#23 - Remembering?
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(English Standard Version)
Mt 26 - Plot to kill Jesus - Jesus anointed at Bethany - Judas to betray Jesus - Passover with the disciples - Institution of Lord’s Supper - Foretells Peter’s denial - Prays in Gethsemane - Betrayal and arrest - before Caiaphas - Peter denies Jesus
Mk 14 - plot to kill Jesus - Anointed at Bethany - Judas to betray Jesus - Passover with disciples - institution of Lord’s Supper - foretells Peter’s denial - prays in Gethsemane - betrayal and arrest - young man flees - before the council - Peter denies Jesus
Jn 13 - Washes Disciples feet - One of you will betray Me - New Commandment - foretells Peter’s denial
Read the chapters yourself then…
watch the Bible Project videos on Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
Neil Evans COMENTS:
These passages record the events of the evening before and the early morning of the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus spent the time with His disciples lovingly teaching them, with The Father in intimate unity, and with His enemies in powerful submission.
As with most learning, the Last Supper with Jesus taught the disciples much more than they realized at the time. Just like me, they thought they knew much more than they actually understood and were living in the moment. Their sleeping in the Garden and their desertion of Jesus revealed that the things Jesus said and did passed in an out of their minds. Only after Jesus’ resurrection did they begin to put all the things Jesus said and did together and understand more fully and accurately all that Jesus had said and done in their midst. I have the same learning disability and this is one reason I am so thankful for the reliable text of the Bible I can study over and over again.
The meal they shared together was like no other they ever shared. Bread and wine (it is a matter of significant discussion whether the wine was fermented or not - but no doubt that it was fruit of the grape vine) was a common part of their meals. But on this night of His Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus did something dramatically different. Jesus gave the bread and wine a radical new significance. Knowing what would happen to Him in just a few hours, Jesus broke the bread and passed the pieces around for the men to share, and declared that it represents His body which is given for us. He held up the wine cup and said it represents His blood which is poured out for the forgiveness of our sin. Then Jesus told them the reason for this symbolism was so that whenever they shared the bread and the wine they would “remember Him.”
They obviously didn’t understand then but after Jesus crucifixion they would come to realize the significance of Jesus broken body and blood. Jesus said nothing about making covenants, or earning favor with God by sharing these things. He said simply, yet ever so profoundly, “remember Me.” They would come, in the days and years ahead, to realize that to remember Jesus broken body and shed blood, was, and is, to link the death penalty for sin with the Lamb of God Who gave His life as a ransom for many … for me. Whenever I participate in The Lord’s Super, I hold the bread and the blood red juice in my hand and I remember Jesus death in my place, not as a way to demonstrate my allegiance to Him, but as a reminder to myself of His commitment to me.
It could be said that Jesus’ suffering began when He became a human being, accepted the misunderstanding and hatred, saw the indifference and unbelief of people in the very presence of God. His heart was broken as He saw these things even in His own disciples. But on this night, as the horrors of the crucifixion and the weight of God’s wrath were only hours away, Jesus poured out His heart with the only One Who could really understand. It was an agonizing time as Jesus anticipated bearing the wrath of God for the sin of all mankind. Amazingly, and thankfully, Jesus concluded with the profoundly loving words: “not My will but Your’s be done.”
The LDS author Tad Callister, in his book “The Infinite Atonement” quotes various LDS authorities seeking to demonstrate that Jesus’ sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane was the “focal point of all history,” “the place and the time for the atonement of Jesus Christ.” Gordon B. Hinkley said: “…there is nothing so wonderful, so majestic, so tremendous as this act of grace.” Hugh Nibley observed: “the one supreme reality of our life upon this earth!” Bruce R. McConkie said: “The most transcendent event in his entire eternal existence the most glorious single happening from creation’s dawn to eternity’s endless continuance, the crowning work of his infinite goodness — such took place in a garden called Gethsemane.”
The Biblical atonement for sin required not just suffering but the actual death of the sacrifice. The atonement for my sin took place on the cross where Jesus died bearing the full wrath of God for my sin. If the deep sadness of the Garden of Gethsemane were all that was required, Jesus died unnecessarily. Many people have suffered in the extreme; many people have died horrible deaths undeservedly. But, no one, except Jesus Christ, has died willingly suffering the wrath of God while carrying the sin of the world on themself.
This does not minimize the agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, but it does describe what Jesus was asking His disciples, and me, to remember when I eat the bread and drink the cup.
It is interesting to me that I looked for reference to the “Garden of Gethsemane” in the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, and the Doctrine and Covenants, and found zero references to it. It seems that the “crowning work of Jesus’ infinite goodness” would be mentioned in the LDS Scriptures. But then it is not so unusual because the Book of Mormon does not mention many key LDS beliefs such as: Plurality of Gods, Plurality of wives, Word of Wisdom, God is an exalted man, Celestial marriage, Men may become Gods, Baptism for the dead, Eternal progression, The Aaronic Priesthood, or Temple works of washings, anointing, endowments, sealing.
The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central issue of Earth’s history. Why was it necessary? What did it accomplish? What should I do about it? These are questions that were answered by the disciples of Jesus who observed the events, personally knew Jesus, and wrote the Bible with accuracy and authority so that I could believe, receive and have the LIFE Jesus came to give.
