- Peter was asked to deny?
- Overwhelmed, Jesus chooses us and His Father's will
- Jesus sentenced to death for blasphemy
Come Follow Me Easter
LDS Mormon
this episode covers the events that
happen on Thursday during the week of
Easter this is the Last Supper and
Jesus's decision to go through with
everything here we go
okay so while Jesus is again in Bethany
before he heads out to Jerusalem for the
Last Supper another woman comes to him
and anoints him with very expensive oil
and she anoints this time his head and
the same thing happens that happened
before on Palm Sunday where Mary had the
woman Mary had anointed Jesus on his
feet and had washed his feet with her
hair and this was essentially an
anointing or representation of the
anointing of Jesus as a king remember
that he came through in the procession
on the donkey with all the people with
the palms the lulav probably and she was
anointing him as the king this is the
way it should be because it's because a
woman would anoint the King in the sense
that the woman is the throne we've
talked about this previously this is
what happened in that temple drama with
the Israelites in ancient times is that
the king would be born out of the throne
from the holy of Holy's and this is what
you read about in Psalm 110 and so a
woman would be the one that would be
anointing him for this because of the
birth she represents the throne and here
another woman unidentified comes to
Jesus and anoints his head and as he
says you always have the poor with you
he says the same thing and again he's in
Bethany the poor are everywhere around
him it's a poor house it's a City of
Refuge it's probably a religious center
and another woman anoints his head but
this time it is for his burial and so
what you have is the woman on Palm
Sunday a woman representing birth and
representing the throne and then another
woman now who is anointing him for his
burial for his death because women
represent birth that that step into
mortality and then when
represent the step out of mortality they
represent those steps of eternal
progression that we all go through so
here the woman a woman is anointing him
again the other thing is why what the
authors of the Gospels want to really
specify here or to remind us of is that
he is the Christ what really does that
mean we don't talk as much about that it
means the anointed The Anointed One
that's what Messiah means Hebrew is
Messiah Greek is Christ
it means The Anointed One so here we're
getting this emphasis through this holy
week here of him being anointed as the
king and as the one who will go through
the atonement who will take on the sins
of the world and resurrect and then we
hear about Judas Iscariot who he
actually goes to and approaches the
chief priests and the elders and he
wants to know hey what are you gonna pay
me if I betray Jesus so he makes he
initiates this and they tell him that
they're going to pay him thirty pieces
of silver if he will betray Jesus and
so he agrees to that and now Judas is
looking for an opportunity from here on
out throughout the rest of this day and
night to betray Jesus and then they get
ready for the Last Supper
I'm looking here at Luke 22 and this is
an interesting point if you look at the
last episode on Seder on the Seder meal
he says here in verse 8 19 and he took
bread and gave thanks and brake it and
gave unto them saying this is my body
which is given for you this do in
remembrance of me if you notice the
sacrament prayers we all we mentioned
that about remembrance to remember him
and in 20 he says likewise also the cup
after supper so in the Seder meal you
would have the bread the unleavened
bread break that pieces of the
Komen which is a representation of
Christ give it around everybody and they
would take that and then you would have
the feast and you would have a
sacrificial lamb you would eat the
sacrificial lamb and after you've had
the feast then you go to the third cup
of the Seder meal which is the cup of
redemption and so when you drink that
cup of wine you just called the cup of
redemption he says right here likewise
also the cup after supper saying this
cup is the New Testament in my blood
which is shed for you
so the sacrament can be divided into two
different laws two different priesthoods
even and that is the lower and the
higher law the bread is his body it
represents the lower law the Aaronic law
the mortal law the carnal law and the
Old Testament if you will or the Old
Covenant and the wine or water for us
represents the higher law that is the
law of Christ that is the law of mercy
and of grace and the Melchizedek law and
this is exactly what Jesus points out
here he doesn't say this about the bread
he only says this about the wine that
this is the cup that this cup is the New
Testament in my blood right this is the
New Covenant this is the full
restoration of the Melchizedek
Priesthood this is the Abrahamic
covenant this is Christ bringing in
everything that has to do with a higher
law with the Melchizedek law and so when
