SECTION 5
THE WEEK OF THE ATONING SACRIFICE TO THE RESURRECTION

LESSONS

20. The Triumphal Entry

21. “Woe unto You . . . Hypocrites!”

22. What Shall Be the Sign of Thy Coming?

23. “As I Have Loved You”

24. “My Peace I Give unto You!”

25. “Not My Will, but Thine, Be Done”

26. “I Find No Fault In This Man”

The Three-Year Ministry Was About to End

The public ministry of Jesus was soon to come to an end. He had pursued his ministry by two bold thrusts. His first thrust was the clear, bold pronouncement of his messiahship. He left no doubt of who he was when in Bethany he restored the dead Lazarus to mortal life. That miracle, more than anything else, had led the Jewish rulers to plot that Jesus “should die for that nation.” (John 11:51.) They could not refute the evidence—to stop his mission, they would have to destroy Jesus. Second, Jesus had trained leadership in his apostles, who would carry the torch of his cause after his ascension. This leadership surfaced when they saw that Jesus was resurrected. Although dormant through the trial and crucifixion, later the apostles were commissioned by Jesus to preach to all nations; and after his ascension, they were endowed with the Holy Spirit. They had the keys; they had been called; and under the leadership of Peter, James, and John, they began their great task.

Jesus Goes to Jerusalem

And so Jesus turned to Jerusalem and to the people of that noble city whom he would have gathered “even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37.) He well knew that to go there was to face an inevitable, cruel death. But he went to the Holy City, for had he not himself said: ‘‘It cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.” (Luke 13:33.) To go there was to fulfill the mission to which he had been sent by his Heavenly Father.

He planned to arrive in Jerusalem at a special time. It was the season of Passover, late March or early April. Jewish pilgrims from all over Jewry were present. The conditions were right. Jesus knew that in Jerusalem were “those who [were] the more wicked part of the world; and they [would] crucify him . . . and there [was] none other nation on earth that would crucify their God.” (2 Nephi 10:3.)

THE LAST DAYS OF JESUS’ MORTAL MISSION

Let us now preview some of the major events which led to Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and glorious resurrection.

First Day

Jesus arrived at Jerusalem. He secured a donkey and a colt, and rode through the city gates into Jerusalem. A “very great multitude” who knew him to be “the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee” placed palm branches in his way and greeted him with a hosanna shout: “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” (Matthew 21:9.)

He went directly to the temple, and according to Mark, took note of what he saw and retired to Bethany for the night (Mark 11:11).

Second Day

Early the next morning Jesus went again to the temple and made a decisive thrust calculated to challenge the Jewish religious leadership. He drove from the outer court area of the temple those who were trading and making money exchange from foreign currency. The money exchange was apparently sanctioned by the Jewish leaders; and by preventing the merchandizing, Jesus was in effect challenging their leadership. The issue was clear: Was the temple to be a place of worship of God or of pursuit of gain? As he cleared the temple courts, he said, “It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Matthew 21:13.)

Again that evening Jesus returned to Bethany.

Third Day

Jesus’ wrath in the temple raised the issue of authority, and the priests were not about to let the incident pass. As Jesus came to the temple the next day, the priests challenged him: “By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?” (Matthew 21:23.) Jesus responded by relating a series of parables that offended the religious leaders of the Jews. The scribes and Pharisees challenged him again; Jesus openly denounced them and condemned them as hypocrites.

From this point on, Jesus did not teach the public, but only the Twelve.

Perceiving that Jesus had gained the upper hand in their confrontations, the Jewish leaders consulted again how they might bring about Jesus’ death. They would have to move quickly before the Passover to avoid a riot, however, since Jesus had become very popular with the Jewish people. How to bring about an arrest without provoking crowd reaction was the problem. An unexpected turn of events that took place abetted their plot. One of Jesus’ own disciples offered to betray him.

Fourth Day

Jesus well knew of the plot. The fourth day was spent outside the city, perhaps at Bethany. The record of the gospel writers is silent on the proceedings of this day.

Fifth Day

Jesus had arranged to commemorate the Passover meal in a home privately reserved for him and the Twelve. Following the Passover meal, Jesus introduced a new ordinance, the sacrament, which presaged his atoning sacrifice. He then prophesied of his death and indicated who would betray him.

After some instructions, Jesus offered his great intercessory prayer. Then, with the eleven (Judas had left), Jesus led them outside the walls to a familiar spot—Gethsemane. Then taking Peter, James, and John with him, he went further into the Garden where he then left those three and went off by himself to pray. (See Matthew 26:36–39.) There he pled with his Heavenly Father to “let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39.) The cup did not pass and Jesus suffered “the pain of all men” (D&C 18:11), an agony so excruciating that it caused him to bleed at every pore (D&C 19:18).

Some time later he rejoined his apostles and indicated that his betrayer was at hand. While he spoke, an armed band led by Judas approached Jesus to seize him. Without resistance Jesus submitted. Jesus was brought to an illegal trial that night.

Sixth Day

The Jewish leaders now faced another problem. They were not content that Jesus should be put to death; they also wanted to discredit him before his own people. To do this, the leaders arranged to have Jesus charged with two crimes. The first was blasphemy, a capital offense under Jewish law. He was unanimously convicted of this charge solely on the evidence that he had said that he was the Son of God. (See Matthew 26:57–66.) Such a conviction would discredit Jesus before the Jews, but the rulers knew well that they could not carry out the death penalty; only the Roman governor could pronounce this. Therefore, they had to find political indictment against Jesus. The surest means of securing this was the charge of sedition against the state, for he had claimed to be a “king of the Jews.” Though Pilate’s examination found Jesus guiltless of the charge, the Jewish leaders had incited the crowd to “destroy Jesus.” (Matthew 27:20.) Fearing a demonstration, Pilate gave in to the clamor to crucify Jesus, and the death sentence was pronounced.

And so Jesus was executed by the brutal Roman practice of crucifixion. Later that afternoon he voluntarily gave up his spirit. The next day, which began at sundown, was the Passover, and the Jewish leaders abhorred the idea that a man should remain on a cross on the Sabbath, particularly the paschal Sabbath. Before nightfall, Jesus’ body was removed from the cross and buried in a sealed tomb by two revering disciples.

Seventh Day

This was the Jewish Sabbath. Jesus’ body remained in the tomb, but in spirit he ministered in the realm of departed spirits. (See 1 Peter 3:18–20.)

Day of the Resurrection

Had the gospel ended with Jesus’ burial, there would be no gospel story, no “good news.” The great message of these testators is that Jesus was risen and was seen again by many witnesses. On the first day of the week, the most memorable Sunday in history, Jesus Christ emerged alive from the tomb, and appeared before Mary. The testimony of these witnesses constitutes the gospel story, the “good news.”

“These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” (John 20:31.)

20
THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

THEME

The triumphal entry of the Son of David into the Holy City gave added witness of his messiahship and prefigured his future coming in glory.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(20-1) Luke 19:41. Jesus Wept over Jerusalem

According to tradition, when these words were spoken, Jesus stood on the Mount of Olives, opposite a point in the walls surrounding Jerusalem a few yards south of the Gate Beautiful. From this spot one may behold a beautiful view of that historic city.

“It is wonderfully picturesque, with its quaint, flat-roofed houses, church towers, and mosque domes covering the four hills on which Jerusalem is built. The view is impressive even now; it must have been inspiring when Jesus beheld it in all its Herodian splendor.

“But it was the inhabitants of the city, not the beautiful buildings or the commanding view that the Savior saw through tear bedimmed eyes when he cried: ‘if thou hadst known . . . the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.’ (Luke 19:42.) He saw the people divided into conflicting and contending sects, each professing more holiness and righteousness than the other and all closing their eyes to the truth. There were the conservative Hebraic Jews, holding rigidly to the Mosaic law; there were the more liberal minded, Hellenistic Jews whose views had been modified by pagan philosophy; there were a few Essenes with their asceticism and rejection of the Aaronic Priesthood; there were the Sadducees with their lifeless and formal observance of the Sabbath, and their denial of the resurrection; and, finally, the Pharisees with their ‘ostentatious almsgiving,’ ‘broadened phylacteries,’ ‘greedy avarice,’ ‘haughty assertion of preeminence,’ ‘ill-concealed hypocrisy’ which was often hidden under a venerable assumption of superior holiness.

“No wonder the Savior, seeing such division among the people, prayed to the Father so earnestly in behalf of his own little flock to keep them ‘one as we are one.’ No wonder the Savior, discerning perfectly the deceit and hypocrisy underneath the glassed-over outside of religion, uttered such scathing denunciation when he said:

“‘. . . Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. (Matthew 23:13.)’

“Such were the people whom the Son of Man saw when he stood twenty centuries ago on the Mount of Olives and ‘beheld the city and wept over it.’” (David O. McKay in CR, Oct. 1944, pp. 77–78.)

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(20-2) Matthew 24:2. “There Shall Not Be Left Here One Stone upon Another”

“Jeremiah’s prophecy still lacked a complete fulfilment, but time proved that not a word was to fail. ‘Judah shall be carried away captive, all of it; it shall be wholly carried away captive’; this was the prediction. A rebellious disturbance among the Jews gave a semblance of excuse for chastisement to be visited upon them by their Roman masters, which culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem, A.D. 70. The city fell after a six month’s siege before the Roman arms led by Titus, son of the Emperor Vespasian. Josephus, the famous historian to whom we owe most of our knowledge as to the details of the struggle, was himself a resident in Galilee and was carried to Rome among the captives. From his record we learn that more than a million Jews lost their lives through the famine incident to the siege; many more were sold into slavery, and uncounted numbers were forced into exile. The city was utterly destroyed, and the site upon which the Temple had stood was plowed up by the Romans in their search for treasure. Thus literally were the words of Christ fulfilled: ‘There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.’” (Talmage, Articles of Faith, p. 324.)

(20-3) Mark 11:11. Jesus Blessed His Disciples Against the Day When Jerusalem Would Be Destroyed

“And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple. And when he had looked round about upon all things, and blessed the disciples, the eventide was come; and he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.” (Mark 11:13, Inspired Version.)

“Though Jerusalem, as a whole, was to be desolated and scourged as few cities have ever been yet the faithful within her walls were to be saved, preserved, and blessed.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:579.)

(20-4) John 12:15. “Behold, Thy King Cometh”

“As was known and understood among the people, Zechariah had prophesied: ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.’ (Zech. 9:9.) Now as we see our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, amid waving palm branches, riding over the carefully placed clothing of the people, and accepting their acclamations of praise and divinity, it is as though Zechariah had viewed the scene and written, not prophecy, but history.

“Every detail of this unique episode joined in testifying of the identity of the central figure in the picture. It was as though Jesus had said: ‘Many times I have told you in plain words and by necessary implication that I am the Messiah. My disciples also bear the same witness. Now I come unto you as the King of Israel in the very way that the prophet of old said I would; and your participation in this event is itself a witness that I am he who should come to redeem my people.’” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:577–78.)

(20-5) John 12:20–26. How Did Jesus Teach the Greeks That It Was Necessary for Him to Die?

“To them Jesus testified that the hour of His death was near at hand, the hour in which ‘the Son of man should be glorified.’ They were surprised and pained by the Lord’s words, and possibly they inquired as to the necessity of such a sacrifice. Jesus explained by citing a striking illustration drawn from nature: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.’ The simile is an apt one, and at once impressively simple and beautiful. A farmer who neglects or refuses to cast his wheat into the earth, because he wants to keep it, can have no increase; but if he sow the wheat in good rich soil, each living grain may multiply itself many fold, though of necessity the seed must be sacrificed in the process. So, said the Lord, ‘He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.’ The Master’s meaning is clear; he that loves his life so well that he will not imperil it, or, if need be, give it up, in the service of God, shall forfeit his opportunity to win the bounteous increase of eternal life; while he who esteems the call of God as so greatly superior to life that his love of life is as hatred in comparison, shall find the life he freely yields or is willing to yield, though for the time being it disappear like the grain buried in the soil; and he shall rejoice in the bounty of eternal development. If such be true of every man’s existence, how transcendently so was it of the life of Him who came to die that men may live? Therefore was it necessary that He die, as He had said He was about to do; but His death, far from being life lost, was to be life glorified.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pp. 518–19.)

