Lesson 7, Unit 2, Choice 3: The Savior's Final Hours

Choice 3: Matthew 27:1–61; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 18:28–19:42. The Savior’s Final Hours

1. Review Matthew 27:2, 11–25 and the institute student manual commentary for Matthew 27:24, “Why Did Pilate Give in to the Demands of the Jews to Execute Jesus?” (pp. 182–83); commentary for John 19:4–12, “Pilate Sought to Release Him” (183–84). Write a short paragraph on what you learn about Pilate from what he tried to do.

Pilate was the governor of that area. He asked Jesus if he was the King of the Jews, as he was accused of saying he was by the chief priests and elders. Jesus hardly answered, which caused Pilate to marvel. His wife believed Jesus was innocent and had a dream regarding him and didn’t want Pilate involved in condemning Jesus to death. Pilate knew of the envy the chief priests had for him, and also didn’t find any fault with Jesus. It was custom for him to release one prisoner unto the people each year, and he wanted the crowd to call for the release of Jesus, but they demanded the release of Barabbas instead. When he saw that he could not persuade the crowd, and going against their wishes would cause a riot, “he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person.” He therefore sent Jesus to his death despite believing in Jesus’s innocence. But because he tried to get the crowd to choose to release Jesus and they would not he felt that Jesus’s blood was on their hands and not his. However, his actions showed that he feared man more than God, and he still caused Jesus to be put to death, so he will be held responsible for that.

2.  How are the events recorded in John 18:28–19:18 a fulfillment of the prophecy found in Isaiah 53?

Isaiah 53 says, “He is despised and rejected of men” (v. 3), and “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (v. 5). It also says “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (v. 7). Finally, it says “And he made his grave with the wicked” (v. 9).

All of these prophecies were fulfilled because Jesus was despised and rejected of men. He was brought as an innocent lamb to the slaughter, and he didn’t answer his accusers when they tried to find fault with him. He was wounded and bruised, and “his stripes” refer to his being scourged. He was crucified between two thieves (thereby making “his grave with the wicked”).

3.  Review Matthew 27:15–16 and Mark 15:6–7 and answer the following questions:

• What kind of man was Barabbas? - He was a robber, a murderer and had been involved in an insurrection.
• Find the meaning of the name Barabbas in the Bible Dictionary (p. 619). What is ironic about the Jews’ choice of a prisoner by that name? - His name means “Son of the father.” The student manual also says that his first name was Jesus. So his name was “Jesus Son of the father.” It’s ironic because Jesus Christ was the true Son of the Father.

4.    Review Luke 23:7–12. Write your answers to the following questions:

• How did Pilate try to avoid the responsibility of judging Jesus? - He tried to pass the responsibility of judgment off on Herod who had jurisdiction over Galilee, since Jesus was a Galilaean.
• What did Herod hope to see from the Lord? - “... he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him” (Luke 23:8).
• How did the Lord respond to Herod? - Jesus “answered him nothing” (Luke 23:9).
• Under what circumstances today would this example of the Savior be a good one for us to follow? Why? - This would be a good example to follow when faced with people who are hostile and have their hearts hardened towards the gospel. Those people do not have the right spirit and are unteachable. Therefore it is better to not engage with them in any kind of debate or argument or answer any of their questions because they are not earnestly seeking answers, only a fight.
• What was the result of this interchange between Herod and Pilate? - “And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves” (Luke 23:12).
  

5. Read the institute student manual, “An Appreciation of the Sorrow of the ​Final Hours” (pp. 180–81). Write a paragraph on what impresses you the most about how the Savior acted during His last hours of mortality.

I suppose what impresses me most is his reaction to his abusers and tormentors. Of course, I am not surprised by it, and would expect nothing less of Jesus Christ, who was perfect and innocent of any sin. But it still is hard to imagine enduring all that in the way that he did. He healed the ear of one of the accomplices who came to capture him at Gethsemane, he withstood mockery and being spit upon, and being hit and scourged and a crown of thorns pressed onto his head. It’s beyond horrible and cruel the way he was treated, and he endured it all without any retaliation. To me it’s just a perfect example of how we ought to be meek and humble and willing to endure all persecution and affliction without becoming angry or vengeful.

Lesson 7, Unit 1, Choice 1: The Savior's Suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane

Choice 1: Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46; John 18:1-2. The Savior’s Suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane

1. Review Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46, making a list of words and phrases that describe the Savior’s suffering. Include in your list clarifications provided in the footnotes.
   
   Matthew 26
   “began to be sorrowful and very heavy” (v. 37)
   “began to be distressed and troubled” (v. 37 footnote)
   “My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death” (v. 38)
   “deeply grieved” (v. 38 footnote)
   “fell on his face, and prayed saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me” (v. 39)
   
   Mark 14
   “began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy” (v. 33)
   “amazed, awestruck, astonished” (v. 33a footnote)
   “depressed, dejected, in anguish” (v. 33b footnote)
   “My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death” (v. 34)
   “fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him” (v. 35)
   “Father… take away this cup from me” (v. 36)
   
   Luke 22
   “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me” (v. 42)
   “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly” (v. 44) “Pain” (v. 44a footnote)
   “And his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (v. 44b)
   “... and he sweat as it were great drops of blood…” (v. 44c footnote, JST)
   
   
   
2. Write additional insights about the Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane found in the following resources:
• Mosiah 3:7 - “... he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.”
  Alma 7:11-13 - “And he shall go forth, suffering 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.”
  Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19 - “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.”
  
  
• The institute student manual commentary, “To What Extent Was the Atonement Completed in the Garden of Gethsemane?” (p. 173)
  
  This section of the student manual seems to say that the agony that Christ experienced in Gethsemane recurred while he was dying on the cross when Heavenly Father withdrew his presence from him. It said, “In that bitterest hour the dying Christ was alone, alone in most terrible reality. That the supreme sacrifice of the Son might be consumated in all its fulness, the Father seems to have withdrawn the support of His immediate Presence, leaving to the Savior of men the glory of complete victory over the forces of sin and death.”
  
• The institute student manual commentary for Luke 22:44, “And Being in an Agony, He Prayed More Earnestly” (pp.173-74)
  
  “Jesus had to take away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. … And as He in His own person bore the sins of all, and atoned for them by the sacrifice of Himself, so there came upon Him the weight and agony of ages and generations, the indescribable agony consequent upon this great sacrificial atonement wherein He bore the sins of the world, and suffered in His own person the consequences of an eternal law of God broken by men. Hence His profound grief, His indescribable anguish, His overpowering torture…. The suffering of the Son of God was not simply the suffering of personal death; … He bore the weight, the responsibility, and the burden of the sins of all men, which, to us, is incomprehensible. … placed below all things, His mind surcharged with agony and pain, lonely and apparently helpless and forsaken, in his agony the blood oozed from His pores.”
  
• The institute student manual commentary for Luke 22:44, “And His Sweat Was As It Were Great Drops of Blood Falling Down to the Ground” (p. 174)
  
  “He struggled and groaned under a burden such as no other being who has lived on earth might even conveive as possible. It was not physical pain, nor mental anguish alone, that caused Him to suffer such torture as to produce an extrusion of blood from every pore; but a spiritual agony of soul such as only God was capable of experiencing. … In that hour of anguish Christ met and overcame all the horrors that Satan, ‘the prince of this world’ could inflict.”
  
  
3. Read Matthew 26:36 and the institute student manual commentary for Matthew 26:36, “Then Cometh Jesus … unto a Place Called Gethsemane” (pp. 172-73). Write a paragraph about how the meaning of Gethsemane adds insight to what the Savior experienced there.
   
   “Gethsemane” means “oil-press.” This was probably a reference to a mill there that was used in the extraction of oil from the olives cultivated there. It was an enclosed space of private ownership that Jesus frequently sought retirement for prayer or to confidentially converse with the disciples. This student manual doesn’t say, but the name and place of Gethsemane is symbolically significant. The new student manual (on p. 84) mentions that the garden lay to the east of the temple in Jerusalem, which is significant because in the law of Moses, when someone desired to make a burnt offering he would present it to the priest at the east door of the tabernacle. This is a similitude of the Savior presenting Himself to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. There is also symbolism in the way that oil is extracted from the mill by being pressed down on by the weight of a crushing stone until the olives begin to ooze their oil. “When the oil began to run down the lip of the limestone basic, it had the distinctive red color characteristic of the first moments of the new pressing each year. … It was a stunning, even chilling, minute until the oil turned back to its usual golden color.”
   
   
4. Write response to each of the following questions, looking for lessons you can apply to your own life from the example of the Savior in Gethsemane:
   
• What were the Savior’s disciples doing while He was praying? What had the Lord taught the Apostles in Matthew 26:41? What does His example teach about how to be obedient even when “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak?” How does Doctrine and Covenants 10:5 apply to this verse?
  
  The disciples were sleeping while he was praying. The Lord taught them in Matthew 26:41 to “watch and pray” so as not to enter into temptation, because he acknowledged that even if the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. His example teaches us we must watch and pray in order to stay obedient and resist temptation. D&C 10:5 applies to this verse because it tells us to “pray always” in order to conquer Satan and resist his efforts to lead us astray.
  
  
• Read Mosiah 15:7; 3 Nephi 11:11; Doctrine and Covenants 19:19. Write the phrases from these verses that describe what motivated the Savior to “drink the bitter cup.”
  
  “the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father” (Mosiah 15:7 → It was Heavenly Father’s will, and Jesus carried out His Father’s will)
  
  “I have… glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.” (3 Nephi 11:11 → Christ was following Heavenly Father’s will, and also did it to glorify Him)
  
  “glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.” (D&C 19:19 → Christ did it to glorify Heavenly Father)
  
  
• Write your thoughts about the Savior’s use of the word nevertheless in Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42.
  
  Matthew 26:39: "And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."

Mark 14:36: "And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt."

Luke 22:42: "Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."

In each of these accounts, what did the Savior initially ask for? - To let the bitter cup pass from him/to let his suffering end

What did He say next, using the word nevertheless? - He said "nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done" meaning that he would continue in his suffering if that was the Father's will. It shows that he always puts his Father's will before his own, even in the darkest hour.

What does it require to submit one’s will to the Father in this way, no matter how painful or difficult the outcome might be? - I think it requires a huge deal of faith, humility, and love for Heavenly Father.

When have you followed the “nevertheless” pattern the Savior exemplified in these verses by submitting to Heavenly Father’s will even though it was very difficult? - Well I don't know if this is the exact thing, but when I was in middle school, I had a brother that was born with a heart defect and in critical condition. We prayed that he would get well and make it through his heart surgery, but he died the following day. We all had to come to terms with the fact that even though we pray for something and have faith doesn't mean it will happen. My dad even gave him a blessing to get better, but said not his will, but Heavenly Father's be done. He told me he thinks that if he hadn't said that perhaps he could have made my brother live, but that he would have probably had problems his whole life and couldn't have lived like a normal, happy child. It wasn't God's will for him to live, which is why even after a priesthood blessing he still died.

According to Luke 22:44, as the Savior’s agony became more intense, how did His prayer change?

"And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

Do you feel more like praying or less like praying when you are suffering? - Usually I think I feel more like praying. Because the worse you're suffering, the more you want relief and help, and you will attempt to get it from any source--especially God. On the flip side though, I think some people get angry at God when they are suffering. So suffering can either make a person more humble, or cause him to harden his heart.

When has it made a difference in your suffering to have turned to the Lord with more earnest prayer? -

I can’t think of a time when I have prayed more earnestly and this has made a difference. Perhaps this is because I am not currently praying habitually, so whenever I do prayer it always is in earnest, so I have nothing really to compare it to.

Reflect on what you have learned about the Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane. Write a paragraph about lessons you can apply to your own life from the example of the Savior in Gethsemane.

I really like that in the moment that Jesus asked for the cup to be removed from him, Luke 22:43 says "And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him." Heavenly Father didn't take away his burden, but he did send an angel to strengthen him. To me this shows that if we are willing to be humble and do Heavenly Father's will, he may not remove our burdens or obstacles, but he will help us get through them.

Lesson 6, Unit 2, Choice 2: The Savior's Instructions about the Holy Ghost

Choice 2: John 14:15–17, 26–27; 15:26–27; 16:7–8, 13–14. The Savior’s Instructions about the Holy Ghost

1. As you study the following verses, make a list of what the Savior taught about (1) what the Holy Ghost does and (2) what disciples must do to receive the Holy Ghost:
• John 14:15–17 - Must keep the commandments; the Holy Ghost comforts, abides with us, is the Spirit of truth, and dwells within us
• John 14:26–27 - The Holy Ghost is sent by the Father in Christ’s name, teaches all things, brings all things to our remembrance, and brings us peace; We must not be troubled or be afraid
• John 15:26–27 - The Holy Ghost testifies of Christ
• John 16:7–8 - The Holy Ghost takes the place of Christ as our Comforter on the earth, and he “will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment”
• John 16:13–14 - The Holy Ghost will guide us into all truth, show us things to come, and glorify Christ
  
2. Add to your list above as you study the following resources:
• Institute student manual Points to Ponder, “The Holy Ghost Brings Man to His Fullest Potential” (p. 167)
  
  “It quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.”
  
  “In the presence of such persons, one feels to enjoy the light of their countenances, as the genial rays of a sunbeam. Their very atmosphere diffuses a thrill, a warm glow of pure gladness and sympathy, to the heart and nerves of others who have kindred feelings, or sympathy of spirit.”
  
• Institute student manual Points to Ponder, “As a Messenger of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost Teaches Faithful Members” (p. 167)
  
  “The Holy Ghost is a Personage of Spirit, in the likeness of God the Father, in other words a likeness of the Father and the Son. His mission is to instruct and enlighten the minds of those who, through their faithfulness have obeyed the commandments of the Father and the Son. He bears witness of the truth, quickens the minds of those who have made covenant and reveals to them the mysteries of the kingdom of God. He is a special messenger from the Father and the Son and carries out their will….”
  
  
• Bible Dictionary, “Holy Ghost” (p. 704)
  
  “The Holy Ghost is manifested to men on the earth both as the power of the Holy Ghost and as the gift of the Holy Ghost. The power can come upon one before baptism and is the convincing witness that the gospel is true. By the power of the Holy Ghost a person receives a testimony of Jesus Christ and of His work and the work of His servants upon the earth. The gift can come only after proper and authorized baptism and is conferred by the laying on of hands”
  
  “For those who receive this gift, the Holy Ghost acts as a cleansing agent to purify them and sanctify them from all sin. