Latest / Scripture Central / Come Follow Me Insights (Jun 19 - Jun 25) Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19

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Come Follow Me Insights (Jun 19 - Jun 25) Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19 · Scripture Central

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Hello everyone. Thanks for listening to come.
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Follow me, insights with Taylor and Tyler, presented by
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scripture Central. We use a lot of visuals in our
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videos. So if you want to see the
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visuals, we invite you to find us on YouTube.
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Thanks for listening and enjoy. I'm Taylor and I'm Tyler.
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This is scripture Central's. Come follow me insights this
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week. Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23,
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and John 19. So we're going to divide this
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week into two episodes. In the first episode, we're
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going to focus on the trials with pilots and Herod and the
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scourging and the condemnation. And then the second episode, one
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of the most important episodes in an entire four years.
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Cycle of come, follow me, we'll focus on the events that take
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place on calvary's Hill as Jesus is crucified and willingly gives
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up the ghost now to begin. Something we kind of mentioned
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last time is this idea that we often create a almost
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competition between Gethsemane and Golgotha almost as if you
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have to pick a side to say where did the the most suffering?
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Take place. I find it.
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Fascinating the scriptures never engage in those kinds of of
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useless debates. Or forcing a false dichotomy
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because the reality is, as Jesus went into Gethsemane and Begins,
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the atoning sacrifice process, and it doesn't culminate or
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complete until he gives up the ghost, goes into the spirit
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world, his spirit. And then three days later walks
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triumphantly out of the Tomb, that entire event is the
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infinite atonement. And there's this I've forgotten
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middle part that we often Overlook and it's all of these
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trials and the the scourging and the condemnation that occurs
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from the chief Priests of the people, as well as from the
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leadership of Rome that would be pilot Herod and pilate.
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So it's fascinating to put this in context from an Old Testament
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prophecy perspective, Isaiah Watch What Happens.
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You go to Isaiah chapter 50, and he says, verse 5, the Lord God
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has opened mine are, and I was not rebuilt, rebellious neither
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turned away back. I didn't turn away from this.
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I went into it. And then verse 6, I gave my back
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to this miters and my cheeks to them.
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The plucked off the hair. I hid, not my face from shame.
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And spitting. It's this idea that Matthew Mark
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Luke and John will tell you about the, the scourging, the
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back to the spiders, but none of them even mention anything about
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giving his cheeks to them, that plucked off the hair.
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So there's a lot going on in these trials that we don't even
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talk about in gospel accounts but we know that there's intense
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suffering and at intense abuse going on.
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On it's fascinating from a book of Mormon perspective.
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Jacob, over in second Nephi, chapter 9, verse 5.
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He gives us this, this little insight that is, once again,
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often overlooked in the infinite atoning process and he says,
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yeah, I know that, you know, that in the body he shall show
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himself unto those that Jerusalem from whence, we came
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for it is expedient that it should be among them for it.
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The great creator that he suffers himself to become
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subject unto man in the flesh and died for all men, that all
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men might become subject unto him that phrase becomes subject
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unto men in the flesh is a beautiful description that Jacob
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gives us of what we see in the New Testament of Jesus saying,
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basically to these men. N.
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Not my will, but thine be done. That's what it means to become
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subject to. So we're comfortable with Jesus
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in Gethsemane, using those words with heavenly father, but we
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often Overlook the fact that it behooves him.
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It was required of him to also become completely subjected to
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the to the worst of people in the flesh.
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And let them do whatever they wanted to do to him and not stop
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it and combine that with It's Jacob's.
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Brother Nephi says about these events.
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Look at verse 9 of first Nephi 19 and the world because of
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their iniquity shall judge him to be a thing of naught.
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Isn't that amazing because of their iniquity?
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They're going to judge. The only perfect person ever to
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be guilty of the the most heinous crimes and punish him to
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the full extent of their law. Where for They Scourge him.
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And he suffereth it, they Smite him.
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And he suffereth it. Yeah, they spit upon him and he
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suffereth it because of his loving kindness and his
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long-suffering towards the children of men.
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Now, in English, the word suffer has has a couple of meanings.
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One is that's causing me to suffer and that is true.
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But I think the beauty of verse 9 here is that it takes on Both
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of those meanings. He didn't just suffer it.
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He also allowed it which ties into what Jacob had said he
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submits his will to, there's, he became subject unto Men In the
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Flesh as part of his atoning sacrifice.
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So, let's now return to Isaiah. Look at 52:14.
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He says, as many were astonished need or astonished at the His
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vicinage his appearance, his countenance was so marred more
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than any man and his form more than the sons of men.
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So this subjecting himself unto Men In the Flesh to have them,
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do all these things and he suffereth it, he allowed it to
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happen, causes his vistage to become so marred more so than
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any man we About this last year in the Old Testament that that
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Hebrew word for marred. If you change the vowel markings
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on it, it shifts from marred to anointed maschiach so he who was
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so anointed by God becomes so marred.
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By men, the symbolism is hauntingly beautiful.
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And now we go over to chapter ER, 53 of Isaiah and he says,
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but he was wounded for our transgressions.
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He was bruised for our iniquities.
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The chastisement of our peace was upon him.
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And with his stripes, we are healed.
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This is very sacred ground that were treading on this idea that
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the only person who deserved to suffer nothing ends up suffering
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infinitely. He was judged according to our
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works, and he was found guilty, and punished to the full extent
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of the law. And Jacob and second, if I 9
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goes into much greater detail about that, that he answered the
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ends of the law, he paid for everything, he took us upon him
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and stood betwixt us and the justice that is meted out that
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that betwixt phrase used by abinadi in in the book of
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mosiah. It's so powerful when you
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picture that this isn't just a story in scriptures.
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Ancient lie. This is your story.
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We are standing on trial. We are guilty and punishment,
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must be meted out, and Jesus comes and stands betwixt that
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punishment and you and he absorbs that punishment to say,
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I don't want you to take this punishment for the full extent
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of your sins. I'm going to take it.
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It's beautiful. So as we go through, Through
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these scriptures in the gospels today.
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Don't read them from arms distance.
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Take them very personally. This is about you.
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And the Savior Jesus Christ, paying a price that you owe that
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you couldn't ultimately pay, and still find Salvation, but he
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willingly and freely paid it. Not just in Gethsemane, not just
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on the cross, but by becoming subject unto Men In the Flesh.
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Thank you, Tyler, for this really helpful intro to help us
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to see that. The atonement of Jesus Christ is
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more than just like this. One single event that one spot,
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it actually encompasses a series of events and we get from the
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restoration scriptures. This larger perspective of the
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work of God on our behalf. So let me move on and Jesus is
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now standing before Pilate, we get this exchange or Pilot wants
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to know things like are you the king of the Jews and I was
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hearing all these things. He's trying to figure out the
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identity of Jesus. We've talked about this before.
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Some of the Jewish leaders are saying some things, many of the
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people of ancient Israel, they recognize who Jesus is, but they
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don't have a voice of power and there's pilot this Roman
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Governor. He doesn't know who Jesus is but
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we'll see it in the story that he makes this conclusion.