(20-6) John 12:26. What Reward Shall Jesus’ Faithful Servants Receive?

“. . . after the testimony of the Scriptures on this point, the assurance is given by the Holy Ghost, bearing witness to those who obey Him, that Christ Himself has assuredly risen from the dead; and if He has risen from the dead, He will, by His power, bring all men to stand before Him: for if He has risen from the dead the bands of the temporal death are broken that the grave has no victory. If then, the grave has no victory, those who keep the sayings of Jesus and obey His teachings have not only a promise of resurrection from the dead, but an assurance of being admitted into His glorious kingdom; for, He Himself says, ‘Where I am there also shall my servant be’ (see John xii).” (Smith, HC, 2:19. Italics added.)

(20-7) John 12:27–30. Who Heard the Voice of God Testify of Jesus?

“In the Gospel of John is related a parallel experience in the Master’s ministry showing how, out of a multitude, only a few—or none—may hear God when he speaks.

“Only the Master, apparently, knew that God had spoken. So often today, men and women are living so far apart from things spiritual that when the Lord is speaking to their physical hearing, to their minds with no audible sound, or to them through his authorized servants who, when directed by the Spirit, are as his own voice, they hear only a noise as did they at Jerusalem. Likewise, they received no inspired wisdom, nor inward assurance, that the mind of the Lord has spoken through his prophet leaders.” (Harold B. Lee in CR, Oct. 1966, pp. 115–16.)

(20-8) Mark 11:12–14. Why Did Jesus Curse the Barren Fig Tree?

Perhaps Jesus sought to teach many lessons when he cursed the barren fig tree.

1. To Demonstrate His Power to Destroy

“Though Jesus had come to bless and save, yet he had the power to smite, destroy, and curse. ‘It must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things’ (2 Ne. 2:11); if blessings are born of righteousness, their opposite, curses, must come from wickedness. True gospel ministers seek always to bless, yet curses attend rejection of their message. “Whomsoever you bless I will bless, and whomsoever you curse I will curse, saith the Lord.’ (D. & C. 132:47.) It is fitting that Jesus should leave a manifestation of his power to curse, and the fact that he chose, not a person, but a tree, is an evident act of mercy.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:582.)

2. To Teach Faith to His Disciples

“Applying the lesson of the occasion, Jesus said, ‘Have faith in God’; and then He repeated some of His former assurances as to the power of faith, by which even mountains may be removed, should there be need of such miraculous accomplishment, and through which, indeed, any necessary thing may be done. The blighting of a tree was shown to be small in comparison with the greater possibilities of achievement through faith and prayer.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 525.)

3. To Bear Witness of His Control over All Things

“To the apostles the act was another and an indisputable proof of the Lord’s power over nature, His control of natural forces and all material things, His jurisdiction over life and death. He had healed multitudes; the wind and the waves had obeyed His words; on three occasions He had restored the dead to life; it was fitting that He should demonstrate His power to smite and to destroy. In manifesting His command over death, He had mercifully raised a maiden from the couch on which she had died, a young man from the bier on which he was being carried to the grave, another from the sepulchre in which he had been laid away a corpse; but in proof of His power to destroy by a word He chose a barren and worthless tree for His subject. Could any of the Twelve doubt, when, a few days later they saw Him in the hands of vindictive priests and heartless pagans, that did He so will He could smite His enemies by a word, even unto death? Yet not until after His glorious resurrection did even the apostles realize how truly voluntary His sacrifice had been.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 526.)

4. To Show the Fate of the Nation That Rejected Him

“The leafy, fruitless tree was a symbol of Judaism, which loudly proclaimed itself as the only true religion of the age, and condescendingly invited all the world to come and partake of its rich ripe fruit; when in truth it was but an unnatural growth of leaves, with no fruit of the season, nor even an edible bulb held over from earlier years, for such as it had of former fruitage was dried to worthlessness and made repulsive in its worm-eaten decay. The religion of Israel had degenerated into an artificial religionism, which in pretentious show and empty profession outclassed the abominations of heathendom. As already pointed out in these pages, the fig tree was a favorite type in rabbinical representation of the Jewish race, and the Lord had before adopted the symbolism in the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree, that worthless growth which did but cumber the ground.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 527.)

POINTS TO PONDER

(20-9) Why Were the Jews So Offended by Jesus’ Cleansing of the Temple?

Before this question may be properly considered, it is necessary to understand who the “children” were that praised Jesus in the temple.

“And when the chief priests and Scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children of the kingdom crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David! they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say?” (Matthew 21:13, Inspired Version.)

“Not children in the sense of infants as the King James Version has it, but disciples, members of the Church, those who had testimonies of Jesus’ divinity.

“From these adult ‘children of the kingdom,’ these members of the Church who through repentance and baptism had become ‘newborn babes’ in Christ (1 Pet. 2:2), came ‘perfected praise.’ How could such come from any except those who had knowledge and who were subject to the dictates of the Holy Spirit?” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:585.)

The chief priests were the guardians of the temple and, in fact, guardians (as they supposed) of the whole structure of Jewish religion. They glutted themselves on the profits from temple business, and so the temple was not just the source of their favored social position (which they coveted so jealously) but also the source of their incomes—more, their fortunes.

Jesus had come within the confines of their sacred stewardship before, early in his ministry, and on that occasion he had called the temple “my Father’s house.” (John 2:16.) Though his claim on that occasion offended the priests (because he claimed to be the Son of God, whose temple it was), still the claim itself declared that the temple belonged to God, and with that, at least, the chief priests agreed.

But now, near the end of his ministry, he openly declared his messiahship, and those “children of the kingdom” heard him call the temple “my house.” (Matthew 21:13.)

Apparently his followers understood this claim by Jesus, for they began to sing and praise him as the long-awaited Messiah. When the wrath and violence of the temple purging was over, Jesus’ followers gathered around him to receive what he might give them, for it was his house, and no one had a more perfect right to minister there than he. “His wrath of indignation was followed by the calmness of gentle ministry; there in the cleared courts of His house, blind and lame folk came limping and groping about Him, and He healed them. The anger of the chief priests and scribes was raging against Him; but it was impotent. They had decreed His death, and had made repeated efforts to take him, and there he sat within the very area over which they claimed supreme jurisdiction, and they were afraid to touch Him because of the common people, whom they professed to despise yet heartily feared—‘for all the people were very attentive to hear him.’” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pp. 528–29.)

(20-10) Why Did Many of the People Who Welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem as King and Messiah Later Reject Him?

The people of Israel despised the cruel and oppressive rule of Rome. And their scriptures promised a Messiah who would deliver them, promises of which the apostle Paul would later testify. Read Romans 11:26, 27. (Compare Psalms 14:7; Isaiah 59:20.)

But unlike other apostate and fallen nations, many of the people of Palestine by Jesus’ day had lost so much of light and revelation that they could not see spiritual truth. They were ruled by Rome, and about the only sense they could wrest from the promise of an expected deliverer was that he would redeem Israel from foreign rule. But many of the people were also ruled by hypocrisy, dead religious forms, extortion, and pride—many of the leaders who administered the religion were guilty of crimes (e.g., John 8:1–11). They were enshrouded by such a deplorable condition of wanton religious blindness that they paid no heed to the claims of one who could deliver them (by their repentance) from sin.

(20-11) SUMMARY

Only a few faithful disciples comprehended the real significance of the Lord’s initial entry into Jerusalem. When he comes again he will come as King of kings and Lord of lords, and every knee will bow and every tongue confess. Who, then, will be ready to receive him? (See D&C 45:56–58.) Do you suppose His coming in glory will convince all people to serve him and worship him? If no, what will? What is it that brings people to Jesus? What has that to do with you?

21
“WOE UNTO YOU . . . HYPOCRITES!”

THEME

Hypocrisy can be overcome through acts of service rendered quietly and privately.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(21-1) Matthew 21:28–32. What Is the Message of the Parable of the Two Sons?

“The opening sentence, ‘But what think ye?’ was a call to close attention. It implied a question soon to follow; and that proved to be: Which of the two sons was the obedient one? There was but one consistent answer, and they had to give it, however loath. The application of the parable followed with convicting promptness. They, the chief priests, scribes, Pharisees and elders of the people, were typified by the second son, who, when told to labor in the vineyard answered so assuringly, but went not, though the vines were running to wild growth for want of pruning, and such poor fruit as might mature would be left to fall and rot upon the ground. The publicans and sinners upon whom they vented their contempt, whose touch was defilement, were like unto the first son, who in rude though frank refusal ignored the father’s call, but afterward relented and set to work, repentantly hoping to make amends for the time he had lost and for the unfilial spirit he had shown.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 532.)

(21-2) Matthew 21:33–41. When They Answered the Lord’s Question, How Did the Jewish Leaders Pass Judgment upon Themselves?

“Again the Jews were compelled to make answer to the great question with which the parable dealt, and again by their answer they pronounced judgment upon themselves. The vineyard, broadly speaking, was the human family, but more specifically the covenant people, Israel; the soil was good and capable of yielding in rich abundance; the vines were choice and had been set out with care; and the whole vineyard was amply protected with a hedge, and suitably furnished with winepress and tower. The husbandmen could be none other than the priests and teachers of Israel, including the ecclesiastical leaders who were then and there present in an official capacity. The Lord of the vineyard had sent among the people prophets authorized to speak in His name; and these the wicked tenants had rejected, maltreated, and, in many instances, cruelly slain. In the more detailed reports of the parable we read that when the first servant came, the cruel husbandmen ‘beat him and sent him away empty’; the next they wounded ‘in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled’; another they murdered and all who came later were brutally mistreated, and some of them were killed. Those wicked men had used the vineyard of their Lord for personal gain, and had rendered no part of the vintage to the lawful Owner. When the Lord sent other messengers, ‘more than the first,’ or in other words, greater than the earlier ones, the most recent example being John the Baptist, the husbandmen rejected them with evil determination more pronounced than ever. At last the Son had come in person; His authority they feared as that of the lawful heir, and with malignity almost beyond belief, they determined to kill Him that they might perpetuate their unworthy possession of the vineyard and thenceforward hold it as their own.

“Jesus carried the story without break from the criminal past to the yet more tragic and awful future, then but three days distant; and calmly related in prophetic imagery, as though already fulfilled, how those evil men cast the well beloved Son out of the vineyard and slew Him. Unable to evade the searching question as to what the Lord of the vineyard would naturally and righteously do to the wicked husbandmen, the Jewish rulers gave the only pertinent answer possible—that He would surely destroy those wretched sinners, and let out His vineyard to tenants who were more honest and worthy.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 534–35.)

(21-3) Matthew 21:42–46. What Great Message Does Jesus Teach in the Parable of the Rejected Stone?

Read Ephesians 2:20 and Acts 4:10–12.

(21-4) Matthew 22:2–11. What Is the Interpretation of the Parable of the Marriage of the King’s Son?

“In this Parable of the Marriage of the King’s Son, sometimes called the Parable of the Royal Marriage Feast, Jesus teaches these truths: (1) His own divine Sonship; (2) the impending destruction of Jerusalem; (3) the rejection of the Jewish remnant of the covenant race; (4) the gospel call to the Gentiles; and (5) that those who answer the gospel call will not be chosen for salvation unless they put on the robes of righteousness. Compare Luke 14:16–24.

“Deity himself is the king in the parable; Jesus, his offspring and heir, is the king’s son; and those first invited to ‘the marriage of the Lamb’ (D. & C. 58:11) are the chosen and favored hosts of Israel to whom the gospel had been offered in ages past. ‘The remnant’ who rejected the later invitation with violence and murder were Jewish descendants of ancient Israel; and it was their city, Jerusalem, which was violently destroyed.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:597.)

“That this son was the Messiah will not be disputed, since it was the kingdom of heaven that was represented in the parable; and that the Saints, or those who are found faithful to the Lord, are the individuals who will be found worthy to inherit a seat at the marriage supper, is evident from the sayings of John in the Revelation where he represents the sound which he heard in heaven to be like a great multitude, or like the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: For the fine linen is the righteousness of Saints (Rev. xix).” (Smith, Teachings, p. 63. Italics added.)

(21-5) Matthew 22:15. What Efforts Were Made to Tempt Jesus into an Act or Statement Contrary to Jewish or Roman Law?

