Acts 1-5: Witnesses

Acts 1-5

THE WITNESSES OF LUKE

The book of Acts was written by Luke as a sequel to his Gospel.  He began both with an introduction and dedication to someone named Theophilus. "The former treatise have I made [speaking of the Gospel of Luke], O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen" (Acts 1:1-2).  Who is Theophilus?  "Following a literary custom of his day, Luke gives his work a formal dedication.  Theophilus, literally 'lover of God,' may refer to a [particular] historical person or to anyone who loves God" (Harper-Collins Study Bible, p. 2057).

Understanding that Luke and Acts are connected books makes each of them a stronger witness.  "Because the Gospels were grouped together in the [Bible], Acts stands separate from luke.  Yet readers of Acts will be helped if they bear in mind its many connections with the Third Gospel.  Among the most important...themes is the fulfillment of God's promises in the ministry of Jesus and the life of the church.  From the annunciation to Mary (Luke 1:35) to the mission of the church (Acts 1:8) to Paul's journey to Rome (Acts 27:24), Luke underscores the absolute reliability of God's word.  Another overriding theme is the work of the Holy Spirit, which plays a prominent role in Jesus' ministry (Luke 4:1), in the empowering of the church (Acts 2:1-13), and in guiding the church's witness (15:28; 16:6-7).  A third connection between the two volumes is that important figures in Acts duplicate aspects of Jesus' life, [such] as when Peter raises the dead (Acts 9:36-43; Luke 7:11-17) or when Paul's final journey to Jerusalem and Rome echoes that of Jesus to Jerusalem (Acts 19:21; Luke 9:51-52)" (Dr. Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Associate Professor of New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary, writing for the Harper-Collins Study Bible, p. 2057.)

Women Witnesses
Richard Neitzel Holzapfel notes that women as witnesses is a theme carried over from the Gospel of Luke.  Once again, only a woman was witness to two great events:  The birth of Christ (Luke 2:1-19) and the birth of the Christian church (Acts 1:1-14).

Temple the Focal Point
He also points out that the temple is a point of focus in both books.  When Jesus was just a child, his parents came up to Jerusalem for the Passover and lost Jesus, thinking he was with relatives in the same traveling company.  It was three days before they found him in the temple teaching the priests the things he had already learned at such a young age from God (Luke 2:46, JST footnote).  The temple mount was 40 acres, 4 times the size of Salt Lake City's Temple Square.  There would have been approximately 180,000 people on the temple mount during Passover, although it can actually hold twice that number.  And yet, little Jesus said to his parents, in essence, "Why did you have such a hard time finding me?  You should have known I would have been at the temple!"  (See Luke 2:41-50.) 

The temple is at the beginning of Luke's account of Jesus' life, and the temple is at the end:  Each day at the 9th hour (3:00 p.m.), the Jews would pray with their hands over their heads.  At the end of his Gospel, Luke notes that as Christ hung on the cross, "there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.  And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.  And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost" (Luke 23:44-46). So as the Jews were praying with their hands over their heads at the temple at Passover, Jesus died on the cross, with his hands over his head, and God the Father heard Christ's prayer, opened the veil between heaven and earth, and allowed Christ, the great and new High Priest to enter his presence so that all others who desired might do the same. 

The final words of Luke's first book are that after Christ's ascension, the disciples "were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.  Amen" (Luke 24:53). 

Working of Miracles
The first healing done by the apostles that is recorded by Luke in his second book, was at the Feast of Pentecost, when "Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour" (Acts 3:1), when there would have been a large number of people at the temple praying, and performed a public healing of a man well-known to have been lame from birth.  It was just like the miraculous healings performed by Christ:  it was a bold and irrefutable witness that they had power from Christ.  Upon seeing the man begging, Peter answered, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6). 

(Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, "Temple Worship and Symbolism in the New Testament," CES Scripture Symposium held in Logan, Utah January 25, 2003, taken from my personal notes, 8:161). 

Importance of Preaching the Gospel to all the World
The Gospel of Luke ends with Christ's injunction that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  And ye are witness of these things.  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:47-49). 

The first words of the book of Acts are reminders of that promise and the commandment that they should be witnesses of Christ in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and into the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:3-8). 

The Witness of Angels
As two angels witnessed to the women at the tomb, "Why seek ye the living among the dead?", two angels witnessed to the apostles, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?  this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:10-11).

THE JOY OF THE ATONEMENT PREACHED TO THOSE WHO CRUCIFIED CHRIST

The first place the Apostles were commanded to preach the gospel was in Jerusalem, so that is where they started.  (That would seem to be obvious, but we are not always so obedient.  Think of Jonah, for instance.) 

There was a huge crowd of "devout men, out of every nation under heaven" who had gathered to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost.  ("Devout" doesn't necesarily mean "believers in Christ"--the Pharisees were the most devout of all.)  These were Jews whose ancestors had previously been scattered to other nations as Israel had been conquered, so they spoke many different languages.  And Jerusalem was the place where Christ had recently been unjustly tried, convicted, and condemned during the last great gathering, the Passover.  It would not seem to be a fertile ground for missionary work.

But Peter and the apostles were now filled with power through the Gift of the Holy Ghost (John 20:22) and the Melchizedek Priesthood and were no longer afraid of the people or the leaders.  Their testimonies had been strengthened; they did not hesitate to risk their lives to obey their Lord and Savior.  As the small group of believers assembled for Pentecost, they appeared to be on fire. There was also a great sound as the rushing of a mighty wind. 

The word spread that there was a spectacle to see, and people gathered, and were shocked to hear the gospel being preached by Galileans, and yet being heard by each man in his own language.  By obeying the  command to first preach in Jerusalem, the Apostles were aided by a great manifestation of the gift of tongues, by which the gospel then could be spread throughout the many surrounding nations as the listening Jews returned home with the message.

Peter boldly proclaimed to them, "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death; because it was not possible that he should be holden of it" (Acts 2:22-24).  Peter did not mince words!  Peter then referred to the writings of the great King David, whose place of burial was well-known, and told them that Christ had been the Messiah and Savior who was to come through David, and he no longer remained in the sepulchre, but was resurrected.  "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ"  (Acts 2:36).