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That Jesus is innocent and I'm innocent of whatever you Jewish
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leaders choose to do with him. It's a fascinating questions and
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it this idea of pilot looking at Jesus judging him asking him
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questions trying to figure out the answer to the question, who
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are you, what is your identity, which Quite frankly, everybody
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on the Earth today is going through that same process to one
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degree or another some whether they know it or not trying to
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figure out the identity of God. And I think it's fascinating
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that pilot early on in this process seems to recognize.
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There's no, there's no guilt in this man.
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He is an innocent man and so I love how you pick up this story
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of bar. Rob has in verse 15.
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Now at that Feast this is Passover.
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The governor was want to release unto the people, a prisoner whom
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they would. That's an Old English way of
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saying it's the custom. They're used to doing this at
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the Feast of the Passover. We're kind of this symbolic
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gesture. Perhaps of, hey, we're going to
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release one prisoner. Forgive him, completely release
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him free of charge and send him back out.
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Just Society, pull him out of prison and let him go free.
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What a beautiful way to celebrate Passover, right?
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We get this test said, kindness being extended to somebody who
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quite frankly probably doesn't deserve it.
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In most cases, what's fascinating about the name is
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that we have have the word here is Barabbas.
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It turns out in some of the ancient manuscripts.
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The full name of this prisoner is Jesus bar obvious.
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Now, we know the word Jesus means salvation.
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So his name would mean actually we have the Aramaic which being
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son and Ava means, father. So it means son of the father.
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So that alone is very significant.
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Now we are all a Barabbas, all of us because we have sinned Are
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condemned and on our own cannot enter in the presence of God.
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But we are all a child of the father.
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We are all a bar obvious. And yet.
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When his he gets called Jesus Barabbas savior or anointed son
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of the father. So this really interesting that
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the real savior, the real anointed one, who was the full
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son of the father is the one who takes our place takes his place
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to be condemned at Passover that we all might be released from
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the grave from sin and from punishment.
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It's amazing to me that that he was the one who was picked.
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Obviously the symbolism is is profound, but the the fact that
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he's the one standing next to Jesus Christ, who is the son of
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the father? Implies, to me that pilot really
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was trying really hard to get Jesus released.
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So he finds a notable prisoner. To stand next to Jesus.
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Who, if you combine all of the Gospel accounts and look at the
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various accusations leveled against Barabbas, you get a
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thief murderer as seditionist. I mean, the worst of the worst
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and so, yeah. Pilots trying to say, okay, you
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have an innocent man and like the worst offender in your
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society that is offended individually and communally.
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Who do you guys want? Can you see this?
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Contrast, can you see on one side?
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You have a man who has taken things from you that weren't
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his. He's stolen from people, he's
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taken life away from people. He's a murderer and he has riled
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people up into Insurrection, he's trying to take away
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people's freedom through sedition and next to him you
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have a man Who has done nothing but give to people things that
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they quite frankly didn't deserve, and didn't learn
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instead of robbing from them, he's done the opposite.
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He's given to them instead of taking life, he's given it, he's
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restored it instead of causing riots, he's the ultimate peace
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maker Prince of Peace in most of his experiences of life.
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So you get this Stark Contrast standing in front of the people
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as pilot says, okay, which prisoner, we going to do this
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Passover tradition, with we're going to release one of them
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free of charge and you can imagine for pilot.
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It's like it's clear how the people were going to respond,
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they're going to be really rational and really thoughtful.
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And they're going to take the innocent Guy versus The rabble
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Rouser murderer, Thief, even longer and verse 18.
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Notice Matthews description here for he.
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That's pilot knew that for They had delivered him or Jesus, he
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knew its, they're envious of Jesus, they're jealous of his
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disciples, and of his power and of his claims that they can't
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refute. By the way, this word envy, the
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underlying Greek word is related to corruption or ill-will that
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just sours. So, look at verse 19, when he
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was sat down in the Judgment seat, his wife sent unto him
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saying have now nothing to do with that just man, just or
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righteous, or Or Justified man he's innocent for I have
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suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
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Now you go to verse 20 but the chief priests and Elders.
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Persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas and
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Destroy Jesus. That word persuaded is also
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interesting. If you look at the Greek it
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means pseudo, it says pseudo piscis or false Faith.
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Now we know Faith typically Is intended to be a positive word.
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And here, the Jewish leaders are falsely, inspiring people to
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take negative action against Jesus with this false faith.
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So in that without understanding pilot, now comes the group and
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says, okay whom will ye that I release unto you and they said,
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Barabbas and pilate saith unto them.
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What shall I do with Jesus? Which is called Christ, they all
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say unto him, let him be crucified.
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And the governor said why? What?
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Evil hath he done but they cried out.
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The more saying, let him be crucified and when pilate saw
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that he could Prevail nothing Nothing.
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But that, rather a tumult was made.
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He took water and washed his hands before the multitude
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saying, I am innocent. There's that word again of the
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blood of this just person. See he to it.
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That washing of hands, the Greek word is actually very an
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intensive. Like were you washing something
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off for total cleanse rubbing, right?
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Yeah. So he doesn't want to be
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connected to this at all. And this portion concludes on a
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very sobering verse. It says verse 25, then answered
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all the people and said his blood be on us and on our
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children. Now this is an important place
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to pause for a few minutes. Will first of all, when we use
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the phrase blood in this context and similar context, blood is a
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symbol of responsibility. And so these Jewish people are
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claiming we will be responsible for his death and our children
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should also Responsible for the his death until we have
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something in the Articles of faith that the sins of the
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fathers should not be taken out upon the children.
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And unfortunately, this verse has been used over centuries to
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persecute her ass and even murder Jewish people.
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So we have to be careful here, that just because some people at
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the time of Jesus wanted to take responsibility, it doesn't
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Actually mean, every last single Jewish person happened to be in
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that meeting. And therefore, they should be
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condemned. The second of all nowhere in
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scripture does Jesus say, I need people to avenge my death.
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He just never says that. So we can feel sad that there
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were in the large scheme of the number of people who lived in
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the world, a very small number of people who purposely chose to
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condemn Jesus to death but we don't have to be part of either
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condemning them or condemning Jesus.
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We can Rejoice. That Jesus was willing to be
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subject unto men that we might be all subject to him.
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So now it says verse 26 and then released he Barabbas unto them
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and when he had scourged Jesus he delivered him to be
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crucified. I don't know about you, but I
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don't feel warm fuzzy feelings towards Barabbas.
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In fact, I don't like him at all.
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I feel very negatively towards him.
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And I'm I'm sitting there thinking you dirty, rat, you're
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guilty, or at least, it seems that you're guilty and you just
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got released free of charge and he who is innocent, is now going
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to symbolically be taken kind of in your place and Crucified
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after being scourged. And I don't like Barabbas very
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much and there was one day, many years ago when I Was preparing
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to teach a lesson in seminary up that Box Elder High School in
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Brigham City, and I Was preparing this particular
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passage and I was ready to talk about how much I dislike
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Barabbas. And a very gentle, thought
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wafted across my mind. This said, oh, be careful, Tyler
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your Barabbas. As I wait, what?
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And then it hit me. This is my story.
