Week 14: Easter

My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? 

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Morning. Whoa. Crazy week, so we're doing it a little bit later. Nothing wrong with that. Um, this week I was just um going to talk a little bit about what I wanted to um I'm also outside, so there might be some outside noises today, which maybe isn't the best, but it is what it is. Um this week I was gonna talk a little bit about Holy Week and then I was gonna follow the come follow me where there just are some um verses that it talks about in the old testament um that really point to Christ and I thought they were wonderful and interesting as I was going through them. So we're gonna talk about that. But today is Palm Sunday and um one of my favorite and I'm so so happy to see the church put this out um today actually, which is um when Christ is walking in, it's Hosanna, right? And people say it says save us. But it's actually save us please. It's a it's a plea. Um it's a request. And I just love that, right? It's a prayer. Um please. And I just think that puts so much more uh desperation in there. And obviously, um at the time that Christ was there, there was so much political intrigue and people thinking that it was gonna look a specific way when he came and you know and ultimately people were looking f you know, there people were looking for healing from sin and from sickness, of course, and from death. But I think a lot of times we expect Christ to look one way in our lives, and I've seen this in my life where we either compare him to you know, other things that we know, um mortal things um when he's not that. Sometimes we put Latter-day Saint Welling God, I don't remember who said this, but sometimes we put mortal limits on the immortal God. Um, where we're like, well he has to come in this way. Military thing, or he's gonna heal heal me in this way because that's what needs to be saved. But in reality, he took care of the worst enemy that there is aka death or sin or separation from God, separation from our families, heartache and and hurt, which affects everybody and has, and he took that away, and how wonderful and great that is. Um and so another thing that I wanted to talk about was um the Passover. Passover is happening um this week as well, um, which is just I mean, it's it's great that it's happening on Easter, right? And so Passover, of course, celebrates in Exodus when the sickness passed over the people of Israel and God establishes um a reminder what that they're supposed to do, what they're what um they're supposed to do to celebrate this wonderful miracle that saves them literally by by the blood of the Lamb. They're saved, just like we are, you know, just as death passes over us in a way. But um there's this thing called a Seder dinner, which which is what they celebrate for Passover, where they eat food and there's certain foods that are eaten, certain prayers that are said. Um But one thing that that might point back to Christ, um definitely Christians see this, Jews do not, um, but but Christians see this, which is that um one of the pieces of matzah of unleavened bread is put away and is not seen and is not brought out until the end. And um right, it it's hidden away in in a little like envelope container and then it comes out at the end, and many people see this as symbolism for the resurrection, right? Put away, but then you know, ultimately it is empty. It returns again bread representing the body of Christ. And I just don't know if I have truly like I think I have in my life tried to contemplate the resurrection, particularly as my um niece passed away this uh time last year. Thought about the resurrection, what does that look like? But it's just truly amazing that every single person on earth um will be saved from death unconditionally. Um and that is not something that we even have to worry about because of Christ. And then, you know, if we choose to come unto him, we can be saved from all heartache and sorrow, and everything will be made right. We can be saved from our sins. And those are the two elements of Christ that um is kind of gonna be what we talk about this week as we follow the Come Folemy brings out these verses. So let's go through them, shall we? So if we go to the Come Folemies, it talks about how we can gain strength by looking back on Christ, somebody that we, you know, know came, we know that he came, right? Historically, we know he came. Well, that's still debated by some scholars, but I won't debate that, right? He changed human history. So much so that we can say that he came. He was an historical figure. But do we believe that he did the things that he said he did? Whereas the people in the Old Testament, the people at the beginning of the Book of Mormon, um had to believe that he was going to come, that he was going to do what he said he did. They looked forward to him. In the Book of Mormon, um, Abedai and King Benjamin talk about looking forward to Christ as if he already came, as if he already did the things that he said he did. That's just as much faith. In Revelation, actually, it talks about people who looked forward with faith and received remission of their sins, their their garments were made clean through Christ in the pre-mortal life. Um and how much faith we had to come down to Christ and to say, Yeah, we believe you when you say that you're going to do, that you're gonna fulfill Father's plan. And I love that that we can maybe tap into that faith that we already had, that he was going to do the things that he said. He was going to do. Okay, so let's hop in. And it talks about, you know. So we have Zechariah 99 is the first one that I want to talk about. Now Zechariah is near the end of uh the um I believe he's before the exile. Oh no, no, he's after the exile, right? But he's talking. And he he talks about the restoration of Judah and of Israel. Right? But he talks about that, right? So we have 9-9. And he this is just, you know, rejoice. Well, yeah, 9-9 is just rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout out to daughter of Jerusalem, see your king comes to you triumphant. Victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey on a colt. The foul of a donkey. And so um there's there's two things right here a donkey and a colt, which is what Christ ultimately uh comes back on, right? In in Matthew. We know that story. He says, Go, go, go tell this guy that I need to borrow it because I'm gonna go on a Jerusalem fulfilling this cov He's fulfilling this promise. He knows he is. And this um the triumphant king, humble and riding on a donkey, thereby demonstrating his peaceful intentions. He's not riding in on a horse or a chariot, he's riding in on a donkey. And it points to him being both king of Israel, right, fulfilling that, but also his peaceful intentions. He didn't come to hurt anybody, he came to save us all. I think that's an element. Um Christ saved even our enemies, and he saved us from our ultimate enemy, which is Satan and death, and those that want to ultimately harm us. Um and he can fight for our against our enemies, of course. Um but he comes and sometimes I think we want him to just provoke justice on everybody who's ever done us wrong. And justice will come, of course. People will have to deal with the natural consequences if they don't come to Christ, because he's taken care of the justice. And do we leave that to him rather than trying to invoke it on ourselves? These are the harder questions, I think. I think it's easier to be like, Yes, I accept grace for myself. But Christ came and he said, Love your enemies, do do well to those who despise you and persecute you, because I came even for them. Christ pushes us to do hard things, but not in the way that I think sometimes we think is hard. He pushes us to forgive people who have harmed us rightly. He he pushes us to be a better person every day and to, like I said, to do the things that maybe even in our worldly eyes don't even make sense, right? Justice needs to be served. Of course it does, but Christ took care of it. Then we have Zechariah again in 11, right? And he talks about being portrayed for 30 shekels of silver. Um right? Uh that that they they weighed my price for 30 pieces of silver. Right? This is uh an anemone for slave who had been gored by an ox. So this is for a slave who was of no use anymore. Just the betrayal of Judas, of Judas, right? He's saying basically, according to the law of mo you know, according to this, who wasn't even of use anymore. You're like, you know what? Judas is basically saying, he's of no use to me anymore. I need my money back, right? I need my money back because he's not who I thought he was. And do we do that to Christ, right? Like a lot of times, again, we look at Judas and we're like, how dare you? But are we willing to and this is a question for me, you know? Like do I think Christ is sometimes not useful to me anymore because he doesn't do exactly what I think he should instead of doing what he ultimately said he was going to do, which is provide peace and love. Um maybe that doesn't look this it the way in my life that I think it does. Meaning right now, right? Um, in every sense. Or that it means I'm gonna receive certain blessings because I've done this. But it's not, as David A. Bednar said, it's not a transactional relationship, it's a transformational relationship. He's trying to make us become somebody. So let us not sell it, right? I think some you know, put it back on ourselves. Um then of course, you know, we get Isaiah's beautiful scriptures about him bearing our griefs and our afflictions. But we looked at him and we said, you know, he's he's afflicted. Oh, a great king, God, who's gonna come and save us, wouldn't be afflicted. He wouldn't be sad. He doesn't understand that. That's not godly, but it is. That's what it means to be God for him, is to understand us completely and utterly. He came, he had the same experience that we did, and he's there for us in those hard times. Then we get into Psalm, right? Psalm 2216. I loved this one. Why? Because of the Hebrew, of course. So Psalm 2216, which is for dogs are all around me. Um dogs are not seen as, you know, they're grass. Um they're they're potentially dangerous. A company of evildoers insurpens me, they bound my hands and feet. Um they bound my hands and feet is what this one has says. Okay. What it is in Hebrew, let's bring it back to Hebrew. I