Imagine hearing this and having the awful realization dawn that it was true!

"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

It was too late to reverse the decision of the court!  It was too late to stop the crucifixion!  It was too late to become a disciple of Christ rather than an enemy!  It was too late to switch sides!

Or was it?

No.  It wasn't, and it isn't.  It is never, ever too late.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:38-39).

The Lord called his own condemnors and promised them the remission of sins and the Gift of the Holy Ghost?  Right after they crucified him?  Why?

"[The Lord] doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his life that he may draw all men unto him.  Wherefore he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.  Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying: Depart from me?  Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he sayeth: Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey without money and without price...Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation?  Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men, and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance" (2 Ne. 26:24-25,27).

Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which he wrought in the Garden of Gethsemane before being crucified, even those who crucified him were freely offered not only resurrection, but the remission of their sins.  In fact, the apostles were commanded to preach it to them.

Any of us who may feel that our sins are beyond the power of the Atonement, or that we would not be able to qualify to inherit Christ's kingdom because of what we have done or who we are need only read this chapter in Acts to realize that the Atonement will work for us as well.  A great example of trust in Christ and the power of his Atonement to cleanse, to heal, and to sanctify any sinner is shown in the lives of those who, after calling for his crucifixion, then turned to him in repentance.  A great example also of the diligence Christ expects of his disciples to "feed my sheep" no matter who they are or what they have done is shown in the bold preaching of Peter and the apostles.

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41).  (See also Acts 3:12-26 for a similar speech.)

Why did these people now recognize the truth when they did not accept the Savior when he was there himself?  "Here is the happy success and issue of this [preaching].  The Spirit wrought with the word, and wrought wonders by it.  These same persons that had many of them been eye-witnesses of the death of Christ, and the prodigies that attended it, and were not wrought upon by them, were yet wrought upon by the preaching of the word, for it is this that is the power of God unto salvation.  They received the word; and then only the word does us good, when we do receive it, embrace it, and bid it welcome" (Matthew Henry's Commentary--The New Testament, Acts, p. 13).

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHURCH

Although most of the leadership of the Jews still did not believe, the early Christian church was solidly established in Jerusalem with a base membership of those disciples who had followed Christ during his ministry, and these who had received the word at Pentecost.  Their story is almost as amazing as that of the conversion of the entire Nephite nation which was happening in the Americas at exactly the same time (3 Ne. 11-26). 

In just a few verses here, Luke details why and how the Church worked so well.  Look for the elements of success.  (The blue comments come from Matthew Henry, p 13-14.)

• And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine..."They were diligent and constant in their attendance upon the preaching of the word."
• And [the apostles'] fellowship...  "They kept up the communion of saints."
• And in breaking of bread...  "They frequently joined in the ordinance of the Lord's supper.  They continued in the breaking of bread, in celebrating that memorial of their Master's death, as those that were not ashamed to own their relation to, and their dependance upon, Christ and him crucified."
• And in prayers.  "They continued in prayers.  After the Spirit was poured out, as well as before, while they were waiting for him, they continued instant in prayer; for prayer will never be superseded till it comes to be swallowed up in everlasting praise [in the next life]."
• And fear [great reverence for God] came upon every soul...  The despising of the Savior while he was among them changed to a state of awe.
• And many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.  Miracles did not cease when Christ left the earth, nor will they as long as his Church is here. 
• And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.  "This was to destroy, not property...but selfishness."
• And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple...  "They kept close to holy ordinances, and abounded in all instances of piety and devotion."  "They met in the temple...for joint-fellowship with God is the best fellowship we can have with one another." 
• And breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people.  "They abounded in thanksgiving; were continually praising God.  This should have a part in every prayer, and not be crowded into a corner.  Those that have received the gift of the Holy Ghost will be much in praise."

...And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:41-47).


PARALLELS IN THE LATTER-DAY CHURCH

We can see many parallels between their church and our church, and also the church Christ established among the Nephites.  (You may want to ask the class to identify parallels, and then write them on a chart on the blackboard as they think of them.  They may come up with different ones than I have.)

PARALLELS IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CHRIST’S CHURCH IN DIFFERENT ERAS AND LOCATIONS
Event/Situation	New Testament Church	Nephite Church	Restored Church
Spectacular descent of the Holy Ghost; prophecy of Joel 2:28 proclaimed fulfilled	Acts 2:1-4 sound of rushing wind, cloven tongues of fire, speaking in tongues; Acts 2:17 Joel's prophecy repeated by Peter	3 Ne. 19:9-14 circle of fire, presence of angels	D&C 109:36-37 sound of rushing wind, appearance of fire, speaking in tongues Joel's prophecy repeated by Angel Moroni to Joseph Smith
Huge groups join the church	Acts 2:41; 4:4 3,000 men; 5,000 men	4 Ne. 1:2 the entire nation	missions to England, Canada
All things held in common	Acts 4:32	3 Ne. 26:19 4 Ne. 1:2-3	D&C 42
Transfiguration; Keys of Kingdom given	Matt. 17:1-13 Bible Dictionary p. 786	3 Ne. 28:12-15	D&C 110:11-16 April 3, 1836
Apostles imprisoned but prisons could not hold them	Acts 12 freed by angel Acts 16 freed by earthquake; jailer converted	3 Ne. 18:19	Many times; Joseph Smith did convert a jailer; sometimes they did escape or were allowed to
Visited by resurrected Christ	Acts 1:3	3 Ne. 11:8 and on	D&C 110 in the Kirtland Temple
Sacrament instituted	Luke 22:17-20	3 Ne. 18	D&C 20
Twelve Apostles called	Acts 1:13, 21-26 filling position left by Judas Iscariot	3 Ne. 12:1	D&C 18:26
Voice of God identifying Christ	Matt. 17:5	3 Ne. 11:6-7	Joseph Smith-History 1:17
Healing miracles performed by apostles	Acts 3:1-7	4 Ne. 1:5	History of the Church records many
Eventual persecution of church members	All apostles ended up being martyrs	4 Ne. 1:34	That is the reason the church is based in Salt Lake City—they had to flee the U.S. because of persecution
Joyous differences in the Latter-day Church
An apostacy prophecied	Yes	Yes	No!  The church will never again leave the earth
A restoration prophecied	Acts 3:19-21	3 Ne. 20-22	JS-H 1:40 this restoration is final

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE REST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

We all love to read the Gospels over and over, and but sometimes we don't realize the tremendous value of the Acts and the Epistles and the Book of Revelation.