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This is me standing next to Jesus, the real son of the
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father and he got condemned and I get released this this is my
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story. I no longer despise Barabbas, we
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know his name, Many years later. When these gospels are being
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written, his name is included, which tells us people many years
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after these events. They knew who Barabbas was
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still. I'm holding out hope that
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Barabbas wasn't just released into the crowd and then went
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back to his his past ways. I'm holding out.
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Hope the bar of us went into the crowd and paused and looked
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back, and saw Jesus, the son of his father who's being condemned
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and that it changed him and that this becomes the beginning of a
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conversion process for him. We don't know that but for our
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story, that's what I'm holding out.
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Hope for is that it ties into that old saying that many of you
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have probably heard. A perfect man at an imperfect
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trial was found guilty. So that one day, an imperfect
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person at a perfect trial might be found not guilty.
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This is our story. There's so much, we don't know
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for sure because it's not contained in the gospels about
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all of the specifics of the scourging process.
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What we do know is that the Roman soldiers have figured out
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ways to make this an excruciating shameful, extremely
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painful death to the begins with scourging culminates with
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crucifixion. If you look at early depictions
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of crucifixion and scourging, you'll see in some of these
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graffitis that there are stripes across the back of the crucified
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individuals, you'll also see that those stripes go from the
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neck, all the way down to the knees.
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I think, with Jesus, his countenance, his vistage, his
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appearance is marred more so than any man and they are
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mocking him. I'm openly as the king of the
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Jews and so they're going to pile it on with him more.
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So than a, than any other traditional crucifixion person
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who's condemned to die. And so what we do know is that
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he gave his back to this miters, he suffered it in both senses of
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the word suffer and to me the most amazing thing about this is
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he didn't have to do it. He at any point, could have even
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thought the war. He wouldn't even need to say it.
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He could have thought stopped, and they would have had no
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power. They would have had to stop.
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He could have Destroyed them with just a simple thoughts, but
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he didn't, he suffered it because of his loving, kindness
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towards the children and towards us.
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It's because of me, it's because of you that he stood there.
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And suffered this, this senseless abuse when he, when
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they finish the scourging process.
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Matthew says, they stripped him. Him and put on him a Scarlet.
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Robe Joseph, Smith translation tells you it's a purple robe,
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you know, a symbol of kingship. Again, it's trying to
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psychologically make fun of Jesus and to also say something
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to the Jewish people. Well, this is what you guys
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think. Your king is and look at what
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we've done to him. Some of you may be wondering
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this this robe. Where does it come from?
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It's fascinating only Luke tells you Additional story.
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Matthew, Mark and John totally skip it.
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It's where Pilot says, Hey Herod the he's in town and he has
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jurisdiction over Galilee. I'm going to send Jesus to
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Herod. So, in Luke's gospel, Jesus is
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sent over to Herod, and Herod is so excited to see Jesus because
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he's heard all the stories and he gathers, the people around
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him. And it's as if they're attending
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a circus act, They want to see a magic show, that's how he's
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approaching it and he's so excited to see these great
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Wonders. That Jesus can perform.
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And in front of Herod, Jesus says nothing doesn't say a word
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stands there as the lamb before. The Shearer's is silent, even.
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So Jesus opened not his mouth to use another Isaiah concept and
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so it's Experience where they put this purple robe on him as a
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sign of mockery again. So, he's being mocked by Herod
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and now he's being mocked by these soldiers who have taken
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that robe off done the scourging.
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Now, they put the robe back on him and frankly, once your back
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has been scourged, it is just stinging with pain anything that
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touches. Is it would just amplify that
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pain. So it's not just the visual.
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Mockery of he isn't the real King that they put the purple
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on. This is the physical pain that
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just goes on. And, as we said early on, he
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suffereth it, he allows it. And we keep moving in that
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direction verse 29. When they had plated a crown of
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thorns, they put it upon his head and a reed in his right
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hand. And they bowed the knee before
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him, and mocked him saying hail King of the Jews.
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And that plant still grows today that thorn plant and it can have
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thorns of an inch or more. And so now you have this press
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against his head of the Sphinx. Ground and just penetrating into
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the skin on the skull and it is extremely painful.
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And verse 30, they spit upon him and took the Reed and smote him
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on the head. Brothers and sisters heat.
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He's been through Gethsemane. He's been through the
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condemnation from from his own people.
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The leaders of the Jews. He's, he's been turned over by
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Pilot and now after this scourging with this Crown of
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Thorns there there, heaping on this additional abuse of
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mocking, him and beat him on the head, with that.
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Read ahead that. Now, wears a crown of thorns.
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This is an amazing concept of condescension.
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The, the one person who had rights to the Royal Crown in
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heaven gave that up to condescend and come down and
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take upon him. Our flesh, our sins, our
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imperfections and weakness, and the world's judges him as a
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thing of naught mocks him spits upon him.
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Um and verse 31, it says after they had mocked him, they took
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the robe off from him and put on his own raiment on him and led
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him away to crucify him. So often they would make the
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person who's going to be crucified carry their own cross
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and these are substantial beams. Some estimates are 70 pounds.
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So imagine he's physically spent in having suffered in
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Gethsemane, been up. Up all night.
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He's been beat, he's scourged. And so you might imagine just
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the physical challenge, it is for him to carry the cross
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through through the city of Jerusalem.
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And in this case, we get the story of this Jewish man who
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showed up to celebrate the Passover, we don't really hear
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much more about Simon the Cyrene, other than the Romans,
30:28
grab him out of the crowd and say you're going to help Jesus
30:31
carry this cross the place of crucifixion.
30:34
Ian. yeah, the, the fascinating part of this story to me is that
30:41
we know his name, It's not just some random passerby in the
30:46
crowd, we know his name, we know where he's from.
30:49
If we read in Mark 15 verse 21, it says, and they compel one
30:53
Simon a cyrenian who passed by coming out of the country, the
30:58
father of Alexander and Rufus to bear his cross.
31:02
This is this is significant because we know Simon of Cyrene
31:07
and Alexander, and Rufus his two sons.
31:11
It's significant because this Is one of the few times in all of
31:14
scripture where you see somebody doing something for Jesus, that
31:20
he may not have been able to fully do for himself at that
31:25
time, carry his cross, the rest of the way.
31:27
So the soldiers grabbed Simon put the cross on him.
31:32
The fact that all these gospel writers include his name, seems
31:36
to hint that Simon is well known among many people, many years
31:41
later. When The whenever the gospels
31:43
are being written down and also his sons, I can imagine Simon to
31:49
the day he died and as a part of his family Legacy, that
31:53
everybody would remember him as the man who carried the cross
31:58
for Jesus, the rest of the way to the hill.
32:04
I wonder if. I wonder if your Simon I wonder
32:09
if I'm Simon, I wonder if this is our story.
32:12
I wonder if Jesus is asking us to take up the cross and walk
32:18
that painful, sorrowful road with him.
32:25
That we learn things about him when we carry the crosses of
32:32
life that are placed upon our shoulders.
32:34
This is a, this is once again a hauntingly beautiful story to me
32:41
to see that this isn't just a description of what happened,
32:44
2,000 years ago. This is a very relevant
32:47
discussion about my discipleship with Jesus Christ today, and
32:53
moving forward, realizing It's probably not going to be a path
32:57
of least resistance or a walk through the daisies.