we partake of the sacrament we might
remember that that the lower law the
ironic law is the bread of his body it
is the immortal law and it's what we do
in obedience and in prayer and reaching
out to reach toward God it's us doing at
one mint atonement to reach up to God
and then the water wine is God reaching
down to us through the sacrifice
yeah in the atonement here and so that
is the higher law and then comes some
counsel and some words from Jesus to
Peter and this is an important part of
the context here of what happens with
Peter with his denial I think and well
let's go through this says here in
Luke 22 verse 32 this is before right
before Jesus talks about Peter denying
him he says but I have prayed for the
talking about Simon Peter that thy faith
fail not and when thou art converted
strengthen thy brethren in other words
we know that Peter has been given the
keys already and he is telling Peter
here that you are going to be in charge
so you need to strengthen thy brethren
you need to strengthen the other
apostles you need to strengthen the
church you are going to be in charge
that's an important piece of information
for us
as we go down a little further
where Peter replies and he says Lord I
am ready to go with thee both into
prison and to death so he is declaring
here look there is nothing that is going
to hold me back from being by your side
and I will go to death with you I will
do whatever it takes but here Jesus
comes back and we see this I think maybe
not in the right light Jesus comes back
to him and says and he said I tell thee
Peter the shall not crow this day
before that thou shalt thrice deny that
thou knowest me now here again Jesus has
just told him that he is going to be in
charge and that he needs to strengthen
everybody else and Peter makes this
declaration that I'm gonna stand by your
side no matter what
and yet Jesus says he's going to deny in
three times there's a talk given by
Spencer W Kimball I believe it was a
speech at BYU that you may have heard
about or read and that is he thought
that maybe we ought to look at this
a little differently in that what Jesus
might be telling Peter here and it seems
a parent based on the context that you
need to deny me in other words you need
your gonna be here to strengthen your
brethren and the church I need you
around I understand that you want to go
to battle here with me that you want to
protect me and be by my side and that
you are very loyal to me but you need to
stick around here because you need to
run the church when I'm gone and so
you're going to deny me I want you to
deny me and he says three times and
there are three examples that are given
but remember that number three about
denial and about asking is an important
number and it basically what he might
really be saying here with the number
three is just deny me no matter what at
any cost and in any circumstance you
need to deny me no matter what remember
Joseph Smith goes back to the Lord three
times about the manuscript 116 pages and
finally because it's three times the
Lord he had told him no every time he
finally says yes go ahead and so this
could be kind of a reference with that
number three here saying no matter what
you need to deny me and stick around
because this is my time this is the time
where I am here to be sacrificed not you
and then and then Jesus starts to make
his way toward the Mount of Olives and
this was a common thing for him to do it
says right here in Luke 39 and he came
out and went as he was want in other
words as he regularly did to the Mount
of Olives and his disciples also
followed him so he's got a large group
that would be here again this is the
feast of Passover this is there's a lot
of people that are gonna be here that
are gonna be around Jesus at this point
they probably weren't all in the upper
room but there would be a lot of
disciples we're not talking about just
the apostles here that would have been
with him where he would be going up to
the Mount of Olives to be teaching them
and to be talking with them and maybe
healing
number of people at this point so he
would be at the temple when he was in
Jerusalem usually or he would go up on
the Mount of Olives and teach there
and then he gets to Gethsemane now got
Shemen which is where we get that the
Hebrew got Shemen that means the oil
press very ironic right this is where
Jesus is going to be and the weight of
the world literally will be sitting upon
him and weighing him down this is the
oil press and just as the oil that was
used in the temple that would be used
for anointing that would be used for the
menorah it was thought of as what the
SAP that would have come out of the tree
of life and that's Jesus and here Jesus
is going to Gethsemane to basically go
through the oil press but of course it's
not oil that comes from him but it is
his blood that is shed and he saith unto
his disciples sit ye here while I go and
pray yonder so the group that would be
there right he's saying wait here and