"Sadly, the second half of the New Testament is sometimes neglected by Latter-day Saints.  That is unfortunate because the times in which those books of the New Testament were written were not so different from our own.  The information in those books and the lessons we can learn from them could become a towering source of peace and power in coping with life's challenges in our own times.  These books speak of the former-day Saints having to endure persecution; sexual temptations and perversions of every kind, including prostitution, adultery, fornication, and homosexuality; recurring and vexing welfare problems; famine and economic uncertainties; sorrow and suffering; trials and tribulations; the allure of reason over revelation; false teachers; and apostasy" (D. Kelly Ogden and Andrew C. Skinner, New Testament Apostles Testify of Christ, p. 1-2).

It will be exciting to study "the rest of the story" during the remainder of the year in Sunday School.

LATTER-DAY APOSTLES GAME

With whatever time you have left, you can play this game.
Ask the class to identify the 12 apostles of the early Church.  You can let them look them up, if needed, in Acts 1:13 & 26.  Write them on the board.  Then ask them if they can name our present-day apostles.  As they do, write them on the board.  Remember, there will be 15, not 12, with the First Presidency.  You can then play a game of knowledge of our apostles.  Divide the class into two teams.  Show a picture of one of the apostles.  One team member is asked to name the apostle.  He/she has the option to try or to pass.  If the answer is right, the next team member must tell us something about the apostle.  (His professional life, his family life, hobbies, his most recent conference address topic, his personality, details of his church service.)  This team keeps the turn until they can tell three things about the apostle.  If they make a mistake, the opposing team gets to finish their turn, and then start a new one.  You can keep score on the board, if it seems appropriate.

This will work pretty well with a large class of adults who are well-established in the church.  If you have a small class of youth, you may want to ask for only one thing about each apostle.  If you have a small group of new members or children, you may want to post all the apostles' pictures at once, put information about the apostles on slips of paper in a bowl and have team members draw one out and guess which apostle it is.  Tell them the correct answer, post the strip by the apostle's picture, and don't keep score.

Sources you can use for information about the apostles:

The Church News Church Leaders Page

Grandpa Bill's General Authority Pages

Mormon Times

CONCLUSION

As Christ was setting up his church in Jerusalem, he admonished Peter to "Feed my sheep."  This commandment applies to us today as well as it did to Peter.  We are both the shepherds and the sheep, and we must perform each role well.  It is our job to help and lift each other in whatever our stewardships may be in the kingdom.  It is also our job to listen to and obey those who are shepherds over us, particularly the apostles.  We are so blessed in our day; we do not have to leave our jobs and follow the apostles through the countryside, straining to hear over the multitude, and having to rely upon our own memories.  We should not treat the words of the prophets and apostles today casually because of the easiness of hearing them.  We must be earnest in hearing, and then we can turn around and "feed" the other "sheep."

For a great article on feeding the sheep, by Russell M. Nelson, click here.

Matthew 28; Luke 24; John 20-21: The Resurrection

Matthew 28; Luke 24; John 20-21

AND NOW FOR THE HAPPIEST OF ENDINGS...

"Alexander the Great, king of Macedon, pupil of Aristotle, conqueror of most of the known world in his time, was one of the world's great young leaders.  After years of exercising military pomp and prowess and after extending his kingdom from Macedonia to Egypt and from Cyprus to India, he wept when there seemed to be no more world to conquer.  Then, as evidence of just how ephemeral such power is, Alexander caught a fever, and died at 33 years of age.  The vast kingdom he had attained virtually died with him.

"Quite a different young leader also died at what seems such an untimely age of 33.  He likewise was a king, a pupil, and a conqueror.  Yet he received no honors from man, achieved no territorial conquests, rose to no political station.  So far as we know, he never held a sword nor wore even a single piece of armor.  But the Kingdom he established still flourishes some 2,000 years later.  His power was not of this world" (Howard W. Hunter, "An Apostle's Witness of the Resurrection, April 1986 General Conference).

Last week we discussed the horrific circumstances of Christ's death.  He was treated with such cruelty, such bitter disregard for the sanctity of the spirit of any man, let alone the Savior of the world.  He was treated as the scum of the earth, and then he died.  He exited this life in ignominy.

At the same time, he entered the next life crowned in greater glory than any human could have.  In paradise and spirit prison, he taught the glorious truths of the gospel, unfettered by any opposition, to the adoration of many of the departed souls who had been waiting to hear it.  (See 1 Peter 3:18-20; D&C 76:72-74; D&C 138.)  He descended in glory from the heavens to the Nephite throng gathered round the temple, accompanied by angels and fire, preaching to a people who would believe it with all their hearts and change their lives accordingly as well as those of their descendants, a change that would last for 200 years.  During this time, he also returned and ministered among his astonished disciples in Jerusalem, at a pre-appointed "solemn assembly" in Galilee, where he was able to teach with such power that the Church was established and enjoyed phenomenal growth after he left, despite persecution.

TURNING THINGS UPSIDE-DOWN

To quote Benson Y. Parkinson, an editor for CES, "An idea that comes up again and again in the scriptures is that sooner or later everything gets turned upside down."  The rich young man must give away his possessions to gain treasure in heaven (Mark 10:21).  The poor widow's mite is greater than the riches of the wealthy (Mark 12:43).  When the rich guests in the parable refuse the king's banquet, the poor are gathered in their place (Luke 14:21).  Brother Parkinson continues, "These reversals are regular enough to plan for.  When the wheel turns, those on top will be on bottom.  The only way to be on top later is to get on the bottom now."  (Benson Y. Parkinson, "Gospel Doctrine Lesson 17," posted 7-24-99 on the old LDS World website, which is no longer available.)