33:01
So as we conclude this episode, we reflect on all that Jesus
33:07
chose to do for us. We have this sense of humility,
33:13
where we feel this invitation from Jesus that we don't need to
33:18
suffer as he suffered if we choose him.
33:23
He did all this willingly for us that we can find the peace and
33:28
the justification that he deserved.
33:32
He now shares it with us often, we use the phrase.
33:38
Jesus died for me or Jesus died for us, and that's wonderful.
33:42
And I hope we keep using that phrase.
33:44
It's true. But as we reflect on the events
33:48
in Gethsemane and through the trials, and now leading up to
33:51
the cross, the older I've gotten The more I've become aware of
33:56
the fact that Jesus lived for me.
34:00
And for you, he didn't just die for us, on the cross.
34:04
He lived for us through these Excruciating, infinite agonies
34:10
and and these terrible abuses. What does that mean?
34:15
It means it's a free will offering that he made at any
34:19
point. Jesus could have pulled back and
34:21
said no more. I don't deserve this.
34:25
But he suffereth it, he willingly went through it, he
34:31
chose to live for us when he who is the only person who has power
34:37
over life and death, who could have at any point given up The
34:40
Ghost and said I'm done. This is too much.
34:44
It's too heavy. He chose to live until the
34:49
ultimate price was paid. He didn't fall short.
34:53
He didn't give up. He didn't give up the ghost
34:57
prematurely even though I can imagine every part of his mortal
35:01
being everything that he had inherited from his mortal
35:05
mother, Mary probably would have been pleading with him to just
35:10
give up The Ghost and be done with the incredible pain and
35:14
suffering. But he suffereth it, he lived
35:19
for us. So it is a fascinating reality
35:25
that Jesus ultimately died for us, and it's essential to that
35:28
happened. But to me, I Stand All Amazed
35:33
that he chose to live for us throughout that process.
35:42
For the second part of this week's episode.
35:45
We now go to the events that take place at Golgotha on
35:51
calvary's hill and this is, this is very sacred ground.
35:58
Some of the, the most important events in all of it, all of
36:02
eternity, as far as we're concerned, are going to take
36:06
place in these next sets of verses that we're going to cover
36:09
here. When they, when they arrived at
36:14
the hill, this is outside of the gates of the city.
36:18
It's by a main thoroughfare. The Romans are not trying to be
36:23
kind or discreet about their, their crucifixion victims.
36:28
They want, they want public shaming.
36:30
They want to show the might of Rome.
36:35
And so they're not going to treat anybody that they're
36:40
crucifying with with any kind of gentle or Tender cares.
36:45
They're going through this process a crucifixion.
36:46
This is cruel. They have figured out ways to
36:51
get a person to the threshold of pain.
36:56
That is excruciating, but not so much that they pass out or die
37:02
instantly. It's Terrible terrible.
37:07
Way to die. So you're right.
37:10
The Romans had figured out how to amplify and get to the
37:14
extreme physical, emotional mental, and psychological
37:21
suffering. And that is what Jesus
37:24
experienced at the crucifixion. So after, after they Place him
37:32
on the cross and lift him up, which, by the way, is
37:39
interesting. Because sometimes we shy away
37:42
from talking about the cross. It's painful nobody nobody loves
37:46
seeing the crucifixion portrayed in in art or in film.
37:50
It's, it hurts. It's painful to watch that level
37:54
of human cruelty to another and Especially to he who deserved to
38:00
suffer the least. Now being punished as as a
38:06
terrible criminal, it hurts. But it's interesting that if you
38:12
look at the Book of Mormon, the way it talks about the mission
38:16
and the atonement of Jesus Christ, the Savior himself in
38:21
3rd Nephi 27. When he's giving his Apostles,
38:26
the definition for his gospel. What is his gospel?
38:31
You'll notice how he opens in verse 13 behold.
38:33
This is the gospel which I have given unto you that I came into
38:36
the world to do the will of my father.
38:40
Either, because my father sent me.
38:45
And verse 14 says and my father sent me that I might be lifted
38:51
up upon the cross. It's interesting that here.
38:56
He's saying the, the number one thing I was sent to this earth
39:02
to do was to be lifted up by men upon the cross and sold up.
39:08
And he goes on and after that, I had been lifted up on the cross
39:13
that I might draw all Men unto me, that is I have been lifted
39:17
up by men even. So should men be lifted up by
39:21
the father to stand before me to be judged of their Works,
39:26
whether they be good or whether they be evil, don't you find it?
39:32
Ironic Taylor that he's saying I was lifted up by men so that I
39:36
can lift men up to be judged of their works.
39:40
And the irony to me is Jesus was already judged of my works and
39:47
he was found guilty, and he was punished to the full extent of
39:50
the law. He he already went through
39:53
judgment for me and unrighteously by that group of
39:57
people was found guilty and punished to the full extent of
40:00
the law. So that one day I could be
40:02
brought before him and judged with a righteous judgment and
40:06
through his mercy and Grace, hopefully be pronounced not
40:10
guilty. Then what we see here is the
40:13
power of restoration scriptures to Enlighten and expand our
40:18
understanding of the beautiful truths that have been preserved
40:21
over the Millennia in the Old and New Testament.
40:24
I love that. And then you combine that with
40:27
words of modern prophets for instance Elder Jeffrey.
40:30
Our Holland gave an incredible talk in October 20. 22 general
40:35
conference about the cross and this idea that we don't need to
40:39
use it as an icon or as a symbol for our Agent 2, still
40:44
appreciate and study, and understand the significant
40:48
impact that the events that took place on that cross, how they
40:54
would impact us in our lives. And in eternity.
40:58
So, once they've, once they've placed the Savior on the cross,
41:05
between the two malefactors, we know that according to Marx
41:10
timing that he's placed on the cross, it around 9 a.m.
41:16
And from nine to noon, if we follow marks timeline, he makes
41:22
a few statements and then there's going to be thick
41:25
Darkness. That's going to going to gather
41:27
at noon from noon to 3. So 3 hours of intense additional
41:33
suffering will talk about a little bit later and then
41:35
shortly thereafter. He's going to make his final
41:39
statements and then ultimately give up the ghost they then are
41:43
going to remove his body to place it in the Tomb before the
41:45
Sabbath. Sunsets sometime around 6 p.m.
41:49
roughly so that kind of gives you a timeframe of these events.
41:54
But in all of that time, we only have really seven recorded
41:59
statements on the cross. So let's work our way through
42:03
these one at a time. We don't know the exact order
42:06
because we get some from each of the gospel writers and we have
42:09
to kind of guess as to what would be a logical flow for
42:13
these seven statements. But this is not a guarantee that
42:16
these are in the exact order. So the first one, let's jump in
42:20
Luke 23:34 then said Jesus father forgive them for they
42:25
know not what they do and they parted his raiment and cast lots
42:32
so that they the pronoun here in this verse all of the days and
42:38
the them's seem to be pointing at the Roman soldiers who have
42:43
mocked him and who have Have previously, scourged him taking
42:48
him to the hill. And now they've taken off that
42:52
robe again, and probably throwing him to the ground and
42:56
secured him to the cross. And I don't know about you, but
43:02
with the kind of power Jesus has I'm I stand In Awe that he would
43:10
in that moment with that intense suffering, that has just been
43:14
inflicted on him by those men that he could find it in sight
43:19
of his soul inside of his character, to be able to say,
43:22
father please forgive them for they know not what they do this
43:26
word, forgive that we are so familiar with but sometimes we
43:29
don't really look at words as closely as we should.
