Holy Week Meditations for Each of the Last Days of Jesus Christ's Life on Earth

Close your eyes, and bring your attention to your breath. Inhale deeply, hold for two seconds, now breathe out all the tension, stress, or negativity in your body. One more time. Breathe in deeply, hold, exhale slowly all the way. 

As your breathing returns to normal, gently turn your thoughts and attention toward the last week of Christ’s life, celebrated in many Christian traditions as the “Holy Week.” Although a precise chronology of Christs’ final days of mortality is not clear, most traditions place certain significant events on each of the days of the week.

Elder Gong describes the Holy Week this way: “The sacred events between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are the story of hosanna[, meaning “save now,”] and hallelujah[, meaning “praise ye the Lord Jehovah”]. Hosanna is our plea for God to save. Hallelujah expresses our praise to the Lord for the hope of salvation and exaltation. In hosanna and hallelujah we recognize the living Jesus Christ as the heart of Easter and latter-day restoration.”

Today we will be pondering the Sunday before Easter, known as Palm Sunday, when Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Jesus and his disciples were traveling to Jerusalem to prepare for the Passover. When they got to Bethany, Jesus sent two disciples into a village, directing them to a colt (a young male donkey) tied up in the village. He told them to untie it, and to say to anyone who tried to stop them that the “Lord hath need of him.”

So they did as Jesus asked and when they got back, they laid their garments on the colt, set Jesus on it, and started again for Jerusalem.

Imagine you have come to the large city of Jerusalem with all of your family, and you are getting ready to celebrate the big Passover holiday. Everyone is buzzing with the story of a man named Jesus who has been doing incredible things. Most recently, he raised a man named Lazarus from the dead. Everyone is talking about it. “He is more than a man.” They say. “He must be here to save us from the Romans!” “If he can raise a man from the dead, imagine what he can do to the Roman army!” “He’s going to save us!”

Suddenly you hear a commotion in the streets. There are shouts of “That’s him!” and “Here he comes!” And people are rushing around.

You follow the crowd and see a figure sitting on a donkey entering the city. You hear from those around you that it is Jesus. He has come to Jerusalem for the Passover!

There are people with him. They are praising Jesus and rejoicing, loudly.[1] People in the city around you join in, cutting branches from palm trees[2] and grabbing clothing and laying it all down on the street for Jesus to ride on, so clouds of dust from the donkey’s hooves don’t leave dirt on him.[3]

As he passes, you hear the procession yelling out, “Hosana, blessed is the King[4] of Israel[5] that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosana in the highest.”[6] Others are calling him the son of David[7] and saying that the kingdom of David has come.[8] You realize that people are expecting him to deliver the Jews from the Romans. “Save us now!”[9] they are saying. You watch in wonder as this Jesus, riding on a donkey, passes you in the street. He meets your eye just for a second, and a jolt of recognition and power courses through your body. The shock of it makes you quickly bow your head in surprise and respect.

Then another voice cries out. Some pharisees in the crowd yell to Jesus, “Master, rebuke they disciples!”[10] Maybe they think that the crowd is being blasphemous. Or maybe they are worried that the Romans will think the Jews are inciting a rebellion; that’s clearly what some people are hoping for. You look at Jesus, eager to see how he will respond. He looks around at the crowds of people and slowly turns to the pharisees, saying “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”[11]

The pharisees are at a loss for words, and the procession, which is growing by the minute, continues through the street toward the temple 

You are left to ponder what just happened.

A verse from Zechariah comes to mind: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” Could this Jesus be that King?

Donkeys were common conveyances of Old Testament kings, especially King David.[12] And Palm fronds were used during the festival of Tabernacles, which commemorated the wandering of the children of Israel in the wilderness, and were associated with the coronation of the Israelite king.[13] Could the crowd possibly believe that Jesus is the King that Zechariah prophesied about, and the same being who delivered the Israelites anciently?[14]

As you return to your Passover preparations, you ponder the things you have heard about Jesus. He has healed physical ailments, forgiven sins, cast out devils, and even calmed stormy seas, allegedly.

People call him all sorts of different names—Jesus of Nazareth, Master, Teacher, the Messiah, the Christ, Lord, the Son of God, and the Lamb of God.[15] The last name stops you in your tracks as you realize what day it is—the day when your family must choose a lamb for the Passover feast.[16] And the crowd just chose the Lamb of God as their king. You aren’t exactly sure what that means, but it seems significant somehow. This Passover just might be one you will remember forever.

When you are ready, take a final deep breath and slowly turn your awareness back to your body. As you open your eyes and return to your surroundings, take a moment to jot down any thoughts, promptings, or questions that came to mind while you were pondering. Continue to ponder the things that have come to your mind and your heart as you prepare for and celebrate the upcoming Easter Holiday.

_____________

[1] Luke 19:37 (“the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen.”)

[2] John 12:13.

[3] Matthew 21:8; Mark 11:8; Luke 19:

[4] Luke 19:38.

[5] John 12:13.

[6] Matthew 21:9; Mark 11: 9-10.

[7] Mathew 21:15.

[8] Mark 11:10.

[9] Gerrit W. Gong, “Hosanna and Hallelujah—The Living Jesus Christ: The Heart of Restoration and Easter,” General Conference, April 2020; “Hosana,” Bible Dictionary; “Hosana,” Guide to the Scriptures.

[10] Luke 19:39.

[11] Luke 19:40.

[12] Eric D. Huntsman, “Palm Sunday,” huntsmanseasonal.blogspot.com, https://huntsmanseasonal.blogspot.com/2017/04/palm-sunday.html (last accessed Mar 3, 2023).

[13] Eric D. Huntsman, “Palm Sunday,” huntsmanseasonal.blogspot.com, https://huntsmanseasonal.blogspot.com/2017/04/palm-sunday.html (last accessed Mar 3, 2023).

[14] “Hosana,” Guide to the Scriptures.

[15] John 1:29.

[16] Eric D. Huntsman, “Palm Sunday,” huntsmanseasonal.blogspot.com, https://huntsmanseasonal.blogspot.com/2017/04/palm-sunday.html (last accessed Mar 3, 2023).

Close your eyes, and bring your attention to your breath. Inhale deeply, hold for two seconds, now breathe out all the tension, stress, or negativity in your body. One more time. Breathe in deeply, hold, exhale slowly all the way.

As your breathing returns to normal, gently turn your thoughts and attention toward the last week of Christ’s life, celebrated in many Christian traditions as the “Holy Week.” Although a precise chronology of Christs’ final days of mortality is not clear, most traditions place certain significant events on each of the days of the week.