Even the Hebrew social hierarchy was turned upside-down in the Kingdom of God on earth during Christ's ministry. 

(Much of the following information on women in Greco-Roman and Hebrew culture and in the New Testament comes from my personal notes taken during a BYU Campus Education Week Lecture given August 21, 2003 by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, BYU Professor of Church History and Doctrine, entitled, "The Last to Remain, to Return, and to Remember: Women as Witnesses."  Notebook 7:40-44.)

Women were on the lowest rung of the ladder in both the Jewish and the Roman culture.  Jewish women actually had it better than Roman women.  To the Romans infant females were of so little value that they were often abandoned to die, sometimes

to be picked up by someone wealthy who would raise them as slaves, or to be "rescued" by a pagan temple worker and raised to be temple prostitutes.  The Jewish culture had no such heinous practices, but Hebrew women were definitely second-class citizens.  A Jewish man would pray three times a day in gratitude that he was not 1) a gentile, 2) a slave, or 3) a woman.  A woman was not allowed to be a witness in court, because women were not considered intelligent or trustworthy enough to give valid testimony.  Women, by their very nature, were "unclean" for a week of every month because their menstrual cycles caused them to bleed.  (This explains why the woman with the issue of blood did not dare to touch Christ, but only the hem of his garment--Matt. 9:20.)  Hebrew women were vastly inferior to Hebrew men.

But once again, "while men were writing the histories, women were making history," and Christ gave women disciples the greatest of honors as they were doing the lowest of labors.

UNLIKELY WITNESSES OF THE RESURRECTION

Of the four gospels, Luke's is particularly cognizant of women.  As a physician, he worked in one of the few careers in Hebrew society in which a man would daily come into contact with women, and especially in a position of serving women.  (For more on the gospel writers, see a previous post.)  As a Gentile convert, he geared his gospel for others like himself, who had come into the Kingdom of God from other cultures, especially the Greco-Roman culture.

We learn from Luke that the crowd who had followed Jesus from town to town was comprised of women as well as men.  We even learn some of their names.  "And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, and certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance" (Luke 8:1-3).  Notice the things we learn from this little scripture:  there was a "certain" group of women who were close to Jesus, they were women who initially possessed debilitating weaknesses whom Jesus had healed (besides the "weakness" of simply being female), and they were women who supported him financially and/or fed him--they personally ministered to him.  (Mary Magdalene was wealthy enough to have anointed Jesus with the very expensive spikenard, and Joanna, being the wife of a royal steward, certainly would have had money and means.  No information is available about Susanna.)

Among these women were the elite group who were the first witnesses to four key events in the history of the world.

1. They witnessed Christ's death on the cross.
2. They witnessed his burial in the new sepulchre.
3. They witnessed the empty tomb, guarded by two angels.
4. They witnessed the resurrected Lord.

No man--not Joseph of Arimathea, not the ruling Romans, not the temple priests, not any of the apostles of the Church of Christ--witnessed all of these things.  Only these women.

WITNESSES OF CHRIST'S DEATH

All three synoptic gospel writers (Matthew, Mark and Luke) record that women were among the last to remain at the cross.  "There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; (who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem" (Mark 15:40-41).  (Salome was the mother of James and John; see Matt. 20:20.)

WITNESSES OF CHRIST'S BURIAL

Joseph, the powerful Sanhedrin member who was secretly a Christian convert, went to Pilate in the evening, and begged the body of Christ, returned to Golgotha, took the body down off the cross, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in his own new sepulchre (Luke 23:50-53).  Somewhere along the way, Nicodemus, also a secret Sanhedrin convert, joined him, bringing massive amounts of burial spices (John 19:38-40).

Matthew, Mark and Luke all record that the women were still there.  Here is how Luke reports it:  "And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after [Joseph], and beheld the [location of] the sepulchre, and how his body was laid" (Luke 23:55).  And they did not approve of "how his body was laid."  It was not done properly, not finished--not necessarily because of neglect of Joseph and Nicodemus, but because of the hour and the coming Sabbath.  But you know women and their Relief Society ways--tablecloths and flower arrangements and fridge magnets and meals.  They were not going to let Jesus be buried in any halfway manner.  So, these women "returned [to their lodging-places] and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

WITNESSES OF THE RESURRECTION

From here on out, it gets confusing as to which women came when, since the different gospel writers were none of them eyewitnesses and were all of them writing much later in the century using second- and third-hand accounts, likely culled from interviews with different women.  I like best the chronology provided in The New Testament with the Joseph Smith Translation, by Steven and Julie Hite, so I'm following theirs.

All four gospel writers make it clear that it was women who came to the sepulchre in the morning.  Different writers mention by name different women, probably because of the reason noted above.

"Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them" (Luke 23:56-24:1).  We can see from the italic print that the King James translators added the word "others" for clarification.  Perhaps they could have better chosen the word "women," which would mean these were the elect "certain women" who had followed him through every village, been healed by him, and ministered to him daily as he ministered to everyone else.  They were going to minister once again.  And once again, they were going to give up certain privileges in society in order to do it, because touching the dead also made one "unclean".

"And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre..." (Mark records that they were wondering, as maybe you were, how they were going to roll that stone away.) "...and two angels standing by it in shining garments.  And they entered into the sepulchre, and not finding the body of the Lord Jesus, they were much perplexed thereabout, and were affrighted, and bowed down their faces to the earth.  But behold, the angels said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.  And they remembered his words..." (Luke 23:2-8 JST in Bible Appendix, p. 807). 