43:34
There's two words going on here. The foundational portion of
43:39
forgive, is giving something what God Jesus is asking of the
43:43
father's. Give them Grace.
43:46
Give them an opportunity to exit from the suffering that they're
43:50
going to experience and the word for here means to be complete or
43:57
thorough or 100%. so Jesus is not saying, Go lightly on them,
44:05
he's seen 100%. Give to them, the very best that
44:11
you have to offer. That's what forgiveness is.
44:14
It means to fully, give away any hurt Rinker evil thought to give
44:21
that all away and instead, give the gift of total and undine
44:26
love beautiful. Now, the next statement that we
44:32
get from the cross, Comes in this, in this little interchange
44:36
between the two malefactors on either side of him, where one of
44:40
them is saying in verse 39, if that would be the Christ save
44:44
thyself and us the irony of that statement is that Jesus could
44:51
have very easily saved them from their their immediate pending
44:58
death as well as himself. But in the process they would
45:04
have that would have brought upon them and eternal death as
45:09
we've mentioned before from The Book of Mormon, the prophet
45:12
Jacob and second, if I 9 verse 7 and 8 talks about is Jesus
45:18
Christ, doesn't complete an infinite atonement than our
45:22
bodies would rot and crumble to Mother Earth to rise?
45:25
No more. And our spirits will become
45:28
subject to the devil to rise. No more So the irony is thick in
45:33
this part of that, yes, he could have saved himself those, those
45:37
nails are not the thing. Holding him to the cross.
45:41
It is his love. It is his Devotion to a covenant
45:47
that he made and he's going to keep that's holding him to the
45:51
Cross. You can't take Jesus's life away
45:54
from him against his will. You can't force him to do
45:58
anything that he doesn't choose to do.
46:02
And so that this this statement came and then it's interesting
46:07
to me that it's the other malefactor on the other side in
46:10
verse He who responds the other answering rebuked him saying
46:14
Dost thou not fear. God seeing Thou Art in the same
46:17
condemnation? And he, and d, and we indeed
46:21
justly for, we receive the due reward of our Deeds, but this
46:25
man has done nothing amiss. Even this man recognizes the
46:30
complete and utter innocence of Jesus Christ hanging on the
46:34
cross next to him. And then he says verse 42 unto
46:39
Jesus Lord. Remember me, when thou comest
46:44
into thy kingdom, this makes me think about any one of us.
46:48
I would say this to Jesus, I want him to remember me.
46:52
I'm a malefactor and I know that I'm not innocent and I want him
46:58
to remember me when he enters into the kingdom, isn't that
47:03
amazing when you can take the scriptures to to a personal
47:09
level at? I see myself Taylor, She's
47:11
himself. I hope you can see yourself.
47:13
We can all see ourselves reflected here in this sentiment
47:17
of Of, please remember me in thy kingdom and here's the statement
47:25
from Jesus. In verse 43 verily, I say unto
47:28
thee today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.
47:36
The thing that's kind of fascinating in this part of our
47:40
story, we've only gotten in two of the seven recorded
47:44
statements. The fact that Jesus is so turned
47:49
outward Elder David. A Bednar has talked about the
47:52
character of Christ. How how in certain settings?
47:57
The human tendency, the natural man Natural Woman.
48:00
Tendency is to turn inward and and play the poor me card, but
48:06
not Jesus. It's in this moment where he's
48:09
lifted up. He's been crucified with nails
48:13
through the wrists and through the Palms.
48:16
His hands, that's going to be creating all kinds of of muscle
48:21
and and nerve tension in his body.
48:24
So much pain. The it would be easy for him to
48:26
just Zone everybody and everything out and just be
48:30
focused on what he's suffering. But he's not, he's turned
48:34
outward. Even in that moment of
48:36
excruciating pain. He's focused on the Roman
48:39
soldiers, on the to malefactors at his side.
48:42
And we're building on this when we are, when we feel like
48:47
victims, whether because of what we tell ourselves, because
48:50
truly, we are suffering when we suffer, it's harder for us to
48:55
treat others as God wants it to be treated.
49:00
In fact, when we are hurting, we are more Likely to create
49:04
victims of others. And what is Jesus do?
49:08
He does, he break the cycle of victimhood?
49:12
He doesn't spread that victimhood by taking it out on
49:15
others. He doesn't go and amplify the
49:18
victimhood by hurting others. They might know how he hurt.
49:22
Instead absorbs and liberates those around him.
49:26
And I learned years ago from some friends, when I was at Yale
49:30
Divinity School, it was very compelling.
49:33
Concept. They said, one of the things we
49:35
learn from Jesus is how to suffer.
49:38
I've never considered that before.
49:40
And we look at here, he is suffering and he's modeling for
49:43
us as David Elder. David Bernard talked about this
49:46
character of when you suffer. Your purpose is not to cause
49:51
other people to suffer but to turn outward.
49:55
And become liberated through, God, by loving others, even
50:01
while you are suffering. It's a very hard thing to do and
50:04
Jesus exemplifies it. So we can strive to be like him
50:09
and Mortality shows enough opportunities out us to keep
50:13
practicing this principle. Now we come to possibly his
50:19
third statement and we have to go over to John to get this
50:24
recorded statement. John 1926 through 27 there at
50:32
the at the cross we find Mary his mother and John the Beloved
50:40
apostle. Ink.
50:42
And he says, in verse 26, when Jesus, therefore saw his mother
50:45
and the disciple standing, by whom he loved.
50:47
He said unto his mother woman Behold thy son, then he said to
50:53
the disciple Behold thy mother and from that hour, that
50:57
disciple took her unto his own home.
51:00
Now, some of you might be wondering what is the
51:03
significance of this? I think it's fascinating that
51:06
Jesus as the firstborn son of Mary, Either they're Jewish law.
51:13
He is responsible for the care and the protection of his mother
51:19
because Joseph is gone, he's probably passed away some time
51:25
between Jesus twelve-year-old, experience of the temple which
51:28
is the last time we saw Joseph in the record and never again
51:34
after that. So somewhere in those 18 years
51:36
before, Jesus ministry began Joseph has probably passed on
51:40
which Leaves, now, Jesus in charge of the family.
51:44
And even while he's on the cross, he is still fulfilling
51:49
his not just his responsibilities to his heavenly
51:53
father, but also his duties and his responsibilities to his
51:57
Earthly mother. It's so simple and yet it's so
52:03
tender and sweet to me that in that moment.
52:07
He's thinking of all the people who Jesus is in charge, he gets
52:13
to decide some would say, well it should have been one of his
52:15
half-brothers James or Jude or somebody else but Jesus is the
52:22
one who gets to decide and he chose John.
52:25
And isn't it an interesting that John is the only Person who's
52:32
alive at that point. Who is guaranteed to outlive his
52:37
mother, John, who will be given the opportunity to be
52:40
translated, and who is still on the earth?