Elder Gong describes the Holy Week this way: “The sacred events between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are the story of hosanna[, meaning “save now,”] and hallelujah[, meaning “praise ye the Lord Jehovah”]. Hosanna is our plea for God to save. Hallelujah expresses our praise to the Lord for the hope of salvation and exaltation. In hosanna and hallelujah we recognize the living Jesus Christ as the heart of Easter and latter-day restoration.”

Today, for the Monday before Easter, we will be pondering the story of Jesus cleansing the temple. Try to imagine what it would have been like to be each of the people mentioned in the story.

At some point after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ visits the temple. While he is there, he sees people buying and selling things within the temple walls. He sees groups of noisy, messy sacrificial animals being offered for sale. He sees people changing money so that templegoers can buy and merchants can sell. He cannot stand by while this is happening.

In an uncommonly emotional scene, Christ fashions a whip out of small cords and drives out all the merchants and the oxen, sheep, and doves they are selling.[1] He tells them “make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise”[2] and He casts out the people who are buying.[3] He pours out the money that the moneychangers are working with[4] and he turns over their tables.[5] He doesn’t let anyone carry any vessel through the temple.[6] He says, “It is written My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.”[7]

Once the animals and merchants have cleared out, and the temple is clean, Christ turns his attention to some blind and lame individuals who had come to the temple and He heals them.[8]

Some of the Jews who had witnessed the scene, clearly concerned at the authority which Jesus was claiming to act under, ask Him “What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?”

Jesus answers by saying, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

The Jews are shocked: the temple took forty-six years to build and this man is going to rebuild it in three days?[9] Nevermind the fact that he has been healing physical illnesses, forgiving sins, and calming stormy seas.

Nobody understands that Jesus is referring to the temple of his body.[10]

Take a few minutes to ponder this story. What would it have been like to be there as it was happening?

Imagine how the people who were buying and selling in the Temple felt when Jesus overthrew their tables and admonished them. How would you feel if Christ were with you during a typical day? Is there anything He would “cleanse” from your life like he “cleansed” from the temple?

Standing up for what you know to be right is scary. It was probably scary for Jesus too, who knew that certain groups of the Jews were intimidated by his power and his claimed authority, and were looking for any chance they had to bring a legal case against him so He could be sentenced to death. But Christ, knowing that death was part of his mission, chose to stand up for what he knew to be true. In what ways have you stood up for truth in your life, even when it put you at risk? Did you feel the power of God supporting you?[11]

Are there truths you are prompted to stand up for in your life now? 

When you are ready, take a final deep breath and slowly turn your awareness back to your body. As you open your eyes and return to your surroundings, take a moment to jot down any thoughts, promptings, or questions that came to mind while you were pondering. Continue to ponder the things that have come to your mind and your heart as you prepare for and celebrate the upcoming Easter Holiday.

______________________

[1] John 1:13-15; see also Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15.

[2] John 2:16.

[3] Luke 19:45.

[4] John 2:15.

[5] Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15.

[6] Mark 11:16.

[7] Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46.

[8] Matthew 21:14.

[9] John 2:20.

[10] John 2:21-22.

[11] Philippians 4:3 (“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”)

Close your eyes, and bring your attention to your breath. Inhale deeply, hold for two seconds, now breathe out all the tension, stress, or negativity in your body. One more time. Breathe in deeply, hold, exhale slowly all the way.

As your breathing returns to normal, gently turn your thoughts and attention toward the last week of Christ’s life, celebrated in many Christian traditions as the “Holy Week.” Although a precise chronology of Christs’ final days of mortality is not clear, most traditions place certain significant events on each of the days of the week.

Elder Gong describes the Holy Week this way: “The sacred events between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are the story of hosanna[, meaning “save now,”] and hallelujah[, meaning “praise ye the Lord Jehovah”]. Hosanna is our plea for God to save. Hallelujah expresses our praise to the Lord for the hope of salvation and exaltation. In hosanna and hallelujah we recognize the living Jesus Christ as the heart of Easter and latter-day restoration.”

Today, for the Tuesday before Easter, we will be pondering just a few of the many teachings and prophesies Christ gave as he taught in the temple the days before his death.

Examination of Christ

Traditionally, after the paschal lamb was selected for the Passover feast, the lamb was taken to the temple[1] or into the home of the Jewish family who selected the lamb, where it would be kept separate from its flock[2] until it was slaughtered for the feast. In the days leading up to the feast, the lambs would be examined to ensure that they were “without blemish.”[3] As Christ, the symbolic paschal lamb, taught in the temple in the days leading up to his sacrifice, He too was examined. The Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, and others asked him questions with the intent to trip him up, find fault in him, and “catch him in his words”[4].

One of the most famous questions posed was which of the commandments is the greatest?[5]

Jesus answered “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all they strength.”[6] And the second commandment is to “love thy neighbour as thyself.”[7] “On these two commandments,” Christ explained, “hang all the law and the prophets.”[8]

How are all the other commandments we have been given encapsulated in the commandments to love God and love your neighbor?

Why is “love God” the first commandment, over “love thy neighbor”? Do you ever find yourself caring so much about being sensitive to your neighbor that you forget to be sensitive to God?

Eight Woes (versus Eight Beatitudes)

In Matthew 23, Christ pronounces eight woes on the scribes and Pharisees. You may notice that these woes correspond to the eight beatitudes he taught in his Sermon on the Mount.[9] Let’s spend a few moments pondering each woe and correlating beatitude. What can you learn from each of the following set of woes and blessings?

First, Christ says “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.”[10] Compare with Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit [who come unto me]: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Second, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.”[11] Compare with Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”[12]

Third, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye [travel over land and sea to win a single convert,] and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than he was before, like unto yourselves.”[13] Compare with Matthew 5:5: “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”

Fourth, Christ pronounces woe on the scribes and Pharisees for making the temple and the alter of less importance than the gold on the temple and the sacrifice on the alter.[14] In other words, they are focused on material things over spiritual things. Compare with Matthew 5:6: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

Fifth, Christ pronounces woe on the scribes and Pharisees for paying tithing of various valuable spices and herbs, but abandoning the “weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith.”[15] Compare with Matthew 5:7: “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”

Sixth, Christ condemns the scribes and Pharisees for being more concerned with their outer appearance than with their heart. They “clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of [greediness and lack of self-control].”[16] Compare with Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” 

Seventh, Christ likens the scribes and Pharisees to whitewashed tombs that “appear beautiful outward, but are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.”[17] Compare with Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

Eighth, Christ pronounces woe on the scribes and Pharisees for killing the prophets and persecuting the righteous.[18] Compare with Matthew 5:10: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Olivet Discourse and Second Coming

Much of Christ’s teaching during this time concerned His second coming. He spent time on the Mount of Olives, giving what is known as the Olivet Discourse, which lists signs of His second coming. He also used several parables to teach different aspects of His coming, including the parable of the ten virgins,[19] the parable of the talents,[20] the parable of the sheep and the goats,[21] and the parable of the fig tree.[22]

These parables are about preparing for the Second Coming by watching for the prophesied signs, living righteously, and not procrastinating any changes or preparations that we need to make. In a 2004 General Conference, Dallin H. Oaks asked “What if the day of His coming were tomorrow? If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow—through our premature death or through His unexpected coming—what would we do today? 