The words the angels were reminding them of are recorded by all three synoptic writers as having been given only to the disciples.  (See Matt. 17:22-23; Mark 9:31-32; and Luke 9:43-44.)  We often assume by "disciples" the writers mean "apostles."  But these women were being told by angels to remember what Jesus spoke to them.  The women were among the elect disciples who heard the prophecy.  Luke records that all of the disciples present at the time "understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying" (Luke 9:45).  So these women were the first to remember the prophecy, and the first to begin to comprehend what it really meant, although their understanding was still incomplete.

(By the way, the Joseph Smith Translation states in all four gospels that two angels were present, that they were sitting or standing outside the tomb, and that the women met them before they entered the empty tomb.  The Joseph Smith Translation also reorders several passages, creating a better match in chronology.  For more on the Joseph Smith Translation, see a previous post.)

THE WITNESS OF WOMEN

The women "returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest...And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not" (Luke 24:9,11; also Mark 16:11).  (See also Matt. 28:8; Mark 16:7-8; John 20:2.)  Why not?  Because women were not valid witnesses.

But Peter and John were either just curious or they had learned at least a little bit about the Savior's trust in women after spending three years with him.  They felt a little hope, and were energized by that hope enough to run.  "So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.  Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.  Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed" (John 20:3-8).  (See also Luke 24:12, which only mentions Peter.  I am assuming Luke interviewed Peter, and John, writing later, filled in his own role.  Some Bible commentators feel that other disciples might have accompanied them.)

Mark and John record that Mary Magdalene returned to the sepulchre, and only John (writing a more in-depth text to Church members) tells of Mary's encounter with the Lord there (Mark 16:9; John 20:11-17).  The two angels were still there and asked why she was weeping.  She didn't yet fully understand the true fulfillment of the prophecy, probably thinking it just meant that Jesus was risen in heaven in some ethereal way, and she still sought the body he left behind.  Turning, she saw a man who asked why she was weeping.  He did not identify himself, but when he spoke her name, the truth dawned upon her, and she recognized her Lord and Savior.  She was commanded not to touch him, since he had not yet ascended to his Father.

It must have been after this, then, that the women again, "went to tell his disciples, [and] behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail.  And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him" (Matt. 28:9).  (Knowing the difference in the passage of time between our world and heaven's this might have not been a very long time later.)

In all four accounts, the women witnessed what they had seen to the disciples, in three of the accounts being expressly commanded to witness, and to deliver the message that the Lord would meet the disciples in Galilee (Matt.28:7, 10; Mark 16:7; Luke 24:9; John 20:2, 17).  But the disciples did not believe.

Mark and Luke report of the appearance of the resurrected Lord to two disciples walking the road to Emmaus.  (Who knows?  One may have been a woman, the wife of the other.  Brother Holzapfel thinks it likely, since they lodged together.)  He did not introduce himself.  He waited for them to recognize him.  And when did they finally recognize him?  "And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.  And their eyes were opened, and they knew him" (Luke 24:30-31; see also Mark 16:12).  It was when he blessed the sacrament for them, an experience they had shared with him during his mortal life that recognition dawned upon them.

When they reported to the other disciples, the report was again met with unbelief (Mark 16:13).

We use the phrase "doubting Thomas" because Thomas did not believe the report of the other apostles when they shared with him next marvelous appearance of the risen Lord, when he met with them in the closed room where they dined (Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-48; John 20:24-28), but it really is unfair.  We could just as well say "doubting apostle" because every one of the apostles doubted the witness the women were commanded to bear.  Mark states that Jesus "upbraided them [all] with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them who had seen him after he was risen" (Mark 16:14).  Thomas was just the last, and received the valuable counsel, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:29).

MEETING THE LORD AGAIN

It is touching to read John's report of what is possibly the sixth time the resurrected Christ appeared among his disciples.  Seven of the apostles were at the Sea of Galilee.  Peter decided to go fishing and the others offered to accompany him.  They were out, of course, in the dark hours of the morning, as fisherman would be, but as the light began to come, a man came and stood upon the shore.  He called to them, asking if they had caught anything.  They said they had not.  Then he said, just as he had done when first he had met them and adjured them to follow him (see Luke 5), "Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find.  They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.  Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord" (John 21:6).

Jesus revealed himself to them by choosing this sweet reminiscence of the fateful day at the beginning of his ministry when he made them fishers of men.  Perhaps he wanted them to have the joy of a dawning on their minds, as the dawn of the day was coming, that he was back.  Perhaps he wanted to remind them that their important call to be fishers of men did not end with his death; that they were to cast in their nets and fish for souls until the Church burgeoned out so much that it was a strain to preside over it.  In any interpretation, it was a poignant occurrence--something that one friend might share with another affectionately at a reunion.

Jesus also revealed himself to the disciples he met on the road to Emmaus by a shared memory, the blessing of the sacrament.  And he revealed himself to Mary Magdalene by calling her name, as he had done many times in the past.

Is this the sort of thing that might happen to us when we meet Christ again?  Will we have had personal experiences with him that he could recall to us?  Will we recognize his voice because of the times he spoke to us "before"?  Will we have memories of traversing our life's journey with Christ, so that what he says and what he does to greet us will ring with a joyous familiarity as recognition dawns upon us?

In order to recognize Christ there, we need to learn to know him here.  For "this is life eternal" (John 17:3).  We need to study his word, listen to his guiding Spirit, and recognize the workings of the Lord in our daily lives, for the last verse of the gospel of John is still happening all over the world and in every individual's life who will see it today:  "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." (John 21:25)

THE CHANGE CHRIST WROUGHT AMONG THE SAINTS

The letter to the Galatians written by Paul shows the immense change that Christ made in the culture within the Church by his treatment of women during his life, and by his design for them to be witnesses of his resurrection.  Paul was a Jewish Pharisee, and a Roman (see Bible Dictionary and Acts 23:27):  not exactly a set-up for tolerance of others.  But he received the gospel whole-heartedly upon his conversion, and by the time he wrote to the Galatians, he had completely reversed the thrice-daily prayer of the Jewish man.  Rather than praying in "holier-than-thou" gratitude for not being Gentile, not being a slave and not being a woman, he counseled the church, "for ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one [and equals] in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:26-28).