52:43
What a beautiful thing that he, he gives his mother into the
52:47
watchful care and keeping of John, the Beloved disciple,
52:52
there's no better person to take care of his mother, then the
52:56
John another Act of Mercy Specifically calculated to the
53:01
needs of those who are involved. And if he'll take that level of
53:06
personalized, tender Mercy, type care for Roman soldiers, from
53:12
from condemned, malefactors beside him, as well as for his
53:17
mother in that moment of intense excruciating pain.
53:22
Oh, how much, he'll take that kind of care for you.
53:26
And for me, for all of us in our situations today as he sits
53:31
enthroned in Yonder heavens, which now brings us to the
53:37
fourth statement. This one.
53:40
Let's let's go over to Matthew 27:46.
53:46
This one is perhaps the most painful of the seven statements.
53:56
Because it says, in verse 45 now, from the sixth hour, there
54:00
was Darkness over all the land unto, the ninth hour.
54:05
So Matthews following marks timeline here, the from the 6th
54:10
to 9th hour, that would be from about noon to 3 p.m. darkness.
54:15
And Jesus is also experiencing the darkness.
54:19
We often think about the land of the people around being the
54:21
darkness. Jesus is there to he has a
54:24
physical body and it seems to bleed into how he's feeling in
54:30
his heart and mind that he seems to be enveloped internally in
54:36
darkness for a moment of wondering that we get this very
54:40
powerful statement. This is perhaps the most intense
54:47
moment experience by anybody and all of eternity When in that
54:54
moment, Jesus cried with a loud voice.
55:00
So he's he's gone through the infinite agonies of Gethsemane.
55:05
He's lived through the trials with and the scourging and the
55:10
abuse at the hands of the Roman soldiers.
55:13
He's been taken to the hill, he's upon the cross.
55:16
And now, after three hours of Darkness, he calls out, Eli,
55:22
Eli, Lama, sabachthani, that is to say, My God, my God.
55:30
Why hast Thou forsaken? Me, you'll remember back in the
55:35
Kidron Valley, before he entered into Gethsemane.
55:38
He told his Apostles the 11 that were with him.
55:41
He said this night, you'll all be scattered.
55:44
You'll all leave me alone, but I'm not alone because the father
55:46
is always with me, And now his cry from the crosses.
55:54
Why hast Thou forsaken me? Elder Jeffrey are Holland.
55:59
Gave a talk. None were with him a few years
56:05
ago in general conference. And he said this, now, I speak
56:10
very carefully. Even reverently of what may have
56:14
been the most difficult moment in all of this solitary journey
56:18
to atonement. I speak of those final moments
56:22
for which Jesus must have been prepared intellectually and
56:25
physically, but which he met May not have fully anticipated
56:29
emotionally and spiritually that concluding descent into the
56:33
paralyzing despair of divine withdrawal.
56:36
When he cries and ultimate loneliness, my God, my God.
56:41
Why hast Thou forsaken? Me and then Elder Holland went
56:45
on to say with all the conviction of my soul, I testify
56:48
that he did, please his father perfectly and that a perfect.
56:51
Father did not forsake his son in that our indeed.
56:55
It is my personal belief that in order.
56:57
All of Christ's mortal Ministry. The father may never have been
57:01
closer to his son than in these agonizing final moments of
57:05
suffering. Problem is this Jesus isn't able
57:10
to feel that presence. He feels completely cut off from
57:15
the presence of God. Now, some of you may be
57:19
wondering, so what's going on here?
57:21
Why all of a sudden at that moment notice the precursor of
57:26
this was that Darkness from the 6th to the ninth hour.
57:32
In Jesus, the Christ written by Elder James E.
57:36
Talmadge, he says the following, it seems that in addition to the
57:41
fearful suffering incident to crucifixion, the agony of
57:45
Gethsemane, had record intensified Beyond human power
57:52
to endure, Now, let's look for some triangulation, some
57:57
additional witnesses to this concept of what's going on
58:00
during those three hours Elder. Bruce are Macomb key.
58:04
In his final testimony in April 1985 General Conference, just a
58:09
few weeks before he passed away, He said while he was hanging on
58:15
the cross for another three hours from noon to 3:00 p.m. all
58:19
the infinite agonies and merciless, Pains of Gethsemane
58:24
record. And then one more much more
58:29
recently from president Russell and Nelson in his talk about the
58:33
correct name of the church. He said the following In The
58:38
Garden of Gethsemane, Our Savior took upon himself, every pain,
58:42
every sin and all the anguish and suffering ever experienced
58:46
by you and me and by everyone who's ever lived or will ever
58:49
live under the weight of that excruciating burden he bled from
58:54
every pore. All of this suffering was
58:59
intensified as he was cruelly crucified on calvary's Cross.
59:07
So both Elder Talmadge and president Nelson.
59:09
Used this qualifying word intensified.
59:15
I don't suppose to know all of the details of what Jesus is
59:22
exactly experiencing in this experience of crucifixion.
59:28
But I do know enough about human physical mortal suffering.
59:34
To be able to contrast what what we can see on the scripture page
59:38
from Gethsemane compared to Golgotha and I can at least see
59:44
why Elder Talmadge and president Nelson, might use the word
59:48
intensified. If you get the full weight of
59:51
Gethsemane returning to him on the cross Wyatt would be
59:53
considered intensified Ponder for a moment.
59:56
If you will, what kind of condition you would prefer to be
1:00:00
in when you're suffering the worst?
1:00:03
Pain that you can remember ever suffering in your life, go to go
1:00:07
to that, that most painful point of your life and ask the
1:00:11
question, would you rather be vertical or horizontal?
1:00:17
I think most of us would rather be laying down, rather, than up,
1:00:22
right. Would you rather be free to kind
1:00:28
of curl up? Or would you rather be stretched
1:00:32
out? Would you rather have a whole
1:00:35
bunch of people watching you? Or would you rather have a
1:00:39
little bit of privacy? Would you rather have it be in
1:00:42
the middle of the day or perhaps in the middle of the night?
1:00:47
Would you would you like to have an angel come and comfort you?
1:00:51
Or would you prefer to do it alone?
1:00:54
On every one of these levels, you can see how that infinite
1:00:58
agony that began in Gethsemane. At least, there are some
1:01:01
elements associated with the surrounding in the setting that
1:01:05
he doesn't get the benefit of those.
1:01:08
The next morning on the cross. And you can see how that pain
1:01:13
and that Agony would be intensified in that physical.
1:01:17
I position and condition in front of all those people who
1:01:20
are mocking him and reviling him making fun of him in the very
1:01:25
moment when he is paying the price to redeem their soul.
1:01:29
The irony is thick, is it any Wonder?
1:01:34
That he would pull up on those nails.
1:01:37
And in a loud voice, cried out saying my God, my God.
1:01:42
Why hast Thou forsaken me, he knew everybody else was going to
1:01:46
forsake Him but for some reason he didn't see this one coming.
1:01:51
This feeling of being cut off or having a veil cast over his mind
1:01:55
or his spirit. So he couldn't feel the presence
1:01:57
of the father. This is very sacred ground this
1:02:01
moment right here. This is probably the most
1:02:07
opportune time for Jesus to abandoned God.