he's gonna go out a little bit further
and he takes Peter James and John with
him and just as he did with the Mount of
Transfiguration where he was also going
up on a mount on a mountain just like
the Mount of Olives he left some people
the other people behind but he took
Peter James and John with him this is
the same thing that happened with Moses
on Sinai there are different steps of
where people could go too as they
reached further and further up to what
could be considered the holy of Holy's
the most sacred spot and here he brings
Peter James and John with him up to a
certain point up within a stone's cast
and then Jesus goes a little bit further
now it says in Matthew that Jesus was
sore amazed at this time and he was
feeling the burden and that might be
true
but it's not what Joseph Smith says
about that scripture and so if we go to
Mark's Jones of the Joseph Smith
translation of mark here's what he has
to say about this he changes this and in
verse 36 it says and they came to a
place which was named Gethsemane which
was a garden and his disciples began to
be sore may sorts the disciples that
Joseph Smith has as being sore amazed
and to be very heavy and to complain in
their hearts wondering if this be the
Messiah so their wandering still
right up to this point that Jesus is
about to go up to the top and go to
Gethsemane whether or not this is really
him is this really him it's doubt it's
it's you know trying to hang on to the
hope that that yes this is the Messiah
but even then there is doubt and I think
what the authors are trying to show here
this is what happened but I think what
they're trying to show in this narrative
is look there are he's more and more he
is going up out by himself he's got to
be alone this has to be something that
is solely by him he doesn't have in a
sense in that way the full support all
the time and in fact eventually it is
Jesus walking out completely by himself
to do what only he can do and it says
here and he went a little further this
is in Matthew 26 and fell on his face
and prayed saying O my father this is
this is the gospel right here o my
father if it be possible let this cup
pass from me nevertheless not as I will
but as thou wilt so how many times do we
find ourselves in as that circumstance
father please help me and many times we
might be saying well you just remove
this from me this burden look at Joseph
Smith in Liberty jail where he is beyond
where he can go any further and the Lord
says to him
have you are you job have you gone that
far how about have you gone as far as me
you know Peter James and John only went
so far my disciples went this far I went
all the way up to here in other words I
went as far as you can possibly go and
so sometimes we say to ourselves well I
can't can you please help me with this
but what Jesus says as he prays wanting
to have this burden possibly removed
from him the greatest opposition and
adversity anyone by an infinite level
has ever experienced he prays to his
father in heaven and says you know if
it's possible will you please take this
away but then includes in there also but
not my will I'm not looking for my will
here I want to do your will so I don't
want to do this if I don't have to but
because I love mankind and because I
love you I will do it I want to do what
thou would have me do that's an amazing
it's an amazing principle and concept
here but it's also an incredible example
it's an incredible example that is given
to us and that's part I think that right
there that attitude right there is part
of what the sacrifice of Jesus Christ
gives us is that example he went through
a process to be the one to take on the
sins of the world we go through similar
processes all the time of adversity and
struggle and a need for additional
strength and put through trials but here
Jesus says in the most difficult trial
of all I don't want to do it but I will
do thy will I will do what is necessary
and then is and then it says in verse 30
and he cometh unto the decide
and findeth them asleep just like back
with the Mount of Transfiguration just
like with Adam as he slept and saith
unto Peter what could you not watch with
me one hour remember what they are so
amazed there they're given a great
amount of burden here they are over what
is about to transpire here and they're
worn out from it all and that's why
they're sleeping watch and pray that ye
enter not into temptation the spirit
indeed is willing but the flesh is weak
now look at this is the exact inversion
of what Jesus just said in his prayer to
the Father right because he's saying to
them look the spirits willing but the
flesh is weak so if Jesus was following
that he would not end up saying but I
will do thy will right he's doing the
exact opposite and then in verse 42 it
says he went away again the second time
and prayed saying O my father if this
cup may not pass away from me except I
drink it thy will be done right so he's
he's saying so he's gone through an hour
of this already and he can't bear it
it's overwhelming but he can bear
it and so he says again this is too much
this is overwhelming but I will not stop
I will keep going anyway I will do this
anyway if it is I will any references
here the cup this is the redemptive cup
of this setter meal probably of a Seder
meal right this is the redemptive cup
and he uses this phraseology here all my
father if this cup may not pass away
from me except I drink it thy will be
done in other words someone has to drink
the redemptive cup someone has to be the
Redeemer and he's saying it because it
can be done without me having to drink
this that would be great but regardless
I will do whatever it takes and I will
follow your will and then he came again
and found them asleep again being Peter
James and John for their eyes were heavy
and he left them and went
and prayed the third time saying the
same words then cometh he to his
disciples and saith unto them sleep on
now and take your rest
behold the hours at hand and the Son of
Man is betrayed into the hand in the
hands of sinners rise let us be going
behold he is at hand that does betray me
so here
again three times he prays to the Father
about whether or not he has to go
through this and I like that I like that
that's there because even this perfect
being being Jesus Christ he's perfect
because he does follow through with the
will that doesn't mean it's not
difficult for them if it wasn't
difficult for him if it wasn't
overwhelming for him then it's not a
sacrifice right if it's not difficult
that for him to do this if it's not a
struggle for him then he wouldn't bleed
from every pore and so that creates an
example for us because we go through
these problems and we need to try to
bend our will that's part of what a
trial is I think is to learn to bend our
will to the will of God and here Jesus
is doing that and then while he says
let's go they start coming down from
Gethsemane Judas and the chief priests
and everybody else comes up to meet them
and there is a sign that was given where
Judas was going to kiss Jesus now they
knew who Jesus was right I mean he'd
been there in the temple teaching many
times and he says to them you're coming
to get me now I've been in the temple
many times and you've never you've never
grabbed me there so they know who he is
already but what this is it seems to me
this sign that they would give it could
be part of a ritual that's happening
remember they know they're going to have
crucifixions and sacrifices the
human sacrifice the following day that's
already setup it's whether or not they
can get Jesus to be a part of that
sacrifice if they can use him as a
sacrifice the crucifixions are already
planned this is already going to happen
and what they want to do is through
strategy and subtlety get Jesus to be
thrown into this at the last minute to
be someone who's going to be sacrificed
and so Judas needs to act as a witness
on this they don't have anything against
him against Jesus so they need witnesses
as to who he is and maybe there's
other things that you just said about
him so he goes up and gives him a kiss
and betrays Jesus and then this is where
Peter takes out his sword and smites the
ear of one of the servants of the high
priests and again we think about Peter
sometimes like he's the one who denied
but let's look at this in a different
light he may have been told that he
should deny that switch Spencer W
Kimball thought and it makes sense in
this context and then here he is smiting
off the ear of one of the servants who
may have been aggressive or trying to
grab Jesus we don't know and Peter takes
out his sword and smites off his ear I I
understand that I think I understand
that maybe you do too this is the Savior
who you have a great amount of love for
and he wants to protect him and so he
smites off the ear I get it
I'd completely get it and he takes the
year of the servant and puts it back up
to his head and heals it at that point
even in the face of his enemies he
follows through on his own example in
his old own teachings which is love not
just your friends but love your enemies
and that's what he does here but
it's another example of why Peter may
not have just been denying him and
didn't have the spine to do it here he
is
putting himself in a position with
everybody where he's ready to die right
here obviously he's putting himself in a
position where he can be tried and you
know he doesn't have a problem doing
this so it doesn't really make sense
that he would be denying Christ on his
own and so the high priests and their
group take Jesus into custody and they
go to Caiaphas who is the high priest
and they began questioning him to try
and trap him into something where he
will be worthy of death based on their
questioning and they asked him all these
questions and they can't get him to
cross himself to be in a position where
he would be worthy of a death penalty
until finally Caiaphas who is a Sadducee
and is the high priest and Caiaphas says
to him I adjure thee by the Living God
that thou tell us whether thou be the
Christ the Son of God so what is he
going for here this is a common theme
throughout the scriptures it's a very
common theme he what he's going for his
blasphemy he wants him to be worthy of
death through blasphemy that's how he's
going after this think of someone in
litigation in a trial and they're
looking for an angle to try and accuse
him and so finally they go to blasphemy
and ask if he is claiming to be the Son
of God the Messiah and then Jesus saith
unto Him thou hath said nevertheless I
Sandy you hereafter shall you see the
Son of man sitting on the right hand of
power and coming in the clouds of heaven
and then the high priest rent his
clothes saying he hath spoken blasphemy
what further need have we of witnesses
behold now you have heard this blasphemy
what think I and they all answered
Caiaphas and said he is guilty of death
so that was it now they have reason to
let all hell literally break loose
at this point they begin spitting in his
face and now from here it through the
crucifixion later in several hours
they're going to mock him and treat him
as poorly as they possibly can
now blasphemy is an interesting
accusation here this is what they go
after with a Bennett I same thing and
this is what they probably go after many
of the prophets within the Old Testament
that they have stoned to death and
lastly I want to finish up with just a
few personal experiences and ideas about
the atonement about the decision that
Jesus made here and what he decided to
go through for us and what that means
for me personally there's a few things
one I thought many times about the fact
that he has taken on all of the
difficulties that I have gone through
and will go through and what does that
mean for me it means that somebody has
already gone through that path they've
already beaten the path right they've
gone through it they've created that
path already and the reason that that
path has already created is because he's
already experienced the adversity that I
have and will experience and what
strength does that give me what is the
practical meaning of that the practical
meaning is that I know that someone has
already gone through all of my obstacles
and trials and has come out on top and
so therefore I know that I can do the
same thing
I mean I'll always choose right I might
get beaten down but the strength of what
Jesus did can give me the strength to
follow through with it and follow
through my path which he has already
gone through I hope that makes sense to
you
that gives me a lot of strength secondly
he is the ideal thinking about him as
the ideal
he suffered and he loved and he overcame
it's not enough to just say that we're
going to be in despair and we're going
to be depressed because of a problem
that we're going through or because of
the difficulties of life and mortality
he overcame it all he took it on himself
and he overcame at all and that's an
important part about faith in Jesus
Christ and hope through Jesus Christ
right that he overcame all and we can do
the same and we need to do the same we
need to overcome as well and lastly
looking at him purely as an example and
so apart from him being the Savior as
I've spoken up previously he is also has
other roles one of them is that he's our
brother and so I think about one of us
he's one of us and he went and paid the
price for all of us and how did he do
that well in the spiritual economy he
covered us Yom Kippur you know he the
covering that's the atonement he covered
this you know he's got it he went in did
it when nobody else could do it
and that's an example for all of us to
live by right where he was willing to
take on everyone's burdens and come out
on top and so that's what I think I need
to do I think that I need to where
possible where necessary is go out and
take on the burdens of others sometimes
it's easy to have to get swallowed up in
the problems of life and with close
relationships or with work or with
whatever it might be and yet Christ took
on everything he took on these burdens
but he did it with the right attitude he
didn't want to always do it but he went
out and he did it and he knew that he
could come out on top even no matter how
difficult
it was and that is a great example
for me and that gives me a lot of
strength about how I need to be where I
can deal with the problems that I face
each and every day have a positive
attitude that I can come out on top with
all of it but that I'm willing to bear
the burdens that are thrown on me or
that I can maybe take onto myself
especially for those that I love the
most if I need to take on a burden with
them and overcome it with him then
that's about as Christ-like as you can
get I think and so Jesus the greatest of
all of us was made the least of all of
us so that he could overcome everything
and give us all opportunity and choice
that's what he delivered for us those
are the greatest gifts we could have
I'll talk to you next time
50% Complete
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