good Friday

               Everything the Lord did in His ministry, His life, had been established as the acts and works of the one true God by the very elements that the Sanhedrin used to convict Him, the Law of Moses.  Every rite, ceremony, ordinance, celebration, and performance in the Mosaic Law depicted or symbolized the eternal import and nature of the sacrifice of the Saviour.  It embodied His life, His perfection, His condescension and His sacrifice.  This was not by accident or coincidence.  The law given to Moses,by God, was to instruct the people of Israel who God was to them and what He meant to them as God.  That the ultimate authority of the Mosaic Law would prove, in their kangaroo court, that Jesus was the Christ and then condemn Him to death for so being is, to my humble intellect, open rebellion.  I am awestruck at the magnitude of all of the implications surrounding the final day of the Messiah's mortal life.

               The parables that Jesus spoke pointing to His death and Resurrection have unending and eternal implications.  Parables such as the husbandman (Mark 12:1-8); or the destruction of the temple of His body(John 2:18-21); or the vine (John 15:1-6); Or of leaven (Matthew 16:6-12).  Each of these have meanings that are basic and simple yet profound and as immense as eternity.  In them we can visualize in graphic clarity the grand scope of the principle as well as our individual part in it.  Also, again with clarity, we can see our relationship to God; where it is as we read the parable and where it should be.  Christ knew who He was and what He was about.  He knew alpha and omega of what He was taking upon Himself.  this is evident in the intricacy of the parables concerning Him as they are proven to be true and elaborately relevant to the tiniest detail.  They apply to us 2000 years after the fact and they were proving to the players leading to the appointment.  the parables of the Atonement either condemn or exalt both those directly involved with the events and us as recipients of the events.

               The Messiah was crucified at Passover.  This, like every jot and tittle, was not random happenstance even as all of the players were being propelled to the God ordained outcome as balls shot from a cannon.  there is nothing that takes the one true God by surprise.  So, God, 'knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth', established a law some 1500 years before the Atonement of the Saviour that would symbolize the very nature of the sacred act.  For 1500 years the very people that would crucify the Lord would celebrate the nature of the atonement annually in solemn ceremony and feast.  This would be passed, with strict observance, from parents to children in every household of Israel even until the very eternal sacrifice would be made.  The deed was played out as all of the players were strict to observe the symbols of 'that great and last sacrifice'.  All were eating the paschal lamb while Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the whole world, was performing the act of that Lamb.

            While Hellish demons dressed in 'sheep's clothing' were conspiring with the traitor, Judas, the Lord was preparing His sheep for the ordeal ahead.  That passover meal in the upper room was a true solemn assembly.  The eleven received intimate instruction and words of comfort as the final hours leading to the Atoning sacrifice expired(John 13-16).  The Saviour taught as He and His apostles ate the Paschal lamb, the unleavened bread, and the bitter herbs together.  Can you, with your mind's eye, see the imagery as the Christ explained to the Eleven that he must act as the Paschal Lamb as they were eating it?  And, the Lord, along with the others, expressed the value of love and service to each other.  Also, in this atmosphere of closeness and comfort, the Saviour taught of the coming of the second comforter.  He prayed for those He loved and that loved Him; He prayed that they all would be one as the Father and He are one.  While the Saviour of the World and His apostles were exploring the depth of the Atonement, dark forces were conspiring to make it reality.

               ¶Woe unto the world because of ^aoffences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

Matthew 18:7

               The Atonement started in the Garden of Gethsemane.  I think that the work of descending below all things was done here.  I think the Lord suffered all things in the Garden as he sweat blood, as the sacrificial lamb of the Mosaic sacrifices.  The Atonement started in the Garden of Gethsemane and ended with the Resurrection.

               16For behold, I, God, have ^asuffered these things for all, that they might not ^bsuffer if they would ^crepent;

               17But if they would not repent they must ^asuffer even as I;

               18Which ^asuffering 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 ^bnot drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

D&C 19:16-18

               When I read this I read that God loves me enough to suffer all so that I might not, if I will just repent.  He, God, the greatest of all, went through all the sorrows, heartaches, pains, emotional strifes, physical pains, and desolations  that I or any of us go through in order to help us through.  This is the work of God - through love.  This is the love of God.  It is reaching down and lifting those that cannot lift themselves.  It is mourning with those that mourn.  It is bringing light to darkness.  It is not just good feelings.  It does not have an end no matter the difficulty of self sacrifice.  I think the Atonement started in the Garden of Gethsemane.

               12And he will take upon him ^adeath, that he may ^bloose the bands of death which bind 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 ^csuccor his people according to their infirmities.

Alma 7:12

              
               That is what makes this Friday great.

A little off topic; this is other things.

               A Psalm of David.   

1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Psalm 23

               David was taught, maybe by his faithful mother but definitely by the law of Moses, and knew of the import and power of the atonement.  He knew how our Saviour had the power to succor us in our trials and sorrows.  He knew the Atonement had the power to redeem us.

1And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should understand that ^aGod himself shall ^bcome down among the children of men, and shall ^credeem his people.