don't know what that's trying to Pierce, right? Pierce, my hands, and feet in the KGV. They dug. They dug my hands and feet. Doug. Pierce, right? Pierce to me, I'm like, okay, yeah, that that hurts, right? Ow. It goes through. But Doug? That's the pain that Christ had to go through. Dug him out. It hurt him. It's just, it's so painful. What do we think about that? Are we contemplating that? I don't know if I ever do enough, if I'm gonna be honest in doing that, but I hope that I can do better. And when I think about it, it truly is just profound. And then we get 18, right? They part my garments and and cast lots upon my registers. I mean, Psalm 22 is what's happening in Christ's uh crucifixion. And we have to remember that the writers of the gospels were so aware, Matthew especially, of these promises. And he's pointing to them, he's saying, Look, this is exactly what happened. They're doing it. He's a fulfillment of these prophecies, if you will. This this psalm is a prayer to the individual in great distress, right? And this is all happening. Christ is fulfilling these things. Um Psalm 69, 21 says, They gave me gall or they gave me poison to drink and my thirst. They gave me vinegar to drink, right? I'm so thirsty that they gave me vinegar. That's what they're doing to Christ. Why? Um it's actually thought, not as we would that that's um, you know, we see that and we're like, oh, it's a fulfillment of this prophecy. And it is. Um because you're so thirsty a lot of times when you're about to die, when you're when you're bleeding out as you would on the cross, you're gonna be thirsty. So he cries out for drink, the the God of all on the cross cried out for somebody to help him multiple times. He needed and so that's not ungodly, right? To ask for help, to be in distress, to not understand God, right? My god, my god, why have you forsaken me? And Christ is being godly in that moment, he's being perfect, telos, complete, whole. And so when we do these things, when we don't have a full understanding of God's plan, or we are hurt and discouraged and asking other people for help, we are being like Christ. And ultimately they gave him vinegar. It is thought that this vinegar also would have some sort of soothing effect, right? That it would help them a little bit. Um maybe there's some niceties even in that um devastating sadness. The stone, oh yes. Sorry, Solomon 118, guys. There's just so many good ones here. Solomon 118. 22. Um, 21. I love it. Says, I thank you that you've answered me and become my salvation. Jesus, right? The stone that the builders have rejected has become this chief stone cornerstone. The stone that didn't look like it was gonna do every anything was a carpenter or a stone mason or a carpenter born in, you know, not rich settings, you know. In poverty, yes, because obviously, I mean, when um Joseph and Mary all they have is can afford is two doves, the poorest of the poor things that they can offer. Um yet he didn't he didn't seem like anything, and yet he saves us all. He's become the chief cornerstone. We base everything that we have on. Oh guys, these are just such beautiful promises that are found in the Old Testament. And I love them, and we're gonna get into them more as we continue our reading throughout this year. But we have then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth from the Lord God every tear that we shed will be made right. But do we like do we actually believe that? That's what I'm saying. Like, do we actually believe in these promises just as these people did? I mean, they were going through the same things as us political downfall, uh poverty, people not taking care of each other, uh, internal turmoil, the people that Jesus came and talked to. We're experiencing these things too. You know, strife and and all of these things that we God gets it. This is not new to him. He's been there this whole time, and he sent Jesus to take care of these things. Do we trust? He offers us peace and joy at this time, right? Um and these psalms just include these beautiful prayers to the Lord. I have set the Lord always before me. Right? He is my rock, my strength. I will take refuge in him. Right? You will not leave my cell, no, like you will show me the path of life. Oh, it's just, guys, we need to read these. It's just so good. I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. Oh Lord, thou hast brought my soul from the grave and kept me alive. For his anger endureth but a moment, and his favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. How true that was on Easter Sunday. Right? The weeping for those three days of just sadness and we I thought you were supposed to come. I thought you were supposed to save me. Do we have that? Lord, I thought that this wasn't supposed to happen. But in the end, a miracle even greater that they couldn't imagine came. Right? Mary. Miriam, which means can mean sadness and hardship, but also joy. Uh we'll talk about that next week because Miriam, right? Comes in. Hey, I'm here. Rabonai, great teacher, great one, my great one. It's just so poignant and great. Right? All the people are gonna praise God in the millennial day. It's just too much. Wonderful this, right? And because of uh another section, because of the atonement, Jesus Christ has power to help me overcome sin, death, trials, and weakness. One of my favorite scriptures of all time is Alma 7, 10 through 11, 13. Right? You shall be born of Mary at Jerusalem. She being a virgin, a chosen and precious vessel, and he shall go forth suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind. And this, which might be sick, like it might be fulfilled with shape, he will take upon him the afflictions of his people. Pains, sorry, the pain, pains and sicknesses of his people. Then he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death without bind his people, and he will take upon them 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. Succor in Italian, in Latin, succorre. What does that mean? To run to. Um it's just too much to handle almost sometimes, I think, when we think about it, right? He is a death that the restoration shall come to all in Alma forty 1144. Both young, old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous, and there shall not be as much hair on their heads be lost. He's taking note of everything. He cares about us, but everything shall be restored to its frame as it is now, or the body shall be bought and be arranged before the bar of Christ. The Christ, the Son, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one eternal God, to be judged according to the works, whether they be good or whether they be evil. He cares about us that much. In Isaiah, it says and in Nephi quotes him, saying that when he takes upon us his afflictions, it will be looking upon us. It'll be because of the joy of his seed that will give him strength. Looking forward to us is what got him through this time of hardship that we read about on Thursday or Wednesday and Thursday, right? He will be it is because of us that he is able to. Understand. Right? So let me read just a couple more things that I'm looking for. It's just wonderful things. Back to Psalm 22. It says in Psalm 22 verse. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Oh 221. Ha ha ha 221 is just. My God, my God, why have that forsaken me? Are you so far from helping me? Oh my god, I cry by night. I find no rest. That is Christ is quoting the psalm. He's finding strength in this really meta way. By the by the words of David, by the word of the psalmist. He's seeing himself in it. He's finding strength in it. These things strengthen Christ himself. He quotes them. He looks for them, right? It's just so important. How we can see all of these things. So I ask how we can also, as we go through the rest of this here, find strength this time. And I just want to testify that I felt the strength of Jesus Christ in my life. Strength in my trials, strength for my sins, and forgiveness from them, even when I do not deserve it. I didn't do anything to deserve forgiveness. He's giving me an understanding of that He's overcome death. And like Mary Mary, I don't know what I will do when I see him. She hugged him so much like, hey, let go, let go, Mary. I gotta go. I don't even know if I will feel good enough at that time to hug him. I might look away and be embarrassed for a second. But ultimately, I'm so incredibly grateful for the things that he has done. Christ is using the Old Testament and his tradition to teach. When he is at the end of his uh when he's preaching and talking and at the end when he's at the Last Supper, he is using the Passover to to bear testimony. In the Passover, you cut off pieces and dip them in in herbs to talk about, you know, the hardness that the exodus was, the bitter herbs that the people had to eat. The bitter stripes that they had to go through. He dips it in there and he gives it to Jesus to show that he's going to demand the hardness that that's happening. The breaking of the bread, the drinking of the wine. You bless the fruit of the vine that the Lord God of the universe has made. You bless the bread. So Christ is using these symbols to point to a higher end of the truth. That he is the symbols, and he will use things in our lives that we know, the cultural things, to join us to him. Maybe we'll be able to understand that. And um lastly, another thing that's beautiful when that happens is obviously he is the fulfillment of this yarn, right? Of this day of the atonement covering. When a lamb was taken, the high priest would come, take the most perfect lamb, and kill it and sacrifice the temple. Take upon the sins, calling himself the high priest representing all of Israel, the forgiveness of God. And that's what Jesus Christ did. He was the high priest. Three days later, it was called the the waving of the bread. In my mind, that is the perfect symbol of resurrection, the bread, the bread of life, the life of Christ was lifted up. Lifted up and shown before us to remind us of the greatness of God. And uh that is my testimony. I hope that as we read continue to read the Old Testament, that we can find the strength in it that Christ did, that we can see symbols of Christ in it, because ultimately every scripture that we have, because of the Holy Ghost, can point back to Him and the truth and the wonderfulness that He is in our lives. He is ever merciful. And understanding that we've got to be able to do that.