What confessions would we make?

What practices would we discontinue?

What accounts would we settle?

What forgivenesses would we extend?

What testimonies would we bear?

If we would do those things then, why not now?”[23]

When you are ready, take a final deep breath and slowly turn your awareness back to your body. As you open your eyes and return to your surroundings, take a moment to jot down any thoughts, promptings, or questions that came to mind while you were pondering. Continue to ponder the things that have come to your mind and your heart as you prepare for and celebrate the upcoming Easter Holiday.

______

[1] David C. Grabbe, “What the Bible says about Passover Kept at the Temple,” bibletools.org, https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/19883/Passover-Kept-at-Temple.htm#:~:text=These%20original%20instructions%20also%20direct%20the%20Israelites%20to,doorposts%20and%20lintel%20of%20the%20house%20%28Exodus%2012%3A22%29 (last accessed March 23, 2023)

[2] Exodus 12:5.

[3] Exodus 12:5.

[4] Mark 12:13.

[5] Matthew 22:36; Mark 12:28.

[6] Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:29.

[7] Mark 12:31.

[8] Matthew 24:40.

[9] James B. Jordan, “The Beatitudes and Woes,” Theopolis Institute, theopolisinstitute.com, May 15, 1989,   https://theopolisinstitute.com/the-beatitudes-and-woes/ (last accessed March 13, 2023).

[10] Matthew 23:13.

[11] Matthew 23:14.

[12] See also Matthew 6:5.

[13] JST Matthew 23:12 (alterations from NIV Matthew 23:13).

[14] Matthew 23:16-22.

[15] Matthew 23:23-24.

[16] Matthew 23:25-26; see also Matthew 23:25 footnotes a and b.

[17] Matthew 23:27.

[18] Matthew 23:29-36.

[19] Matthew 25:1-13.

[20] Matthew 25:14-30.

[21] Matthew 25:31-46.

[22] Matthew 24:32-33

[23] Dallin H. Oaks, “Preparation for the Second Coming,” General Conference, April 2004.

Close your eyes, and bring your attention to your breath. Inhale deeply, hold for two seconds, now breathe out all the tension, stress, or negativity in your body. One more time. Breathe in deeply, hold, exhale slowly all the way.

As your breathing returns to normal, gently turn your thoughts and attention toward the last week of Christ’s life, celebrated in many Christian traditions as the “Holy Week.” Although a precise chronology of Christs’ final days of mortality is not clear, most traditions place certain significant events on each of the days of the week.

Elder Gong describes the Holy Week this way: “The sacred events between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are the story of hosanna[, meaning “save now,”] and hallelujah[, meaning “praise ye the Lord Jehovah”]. Hosanna is our plea for God to save. Hallelujah expresses our praise to the Lord for the hope of salvation and exaltation. In hosanna and hallelujah we recognize the living Jesus Christ as the heart of Easter and latter-day restoration.”

Today, for the Wednesday before Easter, also known as Spy Wednesday, we will be pondering Christ’s anointings, and Judas’s agreement to betray Jesus.

Christ’s Anointing(s)

In the gospels of Matthew and Mark, we read that while Jesus is eating a meal in the house of Simon the Leper, a woman enters the house and anoints His head with very precious ointment.[1] His disciples think it is wasteful, considering how expensive the ointment is.[2] But Christ rebukes them, explaining that the woman is doing a good work in preparing Him for His burial.[3]

The gospel of John also tells of an anointing before Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. In John, Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with costly ointment and wipes His feet with her hair.[4] Some believe that this is the same anointing as the unnamed woman in the gospels of Matthew and Mark. But if it is a second anointing, it adds beautiful symbolism in that last week of Christ’s life.

In ancient Israel, two figures regularly experienced anointing: the king[5] and the high priest.[6] These anointings in the New Testament highlight Christ’s two roles as the rightful King and the rightful High Priest. Mary’s anointing of Christ precedes the Kingly actions of Christ during his last week: his Triumphal Entry, his cleansing of and teaching in the temple, and his prophecies of his Second Coming where he will reign over the earth. The anointing by the unnamed woman signals the transition of Christ to a priestly role as he institutes the sacrament, suffers in the Garden of Gethsemane, and completes the atonement on the cross.[7]

Take a few moments to ponder the symbolism of Christ as king, a temporal authority, and as high priest, a spiritual authority.

In speaking of the unnamed woman who anointed Him, Christ said “She hath done what she could.”[8] He then prophesied that “this which she has done unto me, shall be had in remembrance in generations to come.”[9] “Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.”[10]

Take a few minutes to ponder this woman who Christ memorialized for her seemingly small act of ministering to Him—of doing “what she could” for Him before His death. Who do you think she was? What do you think were the thoughts and feelings running through her mind?

Who in your life has discerned your needs and “done what they could” for you when you needed it most? How can you honor them as Christ honored this woman?

Judas’ Betrayal

Judas was offended by Christ’s rebuke regarding the expensive oil.[11] He went to the chief priests and said “[w]hat will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?”[12] And they offered him thirty pieces of silver, which was the price of a servant in ancient Israel.[13] That was supposedly enough for Judas, who then waited for an opportunity to “conveniently betray” the Savior.[14]

It is hard to imagine how a person who had been with Jesus as he performed so many miracles and taught so many powerful messages could turn around and betray him for a bit of money. But rather than asking “how could he do that?” maybe we should ask ourselves “how do I do that?”

We “betray” the Lord to some degree any time we do something we know we should not do. The story of Judas’ choice to betray the Savior is a powerful reminder to us that we are not ever immune from the adversary’s influence. That is why King Mosiah warned, “if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish.”[15]

Take a few moments to ponder the concept of betrayal and how you can avoid betraying Christ in your life.