We may be no better than the early disciples in some of our personal doubts, incomplete understandings of the gospel, and prejudices towards others.  We must be open, as was Paul, to allowing the Savior to change our perspectives, and even sometimes to completely turn them upside-down, that we may be found in the resurrection at the top with Christ where all people are equal and all doctrines and purposes are clear.

Matthew 26-27; Mark 14-15; Luke 22-23; John 18-19

Matthew 26:47-27:66; Mark 14:43-15:39; Luke 22:47-23:56; John 18-19

THE BETRAYAL, ARREST, TRIAL & CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST
FROM EACH PERSPECTIVE OF THOSE INVOLVED

Judas Iscariot (Betrayal)

Judas' name "Iscariot" meant "man of Kerioth."  "If Judas indeed came from the town of Kerioth, he was the only Judean among Jesus' disciples.  [The rest were Galilean.]  Judeans looked down upon the Galileans as crude frontier settlers.  This attitude may have alienated Judas Iscariot from the other disciples"  (J.I. Packer, M.C. Tenney, Illustrated Manners and Customs of the Bible, p. 529).

When Judas was in the Upper Room with the disciples, Jesus said to him, "That thou doest, do quickly, but beware of innocent blood.  [Then Judas went to betray him] for he turned away from him and was offended because of his words." (JST Mark 14:28, not included in the LDS Bible.  For more on the JST see a previous post.)

After the deed was done, Judas "repented himself and brought again the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.  And they said, What is that to us?  See thou to it; thy sins be upon thee" (Matt. 27:3-5 including JST footnote).

To the Jews, "shedding innocent blood pollutes the land and brings 'bloodguilt' on the people" (Harper-Collins Study Bible, p. 1908).

The Other Disciples (Abandonment)

"And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane, which was a garden; and the disciples began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy, and to complain in their hearts, wondering if this be the Messiah.  And Jesus knowing their hearts, said to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.  And he taketh with him, Peter, and James, and John, and rebuked them, and said unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here and watch" (Mark 14:36-38, JST in the LDS Bible Appendix, p. 805). 

"From this passage we understand that the apostles had begun to question whether Jesus really was the Messiah.  We may imagine that the more Jesus suffered, the more the apostles doubted his messianic identity.  After all, the King-Messiah, in the minds of most Jews, was not supposed to suffer, not supposed to fail in restoring the great Davidic kingdom of ancient times, not supposed to collapse under the weight of spiritual distress nor retreat in the face of expectations of great demonstrations of power, signs, and wonders.  Obviously, the apostles did not fully comprehend the true and varied roles of the real Messiah" (Andrew C. Skinner, Gethsemane, p. 108)

When the mob came to get Jesus, the disciples were still with him.  They wanted to fight the officers, but Jesus said, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matt. 26:53).  A Roman legion was 6,000 infantry and 120 cavalry (Harper-Collins).  "But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" (Matt 26:54). 

The JST gives the impression that it was Christ's words "But the scriptures must be fulfilled" that terrified them and caused them to flee:  "And the disciples when they heard this saying, all forsook him and fled" (JST Mark 14:49-50, not in the LDS edition).  David H. Stern lists 20 Old Testament prophecies of the evil that would befall Christ, with their corresponding New Testament fulfillments (David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary, p. 79-80).  They realized there was nothing they could do to help him, no hope of saving him, and undoubtedly were terrified of their own fates, which had been prophecied by Christ during his Olivet Discourse, to be rather dire:  "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all nations [possibly referring to all the races of people in the area] for my name's sake" (Matt. 24:9).

Peter had promised the Lord that he would go with him "both into prison and to death" (Luke 22:33).  Peter did not entirely forsake his promise: he went with him, after a fashion, following him "afar off" (Luke 22:54).

Christ told Peter he had prayed for him that his faith would fail not, "and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:32).  We might think that Peter had been converted by this point in time, being one of the first to follow Christ, and a member of the inner circle of three disciples who had been with him on the Mount of Transfiguration, but Peter had not yet received the baptism of fire that would convert him into a new man.  The Gift of the Holy Ghost was not given him until after Christ's death.  (See a previous post for more on this.)  Without the Gift of the Holy Ghost, he was not strong enough to withstand his fear, but after he received it, his faith became unshakeable.  (See Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, Vol. 4, p. 20.)

The Chief Priests and Elders (Jewish Trials)

"Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees (temple guards), cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?  They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth.  Jesus saith unto them, I am he.  And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.  As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground" (John 18:4-6).

Why were the men so shocked that they fell backwards?  Wasn't he just identifying himself as "Jesus of Nazareth," the person they were seeking?  No.  The King James Bible Translators took great care to be precise and convey the exact meaning from the original language.  At times, they added a word to make the meaning clearer, and whenever they did this, they italicized the word, so the reader would know it was not in the original text.  (For more on the King James Version, see a previous post.)  When we remove their italicized word here, we understand why the officers were so appalled:  Jesus was not saying, "I am he, Jesus of Nazareth," he was saying "I Am," which was one name for the God of the Old Testament, Jehovah.  (Remember, when Moses asked who he should say sent him to free the enslaved Hebrews, he was told, "I Am that I Am" [Exo. 3:14].)

He repeated the phrase immediately, in case anybody missed it (v. 8), thus inflaming the mob.  This cemented their desire to have him killed, and they sought a judgment against him that would deliver that end.