“The Jewish authorities continued unceasingly active in their determined efforts to tempt or beguile Jesus into some act or utterance on which they could base a charge of offense, under either their own or Roman law. The Pharisees counseled together as to ‘how they might entangle him in his talk’; and then, laying aside their partisan prejudices, they conspired to this end with the Herodians, a political faction whose chief characteristic was the purpose of maintaining in power the family of the Herods, which policy of necessity entailed the upholding of the Roman power, upon which the Herods depended for their delegated authority. The same incongruous association had been entered into before in an attempt to provoke Jesus to overt speech or action in Galilee; and the Lord had coupled the parties together in His warning to the disciples to beware of the leaven of both. So, on the last day of our Lord’s teaching in public, Pharisees and Herodians joined forces against Him; the one watchful for the smallest technical infringement of the Mosaic law, the other alert to seize upon the slightest excuse for charging Him with disloyalty to the secular powers. Their plans were conceived in treachery, and put into operation as the living embodiment of a lie.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 544.)

(21-6) Matthew 22:18. What Are Hypocrites?

“Taking the New Testament alone, you will gain little idea of the kind of life the Romans led in Palestine, the kind of life that the Christ condemned, and yet as I have already said, it has seemed to me that the one sin that the Savior condemned as much as any other was the sin of hypocrisy—the living of the double life, the life we let our friends and sometimes our wives believe, and the life we actually live. (J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Church News, 2 Feb. 1963, p. 16.)

“The word hypocrite is translated from a Greek word meaning actor. A hypocrite is an actor, a pretender. He assumes roles which do not reflect his true feeling and thinking. He does not present his real self to others. There is pretense, subterfuge, show, sham, and deceit in his behavior. In the make-believe atmosphere of the theatre we recognize that actors are pretending to be someone else. In everyday life, however, we expect people to be themselves, to act without pretense, sincerely and honestly.” (Lowell L. Bennion, “Jesus the Christ,” Instructor, Apr. 1964, p. 165.)

(21-7) Matthew 22:17–21. How Did Jesus Avoid the Dilemma Posed in the Tribute Money Incident?

“His adversaries intended that Jesus would be gored on whichever horn of dilemma he might choose. The interesting thing about his answer is that he did not evade the question, but he answered it clearly and positively without being caught on either horn. He said, ‘Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.’ (Matt. 22:18–19.) What is referred to as a penny was no doubt the current Roman denarius with the image of Tiberius or possibly Augustus. He wanted to point out to them the image of Caesar and the inscription that gave his name and titles. There was a common maxim that the one who causes his image and titles to be stamped on the coin is the owner of the coin and acknowledged as the sovereign. ‘And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. . . .’ (Matt. 22:20–21.) They had acknowledged that the coin belonged to the Roman Emperor, and it being the current coin for the payment of tax, it showed the country to be under the rule of Rome. ‘ . . . Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.’ (Matt. 22:21.) In other words, ‘Don’t be unjust: give to Caesar the things that are his; and at the same time don’t be impious: give to God the things that belong to God.’

“The wisdom of this answer defines the limitations of dual sovereigns and defines the jurisdiction of the two empires of heaven and earth. The image of monarchs stamped on coins denotes that temporal things belong to the temporal sovereign. The image of God stamped on the heart and soul of a man denotes that all its facilities and powers belong to God and should be employed in his service. . . .

“In the present day of unrest, the question might appropriately be asked, what do we owe to Caesar? To the country in which we live? We owe allegiance, respect, and honor. Laws enacted to promote the welfare of the whole and suppress evil doing are to be strictly obeyed. We must pay tribute to sustain the government in the necessary expense incurred in the protection of life, liberty, property, and in promoting the welfare of all persons.” (Howard W. Hunter in CR, Apr. 1968, p. 65.)

(21-8) Matthew 22:23–33. Is There to Be Marriage in the Resurrected State?

“Jesus stopped not, however, to question the elements of the problem as presented to Him; whether the case was assumed or real mattered not, since the question ‘Whose wife shall she be?’ was based on an utterly erroneous conception. ‘Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.’ The Lord’s meaning was clear, that in the resurrected state there can be no question among the seven brothers as to whose wife for eternity the woman shall be, since all except the first had married her for the duration of mortal life only, and primarily for the purpose of perpetuating in mortality the name and family of the brother who first died. Luke records the Lord’s words as follows in part: ‘But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.’ In the resurrection there will be no marrying nor giving in marriage; for all questions of marital status must be settled before that time, under the authority of the Holy Priesthood, which holds the power to seal in marriage for both time and eternity.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 548.)

(21-9) Matthew 23:5. “They Make Broad Their Phylacteries, and Enlarge the Borders of Their Garments”

“Through a traditional interpretation of Exo. 13:9 and Deut. 6:8, the Hebrews adopted the custom of wearing phylacteries, which consisted essentially of strips of parchment on which were inscribed in whole or in part the following texts: Exo. 13:2–10 and 11–17; Deut. 6:4–9, and 11:13–21. Phylacteries were worn on the head and arm. The parchment strips for the head were four, on each of which one of the texts cited above was written. These were placed in a cubical box of leather measuring from ½ inch to 1½ inches along the edge; the box was divided into four compartments and one of the little parchment rolls was placed in each. Thongs held the box in place on the forehead between the eyes of the wearer. The arm phylactery comprised but a single roll of parchment on which the four prescribed texts were written; this was placed in a little box which was bound by thongs to the inside of the left arm so as to be brought close to the heart when the hands were placed together in the attitude of devotion. The Pharisees wore the arm phylactery above the elbow, while their rivals, the Sadducees, fastened it to the palm of the hand (see Exo. 13:9). The common people wore phylacteries only at prayer time; but the Pharisees were said to display them throughout the day. Our Lord’s reference to the Pharisees’ custom of making broad their phylacteries had reference to the enlarging of the containing box, particularly the frontlet. The size of the parchment strips was fixed by rigid rule.

“The Lord had required of Israel through Moses (Numb. 15:38) that the people attach to the border of their garment a fringe with a ribbon of blue. In ostentatious display of assumed piety, the scribes and Pharisees delighted to wear enlarged borders to attract public attention. It was another manifestation of hypocritical sanctimoniousness.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pp. 565–66.)

(21-10) Matthew 23:7. Should Men Use Such Titles as Rabbi?

“Such titles of respect as Brother, Elder, Bishop, or Rabbi, are appropriate and proper when used discreetly and with respect for the office or status involved. What Jesus here condemns is not the use of titles as such, but the vainglory and presumptuous self-adulation which called forth their excessive and patronizing use. Indeed, it would appear . . . that these religious leaders were so wrapped up in their own conceit that they ranked themselves along with Deity in importance. ‘The rabbis really did put themselves in the place of God, and almost on an equality with him. Their traditions were more binding than the Law, and were regarded as in a sense binding upon God.’ (Dummelow, 700.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:617.)

(21-11) Matthew 23:37–39. Why Did Jesus Lament over Jerusalem?

“Jerusalem—the holy city!

“Jerusalem—the city of depravity, ‘which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt’! (Rev. 11:8.)

“Jerusalem—doomed spiritually and soon to be desolated temporally. See Luke 19:41–44.

“Jerusalem—site of the temple; home of the prophets; city of our Lord’s ministry.

“Jerusalem—city where the Son of God was crucified, crucified by ‘the more wicked part of the world,’ for ‘there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God.’ (2 Ne. 10:3.)

“Jerusalem—future world capital and center from which ‘the word of the Lord’ shall go unto all people. (Isa. 2:3.)

“Truly Jerusalem’s history is like that of no other place; and truly Jesus with cause, wept because of the rebellion of her children.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:626.)

(21-12) Mark 12:41–44. What Was the Significance of the Widow’s Gift?

“In the accounts kept by the recording angels, figured out according to the arithmetic of heaven, entries are made in terms of quality rather than of quantity, and values are determined on the basis of capability and intent. The rich gave much yet kept back more; the widow’s gift was her all. It was not the smallness of her offering that made it especially acceptable, but the spirit of sacrifice and devout intent with which she gave. On the books of the heavenly accountants that widow’s contribution was entered as a munificent gift, surpassing in worth the largess of kings. ‘For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.’” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pp. 561–62.)

POINTS TO PONDER

THE SAVIOR DENOUNCED HYPOCRISY AS ONE OF THE WORST SINS

(21-13) Hypocrisy Is One of the Worst Forms of Dishonesty

“As God condemns immorality, so he denounces hypocrisy, which is one of the worst forms of dishonesty. When he describes the hell of the world to come, he specifies that dishonest persons will go there. As no unclean thing can enter the presence of the Lord, so no liar nor cheat nor hypocrite can abide in his kingdom.

“Dishonesty is directly related to selfishness, which is its origin and source. Selfishness is at the root of nearly all the disorders that afflict us, and man’s inhumanity to man continues to make countless thousands mourn.” (Mark E. Petersen in CR, Oct. 1971, pp. 63–64.)

(21-14) Hypocrisy, like Cancer, Can Grow Until It Overcomes Us

“I know a young man who is ruining his own success as well as the lives of others because he greatly exaggerates his own virtues and self-importance. He tolerates a serious selfishness and continually excuses his sins and weakness. He takes credit for imagined abilities that are based on false assumptions.

“He always blames others when things go wrong. And for something to seem right to him, it needs only to appear to be in his own interest. But his problems of false witness to himself are fast getting out of hand. Reason is becoming more and more difficult for him as he is rapidly losing the power to undeceive himself.” (Sterling W. Sill, Church News, 8 Jan. 1966, p. 9.)

HYPOCRISY IS AS MUCH A CHALLENGE IN OUR DAY AS IT WAS IN JESUS’ DAY

HYPOCRISY CAN BE OVERCOME THROUGH ACTS OF SERVICE DONE QUIETLY AND PRIVATELY

22
“WHAT SHALL BE THE SIGN OF THY COMING?”

THEME

Those who are aware of the many signs of the Savior’s second coming will be better prepared for that great event.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(22-1) Matthew 24:2. How Was the Prophecy Regarding the Destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem Fulfilled?

“You all know the sequel, how the Jews carried through their awful plot and crucified the Son of God, and how thereafter they continued to fight against his gospel. You remember, too, the price they paid, how in 70 A.D. the city fell into the hands of the Romans as the climax of a siege in which the historian Josephus tells us there were a million one hundred thousand people killed and

“‘. . . tens of thousands were taken captive, to be afterwards sold into slavery, or to be slain by wild beasts, or in gladiatorial combat for the amusement of Roman spectators.’

“All of this destruction and the dispersion of the Jews would have been avoided had the people accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ and had their hearts changed by it.” (Marion G. Romney in CR, Oct. 1948, pp. 76–77.)

(22-2) Matthew 24:3. What Is the Significance of the Mount of Olives?

It was on the Mount of Olives, or Olivet, where the Lord often held discourse with the apostles and disciples; and here on the slopes of the Mount of Olives was Gethsemane. From this Mount the Lord ascended into heaven. (See Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pp. 540, 569, 611, 697.) To this Mount the Lord will return and make himself known to the Jews. Read D&C 45:48–53.

(22-3) Matthew 24:3. What Is the End of the World Spoken of Here?

“Now men cannot have any possible grounds to say that this is figurative, or that it does not mean what it says: for He is now explaining what He had previously spoken in parables; and according to this language, the end of the world is the destruction of the wicked, the harvest and the end of the world have an allusion directly to the human family in the last days, instead of the earth, as many have imagined; and that which shall precede the coming of the Son of Man, and the restitution of all things spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began; and the angels are to have something to do in this great work, for they are the reapers. As, therefore, the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of the world; that is, as the servants of God go forth warning the nations, both priests and people, and as they harden their hearts and reject the light of truth, these first being delivered over to the buffetings of Satan, and the law and the testimony being closed up, as it was in the case of the Jews, they are left in darkness, and delivered over unto the day of burning; thus being bound up by their creeds, and their bands being made strong by their priests, are prepared for the fulfillment of the saying of the Savior—‘The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.’ We understand that the work of gathering together of the wheat into barns, or garners, is to take place while the tares are being bound over, and preparing for the day of burning; that after the day of burnings, the righteous shall shine forth like the sun, in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Smith, Teachings, pp. 100–101.)

(22-4) Matthew 24:15–22, 29, 34, 35. What Is the Abomination of Desolation Spoken of by Daniel the Prophet and the Savior?

There were to be two times when this great tragedy would occur:

“And now the ax was laid at the root of the rotted tree. Jerusalem was to pay the price. Daniel had foretold this hour when desolation, born of abomination and wickedness, would sweep the city. (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11.) Moses had said the siege would be so severe women would eat their own children. (Deut. 28.) Jesus specified the destruction would come in the days of the disciples.

“And come it did, in vengeance, without restraint. Hunger exceeded human endurance; blood flowed in the streets; destruction made desolate the temple; 1,100,000 Jews were slaughtered; Jerusalem was ploughed as a field; and a remnant of a once mighty nation was scattered to the ends of the earth. The Jewish nation died, impaled on Roman spears, at the hands of Gentile overlords.

“But what of the saints who dwelt in Jerusalem in that gloomy day? They heeded Jesus’ warning and fled in haste. Guided by revelation, as true saints always are, they fled to Pella in Perea and were spared.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:644–45.)

2. At the Time of the Second Coming

“All the desolation and waste which attended the former destruction of Jerusalem is but prelude to the coming siege. Titus and his legions slaughtered 1,100,000 Jews, destroyed the temple, and ploughed the city. In the coming reenactment of this ‘abomination of desolation,’ the whole world will be at war, Jerusalem will be the center of the conflict, every modern weapon will be used, and in the midst of the siege the Son of Man shall come, setting his foot upon the mount of Olives and fighting the battle of his saints. (Zech. 12:1–9.)

“Speaking of these final battles which shall accompany his return, the Lord says: ‘I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.’ However, the final end of the conflict shall be different this time than it was anciently. ‘Then shall the Lord go forth,’ the prophetic record says, ‘and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, . . . and the Lord shall be king over all the earth.’ (Zech. 14.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:659–60.)

(22-5) Matthew 24:24. How Might the Very Elect Be Preserved from Deception?

“The Prophet Joseph Smith, in his inspired version of that same scripture, added these significant words: ‘who are the elect, according to the covenant.’ This is what has been said, in effect, in this conference: Unless every member of this Church gains for himself an unshakable testimony of the divinity of this Church, he will be among those who will be deceived in this day when the ‘elect according to the covenant’ are going to be tried and tested. Only those will survive who have gained for themselves that testimony.” (Harold B. Lee in CR, Oct. 1950, p. 129.)

(22-6) Matthew 24:28. “Wheresoever the Carcass Is, There Will the Eagles Be Gathered Together”

“In the parable, as here given, the carcass is the body of the Church to which the eagles, who are Israel, shall fly to find nourishment. ‘The gathering of Israel is first spiritual and second temporal. It is spiritual in that the lost sheep of Israel are first “restored to the true church and fold of God,” meaning that they come to a true knowledge of the God of Israel, accept the gospel which he has restored in latter-days, and join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is temporal in that these converts are then “gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and . . . established in all their lands of promise.” (2 Ne. 9:2; 25:15–18; Jer. 16:14–21), meaning that the house of Joseph will be established in America, the house of Judah in Palestine, and that the Lost Tribes will come to Ephraim in America to receive their blessings in due course. (D. & C. 133.)’ (Mormon Doctrine, p. 280.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:648–49.)

(22-7) Matthew 24:29, 30, 36–39. What Did the Prophet Joseph Tell Us of the Time of the Second Coming and of the Sign of the Son of Man?

“The coming of the Son of Man never will be—never can be till the judgments spoken of for this hour are poured out: which judgments are commenced. Paul says, ‘Ye are the children of the light, and not of the darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief in the night.’ It is not the design of the Almighty to come upon the earth and crush it and grind it to powder, but he will reveal it to His servants the prophets.

“Judah must return, Jerusalem must be rebuilt, and the temple, and water come out from under the temple, and the waters of the Dead Sea be healed. It will take some time to rebuild the walls of the city and the temple, &c.; and all this must be done before the Son of Man will make His appearance. There will be wars and rumors of wars, signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the sun turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds; then will appear one grand sign of the Son of Man in heaven. But what will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, etc. But the Son of man will come as the sign of the coming of the Son of Man, which will be as the light of the morning cometh out of the east.” (Smith, Teachings, pp. 286–87.)

(22-8) Matthew 24:40. Why Is It That One Is Destroyed and the Other Left Alone When the Lord Returns?

“Thus those who shall abide the day, who shall remain on the earth when it is transfigured (D. & C. 63:20–21), are those who are honest and upright and who are living at least that law which would take them to the terrestrial kingdom of glory in the resurrection. Anyone living by telestial standards can no longer remain on earth and so cannot abide the day.

“Hence we find Malachi listing among those who shall not abide the day the following: sorcerers; adulterers; false swearers; those who oppress the hireling, the widow, and the fatherless in their wages; those who lead men away from the truth; those who do not fear God; members of the true Church who do not pay an honest tithing; they that work wickedness; and the proud. All these, he says, shall be as stubble when the day comes that shall burn as an oven. (Mal. 3; 4; D. & C. 64:23–25.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:669.)

(22-9) Matthew 24:45–51. “The Faithful and Wise Servant”

“Jesus speaks here of his ministers, his servants, the holders of his holy priesthood. They are the ones whom he has made rulers in the household of God to teach and perfect his saints. Theirs is the responsibility to be so engaged when the Master returns. If they are so serving when the Lord comes, he will give them exaltation. But if the rulers in the Lord’s house think the Second Coming is far distant, if they forget their charge, contend with their fellow ministers, and begin to live after the manner of the world, then the vengeance of their rejected Lord shall, in justice, fall upon them when he comes again.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:675.)

(22-10) Matthew 25:1–13. What Is the Meaning of the Parable of the Ten Virgins?

“The purpose of this lesson was to impress upon those called to the ministry and upon his followers and upon the world that there should be an unceasing watchfulness and preparation for the day which he had predicted when the Lord would come again in judgment upon the earth.

“The bridegroom of the parable was the Master, the Savior of mankind. The marriage feast symbolized the second coming of the Savior to receive his Church unto himself. The virgins were those who were professed believers in Christ, because they were expectantly waiting for the coming of the bridegroom to the marriage feast, or they were connected with the Church and the events which were to transpire with reference to it.

“That this parable did refer particularly to the believers in Christ with a warning to them is further indicated by what the Lord has told us in modern revelation in which he said:

“‘These are the things that ye must look for; . . . even in the day of the coming of the Son of Man.

“‘And until that hour there will be foolish virgins among the wise; and at that hour cometh an entire separation of the righteous and the wicked. (D. & C. 63:53–54.)’ [This] undoubtedly mean[s] a separation of the wicked from the righteous among the professing believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

“The Lord defines the wise virgins of his parable in still another revelation in which he said,

“‘For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day. (Ibid., 45:57.)’

“Here is clearly indicated a truth we must all recognize, that among the people of God, the believers in the Savior of the world, there are those who are wise and keep the commandments, and yet there are those who are foolish, who are disobedient, and who neglect their duties.” (Harold B. Lee in CR, Oct. 1951, pp. 26–27.)

(22-11) Matthew 25:14–30. An Explanation for the Parable of the Entrusted Talents

“You know, brethren, that when the Master in the Savior’s parable of the stewards called his servants before him he gave them several talents to improve on while he should tarry abroad for a little season, and when he returned he called for an accounting. So it is now. Our Master is absent only for a little season, and at the end of it He will call each to render an account; and where the five talents were bestowed, ten will be required; and he that has made no improvement will be cast out as an unprofitable servant, while the faithful will enjoy everlasting honors. Therefore we earnestly implore the grace of our Father to rest upon you, through Jesus Christ His Son, that you may not faint in the hour of temptation, nor be overcome in the time of persecution.” (Smith, Teachings, p. 68.)

POINTS TO PONDER

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES WHICH PRECEDE THE LORD’S SECOND COMING?

(22-12) What Is the Key, the Sure Word of Prophecy, That Will Help Us Understand the Signs of the Times?

“There are among us many loose writings predicting the calamities which are about to overtake us. Some of these have been publicized as though they were necessary to wake up the world to the horrors about to overtake us. Many of these are from sources upon which there cannot be unquestioned reliance.

“Are you priesthood bearers aware of the fact that we need no such publications to be forewarned, if we were only conversant with what the scriptures have already spoken to us in plainness?

“Let me give you the sure word of prophecy on which you should rely for your guide instead of these strange sources which may have great political implications.

“Read the 24th chapter of Matthew—particularly that inspired version as contained in the Pearl of Great Price. [Joseph Smith—Matthew 1.]

“Then read the 45th section of the Doctrine and Covenants where the Lord, not man, has documented the signs of the times.

“Now turn to section 101 and section 133 of the Doctrine and Covenants and hear the step-by-step recounting of events leading up to the coming of the Savior.

“Finally, turn to the promises the Lord makes to those who keep the commandments when these judgments descend upon the wicked, as set forth in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 38.

“Brethren, these are some of the writings with which you should concern yourselves, rather than commentaries that may come from those whose information may not be the most reliable and whose motives may be subject to question. And may I say, parenthetically, most of such writers are not handicapped by having any authentic information on their writings.” (Harold B. Lee in CR, Oct. 1972, p. 128.)

“And What Shall Be the Sign of Thy Coming, and of the End of the World?” (Matthew 24:3.)

(22-13) How May You Always Be Prepared? (D&C 38:18–22, 39–42)

“Brothers and sisters, this is the day the Lord is speaking of. You see the signs are here. Be ye therefore ready. The Brethren have told you in this conference how to prepare to be ready. We have never had a conference where there has been so much direct instruction, so much admonition; when the problems have been defined and also the solution to the problem has been suggested.

“Let us not turn a deaf ear now, but listen to these as the words that have come from the Lord, inspired of him, and we will be safe on Zion’s hill, until all that the Lord has for his children shall have been accomplished.” (Harold B. Lee in CR, Oct. 1973, p. 170. Italics added.)

(22-14) What Are the Implications of President Lee’s Comment?

Is it not that we are provided with a handbook, the conference report, which gives us direction and guidance for each six-month period? By obtaining a copy of the discourses which are delivered by the living prophets each six months at conference and by following the directions given, we may ever be in a state of readiness for the Second Coming.

He Comes!

The tongue of man falters, and the pen drops from the hand of the writer, as the mind is rapt in contemplation of the sublime and awful majesty of his coming to take vengeance on the ungodly and to reign as King of the whole earth.

“He comes! The earth shakes, and the tall mountains tremble; the mighty deep rolls back to the north as in fear, and the rent skies glow like molten brass. He comes! The dead Saints burst forth from their tombs, and ‘those who are alive and remain’ are ‘caught up’ with them to meet him. The ungodly rush to hide themselves from his presence, and call upon the quivering rocks to cover them. He comes! with all the hosts of the righteous glorified. The breath of his lips strikes death to the wicked. His glory is a consuming fire. The proud and rebellious are as stubble; they are burned and ‘left neither root nor branch.’ He sweeps the earth ‘as with the besom of destruction.’ He deluges the earth with the fiery floods of his wrath, and the filthiness and abominations of the world are consumed. Satan and his dark hosts are taken and bound—the prince of the power of the air has lost his dominion, for He whose right it is to reign has come, and ‘the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.’

“‘The people of the Saints of the Most High’ will dwell on the earth, which shall bring forth her strength as in the days of her youth; they will build cities and plant gardens; those who have been faithful over a few things will be made rulers over many things; Eden will bloom, and the fruits and flowers of Paradise display their loveliness as at the first; Jesus shall reign ‘in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his ancients gloriously,’ and all created things shall ‘praise the Lord.’” (Charles W. Penrose, “The Second Advent,” Millennial Star 21:583 [1859].)

23
“AS I HAVE LOVED YOU”

THEME

Jesus Christ is the ultimate manifestation of the love of the Father, and we become his true disciples only as we follow in his footsteps in our demonstration of love.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(23-1) Matthew 26:5. Why Didn’t the Jewish Leaders Capture Jesus During the Feast of the Passover?

“The rulers feared especially an outbreak by the Galileans, who had a provincial pride in the prominence of Jesus as one of their countrymen, and many of whom were then in Jerusalem. It was further concluded and for the same reasons, that the Jewish custom of making impressive examples of notable offenders by executing public punishment upon them at times of great general assemblages, be set aside in the case of Jesus; therefore the conspirators said: ‘Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.’” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 591.)