When you are ready, take a final deep breath and slowly turn your awareness back to your body. As you open your eyes and return to your surroundings, take a moment to jot down any thoughts, promptings, or questions that came to mind while you were pondering. Continue to ponder the things that have come to your mind and your heart as you prepare for and celebrate the upcoming Easter Holiday.

_____________

[1] Matthew 26:6, 7; Mark 14:3.

[2] Matthew 26:8; Mark 14:4-5.

[3] Matthew 26:12; Mark 14:6, 8.

[4] John 12:3.

[5] 2 Samuel 2:4, 5:3.

[6] Exodus 40:13; Leviticus 6:20, 22.

[7] Eric D. Huntsman, “The Anointing in John,” huntsmanseasonal.blogspot.com, https://huntsmanseasonal.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-anointing-in-john.html (last accessed March 14, 2023)

[8] Mark 14:8.

[9] JST Mark 14:8.

[10] Matthew 26:13; see also Mark 14:9.

[11] JST Mark 14:31.

[12] Matthew 26:15; see also Mark 14:10; Luke 22:3-4.

[13] Exodus 21:32.

[14] Mark 14:11; see also Matthew 26:16; Luke 22:5-6.

[15] Mosiah 4:30.

Close your eyes, and bring your attention to your breath. Inhale deeply, hold for two seconds, now breathe out all the tension, stress, or negativity in your body. One more time. Breathe in deeply, hold, exhale slowly all the way.

As your breathing returns to normal, gently turn your thoughts and attention toward the last week of Christ’s life. Elder Gong describes the Holy Week this way: “The sacred events between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are the story of hosanna[, meaning “save now,”] and hallelujah[, meaning “praise ye the Lord Jehovah”]. Hosanna is our plea for God to save. Hallelujah expresses our praise to the Lord for the hope of salvation and exaltation. In hosanna and hallelujah we recognize the living Jesus Christ as the heart of Easter and latter-day restoration.” 

Today we will be pondering the Thursday before Easter, also known as Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday, when Jesus instituted the sacrament during the Last Supper, suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, and was betrayed and taken to Caiaphas.

Last Supper/Sacrament

It is unclear from the gospels whether the Last Supper was a Passover feast or not. Matthew and Mark suggest that it was, but John states that the Passover feast began at sundown on the day Christ was crucified. Some believe that Christ, knowing He would not be alive for Passover, chose to celebrate it with His disciples early. Luke records Christ saying, “With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”[1]

Others suggest that there were really two Passover observances going on at the time—one at the Temple led by the priests, containing slight changes that had been made to the festival over time, and another observed by people in their homes according to the original Passover instructions. Christ’s Passover was clearly held in a home, and if this theory is accurate, would have occurred one evening before the priest-led, Temple Passover.[2]

During this last meal together, Christ institutes the sacrament,[3] directing His disciples to eat and drink in remembrance of His body, which is given as a ransom, and His blood, which will soon be shed for “for as many as shall believe on [His] name, for the remission of their sins.”[4]

After dinner, Christ begins washing the disciples’ feet. Imagine how you would feel if the Savior of the world knelt on the ground in front of you and began washing your feet.

When some of the disciples object to having their feet washed by Christ, He explains: “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. . . . The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them.”[5]

Christ then turns to Judas, who He had already foretold would betray Him,[6]  and says “That thou doest, do quickly.”[7] The other disciples do not know what Jesus is talking about, but Judas leaves. After Judas is gone, Christ continues talking to His disciples and calls them “Little children” saying that they will soon be looking for Him, but He is going somewhere they cannot follow.[8]

The name “Maundy Thursday” comes from the Latin word “mandatum,” which means “mandate, or commandment.”[9] In response to the separation that Christ knew was only hours away, He gives His disciples a “new commandment” to love one another. These are His words: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.[10]

Feeling love for His disciples and knowing that they will soon be mourning His death, Christ continues with words of comfort. He explains that although He is leaving, He is going to prepare a place where they can all be together again, and He will come back.[11]

He explains that He is the only way that we can be reunited with our Heavenly Father. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”[12] So he pleads, “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.”[13] We know that this second comforter is the Holy Ghost, who, Christ explains, “dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”[14]

So if we love Christ and want to be with Him, we should keep His commandments so that first of all, we can have His Spirit, a comforter and teacher, to be always with us and remind us of Christ,[15] and second, through the Savior’s atoning power we can return to Him and our Heavenly Father in the next life.

Christ explained that His words were meant to bring peace:[16] “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”[17] “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”[18] “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”[19]

Take a few moments to rest in the peace that Christ has promised to those who follow Him. 

After Christ was finished speaking with His disciples, He headed out to the mount of Olives.[20]

Garden of Gethsemane

And, knowing His “hour had come,” went to the Garden of Gethsemene. He left His disciples, instructing them to pray, and He set off on His own, where He “suffer[ed] pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. . . . and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”[21]

Perhaps the best description we have of our Savior’s atonement comes from Christ Himself when He said,

“Therefore I command you to repent—repent, lest . . . your sufferings be sore—how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.

For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.”[22]

The suffering was so heavy and so intense that Christ prayed to His father, wanting to have the burden taken from Him. But His famous words “not my will, but thine be done” show He understood the importance of what He was experiencing.[23] And that His love for us overshadowed His agony. “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and he sweat as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”[24]

Take a few minutes to ponder the magnitude of Christ’s atonement. Imagine every bit of suffering you have experienced in life—your lowest points. Imagine Christ feeling those moments as well.

The Savior describes His atonement as being for “all.” How might your interactions change with others if you are able to always keep in remembrance that Christ suffered for them?

Ponder the following question Christ posed to the Nephites when He visited them after His resurrection: “will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?”[25] How can you let Christ heal you?

As we move on and ponder Judas’s betrayal and the proceeding in front of Caiaphas, try to picture the events in your mind as if you are present and watching them unfold.

Betrayal

Christ has just suffered the beginning of the atonement in the Garden of Gethsemane. He and His disciples are walking back from the garden, when they see a group of people approaching them in the darkness. Some of them are armed with swords.[26] Some of them carry torches.[27] As they get closer, they recognize Judas among the faces and ask him what is going on.