"The primary object of the Hebrew judicial system was to render the conviction of an innocent person impossible" (James E. Talmadge, Jesus the Christ, p. 647).  But the chief priests and elders broke just about every law in the book to convict Christ during the night trial recorded by in Matthew 26 and Mark 14.  Here are a few:

• An arrest at night was illegal.
• An arrest by treachery (using an accomplice such as Judas) was illegal.
• A trial before a single judge (such as Caiaphas) was illegal.
• A trial at night was illegal.  The Sanhedrin itself was only allowed to convene court during certain hours of the day, after morning devotional.
• The Sanhedrin had not the power to originate the charges, only to judge after a case was brought to them.
• A trial during Passover or on the eve of the Sabbath was illegal.
• A trial resulting in the sentence of death could not take place in only one day.
• Impartiality on the part of the judges was required.  Here the Sanhedrin was serving as both prosecutor and judge.
• The charge of blasphemy, the focus of his entire conviction, was extremely loosely used.  Blasphemy was actually defined as cursing God's name, which Christ never did.
• There must be two or more witnesses against the defendant, but the Sanhedrin "sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; but found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none [that witnessed his charge of blasphemy].  At the last came two false witnesses."  And all they testified that Christ had said was, "I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days." (Matt. 26:59-61)  Or according to Mark, "many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together" (Mark 14:56).
• It was illegal to use a man's confession of his own guilt as evidence against him.  Jesus knew this and "held his peace" when asked if he was God, until, according to Matthew, the high priest "adjured" him "by the living God." (Matt. 26:63).  In respect for the position of high priest, he finally answered, "I Am" (Mark 14:62, see also Matt. 26:64).  Jesus' conviction, therefore, was based solely upon his own testimony, his own "admission of guilt" that he was the Christ (Mark 14:62).  "Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, 'What need we any further witnesses?'" (Mark 14:63).  Well, yes, according to their own law, they most certainly did need further witnesses!

(James E. Talmadge, Jesus the Christ, p. 645-648; also Harper-Collins Study Bible)

Pilate (Trial)

After the illegal nighttime trial, it appears that there was a formal trial before the Sanhedrin, although the details are uncertain.  In any case, following the Jewish trial, Jesus was brought before Pilate, the Roman governor over the province of Judea.  Pilate asked for the charge: "What accusation bring ye against this man?" (John 18:28-29).  They answered that there certainly was a good one: "If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee" (v. 30).  Pilate replied, "You're Hebrews, he's a Hebrew, this is a Hebrew offence--Take him and judge him according to your Hebrew laws."  (See v. 31.)  But the Jewish leaders did not have the legal power to put him to death, which was what they wanted, so they needed the conviction and sentence of a Roman judge.

Their own conviction of Jesus, under Hebrew law, was that he had committed blasphemy.  But the Romans couldn't care less about that, so the Jews brought three false charges against him, tailor-made to incense a Roman leader:

1. "perverting the nation" or forming a revolt
2. "forbidding to give tribute to Caesar" or sedition
3. "saying that he himself is Christ a King" (Luke 23:2).  A Hebrew could be king--Herod, for example--but must be appointed by the Romans (Harper-Collins).

When Pilate asked Christ about the accusation, he believed his reply that his kingdom was not of this world.  As Jesus said, "If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight [for takeover with me]" (John 18:36).  And, indeed, there was no evidence of his forming a revolution since nobody in the world, at the present moment, seemed to be on his side.  Even when his disciples tried to fight the temple officers who took him from Gethsemane, Jesus had stopped them.

None of the chief priests or elders were personally present for this examination by Herod because they didn't want to "defile" themselves by entering a Gentile's home during the Passover.  So Pilate had to go back and forth between Christ and the Jewish mob outside.

Pilate found no criminal offense in him (John 18:38; Luke 23:4), but this inflamed the crowd (Luke 23:5).  So Pilate sent him to Herod, the Hebrew political leader (Luke 23:6-7) who was in town for the Passover.  Herod had sought unsuccessfully for the title "King of the Jews" from the Romans for himself.  Christ wouldn't answer a word to Herod to appease his curiousity, so he finally gave up, mocked him with his soldiers, and sent him back to Pilate.

Pilate called together the accusers so they could personally hear his verdict, "not guilty" (Luke 23:13-16).  The mob was infuriated to hear this declaration, and they scared Pilate.  He was a serious fence-sitter, afraid of both sides of the situation.  He believed Christ innocent, and possibly even had a small testimony of his holiness.  He was also afraid of convicting him because of a warning his wife had received in a dream (Matt. 27:19).  He knew the accusation was totally false (Matt. 27:18).

But, on the other hand, he was afraid of the Jews and they were the more immediate danger.  He had only been in office a short while and in that time had committed many blunders and acts of violence and offence against them.  The Roman government had a policy to be generally tolerant of occupied nations, and Pilate had not conformed to this.  Therefore, petitions had been previously sent to the Roman emporer by the Jews, including four of the Herodian princes, to have Pilate removed from office.  "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" (James E. Talmadge, Jesus the Christ, p. 649).

It was a Jewish tradition that at Passover their governor could release one prisoner of their choice (Matt: 27:15; Mark 15:6; Luke 23:17; John 18:39). So Pilate tried to get out of this sticky situation by using their own custom to give the Jews a preposterous choice: letting them choose between Christ who was totally innocent and hadn't harmed a soul or been convicted of a crime, and Barrabas who was a murder involved in insurrection with no doubt as to his guilt.  Had they chosen Christ, they would have solved Pilate's problem, but they were so black of heart, they chose Barrabas.

Pilate said then, "What should I do with Jesus?  He's innocent."  "But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him" (Luke 23:21).  "The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God" (John 19:7).

Although one of the hymns of the Passover sung that very week proclaimed to God, "We have no God but you" (Harper-Collins), when Pilate said, "Shall I crucify your King?" the chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar" (John 19:15).

Crucifixion was a horrible, torturous death, as you can imagine.  In fact, death by crucifixion sometimes took as long as nine days (Illustrated Manners & Customs, p. 520).  Therefore, the Romans would weaken the person to make death quicker by scourging them, and also requiring them to carry their own cross, but it was only the crossbar that they carried: the stakes were permanently in place, as we will later see in a video (Harper-Collins).

It was customary to put the crime of the convict up on his cross as a deterrent to others (Harper-Collins).  It was unusual, however, to put it above the person on his cross (Matt: 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19-20).  Pilate went to the extra care to post Christ's charge in Hebrew, Latin and Greek, so that everyone could read it.  The priests wanted the sign changed to read, "He said he was the King of the Jews," but Pilate, for once, stood up for his own belief and refused to change it.  So the charge symbolically became reversed, plainly convicting the Hebrews of killing their own king, "The King of Jews."