(23-2) Luke 22:3 Did Satan Literally Enter into Judas’ Body?

“Perhaps, for Satan is a spirit man, a being who was born the offspring of God in pre-existence, and who was cast out of heaven for rebellion. He and his spirit followers have power in some cases to enter the bodies of men; they are, also, sometimes cast out of these illegally entered habitations by the power of the priesthood. See Mark 1:21–28.

“But if the body of Judas was not possessed literally by Satan, still this traitorous member of the Twelve was totally submissive to the will of the devil. ‘Before Judas sold Christ to the Jews, he had sold himself to the devil; he had become Satan’s serf, and did his master’s bidding.’ (Talmage, [Jesus the Christ], p. 592.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:702.)

(23-3) Matthew 26:15. What Is the Significance of the “Thirty Pieces of Silver”?

“They could have said one piece of silver or a thousand. Judas had not come to haggle but to betray. What amount, then, should they set? With devilish cunning they chose that sum which in their law was the fixed price of a slave. ‘Thirty shekels of silver’ would recompense an owner for the death of ‘a manservant or a maidservant.’ (Ex. 21:28–32.)

“Thirty pieces of silver! Such would they pay for the life of their God—no more and no less. And by so doing all men ever after would know that they esteemed him as the basest of men. And thus, also, even their attempts to debase and insult would fulfill, in literal detail, the Messianic prophecy of Zechariah which had foretold their evil conspiracy. ‘If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear,’ the Lord says of the sum for which he will be sold. ‘So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.’ (Zech. 11:12.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:702–3.)

(23-4) Mark 14:22–25. What Did Jesus Really Say at the Institution of the Last Supper?

Compare the King James account with that rendered by the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Inspired Version.

“And as they did eat, Jesus took bread and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them, and said, Take it, and eat.

“Behold, this is for you to do in remembrance of my body; for as oft as ye do this ye will remember this hour that I was with you.

“And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.

“And he said unto them, This is in remembrance of my blood which is shed for many, and the new testament which I give unto you; for of me, ye shall bear record unto all the world.

“And as oft as ye do this ordinance, ye will remember me in this hour that I was with you, and drank with you of this cup, even the last time in my ministry.

“Verily I say unto you, Of this ye shall bear record; for I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine with you, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God. (Mark 14:20–25, Inspired Version.)

(23-5) John 13:1–20. When Jesus Washed His Disciples’ Feet, It Was a Sign of His Love for Them.

Washing of feet is a sacred gospel ordinance. It has been commanded of the Lord in the present as well as in previous dispensations.

“. . . our Lord did two things in the performance of this ordinance: 1. He fulfilled the old law given to Moses; and 2. He instituted a sacred ordinance which should be performed by legal administrators among his true disciples from that day forward.

“As part of the restoration of all things, the ordinance of washing of feet has been restored in the dispensation of the fulness of times. In keeping with the standard pattern of revealing principles and practices line upon line and precept upon precept, the Lord revealed his will concerning the washing of feet little by little until the full knowledge of the endowment and all temple ordinances had been given.” (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 829–30.)

President David O. McKay saw in the ordinance a great example of service. Speaking to the Church in the April 1951 general conference on the occasion of his being sustained by the members as president of the Church, he said:

“What an example of service to those great servants, followers of the Christ! He that is greatest among you, let him be least. So we sense the obligation to be of greater service to the membership of the Church, to devote our lives to the advancement of the kingdom of God on earth.” (CR, Apr. 1951, p. 159.)

(23-6) John 13:26, 27. What Does It Mean to Give a Sop?

In areas of the world where table utensils are not used at mealtime, it is common practice to place both broth and meat in a dish in the center of the table. Thin pieces of bread, often shaped to make a spoon, are used to extract both meat and broth from their repository. The bread thus dipped becomes a “sop.” It is a mark of great honor for two friends to dip from the same sop-dish and an even greater mark of respect for one to dip for a friend and present the sop to him. Thus it was that Judas attempted to feign his love and loyalty for Jesus at the Passover meal by dipping his hand in the same dish with him. (See Matthew 26:23.) John reports that it was Jesus who dipped the sop for Judas and then handed it to him with the words, “That thou doest, do quickly.” (John 13:27.) (See Harper’s Bible Dictionary, s.v. “sop.”)

(23-7) Matthew 26:17. What Was the Feast of Unleavened Bread?

Closely associated with the Passover was the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As the ancient Israelites made their hasty preparations to leave Egypt and its unwelcome hardships, they did not have sufficient time to permit their bread to rise as was the custom. Instead they baked in haste and vacated their homes as quickly as possible. The festival of Unleavened Bread was held to commemorate this fact. Where Passover lasted one day originally, the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted seven. In process of time, both festivals were combined into one, making the entire Passover period eight days in length.

(23-8) What Is the Relationship Between the Sacrament and the Atonement?

The final Passover was, in reality, two events rather than one: a formal celebration of the annual Passover supper and the first observance of the Lord’s Supper in commemoration of the atoning act of Jesus Christ. In speaking of the second of the two suppers, Elder Talmage has written:

“While Jesus with the Twelve still sat at table, He took a loaf or cake of bread, and having reverently given thanks and by blessing sanctified it, He gave a portion to each of the apostles, saying: ‘Take, eat; this is my body’: or, according to the more extended account, ‘This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.’ Then, taking a cup of wine, He gave thanks and blessed it, and gave it unto them with the command: ‘Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’ In this simple but impressive manner was instituted the ordinance, since known as the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. The bread and wine, duly consecrated by prayer, become emblems of the Lord’s body and blood, to be eaten and drunk reverently, and in remembrance of Him. (Jesus the Christ, pp. 596–97.)

(23-9) Matthew 26:22. “Lord, Is It I”?

“There is a lesson to be drawn from the twenty-sixth chapter of Matthew. The occasion, the Last Supper.

“‘And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.’

“I remind you that these men were apostles. They were of apostolic stature. It has always been interesting to me that they did not on that occasion, nudge one another and say, ‘I’ll bet that is old Judas. He has surely been acting queer lately.’ It reflects something of their stature. Rather it is recorded that:

“‘They were exceedingly sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?’ (Matthew 26:22.)

“Would you, I plead, overrule the tendency to disregard counsel and assume for just a moment something apostolic in attitude at least, and ask yourself these questions: Do I need to improve myself? Should I take this counsel to heart and act upon it? If there is one weak or failing, unwilling to follow the brethren, Lord, is it I?” (Boyd K. Packer, “Follow the Brethren,” Speeches of the Year, 1965, p. 3.)

(23-10) Matthew 26:1, 2. Jesus Prophesies of His Death and Resurrection

As the time for Jesus’ death drew near, the Savior spoke of it directly and of the methods that would be used to bring it about. But this was not the first time Jesus had prophesied concerning his death and the resurrection to follow.

The following chart shows some of the occasions when Jesus had taught his apostles and others that he must die. They did not comprehend the real significance of his words—not until after the resurrection was an accomplished fact.

POINTS TO PONDER

JESUS IS OUR GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER

(23-11) John 13:31–35. What Did Jesus Teach About the Principle of Love?

It has been aptly observed that while many of the world’s great religious leaders taught the principle of love, Jesus is the only one who could truly say, “Follow me,” for he alone not only taught the principle but exemplified it. And we are to love one another as he has loved us. “By this,” he says, “shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35.)

Read John 15:8–13.

Perhaps the best way we can comprehend what Jesus taught about the principle of love is to ponder the love that Jesus offers us. Consider the divine station from which he descended to come to earth to rescue us and to provide for us redemption and forgiveness of sins. Consider also the agony in Gethsemane and on the cross.

“I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me;
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

“I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine;
That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

“I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!
Such mercy, such love, and devotion can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

“Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me,
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful,
Wonderful to me!”

(“I Stand all Amazed,” Hymns 80.)

(23-12) Love in Deed and Not in Word Only

We love our Father and our Savior because they first loved us! And we demonstrate our love for them in our treatment of each other. Most of us may never be put to the crucial test of laying down our lives for one we love. Our tests of love and devotion may come in other ways, more quiet perhaps, but nonetheless real. And as they do, “let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

The application of these divine standards might be illustrated by the following story:

“Some time ago a friend of mine related an experience that I should like to pass on to you. He said:

“‘My father’s cousin and my father lived in the same community and were competing in the construction business. There grew up over the years a very keen and bitter rivalry between them. This was triggered in the beginning in the bidding of construction contracts, and later in our city political affairs where they opposed each other in very spirited elections.

“‘Our immediate families inherited this situation upon the death of my father, for we boys seemed to take over where Dad left off. It was quite a strain on the members of his family and ours even to be civil to one another, even in our Church callings where he served as bishop of one ward and I in another, and later in the high council where we were both members. When we came together it seemed that Satan took over, and I am sure he did, for haven’t we been told that where contention is, the Spirit of the Lord is not?

“‘This situation continued to fester. Suddenly I found myself with a call to put aside all worldly things and go to preside over a mission. This was a thrilling experience to contemplate, and yet I subconsciously had a most uneasy feeling about it. I kept asking myself: “Are you really worthy to accept such an important call?” I was living the Word of Wisdom, I was a full tithe payer, I was faithful in all my Church activities, I was morally clean, and yet this uneasy feeling persisted.

“‘I set about immediately to get my business and personal affairs in a condition where others could handle them while we were gone. While returning home from my office one afternoon, it really happened. I didn’t hear a voice, but just as clearly as if a voice spoke to me something said: “You must go to your father’s cousin and get things straightened out. You cannot go on this mission and teach the gospel of love when this terrible feeling exists between you.”

“‘I drove to his home, and with great fear and trepidation went up and rang the doorbell. There was no answer. After waiting a few minutes I went back to my car and said silently, “Lord, I made the attempt. I am sure this will be acceptable.” But it wasn’t. This uneasy feeling still persisted. I prayed earnestly about it.

“‘The next day as I sat in a funeral service, my cousin came in and sat across the aisle from me. The Spirit moved me to ask him if I could see him at his home after the service. He agreed. This time I went with calmness and tranquility in my soul because I had asked the Lord to prepare the way for me.

“‘When I rang the doorbell he invited me into the living room and congratulated me on my mission call. We talked a few minutes about things in general, and then it happened. I looked at him with the feeling of love, which replaced all the old bitterness, and said: “I have come to ask forgiveness for anything I have ever said or done that has tended to divide us and our families.”

“‘At this point tears came into our eyes, and for a few minutes neither of us could say a word. This was one time when silence was more powerful than words. In a few minutes he said: “I wish I had come to you first.” I replied: “The important thing is that it is done, not who initiated it.”

“‘At this moment we had a rich spiritual experience, which caused us to purge our lives and our souls of those things which had separated us, which has resulted in our having proper family relationships.

“‘Now I could go on my mission and teach the true meaning of love, because for the first time in my life I had experienced its deepest dimension, and now I could honestly say that there wasn’t a person in the world that I didn’t love and appreciate. Since that day my live has never been the same, for it was then that I learned in a most positive way as I had never understood before the injunction of the Master to his disciples when he said: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another.”’ (John 13:34.)” (N. Eldon Tanner in CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 105–6.)

24
“MY PEACE I GIVE UNTO YOU”

THEME

The peace of which the Savior spoke, that peace that the world knows not, comes to the true disciple largely through the instrumentality of the Comforter—the Holy Ghost.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(24-1) John 14:2. What Are the Many Mansions?

“My text is on the resurrection of the dead, which you will find in the 14th chapter of John—‘In my Father’s house are many mansions.’ It should be—‘In my Father’s kingdom are many kingdoms,’ in order that ye may be heirs of God and joint-heirs with me. . . .

“There are mansions for those who obey a celestial law, and there are other mansions for those who come short of the law, every man in his own order.” (Smith, Teachings, p. 366.)

(24-2) John 14:7–11. How Is It Possible to Understand About the Father?

When Jesus ministered in this world, he looked like the Father would have looked; he said what the Father would have said, and he did what the Father would have done. As Elder Marion G. Romney has taught:

“Jesus in his mortal ministry, being, as Paul said, ‘the express image of his [Father’s] person’ (Heb. 1:3), was a true and complete revelation of the person and nature of God. This he confirmed to Philip when he said: ‘. . . he that hath seen me hath seen the Father. . . .’ (John 14:9.)” (CR, Oct. 1967, p. 135.)