Instead of answering, Judas breaks from the group, approaches Jesus, says “Hail, master” and kisses Him.[28] Jesus, knowing full well that Judas has just betrayed Him, asks “Friend, wherefore art thou come?”[29] “Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?”[30]

And the people that came with Judas grab Jesus to haul Him off to Caiaphas, the high priest. The disciples are upset at first, and one of them draws a sword, cutting off the ear of one of Caiaphas’s servants.[31] Jesus intervenes saying “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?”[32] He reaches out and heals the man’s ear.[33]

The disciples disperse as Jesus is taken away.[34]

Trial in front of Caiaphas

Jesus is brought to the high priest, Caiaphas. The chief priests, elders, and other members in the council have been seeking witnesses against Him so they can find a cause to put Him to death.[35] Two witnesses eventually come forward and testify that Christ said He could destroy the temple of God and build it again in three days.[36] Caiaphas asks Jesus to respond to the accusations, and Jesus is silent.[37] 

Caiaphas tries again, asking Jesus to swear under oath whether or not He is “the Christ, the Son of God.”[38] Jesus answers “Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.[39]

The high priest accuses Christ of blasphemy, and the council agrees that no more witnesses are needed: Jesus is worthy of death.[40] “Then they did spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?”[41]

When you are ready, take a final deep breath and slowly turn your awareness back to your body. As you open your eyes and return to your surroundings, take a moment to jot down any thoughts, promptings, or questions that came to mind while you were pondering. Continue to ponder the things that have come to your mind and your heart as you prepare for and celebrate the upcoming Easter Holiday.

______________

[1] Luke 22:14-16; see Eric D. Huntsman, “Maundy Thursday,” huntsmanseasonal.blogspot.com,  https://huntsmanseasonal.blogspot.com/2013/03/maundy-thursday.html  (last accessed March 20, 2023)

[2] David C. Grabbe, “What the Bible says about Passover Kept at the Temple,” bibletools.org, https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/19883/Passover-Kept-at-Temple.htm#:~:text=These%20original%20instructions%20also%20direct%20the%20Israelites%20to,doorposts%20and%20lintel%20of%20the%20house%20%28Exodus%2012%3A22%29 (last accessed March 23, 2023) (“In actuality, then, there were really two Passover observances happening at the time of Jesus: one led by the priests at the Temple and the other observed by the people in their homes. These separate observances were also at different times: The Temple-kept Passover was observed late in the afternoon of Abib 14, while the home-kept Passover was kept at the beginning of Abib 14. As the gospels show, Jesus and His disciples at the Passover in a home rather than at the Temple, observing it the evening before the priests did at the Temple.”)

[3] For a guided meditation on the institution of the sacrament, listen to the episode titled “Taking the Sacrament,” released July 2022.

[4] JST Matthew 26:24; see also Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20.

[5] John 13:13-17.

[6] Luke 22:21; John 13:11, 21, 26.

[7] John 13:27.

[8] John 13:33.

[9] https://www.dictionary.com/e/what-does-maundy-thursday-mean/

[10] John 13:34-35.

[11] John 14:3.

[12] John 14:6.

[13] John 14:15-16.

[14] John 14:17-20; see also John 14:21, 23.

[15] John 14:26.

[16] John 14:27.

[17] John 14:27.

[18] John 15:18.

[19] John 16:33.

[20] Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26; Luke 22:39.

[21] Alma 7:11-12.

[22] D&C 19:15-16.

[23] Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42.

[24] Luke 22:44.

[25] 3 Nephi 9:13.

[26] Matthew 26:47; Mark 14:43; Luke 22:47.

[27] John 18:3.

[28] Matthew 26:49; Mark 14:45; Luke 22:47.

[29] Matthew 26:50.

[30] Luke 22:48.

[31] Matthew 26:51; Mark 14:47; Luke 22:50; John 18:10.

[32] Matthew 26:53-54; see also Luke 22:51.

[33] Luke 22:51.

[34] Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50-52.

[35] Matthew 26:59; Mark 14:55.

[36] Matthew 26:61; Mark 14:58.

[37] Matthew 26:62-63; Mark 14:60-61.

[38] Matthew 26:63; Mark 14:61-62.

[39] Matthew 26:64; see also Luke 22:766-71.

[40] Matthew 26:65-66; Mark 14:63-64; see also Luke 22:71.

[41] Matthew 26:67-68; Mark 14:65; Luke 22:64.

Close your eyes, and bring your attention to your breath. Inhale deeply, hold for two seconds, now breathe out all the tension, stress, or negativity in your body. One more time. Breathe in deeply, hold, exhale slowly all the way.

As your breathing returns to normal, gently turn your thoughts and attention toward the last week of Christ’s life. Elder Gong describes the Holy Week this way: “The sacred events between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are the story of hosanna[, meaning “save now,”] and hallelujah[, meaning “praise ye the Lord Jehovah”]. Hosanna is our plea for God to save. Hallelujah expresses our praise to the Lord for the hope of salvation and exaltation. In hosanna and hallelujah we recognize the living Jesus Christ as the heart of Easter and latter-day restoration.”

Today we will be pondering the Friday before Easter, known as Good Friday, when Jesus was tried before Pilate, crucified, and buried.

In discussing the origin of the name “Good Friday,” Eric Huntsman reasons that “On the one hand, it may well be because good was also an archaic way of referring to God—for instance, good-bye probably originally meant ‘God be with you.’ In that case, this was God’s Friday, the day when ‘we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son’ (Rom 5:10). Yet the customary understanding that Good Friday is ‘holy’ Friday is certainly appropriate.”[1]

Trial in front of Pilate and Herod

Christ ends up in front of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor and Herod, the Roman king. The chief priests tell Pilate that Jesus’s accusation is that He claimed to be the king of the Jews, and thus spoke against Caesar.[2] He stands mostly silent as He is accused by a parade of priests and elders and questioned by Pilate and Herod.[3] But when Pilate asks Him if He is the King of the Jews, Christ answers, “I am, even as thou sayest.”[4]

Why do you think Christ sometimes answered His accusers’ questions, and at other times remained silent?

It was the custom at the feast of the Passover for the governor to release a prisoner back to the people.[5] Pilate cannot find any wrongdoing in Jesus,[6] and Pilate’s wife warns him “Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.”[7] So Pilate offers to release Jesus. But the people want a prisoner named Barabbas to be released instead.[8] Pilate reluctantly agrees to release Barabbas, but asks the people what he should do with Jesus. The people answer: “Let him be crucified.”[9] Pilate objects, asking “Why, what evil hath he done?” but the people cry out more, insisting, “Let him be crucified.”[10]

Pilate gives in and washes his hands “before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.”[11] “Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.”[12]

Pilate seemed to know that putting Jesus to death was wrong. But he did it anyway, essentially throwing up his hands, saying “well I tried!” or “hey, the Jews are pressuring me do this, so they are responsible for my actions, not me.”

