” (ETB-CR Apr. 1964).
Isaiah 43-47-
The Lord Will Save Israel and Destroy Babylon
Isaiah 43- Remember who you
belong to-Israelite Identity!
If we
remember that we belong to God, that knowledge can be a great source of
comfort, encouragement and motivation when we feel peer pressure, lonely, when
we lack direction or purpose.
Vs. 1-23-The
glorious destiny of redeemed and re-gathered Israel
Vs. 1-3- We
are Israel! The Lord helps us (all Israel & each Israelite) through our perilous
journeys.
Vs. 7- We
baptized LDS are "called by His name."
Vs. 5-10 -
Israel has been scattered in all directions and will be gathered from "all
nations". (vs. 9) We (you and I) are His witnesses.
Vs. 13- JST
ends this verse with "Who shall hinder it."
Vs. 14- The
Lord says that He sent Israel to Babylon, "for your sake." Why? How
was the captivity good? Vs.18-20- LeGrand Richards
described a literal fulfillment of Isaiah’s words:“Isaiah said: ‘Behold, I will
do a new thing,’ and as far as my understanding of this scripture is concerned,
that new thing was the great principle of irrigation. It is true the Saints had
to make the canals, they had to make the ditches, they had to put in the dams,
but the land might have remained arid had not the Lord put into their minds the
inspiration to do this very thing, and that is what Isaiah saw that the Lord
would do. He said:
Isaiah 44-45
Vs. 1- “Jesurun,”
(or Jeshurun), which is the Hebrew for upright or righteous.
Vs. 5-20 - Isaiah discusses the irony of people who
worship items they made themselves and asks in vs. 20, "Is there not a lie
in my right (covenant) hand?
Vs. 21-22-speaking prophetically but in past tense
(Isaiah had already seen the redeeming sacrifice of the Lord, although it had
not yet occurred), he declared that the Atonement had been made, and that
Israel’s redemption was predicted only upon her return to Him.
45:7- Does the
Lord Create Evil? Since the opposite of peace is sorrow or trouble, the
translation from the New American Catholic Bible makes better sense: “I form
the light, and create the darkness, I make well-being and create woe.” The idea
is that the Lord is the author of peace, but that He also sends judgments upon
the wicked who are ripe in iniquity. Therefore, even when the wicked are
punished by the wicked (see Mormon 4:5),
it is under the direction of the Lord.
45:12- A
good verse to read when you forget that "The earth is the Lord's and the
fullness thereof", in other words we don't "own" anything. D&C
104:13–14, 54–57,104:70.
45:23- See
"The Living Christ"
Isaiah 46 - Idols Are Idols, but Christ Is God.
Isaiah
47 Spiritual Babylon Is the Perverted Counterfeit of Jehovah - This chapter
demonstrates the extent to which Satan has gone to achieve his eternal lie.
Lucifer, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of
God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the
north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most
High” (Isaiah 14:13–14). As Zion is the spiritual offspring of the
Lord Jesus Christ, so Babylon is the evil offspring of Lucifer, who fell and
became Satan, “the father of all lies” (Moses 4:4).
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Babylon of the Chaldees
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Babylon, or Spiritual Wickedness
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Isaiah 47:5 Called “the lady of kingdoms.” |
As society
is attracted to a beautiful woman, so the children of men are attracted to
the glitter and power of spiritual Babylon. |
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Isaiah 47:6 Showed no mercy to covenant Israel, but laid great burdens upon her. |
Through
the wickedness of Babylon may appear attractive because it is easy or
pleasurable, it only enslaves its subjects. |
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Isaiah 47:7 Boasted of being indestructible, but failed to see the judgment that would finally destroy her. |
In
blindness, spiritual Babylon wreaks havoc upon the world, failing to see the
self-destructive nature of her acts. |
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Isaiah 47:8 Declared her pleasures to be the end and fulfillment of life’s dream, not merely the means to it. |
The
Babylon of the world is enthroned triumphantly when men worship the lusts of
the flesh. She becomes a counterfeit god. “They deny the power of God, the
Holy One of Israel; and … say unto the people … there is no God” (2 Nephi 28:5), and “there is no hell”; thus
the devil “grasps them with his awful chains from whence there is no
deliverance” (2 Nephi 28:22). |
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Isaiah 47:10 Through Babylon’s own wicked power subjected men to her will. |
The
Babylon of the world, through wicked covenants and deeds, binds a man’s
loyalty to the prince of darkness by the promise of secret gain (see Helaman 6:16–25). |
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Isaiah 47:10 So great had this “lady of the kingdoms” become that her rulers gloried in the thought that they were the center of knowledge and wisdom and forced their subjects to kneel to the king, and not to God (see Daniel 3:1–6; 6:1–7). |
The
Babylon of the world assumes expertise in all knowledge and decrees that men
should worship at her door. As men embrace this hellish doctrine, they begin
to believe that they know where others do not,
and they become self-appointed gods, even to the giving and taking of life
(compare the attitude of 2 Nephi 9:20). “O the vainness, and the
frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they
are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it
aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness
and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.”
(2 Nephi 9:28; emphasis added.) |