(24-3) John 14:12. How Could His Servants Do Greater Works Than Jesus Did?

“He does not say that they should do these works in time; but they should do greater works, because he went to the Father. He says in the 24th verse [of the 17th chapter of John]: ‘Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory.’ These sayings, taken in connection, make it very plain that the greater works which those that believed on his name were to do were to be done in eternity, where he was going and where they should behold his glory.” (Lectures on Faith, Lecture Seventh, vs. 12.)

(24-4) John 14:18–24. What Are the Two Comforters?

“These statements about the two Comforters climax and crown the teachings of the Son of God. We have no record of anything he ever said which can so completely withdraw the curtain of eternity and open to the faithful a vision of the glories of God. Based on love, born of obedience, Jesus promises the saints that they can have, here and now in this life, the following:

“(1) The gift and constant companionship of the Holy Ghost; the comfort and peace which it is the function of that Holy Spirit to bestow; the revelation and the sanctifying power which alone will prepare men for the companionship of gods and angels hereafter;

“(2) Personal visitations from the Second Comforter, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the resurrected and perfected being who dwells with his Father in the mansions on high; and

“(3) God the Father—mark it well Philip!—shall visit man in person, take up his abode with him, as it were, and reveal to him all the hidden mysteries of his kingdom.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:735.)

(24-5) John 14:18–24. “I Will Come to You”

“Now what is this other Comforter. It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ himself; and this is the sum and substance of the whole matter; that when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even he will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God; and this is the state and place the ancient saints arrived at when they had such glorious visions—Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the Isle of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens, and all the saints who held communion with the general assembly and Church of the First Born.” (Teachings, pp. 150–51.)

(24-6) John 14:26. When Did the Disciples Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost?

Elder Joseph Fielding Smith stated that “the disciples of Jesus did not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost while he was with them. The reason for this, in part at least, was due to the fact that they had with them to guide and teach them the second member of the Godhead, even Jesus himself. While he was with them there was no occasion for them to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Before the Savior left them, he promised to send them the Comforter, or Holy Ghost.” (Answers to Gospel Questions, 2:159.)

(24-7) John 14:30. “The Prince of This World Cometh”

“So powerful was he in the Master’s day that the Master referred to Satan as ‘the prince of this world,’ but he added, ‘the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.’ (John 14:30.) We must be able to say, though the power is evil on every side, ‘As for me and my house, we shall serve the God of this land.’ The prince of this world is coming to tempt every one of us, and the only ones who will stand through these evil days are those who have founded their houses upon the rock, as the Master said: when the storms descended and the winds blew and the rains came and beat upon the house, it fell not because it was founded upon the rock. That is what the Lord is trying to say to us today.” (Harold B. Lee in British Area Conference Report, Aug. 1971, p. 135.)

(24-8) John 16:24. Had the Apostles Never Before Prayed?

In this verse Jesus did not state that his apostles had never prayed, or asked anything; rather, he said that his apostles had never before prayed in his name, that is, in the name of Jesus Christ. Without doubt the apostles were men of faith who prayed often, else how could they ever merit the high and holy honor of a call to the apostleship?

“Since the divine law in all ages called for men to pray to the Father in the name of Christ, why had Jesus awaited this hour to institute the age-old system among his disciples? Perhaps it is a situation similar to that which is involved in receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost; as long as Jesus was with the disciples they did not enjoy the full manifestations of the Holy Ghost. (John 16:7.) Perhaps as long as Jesus was personally with them many of their petitions were addressed directly to him rather than to the Father. Such was the course followed by the Nephites when the resurrected and glorified Lord ministered among them. They prayed directly to him and not to the Father.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:758; see also 3 Nephi 19:17–25.)

POINTS TO PONDER

“MY PEACE I GIVE UNTO YOU”

Jesus was obedient to the Father’s will, and at the end of his mortal ministry he taught those principles contained in the chapters you are considering (John 14–17). In these verses the Lord taught his disciples the way to ultimate peace in a world that knows it not. He expounded to them the mission of the Holy Ghost.

(24-9) John 15:1–8. “Without Me Ye Can Do Nothing”

Members of the Church are like the branches and leaves on a great tree. They are on the tree, but that alone does not save them. If they do not receive the nourishment and sustaining power that comes from Christ, who is the trunk (whose sustaining power is carried to them by the Holy Ghost only as they make themselves worthy to receive it), then they wither and fall away like dry leaves. Of this, President John Taylor said:

“As a Saint you say, ‘I think I understand my duty, and I am doing very well.’ That may be so. You see the little twig: it is green; it flourishes and is the very picture of life. It bears its part and proportion in the tree, and is connected with the stem, branches, and root. But could the tree live without it? Yes, it could. It need not boast itself and get uplifted and say, ‘How green I am! and how I flourish! and what a healthy position I am in! How well I am doing! and I am in my proper place and am doing right.’ But could you do without the root? No: you bear your proper part and position in the tree. Just so with this people. When they are doing their part—when they are magnifying their calling, living their religion, and walking in obedience to the Spirit of the Lord, they have a portion of his Spirit given to them to profit withal. And while they are humble, faithful, diligent, and observe the laws and commandments of God, they stand in their proper position on the tree: they are flourishing; the buds, blossoms, leaves, and everything about them are all right, and they form a part and parcel of the tree. . . .” (John Taylor in JD, 6:108.)

(24-10) The Holy Ghost Brings Man to His Fullest Potential

“The gift of the Holy Ghost adapts itself to all these organs or attributes. It quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.

“In the presence of such persons, one feels to enjoy the light of their countenances, as the genial rays of a sunbeam. Their very atmosphere diffuses a thrill, a warm glow of pure gladness and sympathy, to the heart and nerves of others who have kindred feelings, or sympathy of spirit.” (Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology, p. 101.)

(24-11) As a Messenger of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost Teaches Faithful Members

“The Holy Ghost is a Personage of Spirit, in the likeness of God the Father, in other words a likeness of the Father and the Son. His mission is to instruct and enlighten the minds of those who, through their faithfulness have obeyed the commandments of the Father and the Son. He bears witness of the truth, quickens the minds of those who have made covenant and reveals to them the mysteries of the kingdom of God. He is a special messenger from the Father and the Son and carries out their will. . . .” (Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 5:134.)

(24-12) John 16:33. “Be of Good Cheer; I Have Overcome the World”

There is a great difference between the kind of peace that Jesus spoke of and the world around us. We live in a wicked world, a world gone crazy with wanton indulgence and crime. Each day the news bears tragic record of wars, natural disasters, terror, and the frustrated efforts of mankind to avert or respond intelligently to the disasters. In spite of all this, Jesus has promised his followers that they may have peace in this world. Read John 16:33. Compare Philippians 4:7.

And Jesus’ promise is real, for those who obey his commandments do feel his influence and comfort in their hearts, and they are not afraid. In the face of every threatening peril, they can pray to God and he will answer them by the “still small voice” of the Holy Spirit, and speak peace to their souls. Elder Harold B. Lee taught this:

“All too often when God speaks in this still, small voice, as he did to Elijah in the cave, it may not be audible to our physical hearing because, like a faulty radio, we may be out of tune with the infinite.” (CR, Oct. 1966, p. 115.)

But if you will be obedient (for that is the condition), the Lord’s promise to you of peace is sure, absolutely certain!

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
[He] will not, [he] cannot, desert to his foes.
That soul, though all hell shall endeavor to shake,
[He’ll] never, no never, no never forsake!

(“How Firm a Foundation,” Hymns, 66.)

25
“NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE, BE DONE”

THEME

Through the suffering of Jesus Christ in Gethsemane, we can receive forgiveness of sins.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(25-1) John 17:1. The Significance of the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus

With a perfect understanding of his mission and that the time of his atonement was “at hand,” Jesus concluded the teaching portion of his ministry with a prayer—a prayer which has sometimes been referred to as the high-priestly or great intercessory prayer. (See John 17.) These designations are not inappropriate, for, as we shall see, Jesus, our Great High Priest, first offered himself as an offering; then, as Mediator, he interceded on behalf of worthy members of his kingdom. The pattern for this had been established in ancient Israel.

Once each year, the presiding high priest in ancient Israel entered into the holy of holies, the most sacred place within the tabernacle. There he would perform certain rites in connection with the Day of Atonement, a day set aside for national humiliation and contrition. Having bathed himself and dressed in white linen, he would present before the Lord a young bullock and two young goats as sin offerings, and a ram as a burnt offering in behalf of his sins and those of the people. The high priest’s role was that of a mediator, or one who interceded with the Lord in behalf of the people. His role, of course, was but a type of the great mediating role of the Savior in our behalf. Thus, when Jesus pleaded to the Father for all those who believed on him, he did so as our Intercessor, or Great High Priest.

The prayer he offered on this occasion had three distinct parts:

In the first part (see John 17:1–3), Jesus offered himself as the great sacrifice. His hour had come.

The next part of the prayer (see John 17:4–19) was a reverent report to the Father of his mortal mission.

In the last part (see John 17:20–26) of his prayer, Jesus interceded not only for the eleven apostles present, but for all who shall believe on Jesus “through their word,” in order that all would come to a perfect unity, which unity invested Christ in them as Christ is in the Father. Thus all would be perfect in unity, and the world would believe that the Father had sent his Son.

(25-2) John 17:3. How Can a Man Know God and Jesus?

“To know God in that full sense which will enable us to gain eternal salvation means that we must know what he knows, enjoy what he enjoys, experience what he experiences. In New Testament language, we must ‘be like him.’ (1 John 3:2.)

“But before we can become like him, we must obey those laws that will enable us to acquire the character, perfections, and attributes that he possesses.

“And before we can obey these laws, we must learn what they are; we must learn of Christ and his gospel. We must learn ‘that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.’ (Mosiah 3:18.) We must learn that baptism under the hands of a legal administrator is essential to salvation and that after baptism we must keep the commandments and ‘press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.’ (2 Ne. 31:20.)” (Bruce R. McConkie in CR, Apr. 1966, p. 79.)

(25-3) Matthew 26:36. “Then Cometh Jesus . . . unto a Place Called Gethsemane”

“Gethsemane.—The name means ‘oil-press’ and probably has reference to a mill maintained at the place for the extraction of oil from the olives there cultivated. John refers to the spot as a garden, from which designation we may regard it as an enclosed space of private ownership. That it was a place frequented by Jesus when He sought retirement for prayer, or opportunity for confidential converse with the disciples, is indicated by the same writer (John 18:1, 2).” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 620.)

(25-4) Matthew 26:39. “If It Be Possible, Let This Cup Pass from Me”

“God is unchangeable, so are also his laws, in all their forms, and in all their applications, and being Himself the essence of Law, the giver of law, the sustainer of law, all of those laws are eternal in all their operations. . . .

“Hence, the law of atonement had to be met as well as all other laws, for God could not be God without fulfilling it.

“Jesus said, ‘If it be possible, let this cup pass.’ But it was not possible; for to have done so would have been a violation of the law, and he had to take it. The atonement must be made, a God must be sacrificed. No power can resist a law of God. It is omnipresent, omnipotent, exists everywhere, in all things. . . .” (Taylor, The Mediation and Atonement, pp. 168–69.)

(25-5) What Took Place in Gethsemane?

“Where and under what circumstances was the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God made? Was it on the Cross of Calvary or in the Garden of Gethsemane? It is to the Cross of Christ that most Christians look when centering their attention upon the infinite and eternal atonement. And certainly the sacrifice of our Lord was completed when he was lifted up by men; also, that part of his life and suffering is more dramatic and, perhaps, more soul stirring. But in reality the pain and suffering, the triumph and grandeur, of the atonement took place primarily in Gethsemane.

“It was there Jesus took upon himself the sins of the world on conditions of repentance. It was there he suffered beyond human power to endure. It was there he sweat great drops of blood from every pore. It was there his anguish was so great he fain would have let the bitter cup pass. It was there he made the final choice to follow the will of the Father. It was there that an angel from heaven came to strengthen him in his greatest trial. Many have been crucified and the torment and pain is extreme. But only one, and he the Man who had God as his Father, has bowed beneath the burden of grief and sorrow that lay upon him in that awful night, that night in which he descended below all things as he prepared himself to rise above them all.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:774–75.)

(25-6) To What Extent Was the Atonement Completed in the Garden of Gethsemane?

“It seems, that in addition to the fearful suffering incident to crucifixion, the agony of Gethsemane had recurred, intensified beyond human power to endure. In that bitterest hour the dying Christ was alone, alone in most terrible reality. That the supreme sacrifice of the Son might be consummated in all its fulness, the Father seems to have withdrawn the support of His immediate Presence, leaving to the Savior of men the glory of complete victory over the forces of sin and death.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 661.)

When the Savior exclaimed in triumph, “It is finished” (John 19:30), he knew his atoning sacrifice had been accepted by the Father. (See John 19:28.)

“Sweet and welcome as would have been the relief of death in any of the earlier stages of His suffering from Gethsemane to the cross, He lived until all things were accomplished as had been appointed.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 662.)

(25-7) Luke 22:44. “And Being in an Agony, He Prayed More Earnestly”

“How perfect the example is! Though he were the Son of God, yet even he, having been strengthened by an angelic ministrant, prays with increased faith; even he grows in grace and ascends to higher heights of spiritual unity with the Father. How well Paul wrote of this hour: ‘In the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.’ (Heb. 5:7–9.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:776.)

But what was it that caused the Savior’s intense agony?

“Jesus had to take away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. . . . And as He in His own person bore the sins of all, and atoned for them by the sacrifice of Himself, so there came upon Him the weight and agony of ages and generations, the indescribable agony consequent upon this great sacrificial atonement wherein He bore the sins of the world, and suffered in His own person the consequences of an eternal law of God broken by men. Hence His profound grief, His indescribable anguish, His overpowering torture, all experienced in the submission to the eternal fiat of Jehovah and the requirements of an inexorable law.

“The suffering of the Son of God was not simply the suffering of personal death; for in assuming the position that He did in making an atonement for the sins of the world He bore the weight, the responsibility, and the burden of the sins of all men, which, to us, is incomprehensible. . . .

“Groaning beneath this concentrated load, this intense, incomprehensible pressure, this terrible exaction of Divine Justice, from which feeble humanity shrank, and through the agony thus experienced sweating great drops of blood, He was led to exclaim, ‘Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.’ He had wrestled with the superincumbent load in the wilderness, He had struggled against the powers of darkness that had been let loose upon him there; placed below all things, His mind surcharged with agony and pain, lonely and apparently helpless and forsaken, in his agony the blood oozed from His pores.” (Taylor, The Mediation and Atonement, pp. 149–50.)

(25-8) Luke 22:44. “And His Sweat Was As It Were Great Drops of Blood Falling Down to the Ground”

“Christ’s agony in the garden is unfathomable by the finite mind, both as to intensity and cause. The thought that He suffered through fear of death is untenable. Death to Him was preliminary to resurrection and triumphal return to the Father from whom He had come, and to a state of glory even beyond what He had before possessed; and, moreover, it is within His power to lay down His life voluntarily. He struggled and groaned under a burden such as no other being who has lived on earth might even conceive as possible. It was not physical pain, nor mental anguish alone, that caused Him to suffer such torture as to produce an extrusion of blood from every pore; but a spiritual agony of soul such as only God was capable of experiencing. No other man, however great his powers of physical or mental endurance, could have suffered so; for his human organism would have succumbed, and syncope would have produced unconsciousness and welcome oblivion. In that hour of anguish Christ met and overcame all the horrors that Satan, ‘the prince of this world’ could inflict. The frightful struggle incident to the temptations immediately following the Lord’s baptism was surpassed and overshadowed by this supreme contest with the powers of evil.

“In some manner, actual and terribly real though to man incomprehensible, the Savior took upon Himself the burden of the sins of mankind from Adam to the end of the world.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 613.)

POINTS TO PONDER

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GETHSEMANE

26
“I FIND NO FAULT IN THIS MAN”

THEME

Nothing shows the magnitude of the character of Jesus Christ more than does the last day of his life, which is an example for all his disciples to follow.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

AN APPRECIATION OF THE SORROW OF THE FINAL HOURS

Provided on the next page is a map depicting the city of Jerusalem and the possible sites where the last days in the mortal life of Jesus Christ were spent. As you read the following narrative, picture in your mind the events that took place on that day of days and feel the sorrow of those final hours. Numbers on the map correspond to the numbers adjacent to the paragraphs.

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(26-1) John 18:13. Who Were Annas and Caiaphas?

“Cyrenius . . . deprived Joazar of the high priesthood . . . and he appointed Ananus, the son of Seth, to be high priest, . . . [Valerius Gratus] deprived Ananus of the high priesthood, and appointed Ismael, the son of Phabi, to be high-priest. He also deprived him in a little time, and ordained Eleazar, the son of Ananus, who had been high-priest before, to be high-priest: which office, when he had held for a year, Gratus deprived him of it, and gave the high-priesthood to Simon, the son of Camithus; and, when he had possessed that dignity no longer than a year, Joseph Caiaphas was made his successor. When Gratus had done those things, he went back to Rome, after he had tarried in Judea eleven years, when Pontius Pilate came as his successor.” (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 18. 2. 1–2.)

Joseph Caiaphas was high priest between the years A.D. 18–36, but Annas continued to exercise much religious and political control over the Jews as either substitute for the high priest, president of the Sanhedrin, or chief examining judge. Annas’ wealth was immense; and it derived, in part, at least, from the sale of materials used in the temple sacrifices. (See Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible, s.v. “Annas”; Smith, Dictionary of the Bible, rev. ed., s.v. “Annas.”) Joseph Caiaphas was the Jewish high priest under Tiberius (see Matthew 26:3, 57; John 11:49; 18:13, 14, 24, 28; and Acts 4:6) and was appointed to the office of high priest by Valerius Gratus. (See Smith, Dictionary, s.v. “Caiaphas.”) In John 18:13 we read that Joseph Caiaphas was the son-in-law of Annas.

(26-2) Matthew 26:59; 27:1, 2. Who Were the Sanhedrin?

Comprised of an assembly of seventy-one ordained scholars, including Levites, priests, scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and those of other political persuasion, in the time of the Savior the Great Sanhedrin was the highest Jewish court of justice and the supreme legislative council at Jerusalem. Its main function was to serve as a supreme court when Jewish law was interpreted. The Sanhedrin met in the temple collonade in the impressive chambers of hewn stone, where members of the council sat in a semicircle. An accused prisoner, dressed in garments of mourning, was arraigned in front of the council; and if evidence against the prisoner warranted, the Sanhedrin had authority to decree capital punishment for offenses which violated major Jewish laws. However, the council was not authorized to carry out its sentence and execute the prisoner, for Roman law forbade them from putting an individual to death without the sanction of the Roman procurator. Jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin in the time of Jesus extended only throughout Judea; and as long as Jesus preached in Galilee and Perea, the council was unable to arrest him. When Jesus entered Jerusalem for his last Passover, however, he was within the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin, where evil and unscrupulous leaders of the council were able to take him, arrange a charge of blasphemy against him, and then manipulate Pilate, the Roman procurator, to bring about the crucifixion.

(26-3) Matthew 26:47–75; John 18:12–14; 19:23. Illegalities of the Trial of Jesus and Peter’s Alleged Denial of Jesus

The arrest, the private examination, the indictment, the proceedings of the Sanhedrin, the trial, the condemnation proceedings, the sentence, the qualification of the members of the Great Sanhedrin to try Jesus—all were illegal.

For an evaluation of the trial of Jesus see Jesus the Christ, p. 644. For an explanation of Peter’s alleged denial of Jesus, see appendix D, “Peter, My Brother,” by Elder Spencer W. Kimball.

(26-4) Matthew 27:2. Pontius Pilate

Appointed in A.D. 25–26 in the twelfth year of Tiberius, Pontius Pilate was the sixth Roman procurator of Judea and was the Roman ruler during the time of Christ’s ministry. Arbitrary and anxious to please Caesar, his political life ended in misfortune. (See Smith, Dictionary, s.v. “Pilate, Pontius.”)

(26-5) Matthew 27:24. Why Did Pilate Give In to the Demands of the Jews to Execute Jesus?

“In utter disregard of the Hebrew antipathy against images and heathen insignia [Pilate] had the legionaries enter Jerusalem at night, carrying their eagles and standards decorated with the effigy of the emperor. To the Jews this act was a defilement of the Holy City. In vast multitudes they gathered at Caesarea, and petitioned the procurator that the standards and other images be removed from Jerusalem. For five days the people demanded and Pilate refused. He threatened a general slaughter, and was amazed to see the people offer themselves as victims of the sword rather than relinquish their demands. Pilate had to yield (Josephus, Ant. xviii, Chap. 3:1; also Wars, ii, Chap. 9:2, 3). Again he gave offense in forcibly appropriating the Corban, or sacred funds of the temple, to the construction of an aqueduct for supplying Jerusalem with water from the pools of Solomon. Anticipating the public protest of the people, he had caused Roman soldiers to disguise themselves as Jews; and with weapons concealed to mingle with the crowds. At a given signal these assassins plied their weapons and great numbers of defenseless Jews were killed or wounded (Josephus, Ant. xviii, chap. 3:2; and Wars, ii, chap. 9:3, 4). On another occasion, Pilate had grossly offended the people by setting up in his official residence at Jerusalem, shields that had been dedicated to Tiberius, and this ‘less for the honor of Tiberius than for annoyance of the Jewish people.’ A petition signed by the ecclesiastical officials of the nation, and by others of influence, including four Herodian princes, was sent to the emperor, who reprimanded Pilate and directed that the shields be removed from Jerusalem to Caesarea. (Philo. De Lagatione ad Caium; sec. 38).

“These outrages on national feeling, and many minor acts of violence, extortion and cruelty, the Jews held against the procurator. He realized that his tenure was insecure, and he dreaded exposure. Such wrongs had he wrought that when he would have done good, he was deterred through cowardly fear of the accusing past.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pp. 648–49.)

(26-6) Luke 23:6–11. Christ Before Herod

“Whatever fear Herod had once felt regarding Jesus, whom he had superstitiously thought to be the reincarnation of his murdered victim, John the Baptist, was replaced by amused interest when he saw the far-famed Prophet of Galilee in bonds before him, attended by a Roman guard, and accompanied by ecclesiastical officials. Herod began to question the Prisoner; but Jesus remained silent. The chief priests and scribes vehemently voiced their accusations; but not a word was uttered by the Lord. Herod is the only character in history to whom Jesus is known to have applied a personal epithet of contempt. ‘Go ye and tell that fox’ He once said to certain Pharisees who had come to Him with the story that Herod intended to kill Him. As far as we know, Herod is further distinguished as the only being who saw Christ face to face and spoke to Him, yet never heard His voice. For penitent sinners, weeping women, prattling children, for the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the rabbis, for the perjured high priest and his obsequious and insolent underling, and for Pilate the pagan, Christ had words—of comfort or instruction, of warning or rebuke, of protest or denunciation—yet for Herod the fox He had but disdainful and kingly silence. Thoroughly piqued, Herod turned from insulting questions to acts of malignant derision. He and his men-at-arms made sport of the suffering Christ, ‘set him at nought and mocked him’; then in travesty they ‘arrayed him in a gorgeous robe and sent him again to Pilate.’ Herod had found nothing in Jesus to warrant condemnation.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 636.)

(26-7) Matthew 27:24. What Did Pilate Mean When He Washed His Hands Before the Jews?

“At this point (or perhaps earlier, as the Inspired Version account indicates) Pilate, following the Jewish practice in such cases (Deut. 21:1–9), performed the ritualistic ceremony designed to free him from responsibility for Jesus’ death.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:810.)

(26-8) John 19:4–12. Pilate Sought to Release Him

“I find no fault in him] Jesus is innocent. Pilate knew it; Herod knew it; Caiaphas knew it; the Sanhedrin knew it; the mob-multitude knew it—and Satan knew it. Yet he is to be pronounced guilty and sentenced to death.

“Behold the man!] ‘Pilate seems to have counted on the pitiful sight of the scourged and bleeding Christ to soften the hearts of the maddened Jews. But the effect failed. Think of the awful fact—a heathen, a pagan, who knew not God, pleading with the priests and people of Israel for the life of their Lord and King!’ (Talmage, p. 639.)

“Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him] Pilate gave the order; no one else had the power. Pilate sentenced an innocent Man to be crucified—and he knew it! Is there a better example in all history of judicial murder?

“Jesus’ sentence by the Sanhedrin was for blasphemy, a Jewish crime; Pilate’s sentence was for sedition, a Roman offense. Now that our Lord’s death had been ordered, the Jews seek to make it appear that Pilate had endorsed their Jewish death decree. Their mention of ‘the Son of God’ increases Pilate’s fears for having ordered an unjust execution. He asks, ‘Are you a man or a demigod?’ Jesus disdains to answer. Pilate is piqued and boasts of his power to save or destroy Jesus. Then our Lord becomes the Judge and places Pilate before the judgment bar: ‘Against me you have only such power as Divine Providence permits; your sentence is unjust, but Caiaphas who delivered me to thee has the greater sin for as a Jew he knows of my divine origin.’

“Pilate sought to release him] Sought the consent of the chief priests and scribes to release him, for the Procurator had the power, if he chose to use it, to either save or destroy.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:809.)

(26-9) Matthew 27:26–30. Derision and Scourging

“This brutal practice, a preliminary to crucifixion, consisted of stripping the victim of clothes, strapping him to a pillar or frame, and beating him with a scourge made of leather straps weighted with sharp pieces of lead and bone. It left the tortured sufferer bleeding, weak, and sometimes dead. Pilate tried in vain to create compassion for Jesus as a result of the scourging. Teaching the need to bear chastisement, Paul, looking back on the scene, wrote: ‘Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:6.)

“While Pilate watches, his cohort of six hundred soldiers mock and deride the Son of God. The scarlet robe, the crown of thorns, the reed in our Lord’s hand, the mocking obeisance, the cynical hailing of him as King—all devil-inspired substitutes of the respect rightfully his—plus the foul spittle and the smiting blows, all paint a picture of gross human debasement. The Roman soldiers have partaken of the spirit of the Jewish mob.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:807.)

(26-10) Matthew 27:32. The Cross

“‘The cross consisted of two parts, a strong stake or pole 8 or 9 ft. high, which was fixed in the ground, and a movable cross-piece (patibulum), which was carried by the criminal to the place of execution. Sometimes the patibulum was a single beam of wood, but more often it consisted of two parallel beams fastened together, between which the neck of the criminal was inserted. Before him went a herald bearing a tablet on which the offense was inscribed, or the criminal himself bore it suspended by a cord round his neck. At the place of execution the criminal was stripped and laid on his back, and his hands were nailed to the patibulum; The patibulum, with the criminal hanging from it, was then hoisted into position and fastened by nails or ropes to the upright pole. The victim’s body was supported not only by the nails through the hands, but by a small piece of wood projecting at right angles (sedile), on which he sat as on a saddle. Sometimes there was also a support for the feet, to which the feet were nailed. The protracted agony of crucifixion sometimes lasted for days, death being caused by pain, hunger, and thirst.’ (Dummelow, pp. 716–17.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:815.)

(26-11) Matthew 27:33; Luke 23:33. Golgotha, or Calvary

“‘The Place of a Skull’—The Aramaic Hebrew name ‘Golgotha,’ the Greek ‘Kranion,’ and the Latin ‘Calvaria’ or, as Anglicized, ‘Calvary,’ have the same meaning, and connote ‘a skull.’ The name may have been applied with reference to topographical features, as we speak of the brow of a hill; or, if the spot was the usual place of execution, it may have been so called as expressive of death, just as we call a skull a death’s head. It is probable that the bodies of executed convicts were buried near the place of death; and if Golgotha or Calvary was the appointed site for execution, the exposure of skulls and other human bones through the ravages of beasts and by other means, would not be surprising; though the leaving of bodies or any of their parts unburied was contrary to Jewish law and sentiment. The origin of the name is of as little importance as are the many divergent suppositions concerning the exact location of the spot.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 667.)

(26-12) Matthew 27:35. “And They Crucified Him”

“‘[Crucifixion] was unanimously considered the most horrible form of death. Among the Romans also the degradation was a part of the infliction, and the punishment if applied to freeman was only used in the case of the vilest criminals. . . . The criminal carried his own cross, or at any rate a part of it. Hence, figuratively to take, to take up or bear one’s cross is to endure suffering, affliction, or shame, like a criminal on his way to the place of crucifixion (Matt. 10:38; 16:24; Luke 14:27, etc.). The place of execution was outside the city (1 Kings 21:13; Acts 7:58; Heb. 13:12), often in some public road or other conspicuous place. Arrived at the place of execution, the sufferer was stripped naked, the dress being the perquisite of the soldiers (Matt. 27:35). The cross was then driven into the ground, so that the feet of the condemned were a foot or two above the earth, and he was lifted upon it; or else stretched upon it on the ground and then he was lifted up with it.’ It was the custom to station soldiers to watch the cross, so as to prevent the removal of the sufferer while yet alive. ‘This was necessary from the lingering character of the death, which sometimes did not supervene even for three days, and was at last the result of gradual benumbing and starvation. But for this guard, the persons might have been taken down and recovered, as was actually done in the case of a friend of Josephus. . . . In most cases the body was suffered to rot on the cross by the action of sun and rain, or to be devoured by birds and beasts. Sepulture was generally therefore forbidden; but in consequences of Deut. 21:22, 23, an express national exception was made in favor of the Jews (Matt. 27:58). This accursed and awful mode of punishment was happily abolished by Constantine.’ Smith’s Bible Dict.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pp. 667–68.)

(26-13) Matthew 27:35; Psalm 22:18. “Upon My Vesture Did They Cast Lots”

“The Messianic prophecy—‘They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture’ (Psalm 22:18)—contains two parts: (1) His garments are to be divided among them; and (2) For his vesture or robe they are to cast lots.

“Jewish men wore five articles of clothing: A headdress, shoes, an inner garment, an outer garment, and a girdle. These items, according to Roman custom, became the property of the soldiers who performed the crucifixion. There were four soldiers and each took one article of clothing. In the case of Jesus, the robe, woven of a single piece of cloth, apparently was of excellent workmanship, and for this the soldiers elected to cast lots.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:820.)

POINTS TO PONDER

(26-14) The Character and the Divine Nature of Jesus Christ As Seen from the Seven Recorded Statements Made by Jesus on the Cross

It might well be stated as a rule of human nature that when a man reaches his greatest extremity, a moment of extreme danger, pain, emotion, or critical need, a point in life which is marked by imminent destruction or death, the true nature of his soul becomes evident from statements he makes at that crucial time.

Why? Because a man’s words mirror his innermost soul. His speech betrays what his character is really like—the quality of his concerns, his compassion, his love—the whole focus or thrust of his life, whether noble or mean, depraved or exalted. At his greatest extremity the very depths of his soul are bared for all to view; the intensity of the moment calls forth comments that mirror his inner self. A glorious example of this rule is the life of Jesus of Nazareth. His last seven recorded utterances permit all the world to see and know the true quality of his character and the divine nature of his soul.

(26-15) His Forgiving Nature

“. . . it [the first word from the cross] is a petition asking for forgiveness in a particular and limited sense of the word. Jesus was the Son of God; as such he had power to forgive sins, a power which he had freely exercised in proper cases. See Matt. 9:2–8.

“But no such power is exercised here. He does not say, ‘Thy sins be forgiven thee,’ as had been his wont on other occasion. Nor does he ask the Father to forgive the sins of those involved, in the sense of cleansing them from sin so as to qualify them for church membership or celestial inheritance. The law whereby such forgiveness is gained requires repentance and baptism. But he says, rather, ‘Father lay not this sin to their charge, for they are acting under orders, and those upon whom the full and real guilt rests are their rulers and the Jewish conspirators who caused me to be condemned. It is Caiaphas and Pilate who know I am innocent; these soldiers are just carrying out their orders.’

“Jesus did not, it should be noted, pray for Judas who betrayed him; for Caiaphas and the chief priests who conspired against him; for the false witnesses who perjured their souls before the Sanhedrin and in the judgment halls of Rome; for Pilate and Herod, either of whom could have freed him; nor for Lucifer whose power and persuasive ability underlay the whole wicked procedure. All these are left in the hands of Eternal Justice to be dealt with according to their works. Mercy cannot rob justice; the guilty do not go free simply because the righteous bring no railing accusation against them.

“Here on the cross Jesus is simply complying with his own command to forgive your enemies and to bless those who curse you.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:818–19.)

(26-16) His Concern for Others

To the thief on the cross who asked to be remembered after death, the Savior responded to give him what hope he could:

“Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” That is to say, today you shall be with me in the world of spirits, where you will be taught the gospel and your inquiries will be answered. (See Smith, Teachings, p. 309.) Jesus did not lend any credence to a death-bed repentance or the malefactor. What Jesus did do was give recognition to the seeds of faith and repentance which were evidenced by a penitent man. As always, the Lord’s efforts were directed toward offering as much hope as possible to one who would turn from darkness unto the everlasting light. (See McConkie, DNTC, 1:823–24.)

His concern and love for his mother, Mary, is revealed by the circumstances which surround the third recorded utterance.

“There remained yet a few faithful followers. From his tortured position on the cruel cross, he sees his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by. He speaks: ‘. . . woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! . . .’ (John 19:26–27.)

“From that awful night when time stood still, when the earth did quake and great mountains were brought down—yes, through the annals of history, over the centuries of years and beyond the span of time, there echoes his simple yet divine words, ‘Behold thy mother!’” (Thomas S. Monson in CR, Oct. 1973, p. 30.)

(26-17) His Resignation by His Own Will to Die a Physical Death

“My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46.) His was to be the choice. His was to be the opportunity. His was to be the challenge to give his life voluntarily. With all of the Father’s support withdrawn, with the pains of Gethsemane recurring, our Savior was left unto himself in order that he alone might complete the atoning sacrifice and have “the glory of complete victory over the forces of sin and death.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 661.) His was to be the resignation by his own will to give up his own life, a ransom for many, that we, through his blood, might be purified and sanctified until we reach a state where we again might enjoy the presence of our Father in heaven.

Yet at no time, in spite of his great suffering, did he complain. Resigned as he was to complete his great mission, throughout this great ordeal there is but one recorded instance which even begins to be expressive of his physical suffering. Of this statement, Elder James E. Talmage said:

“The period of faintness, the conception of utter forsakenness soon passed, and the natural cravings of the body reasserted themselves. The maddening thirst, which constituted one of the worst of the crucifixion agonies, wrung from the Savior’s lips His one recorded utterance expressive of physical suffering. ‘I thirst’ He said. One of those who stood by, whether Roman or Jew, disciple or skeptic, we are not told, hastily saturated a sponge with vinegar, a vessel of which was at hand, and having fastened the sponge to the end of a reed, or stalk of hyssop, pressed it to the Lord’s fevered lips. Some others would have prevented this one act of human response, for they said: ‘Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.’ John affirms that Christ uttered the exclamation, ‘I thirst,’ only when He knew ‘that all things were now accomplished’; and the apostle saw in the incident a fulfillment of prophecy. (Jesus the Christ, p. 661.)

He realized that “it [was] finished” (John 19:30). He had endured to the end the suffering of Gethsemane, the mockery of the trial, the pain of the actual crucifixion. He had trodden the winepress alone, and this because of his undeviating devotion to the will of the Father, because he was sustained by a complete and eternal love for you and for all mankind, “who, without his mediation would have remained in the total gloom of desiring without hope throughout eternity.” (Hugh B. Brown in CR, Apr. 1962, p. 108.)

When he realized that his work as a mortal was finished, only then did he say, in humility, in reverence, with relief, and with a resignation born of his own will, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46.) Jesus Christ bowed his head and voluntarily passed from this life into the next.

“Jesus the Christ was dead. His life had not been taken from Him except as He had willed to permit. Sweet and welcome as would have been the relief of death in any of the earlier stages of His suffering from Gethsemane to the cross, He lived until all things were accomplished as had been appointed. In the latter days the voice of the Lord Jesus has been heard affirming the actuality of His suffering and death, and the eternal purpose thereby accomplished. Hear and heed His words: ‘For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.’ (D&C 18:11.)” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 662.)