Do you ever find yourself justifying your own wrong actions in similar ways?

Crucifixion

The Roman soldiers dress Jesus in a purple robe.[13] They weave together a crown out of thorns for His head and put a staff in His hand. Then they bow down before Him, mocking Him, saying “Hail, King of the Jews!”[14]

Then, spitting on Him, they take the staff and begin hitting Christ on the head.[15]

When they are done with their mockery and abuse, they find a man named Simon to carry the cross that will be used to crucify the Savior.[16] A multitude of women and others follow behind Christ, wailing and lamenting the injustice and horror of what is going on.

The soldiers lead Him just outside of Jerusalem to a hill called Golgotha in Hebrew, Calvary in Greek. They lay the cross down on the ground, then place Jesus on it, hammering nails through his hands, his wrists, and his feet. When they are done, they raise the cross up and let Him hang on the top of the hill, where everyone can see. They take His clothes, “casting lots,” to see who gets to keep them, and they sit down to watch Him die.[17]

At some point during this barbaric scene, Christ says “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”[18] 

Above Jesus’ head on the cross is a sign that the Romans put with His accusation, or the reason He was condemned to death. It reads: “This is Jesus the King of the Jews.”[19] The chief priests complain to Pilate, asking him to change the sign to say not that Jesus is the king of the Jews, but that He said he was king of the Jews. Pilate refuses: “What I have written I have written.”[20] 

At some point while He is enduring this torture, Jesus looks down from the cross and sees His mother standing nearby with the apostle John. Christ says to His mother, “Woman, behold thy son,” and to John, “Behold thy mother!”[21]

The crucifixion site is located near the city, so many people who are coming and going see the Savior hanging there and read the sign above His head.[22] Many people mock Him as He hangs there, jeering at Him. Taunting: If you can build the temple in three days, then save yourself! If you are the Son of God, then come down from the cross! He saved others, let Him save himself! He trusted in God; let God deliver Him now![23]

After several hours of this, Christ, still alive and suffering in indescribable agony both from the physical torture of crucifixion, and the emotional, mental, and spiritual weight of the atonement, cries out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”[24]

Darkness settles over the land, despite the fact that it is still daytime. Christ cries out again one last time, saying, “Father, it is finished, thy will is done”[25] “into thy hands I commend my spirit”[26] and He dies.

The earth shakes in response.[27] The veil in the temple rips from top to bottom.[28] The Roman centurion, witnessing the darkness and the earthquakes and hearing Christ’s cries, gives an unlikely but powerful testimony: “Truly this was the Son of God.”[29]

Burial

After Christ dies, one of the members of the Sanhedrin who did not agree that Christ should have been condemned to death,[30] a man named Joseph of Arimathaea, boldly begs Pilate to allow Him to take the body, and Pilate agrees.[31] Joseph and Nicodemus, another Sanhedrin member friendly to Christ, wrap Jesus in a clean linen cloth and lay Him in a new tomb.[32] They roll a large stone in front of the tomb.[33] As the stone rolls into place, a feeling of finality sets in. They have crucified Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and King. 

Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, visit the tomb.[34] They begin to prepare spices and ointments for Christ’s body, but the evening comes, and with it, the Sabbath. So they are forced to halt their preparations to attend to Christ’s body until the Sabbath is over.[35]

Think of some of the individuals who are mentioned in this story: Simon, who bears the Savior’s cross; the centurion who declares Christ’s true identity; Joseph of Arimathaea, who lays the Savior to rest; Mary, who sees her Son crucified and has to wait until the Sabbath is over to tend to His body. Try to imagine what it would have been like to witness the atonement through each of their eyes?

As heavy and depressing as the events of Good Friday are, they do not compare to the love that Christ has for each of us—a love that propelled him through these awful events and allowed Him to carry through with His great atoning sacrifice. Nephi puts it beautifully, “And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.”[36]

Ponder the following quote from Eric Huntsman: “Yet even while the Lord can truly empathize with us in our afflictions, there are ways in which our sorrows, heartaches, and sufferings allow us, in some measure, to be more like our Savior. Paul wrote, ‘For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ’ (2 Corinthians 1:5). How often we pray to be more like Jesus, but when pain, rejection, loss, and heartache come our way, we recoil and beg for these experiences to be taken away!”[37]

How has the suffering you have experienced in your life helped you to become more like the Savior?

President Hinckley has said, " no member of this Church must ever forget the terrible price paid by our Redeemer who gave his life that all men might live-the agony of Gethsemane, the bitter mockery of his trial, the vicious crown of thorns tearing at his flesh, the blood cry of the mob before Pilate, the lonely burden of his heavy walk along the way to Calvary, the terrifying pain as great nails pierced his hands and feet, the fevered torture of his body as he hung that tragic day . . .

This was the cross, the instrument of his torture, the terrible device designed to destroy the Man of Peace, the evil recompense for his miraculous work of healing the sick, of causing the blind to see, of raising the dead. This was the cross on which he hung and died on Golgotha's lonely summit.

We cannot forget that. We must never forget it, for here our Savior, our Redeemer, the Son of God, gave himself a vicarious sacrifice for each of us."[38]

Take a few moments to ponder the fact that when Christ was suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross, He was doing it for you. He knew you would need the atonement. He knew you would experience suffering and trials and sin and He chose to endure what he endured so He could understand what you were going through.

We know the atonement means that we all can repent, be forgiven, and return to God’s presence. That’s what it does for everyone, generally. But what does that mean to you, specifically? How does the knowledge that the atonement happened affect your life? How does it change your daily living?

When you are ready, take a final deep breath and slowly turn your awareness back to your body. As you open your eyes and return to your surroundings, take a moment to jot down any thoughts, promptings, or questions that came to mind while you were pondering. Continue to ponder the things that have come to your mind and your heart as you prepare for and celebrate the upcoming Easter Holiday.

________________

[1] Eric D. Huntsman, “Good Friday,” huntsmanseasonal.blogspot.com, https://huntsmanseasonal.blogspot.com/2017/04/good-friday.html (last accessed Mar 3, 2023)

[2] John 18:28-37; John 19:12.

[3] Mark 15:3-5; Luke 23:6-11 ; John 19:4-12..

[4] JST Mark 15:4; see also JST Matthew 27:12 (“Thou sayest truly; for thus it is written of me.”); Luke 23:3; John 18:37.

[5] Matthew 27:15; Mark 15:6;; Luke 23:17.

[6] Luke 23:4, 14; John 18:38.