The Roman Soldiers

The soldiers then cast lots for his clothing (John 19:23-24).  The outer "garment" was a single long piece of cloth, which could be useful for other things if cut into pieces.  The "coat" was an ankle-length tunic, T-shaped, and woven in one piece--much more useful untorn (Harper-Collins).

"Then said Jesus, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (meaning the soldiers who crucified him)" (Luke 23:34 with JST footnote).  Jesus many times accused the Jews of knowing exactly what they were doing.  But later, when Jesus died and the earth reacted in commotion "the centurion and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God" (Matt. 27:54; also Mark 15:39; Luke 23:47-48).  (Although, we shall see a couple of lessons from  now, that even the Jews who called for Christ's crucifixion were offered his mercy.)

The Other Convicts

Jesus was hung between two thieves.  Matthew and Mark report that both of them reviled him, but Luke writes that one of them defended him (Matt 27:44; Mark 15:32; Luke 23:39-43).  So which was it?  Once again, the JST clarifies, although it is not found in the LDS edition:  All three in the JST agree with Luke's account. 

Friends of Jesus (Burial)

Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Sanhedrin who had been a follower of Christ, "but secretly for fear of the Jews." He had the power because of his position to approach Pilate and ask for the body of Christ (Matt. 27:57-58; Mark 15:42-43; Luke 23:50-52; John 19:38)

Nicodemus, also a member of the Sanhedrin and secret believer in Christ "brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight" (John 19:39).  Myrrh is a dried resin from a tree, used as medicine, perfume, and in embalming the dead.  "So valuable has it been at times in ancient history that it has been equal in weight value to gold" (Wikipedia).  Aloe was an aromatic wood from a tree, not the succulent plant we refer to as aloe vera today.  Portions of the trunk heavily saturated with resinous substances where the wood has been attacked by fungi are particularly valuable.  It was used for perfume and incense.  (Here are 2 sources on that: (1), (2).)  Both myrrh and aloe would have been in powdered form (Harper-Collins). 

Coincidentally, or perhaps not, these substances of great value in healing, beautifying, and staving off the decay of a dead body are best created as a reaction to a wound in the tree, just as Christ's Atonement, the greatest source of healing, sanctifying, and overcoming death was created through his immense suffering and injury in the Garden and on the tree.  The amount Nicodemus brought was the equivalent of 75 lbs. today--much, much more than was necessary for a burial (Harper-Collins).  It was a gift of great honor, respect, and love.

Joseph offered a sepulchre he owned as a burial place for Christ.  It was unusual in that it had never been used before (John 19:42).  In a sepulchre, there was a niche or alcove cut in the wall with a shelf for the body to lie on.  Sepulchres were difficult to come by and were often reused, the bones from the previous occupant being put in a hole in the floor (Illustrated Manners and Customs, p. 521).  Christ's sepulchre had no one else's remains in the floor.

The Jewish Nation (Common People)

Pilate had literally washed his hands of the business, an action which decreased his legal liability, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see that ye do nothing to him.' Then answered all the people [the word translated here means more than just the mob of chief priests and elders, but the nation as a whole according to Harper-Collins] and said, 'His blood be on us, and on our children'" (Matt. 27:24, JST in italics, not included in the LDS edition).

This was a terrible cry which was, thirty years later, answered upon their heads and the heads of their children as, in that very spot, 3,600 Jews were victims of the fury of Rome.  Many were scourged and crucified right there, including the nobles, the chief priests and elders.  In the words of the historian Edersheim, "A few years more, and hundreds of crosses bore Jewish mangled bodies within sight of Jerusalem.  And still have these wanderers seemed to bear, from century to century, and from land to land, that burden of blood;  and still does it seem to weigh on them and their children" (Talmadge, Jesus the Christ, p. 648).

However, it is good to remember that Jesus "died for all, not just for Jews: the righteous Messiah died for everyone who is unrighteous, which is to say, for everyone.  Everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, is a sinner.  By sinning, everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, killed him" (David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary, p. 83).  We all may not have been there crying, "Crucify him," but "he was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities" (Isa. 53:5) and we all contributed to the agony which he suffered in order that we might be healed.

As he died, "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, Father, it is finished, thy will is done, yielded up the ghost" (Matt. 27:50, JST in italics, not in the LDS edition). 

And here comes the triumphal moment, the beginning of the happy ending which we will study and rejoice in during our next lesson:  "And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom" (Matt. 27:51).  This veil separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies.  Only the high priest was allowed to pass through the veil into the Holy of Holies, and only once a year, during the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), to symbolically approach God and offer an atonement for his sins and the sins of the people.  Of course, this was a type of Christ.  Once Christ had died and offered the real Atonement, the veil was destroyed, symbolizing that now anyone could approach God himself and seek his own Atonement through the merits of Christ (David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary, p. 84).

VIDEO PRESENTATION

You may want to end the class with the last 8-9 minutes of the poignant video "To This End Was I Born" from the Church's New Testament Video Presentations.  Begin the video or DVD at the spot where the disciples are singing the hymn at the end of the Last Supper, and end it after the stone is rolled over the sepulchre and the picture fades to black.  (The complete video segment is 16 minutes long.)

If you would like a different and thought-provoking ending to the movie, you can turn on a recording of the American spiritual "Were You There?" on a separate CD or mp3 player while fading out the sound on the video.  Do this at the point in the video when Christ is nearly at the top of the cross and the words will align very nicely with the images if you use a version of the song that is just over 3 minutes long.  It is on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's album "O Divine Redeemer" and the single mp3 is also available from i-Tunes for 99 cents.  Another gorgeous version (my favorite) is on the album "My Soul Delighteth: The Best of the Gibbons Family," produced by Deseret Book several years ago, and still available from Amazon.com, either new or used.  (The entire album is really beautiful and peaceful and worth the purchase price in my opinion.)