2And because he ^adwelleth in ^bflesh he shall be called the ^cSon of God, and having subjected the flesh to the ^dwill of the ^eFather, being the Father and the Son—

5And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, ^asuffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and ^bscourged, and cast out, and disowned by his ^cpeople.

6And after all this, after working many mighty miracles among the children of men, he shall be led, yea, even ^aas Isaiah said, as a sheep before the shearer is dumb, so he ^bopened not his mouth.

7Yea, even so he shall be led, ^acrucified, and slain, the ^bflesh becoming subject even unto death, the ^cwill of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.

Mosiah 15:1-2,5-7

               Abinadi had a firm understanding and testimony of who Christ is and what he would do.  He knew That God would come amoung His subjects and suffer at their hands.  Abinadi understood that our Saviour would do that because He had that perfect love that empowered Him to redeem us inspite of ourselves.

13¶When Jesus came into the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, ^aElias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15He saith unto them, But whom say ^aye that I am?

16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the ^aChrist, the ^bSon of the ^cliving God.

 Matthew 16:13-16

 14¶But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judæa, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

22Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man ^aapproved of God among you by ^bmiracles and wonders and signs, which ^cGod did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

23Him, being delivered by the ^adeterminate counsel and ^bforeknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have ^ccrucified and slain:

24Whom God hath ^araised up, having loosed the ^bpains of ^cdeath: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Acts 2:14,22-24

               Peter knew who his Saviour was.

6And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

7^aAnd brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

8And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

9And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, ^aHosanna to the Son of David: ^bBlessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

10And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

11And the ^amultitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

Matthew 21:6-11

               the people of Jerusalem knew.

4And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

5And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

6He is not here, but is ^arisen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

7Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

Luke 24:4-7

 10And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

11Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into ^aheaven? this same Jesus, which is ^btaken up from you into heaven, shall so ^ccome in like ^dmanner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Acts1:10-11

               The angels in heaven know who God is and what the Atonement means for the entire human family.  And, they hail Him with glory and honor.

22And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the ^atestimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he ^blives!

23For we ^asaw him, even on the ^bright hand of ^cGod; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only ^dBegotten of the Father—

24That by ^ahim, and through him, and of him, the ^bworlds are and were created, and the ^cinhabitants thereof are begotten ^dsons and daughters unto God.

D&C 76:22-24

               In the 'last days'  we have the testimony of the prophet, Joseph Smith, of the risen Christ; that He has overcome all so that we can overcome all.

16For behold, I, God, have ^asuffered these things for all, that they might not ^bsuffer if they would ^crepent;

17But if they would not repent they must ^asuffer even as I;

18Which ^asuffering 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 ^bnot drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

19Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and ^afinished my preparations unto the children of men.

D&C 19:16-19

               Praise God this Easter season; from whom all blessings flow, on earth and in heaven.

And Eve, also, his wife, did labor with him...

              "Why are my roses not as voluptuous as in Eden?  Why do the apples on my trees have worms?  I just don't get it; I know what I am doing here, Why does all my hard work not yeild better product?  I mean, this is all I know and I know it well.  Why can't I get the same result from the same effort I gave in Eden?" Adam questioned as he dragged his tired body out of his fields and into view of his little cottage that wasn't as warm and peaceful as the home he had left not so long ago.

               "Adam! Oh, Adam!" 

               Adam could actually feel the joy in Eve's angelic voice as she called out to him.

               "Look! we now have water at our bathhouse.  I had to use my imagination
but you have a piping hot bath waiting for you." Her melodious voice soothed as they made their way, hand in hand, toward the bathhouse.
              
               "See?"  She was asking as they entered the palatial sauna. 

               All Adam heard was 'I love you' and he saw that he was in paradise...

              
  

It's who we are.

             
               No matter how long and hard we look into the future to determine the product of our choice of action (And, most of us don't look long enough or hard enough), we cannot foresee the true effect of what we do until we do it.  I mean, really, our lives are like a beautful rose garden.  Taken as a whole,the roses look so rich and vibrant frosting the dark green body of the symmetrically planted bushes.  It is not until we start to work in the garden that we discover the prickly nature of the thorny bushes and that, what in the world, weeds are vitiating the ground of this garden.  From afar, other's lives look so well kept and luciously decorated, while, with sweat dripping from our brow, we think our's is a mess.  Then, after a hard day's work, we step back to see what our digging, pulling, pruning, multching and watering has netted and, with dirty hands and scratched forearms, we see a beautiful rose garden.  It wasn't what we envisioned at the outset but we produced a thing worth enjoying by our effort.  Now, the question is:  If we knew about the thorns and weeds would we plant the roses?         

It all started when...

               It all started when Adam met Eve in this little garden he worked at.  I don't know if it was love at first sight or not, but Adam fell hard enough that he was willing to get himself fired from the only job he ever had and go make a new life with his true love.  I'm sure, like most of us young, ego driven, hot heads, Adam was confident he could do whatever was necessary to have a successful, fulfilling life with Eve.  It's that infamous story of when boy meets girl...