[7] Matthew 27:19.

[8] Matthew 27:16-21; Mark 15:7-11; Luke 23:18; John 18:39-40.

[9] Matthew 27:22; Mark 15:13; Luke 23:21.

[10] Matthew 27:23; Mark 15:14; Luke 23:22-23..

[11] Matthew 27:24; John 18:4, 6.

[12] Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1.

[13] JST Matthew 27:30; Mark 15:17.

[14] Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:17-20; John 19:2-3.

[15] Matthew 27:30.

[16] Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26.

[17] Matthew 27:35-37; Mark 15:24; John 19:24.

[18] Luke 23:34; see also JST Luke 23:35.

[19] Mark 15:26; John 19:19.

[20] John 19:19-22.

[21] John 19:26.

[22] John 19:20.

[23] Matthew 27:40-43; Mark 15:29-32; Luke 23:35-37.

[24] Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34.

[25] JST Matthew 27:54.

[26] Luke 23:46.

[27] Matthew 27:51.

[28] Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45.

[29] Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39; Luke 23:47.

[30] Luke 23:50-51.

[31] Matthew 27:57; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:52; John 19:38.

[32] John 19:39-40.

[33] Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53.

[34] Mark 15:47.

[35] Luke 23:55-56.

[36] 1 Nephi 19:9.

[37] Eric D. Huntsman, “Good Friday,” huntsmanseasonal.blogspot.com, https://huntsmanseasonal.blogspot.com/2017/04/good-friday.html (last accessed March 20, 2023)

[38] Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Symbol of Christ,” General Conference, April 1975.

Close your eyes, and bring your attention to your breath. Inhale deeply, hold for two seconds, now breathe out all the tension, stress, or negativity in your body. One more time. Breathe in deeply, hold, exhale slowly all the way. 

As your breathing returns to normal, gently turn your thoughts and attention toward the last week of Christ’s life. Elder Gong describes the Holy Week this way: “The sacred events between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are the story of hosanna[, meaning “save now,”] and hallelujah[, meaning “praise ye the Lord Jehovah”]. Hosanna is our plea for God to save. Hallelujah expresses our praise to the Lord for the hope of salvation and exaltation. In hosanna and hallelujah we recognize the living Jesus Christ as the heart of Easter and latter-day restoration.”

Today we will be pondering the Saturday before Easter, when Jesus ministered in the spirit world while his body lay in the tomb.

It is now Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.[1] The chief priests and Pharisees have what they want: Jesus’s body lays in a tomb. But they still are not quite satisfied. They go to Pilate again, saying, “Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.”[2] So they ask Pilate to set guards at the tomb for three days, to make sure that no disciples come “by night, steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead.”[3] Pilate allows it.[4]

Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and others want to attend to Christ’s body with spices and ointments, according to their customs, but it is the Sabbath, so any burial rituals must wait until tomorrow. Imagine how long this day must have felt to those who had just witnessed the brutal execution of their Lord, friend, son, brother, teacher, and leader.

Before Christ left the earth, He told His disciples “I go to prepare a place for you.”[5] We learn from Peter that after Christ died, but before He was resurrected,[6] that Christ visited and preached to the spirits of those who had previously lived on the earth.[7] In 1918, as President Joseph F. Smith is pondering Peter’s words, a vision is opened to him and he gets a glimpse into the spirit world the moment when Christ dies on the cross.[8]

He sees a vast multitude of people who had believed in Christ during their mortality and had died “firm in the hope of a glorious resurrection, through the grace of God the Father and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.”[9] The spirits are assembled together, excitedly talking amongst themselves and rejoicing, knowing that at any minute, Christ will arrive in the spirit world.[10] This is a moment they have been waiting for!

Suddenly, He appears, “declaring liberty to the captives who had been faithful;”[11] “And the saints rejoice[] in their redemption, and bow[] the knee and acknowledge[] the Son of God as their Redeemer and Deliverer from death and the chains of hell. Their countenances [shine], and the radiance from the presence of the Lord [rests] upon them, and they [sing] praises unto his holy name.”[12]

While there, Christ preaches “the everlasting gospel, the doctrine of the resurrection and the redemption of mankind from the fall, and from individual sins on conditions of repentance.”[13]

But there is another category of people in the spirit world: “the ungodly and the unrepentant who had defiled themselves while in the flesh,” “the rebellious who rejected the testimonies and the warnings of the ancient prophets,” and those who had “died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth.”[14] These spirits live in a place where “darkness reign[s]” and they do not get to see Christ’s face or hear His words or feel His redemption or His peace.[15]

But Christ does not abandon those spirits. He does not have a lot of time before He is going to be resurrected, so “among the righteous, he organize[s] his forces and appoint[s] messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commission[s] them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that [are] in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus [is] the gospel preached to the dead.”[16]

“Thus was it made known that our Redeemer spent his time during his sojourn in the world of spirits, instructing and preparing the faithful spirits of the prophets who had testified of him in the flesh; That they might carry the message of redemption unto all the dead, unto whom he could not go personally, because of their rebellion and transgression, that they through the ministration of his servants might also hear his words.”[17]

Take a few moments to ponder this vision. Christ’s love for every last spirit who has lived or will live on earth is so apparent and so powerful. He never gives up on any spirit. The opportunity to repent is extended again and again and again. On earth. In the spirit world. He wants us to change and to improve and to qualify for the highest level of glory and joy.

Christ’s mission was and is tireless: even His mortal death was not a rest for Him. Although we are counseled to prioritize our lives wisely and not run faster than we have strength,[18] our responsibility to serve the Lord, keep the commandments, pray always, be diligent, share the gospel, love others, and endure to the end is similarly tireless. We are never done. Think about how your relationships and roles have changed over your lifetime—and will continue to change. How can you be wisely but diligently tireless in your efforts like Christ was tireless in His?

When you are ready, take a final deep breath and slowly turn your awareness back to your body. As you open your eyes and return to your surroundings, take a moment to jot down any thoughts, promptings, or questions that came to mind while you were pondering. Continue to ponder the things that have come to your mind and your heart as you prepare for and celebrate the Easter Holiday.

______________

[1] Matthew 27:62.

[2] Matthew 27:63.

[3] Matthew 27:64.

[4] Matthew 27:65-66.

[5] John 14:2.

[6] D&C 138:27.

[7] 1 Peter 3:19; D&C 138.

[8] D&C 138:11.

[9] D&C 138:14.

[10] D&C 138:15-18.

[11] D&C 138:18.

[12] D&C 138:23-24.