(English Standard Version)
Mt 26 - Plot to kill Jesus - Jesus anointed at Bethany - Judas to betray Jesus - Passover with the disciples - Institution of Lord’s Supper - Foretells Peter’s denial - Prays in Gethsemane - Betrayal and arrest - before Caiaphas - Peter denies Jesus
Mk 14 - plot to kill Jesus - Anointed at Bethany - Judas to betray Jesus - Passover with disciples - institution of Lord’s Supper - foretells Peter’s denial - prays in Gethsemane - betrayal and arrest - young man flees - before the council - Peter denies Jesus
Jn 13 - Washes Disciples feet - One of you will betray Me - New Commandment - foretells Peter’s denial
Read the chapters yourself then…
watch the Bible Project videos on Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
Neil Evans COMENTS:
These passages record the events of the evening before and the early morning of the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus spent the time with His disciples lovingly teaching them, with The Father in intimate unity, and with His enemies in powerful submission.
As with most learning, the Last Supper with Jesus taught the disciples much more than they realized at the time. Just like me, they thought they knew much more than they actually understood and were living in the moment. Their sleeping in the Garden and their desertion of Jesus revealed that the things Jesus said and did passed in an out of their minds. Only after Jesus’ resurrection did they begin to put all the things Jesus said and did together and understand more fully and accurately all that Jesus had said and done in their midst. I have the same learning disability and this is one reason I am so thankful for the reliable text of the Bible I can study over and over again.
The meal they shared together was like no other they ever shared. Bread and wine (it is a matter of significant discussion whether the wine was fermented or not - but no doubt that it was fruit of the grape vine) was a common part of their meals. But on this night of His Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus did something dramatically different. Jesus gave the bread and wine a radical new significance. Knowing what would happen to Him in just a few hours, Jesus broke the bread and passed the pieces around for the men to share, and declared that it represents His body which is given for us. He held up the wine cup and said it represents His blood which is poured out for the forgiveness of our sin. Then Jesus told them the reason for this symbolism was so that whenever they shared the bread and the wine they would “remember Him.”
They obviously didn’t understand then but after Jesus crucifixion they would come to realize the significance of Jesus broken body and blood. Jesus said nothing about making covenants, or earning favor with God by sharing these things. He said simply, yet ever so profoundly, “remember Me.” They would come, in the days and years ahead, to realize that to remember Jesus broken body and shed blood, was, and is, to link the death penalty for sin with the Lamb of God Who gave His life as a ransom for many … for me. Whenever I participate in The Lord’s Super, I hold the bread and the blood red juice in my hand and I remember Jesus death in my place, not as a way to demonstrate my allegiance to Him, but as a reminder to myself of His commitment to me.
It could be said that Jesus’ suffering began when He became a human being, accepted the misunderstanding and hatred, saw the indifference and unbelief of people in the very presence of God. His heart was broken as He saw these things even in His own disciples. But on this night, as the horrors of the crucifixion and the weight of God’s wrath were only hours away, Jesus poured out His heart with the only One Who could really understand. It was an agonizing time as Jesus anticipated bearing the wrath of God for the sin of all mankind. Amazingly, and thankfully, Jesus concluded with the profoundly loving words: “not My will but Your’s be done.”
The LDS author Tad Callister, in his book “The Infinite Atonement” quotes various LDS authorities seeking to demonstrate that Jesus’ sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane was the “focal point of all history,” “the place and the time for the atonement of Jesus Christ.” Gordon B. Hinkley said: “…there is nothing so wonderful, so majestic, so tremendous as this act of grace.” Hugh Nibley observed: “the one supreme reality of our life upon this earth!” Bruce R. McConkie said: “The most transcendent event in his entire eternal existence the most glorious single happening from creation’s dawn to eternity’s endless continuance, the crowning work of his infinite goodness — such took place in a garden called Gethsemane.”
The Biblical atonement for sin required not just suffering but the actual death of the sacrifice. The atonement for my sin took place on the cross where Jesus died bearing the full wrath of God for my sin. If the deep sadness of the Garden of Gethsemane were all that was required, Jesus died unnecessarily. Many people have suffered in the extreme; many people have died horrible deaths undeservedly. But, no one, except Jesus Christ, has died willingly suffering the wrath of God while carrying the sin of the world on themself.
This does not minimize the agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, but it does describe what Jesus was asking His disciples, and me, to remember when I eat the bread and drink the cup.
It is interesting to me that I looked for reference to the “Garden of Gethsemane” in the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, and the Doctrine and Covenants, and found zero references to it. It seems that the “crowning work of Jesus’ infinite goodness” would be mentioned in the LDS Scriptures. But then it is not so unusual because the Book of Mormon does not mention many key LDS beliefs such as: Plurality of Gods, Plurality of wives, Word of Wisdom, God is an exalted man, Celestial marriage, Men may become Gods, Baptism for the dead, Eternal progression, The Aaronic Priesthood, or Temple works of washings, anointing, endowments, sealing.
The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central issue of Earth’s history. Why was it necessary? What did it accomplish? What should I do about it? These are questions that were answered by the disciples of Jesus who observed the events, personally knew Jesus, and wrote the Bible with accuracy and authority so that I could believe, receive and have the LIFE Jesus came to give.
Check out these LINKS:
Watch Bible Project video about Matthew
Watch Bible Project video about Mark
Watch Bible Project video about Luke
Watch Bible Project video about John
Read "Bible Words to Ponder" related to this week study
Read "The Gospel"