1:02:14
People suffer, and my experience has been as I've observed people
1:02:20
suffering and how they choose to either be more faithful or
1:02:24
perhaps turn away from faith. When people feel abandoned by
1:02:29
God, some people choose to walk away from God. and in this
1:02:35
moment of his feeling of total abandonment, Jesus did not
1:02:42
abandon the father. He chose to remain faithful.
1:02:48
And I find that stunning compelling and inviting that in
1:02:52
my own suffering. I to when I feel like I'm
1:02:57
struggling or suffering in ways that I feel are unjust and God
1:03:01
has abandoned me, there is invitation to more fully seek
1:03:06
after and embrace the father. That is such a good reminder to
1:03:11
all of us as we seek to become more like the Savior, especially
1:03:17
in those moments of feeling abandoned.
1:03:21
Is it any wonder why we sing? I Stand All Amazed at the love.
1:03:30
Jesus offers me. Is it any wonder that we say
1:03:36
that we're confused at the grace that so fully he proffers us
1:03:43
through this. This infinite atoning, sacrifice
1:03:49
and that other hand. We may not know.
1:03:52
We cannot tell what pains he had to bear.
1:03:57
But we believe it was for us, he hung and suffered there and he
1:04:04
didn't give up on the father and he didn't give up on us.
1:04:11
What a, what a great opportunity invitation for us, to be able to
1:04:15
try to apply that in our own life.
1:04:19
And as a conclusion to, that particular statement, You find
1:04:27
the result a little ironic again that he asked this question.
1:04:34
Why has thou forsaken me? And there's no recorded
1:04:38
answering scripture. It's not as if the forsaking,
1:04:43
the feeling of being forsaken ended.
1:04:45
Because he asked the question, the seemed to continue.
1:04:50
We could compare this with Joseph Smith, dr.
1:04:53
Covenants 121, who in his suffering and Liberty gel
1:04:57
wonders. Little bit like Jesus God Where
1:05:00
Art Thou in my suffering and what happens.
1:05:05
There is a very long powerful response.
1:05:10
Now now God may have responded, Jesus may have felt ourselves,
1:05:13
we don't know, we don't know, but his Tyler's pointing out.
1:05:15
It's interesting the way the Texas recorded is we see silence
1:05:22
in the text and that simply adds to the suffering.
1:05:27
Imagine just for analogy that Joseph Smith story where he
1:05:30
asked the question and we don't get DNC 121 Or 122 on the
1:05:36
reality. There is that it's probable.
1:05:38
That Joseph has been asking the question about where God is for
1:05:43
days weeks and even months. So we're what five months into
1:05:48
the Liberty Jail experience. When we finally get the the
1:05:53
response. So it is possible that Joseph is
1:05:57
ask the question multiple times, but he's finally giving the
1:06:00
answer five months later after that colds.
1:06:04
Painful winter. What's the reality?
1:06:06
Reminder? For all of us is that sometimes
1:06:10
we have to endure to the end and we have to gain strength by
1:06:15
choosing to exercise faithfulness, even in the face
1:06:20
of our seeming, crushing reality of unending suffering.
1:06:26
And that we feel that God may have abandoned us and yet he
1:06:31
hasn't as we learn to, I can 3rd Nephi 27.
1:06:35
Jesus suffered all this so that we are never left alone because
1:06:39
of what he did, we are promised to be brought back into the
1:06:44
presence of the father. So we go over to John 1928 and
1:06:54
this this is a painful sequence to consider in that.
1:07:03
Key. He's come through this infinite
1:07:05
agony and he's showing us what it looks like to endure to the
1:07:11
end interest in, put all of his trust in God, even in the face,
1:07:15
of every reason why he shouldn't, he he endures to the
1:07:20
end, he perseveres. And then notice the opening to
1:07:24
verse 28, after this, Jesus knowing that all things were now
1:07:29
accomplished that phrase after this, We just pass over it.
1:07:34
It's like after all of these things just so much suffering.
1:07:40
And then we get to this really painful poignant moment that we
1:07:44
will see from Jesus here verse 28 after this.
1:07:47
Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that the
1:07:49
scripture might be fulfilled, saith.
1:07:53
I thirst. This Mortal need.
1:07:58
I am thirsty. Can you imagine why he might be
1:08:00
thirsty after Gethsemane and the bleeding from every pore after
1:08:08
being scourged, the crown of thorns, the physical exhaustion
1:08:13
of that whole night and the morning and being nailed to the
1:08:18
cross. He's thirsty.
1:08:22
If you go back to the hymn book in the first century to the
1:08:26
Psalms Psalm 69 verse 20 says reproach has broken my heart and
1:08:32
I am full of heaviness and I looked for some to take pity,
1:08:37
but there was none for comforters but I found none.
1:08:42
They gave me also goal for my meat and in my thirst they gave
1:08:48
me vinegar. To drink.
1:08:53
Hauntingly beautiful, how Jesus is in that moment, telling them
1:09:00
that he's thirsty. So what do they do?
1:09:02
There was set there, a full vessel of vinegar, and they
1:09:06
filled a sponge with vinegar and put it upon hyssop and put it to
1:09:10
his mouth. The symbolism is amazing because
1:09:15
they're taking hyssop which is a little plant with sponge like
1:09:19
qualities. They dip it into the vinegar.
1:09:21
Mingled with Gall this in the Greek in some of the
1:09:26
translations it would be of this sour wine.
1:09:29
And they dip that in and they lift it up to him, hyssop
1:09:35
happens to be the plant that was used.
1:09:38
Back in Exodus 12 to dip into the blood of the Lamb to, then
1:09:43
paint the doorposts and the lintel in Egypt.
1:09:48
The night of the original Passover, the blood of the Lamb
1:09:52
had to be shed. The hyssop is dipped into it as
1:09:56
a paintbrush, and at their Passover, Meal that night.
1:10:01
They would take hyssop looks similar to parsley and they
1:10:05
would dip it in bitter herbs and eat it.
1:10:09
The bitterness and the herbs, the bitterness of bondage and
1:10:13
slavery and it's all there in Exodus 12.
1:10:18
And now here we are at the real event.
1:10:21
Everything else has been symbolically pointing to this
1:10:24
moment. And now here's Jesus the
1:10:28
Passover. Lamb.
1:10:31
And there was no. Passing over for him.
1:10:36
He had the first born had to die, had to shed his blood.
1:10:41
Give up his life on the cross and here's this hyssop coming
1:10:47
into play again, he drinks the bitter drugs.
1:10:52
The bitter cup and now you come to verse 30 which could be in
1:10:59
John's gospel, the final statement on the cross.
1:11:06
He says when Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said it
1:11:11
is finished and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost.
1:11:16
Those are three of my favorite words.
1:11:18
Ever written anywhere in any book at any time It is finished.
1:11:25
Those three words are so significant because Jesus didn't
1:11:30
get to a certain point part, way through the atoning sacrifice
1:11:34
and say I'm finished. I can't do this anymore, he
1:11:39
lived through everything. All of the agonies, all of the
1:11:43
cruelty, all of the unfairness, all of the, the Terrible, Wait,
1:11:50
that was placed upon him in a crushing way, both in Gethsemane
1:11:53
through the trials and on the cross until he could finally say
1:11:58
it is finished. And only then did he choose to
1:12:05
give up the ghost. So we get Luke's final statement
1:12:10
of the Saviour on the cross. When he says, and when Jesus had
1:12:15
cried with a loud voice, he said, father into thy Hands.
1:12:20
I commend my spirit and having said, thus, he gave up the
1:12:25
ghost. So if you look at John and Luke
1:12:28
together, it could almost be like this, this sequence of it
1:12:33
is finished father into thy hands.
1:12:37
I commend my spirit, the underlined word for finished is
1:12:41
the Greek word to Leo, which can be translated in multiple ways,
1:12:45
could be finished complete, even our word.
1:12:49
Affection. Which in English has multiple
1:12:52
meanings. So, things have been perfect or
1:12:55
I am fully done. Everything has been completed
1:13:00
and all tied up into one great hole.
1:13:03
So it's a very powerful word that's used here and it really
1:13:07
demonstrates the finality that his mission on Earth.
1:13:11
He's won his absolute one, which is back to your point.
1:13:15
Those three words, it is finished, are probably the most
1:13:18
exciting words. Anyone ever heard in the
1:13:21
heavens? Because at this point, it's a
1:13:23
given that he's a go into into the spirit world and easy to
1:13:26
come back out and break the bands of death.
1:13:29
A he has, he has crossed the Finish Line when he says it is
1:13:33
finished. I can imagine for us who had
1:13:37
been there watching The Suffering, we're watching
1:13:40
heaven. Agonizing with him and yet the
1:13:44
eruptions of joy and shouting of excitement.
1:13:49
When he says it is finished, we realize he's won and we all win
1:13:54
because of him, I love that. The next three word phrase that
1:14:03
completes it all is, he is risen.
1:14:07
It will talk about next week you take that it is finished
1:14:10
combined with. He is risen, overcame, hell and
1:14:15
sin, and all of the effects, spiritual effects of the fall of
1:14:20
Adam and Eve. And now overcoming all of the
1:14:24
grave and the effects of death. You put this together.
1:14:28
And there was great rejoicing in heaven, but this point we're
1:14:34
sometime after 3:00 p.m. we don't know could have been 3:30,
1:14:39
4:00, we don't know, but it's starting to get to the point
1:14:42
where the leaders of the Jews are a little nervous.
1:14:46
And in John's account because Passover feast is going to be
1:14:49
that night, they go to Pilot and demands, that the three men on
1:14:56
the cross be killed. And so their bodies can be
1:14:59
removed because it would be considered inappropriate to have
1:15:04
these. These human bodies out on a
1:15:07
cross on a High Sabbath. So it's not just Saturday or
1:15:12
Sabbath but in John's account. It's also Passover and so the
1:15:16
soldiers go and they break the legs of the two malefactors.
1:15:22
Adding that intense pain and Trauma to the fact that they can
1:15:26
no longer pull up the muscle strength is gone.
1:15:30
So they can't pull up on the cross, and they can't lift up on
1:15:34
their legs anymore to breathe. And with that added trauma.
1:15:39
Death would come very quickly for them, but they come to Jesus
1:15:44
and they see that, he's, he already appears to be dead.
1:15:49
Thus, driving a spear into his heart.
1:15:52
And in John's account outcomes water and blood.
1:15:56
And you've heard people refer to Jesus dying of a broken heart
1:16:03
and the symbolism of that and then you get Joseph of
1:16:06
Arimathea. And Nicodemus in John's account,
1:16:10
coming to the Cross. To prepare his body for a very
1:16:15
quick burial. In Joseph's, newly hewn out
1:16:19
tomb. And then we finish this
1:16:25
particular difficult sequence in the infinite.
1:16:30
Atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ with a phenomenon that
1:16:35
took place in the temple at the crucifixion and the death of
1:16:39
Christ. So we read in Matthew 27, verse
1:16:42
51 and behold the veil of the temple was rent in Twain From
1:16:46
the top to the bottom and the Earth did quake and the rocks.
1:16:51
Aunt. Did you catch the significance?
1:16:55
This is a veil that's roughly 60 feet tall its enormous and it
1:17:01
was rent or ripped from the top to the bottom in the Ville.
1:17:07
Also has According to some accounts depictions of the stars
1:17:11
in the heavens. There's all this powerful
1:17:14
symbolism going on, that Jesus, the great high priest has now
1:17:20
died and gone through. The veil to the spirit world.
1:17:25
It's as if at his death, he is parting and ripping open that
1:17:29
Veil from the top to the bottom. And keep in mind, also that the
1:17:33
veil keeps everybody out of the presence of God, except for the
1:17:38
high priest who is allowed to go in one time per year on Yom
1:17:42
Kippur the day of atonement. And now here's Jesus Christ, Our
1:17:47
great high priest who is ripping open that separating line?
1:17:53
He's tearing down all the barriers for People to invite
1:17:57
all now to come into the presence of God, not just one
1:18:01
man once a year. There are dozens of symbols that
1:18:06
you could explore and study regarding the, this rending of
1:18:10
the veil and what it might symbolize for us.
1:18:12
And for you today, But there's one that sometimes gets
1:18:17
overlooked and it's it's this idea of when a Hebrew or a
1:18:22
Jewish father, finds out about the death of a child there,
1:18:28
their immediate response would be to rip.
1:18:33
Or Rend their clothes. One of the potential symbols
1:18:40
that I find very significant and very compelling with this
1:18:45
rending of the veil is an outward.
1:18:48
Sign of how heavenly father feels about what his son just
1:18:56
completed and just endured and now has died.
1:19:01
This, this rending of the veil, this intense sign of of Agony
1:19:08
that is shared. Between Father and Son in that
1:19:13
moment is another possible way of many ways to look at the, The
1:19:18
Ripping of the veil experience to finish this episode.
1:19:26
I'd love to just share these words one more time.
1:19:31
I Stand All Amazed at the love. Jesus offers me confused.
1:19:39
But the grace that so fully he proffers me.
1:19:43
I tremble to know that for me, he was crucified that for me a
1:19:50
sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.
1:19:56
I Marvel that he would descend from his throne Divine to rescue
1:20:00
a soul. So rebellious and proud as mine
1:20:03
that he should extend. His great love unto such as I
1:20:07
sufficient to own to redeem and to justify, I think of his hands
1:20:16
pierced and bleeding to pay the debts, such Mercy.
1:20:21
Such love and devotion. Can I forget?
1:20:25
No, no. I will praise and adore at The
1:20:29
Mercy Seat until it's a glorified Throne.
1:20:33
I kneel at his feet. Oh, it is wonderful that he
1:20:38
should care for me enough to die.
1:20:41
For me. Oh, it is wonderful.
1:20:44
Wonderful to me. Brothers and sisters, we give it
1:20:49
as our testimony. That Jesus, Christ, died on the
1:20:55
cross for you. And for me, for all of us, And
1:21:00
he loves you because of what he endured for you.
1:21:07
His capacity to love you. And to sucker you and to turn
1:21:11
outward to you was thus infinitely, expanded and
1:21:16
increased. How we love the Lord for his,
1:21:20
his goodness, his mercy and his grace, and he lives.
1:21:25
And we leave that with you in the name of Jesus Christ.
1:21:28
Amen. Know that you're loved and
1:21:32
spread light and goodness.