[13] D&C 138:19.

[14] D&C 138:20-21; 32.

[15] D&C 138:20-22, 29.

[16] D&C 138:30.

[17] D&C 138:36-37.

[18] D&C 10:4-5 (“Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means provided to enable you to translate; but be diligent unto the end. Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.”)

Close your eyes, and bring your attention to your breath. Inhale deeply, hold for two seconds, now breathe out all the tension, stress, or negativity in your body. One more time. Breathe in deeply, hold, exhale slowly all the way. 

As your breathing returns to normal, gently turn your thoughts and attention toward the last week of Christ’s life. Elder Gong describes the Holy Week this way: “The sacred events between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are the story of hosanna[, meaning “save now,”] and hallelujah[, meaning “praise ye the Lord Jehovah”]. Hosanna is our plea for God to save. Hallelujah expresses our praise to the Lord for the hope of salvation and exaltation. In hosanna and hallelujah we recognize the living Jesus Christ as the heart of Easter and latter-day restoration.”

Today we will be pondering Easter Sunday, when Jesus was resurrected. 

Imagine you are Mary Magdalene. You witnessed many of Christ’s miracles, even being the recipient of His healing. You listened to His powerful sermons. You felt the light and hope He brought to the earth and the love and care He had for those in it. You also witnessed the unjust trial of Christ, and the horrific crucifixion. You were left with despair, emptiness, helplessness. You mourned at His tomb for as long as you could before the Sabbath came.

Then you endured the Sabbath day, going through the motions, but yearning for the evening to come, when you could return again to the tomb of Jesus Christ and finish attending to His body. Finally it is time. Your Sabbath worship is finished, and you set off to the tomb with Mary, Jesus’s mother, and some other women. As you are walking, someone raises a concern—will the group be strong enough to roll the stone in front of the tomb away so that you can access the body inside?[1]

When you get to the tomb, you see that the stone has already been moved.[2] Was there an earthquake?[3] Did someone come take the body? But then you see two individuals sitting on the stone—their clothes are white as snow and their countenances are sharp and bright.[4] The Roman guards who were guarding the tomb are on the ground, as if they are dead.[5] Your adrenaline starts pumping—what is going on here? What more horror do you have to suffer? But then the two men in white call out to you and the other women: “Fear not ye, for we know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.”[6] But “Why seek ye the living among the dead?”[7] “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”[8] “Go quickly,” they say, “and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead.”[9]

You approach, bewildered, confused, hopeful, scared, curious, and bend down to enter the tomb. Inside, the body you are expecting to see is not there.[10] In its place is a linen, folded neatly and abandoned.[11] As you return to the outside of the tomb, wondering if Christ really could have risen from the dead—and what that would even mean, you notice the two men are gone.

The other women run with “fear and great joy” to bring the disciples the message.[12] But you hang back. Confused and overwhelmed, you take a few quiet moments to mourn by yourself.

Whether Jesus’s body was taken or whether He really did rise again, you are still left with an empty tomb.

You remember the Pharisees’ concern that someone might try to take Jesus’s body and make it seem like He had risen again. You look into the tomb once more  and you see two more people dressed like the people you saw sitting on the stone. Where did they come from? There is  “one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.”[13] They ask you why you are weeping. You tell them “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have lain him.”[14]

As you are answering, gesturing to the outside of the tomb, you see another person out of the corner of your eye.[15] This person speaks too, asking you why you are weeping and who you are looking for.[16] Assuming it is the gardener, you ask, “Sir, if you have moved the body, please tell me where it is and I will take Him away.”[17]

The man responds with one word—your name.[18] The familiarity in His voice is all it takes for you to realize who is standing there. You spin around and there is Jesus, almost as if the past few days didn’t happen. But they did happen—you see the marks on His hands, wrists, and feet from the nails. “Master!”[19] He anticipates your next movement, which would be to embrace Him in joy, and warns, “Hold me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”[20]

When you are done worshipping and speaking with Christ, you run to tell the others the good news.

Later, Christ appears to His disciples, who are frightened at first, thinking they are seeing a ghost.[21] Christ assures them, “Peace be unto you.”[22] “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”[23] Christ spends the rest of His time on earth instructing His disciples to baptize others and teach others what He had taught them. “As my Father hath sent me, even so I send you.”[24]

He blesses them, gives them the gift of the Holy Ghost,[25] and reminds them “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”[26] And he ascends up to heaven[27] to sit on the right hand of God.[28]

The devastation and horror of the atonement and crucifixion stand in deep contrast to the joy, hope, and vindication of the resurrection. Mortality is full of this type of devastation and agony and horror. It is all around us and we will all experience it to some degree. But the gospel provides the contrasting joy and hope and vindication. Even as we despair in mortality, we can hope for the day when we see Christ like His disciples saw Him that Easter Sunday, and feel the prints in His hands and feet.

We have been pondering the story of Christ’s disciples seeing Him again after His horrific death. Now take a few moments to ponder what it will be like when you see Christ again, after experiencing the difficulties of mortality. He will look you in the eyes and will already know everything you’ve been through—not just know it, but have felt it with you.

Christ assured His disciples, and assures us still today: “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”[29]

When you are ready, take a final deep breath and slowly turn your awareness back to your body. As you open your eyes and return to your surroundings, take a moment to jot down any thoughts, promptings, or questions that came to mind while you were pondering. Continue to ponder the things that have come to your mind and your heart as you prepare for and celebrate the Easter Holiday.

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[1] Mark 16:3

[2] Luke 24:2.

[3] Matthew

[4] JST Matthew 28:2-3; JST Mark 16:3; Luke 24:4.

[5] Matthew 28:4.

[6] Matthew 28:5-6; see also JST Mark 16:4; Luke 24:5-7.

[7] Luke 24:5.

[8] Matthew 28:5-6; see also JST Mark 16:4; Luke 24:5-7.

[9] Matthew 28:7; JST Mark 16:5.

[10] JST Mark 16:6; Luke 24:3.

[11] Luke 24:12; John 20:5.

[12] Matthew 28:8; Mark 16:8.

[13] John 20:12.

[14] John 20:13.

[15] John 20:14.

[16] John 20:15.

[17] John 20:15.

[18] John 20:16.

[19] John 20:16.

[20] JST John 20:17.

[21] Luke 24:37.

[22] Luke 24:36; John 20:19, 21

[23] Luke 24:39.

[24] John 20:21.

[25] John 20:22

[26] Matthew 28:20.

[27] Luke 24:51.

[28] Mark 16:19.

[29] John 16:22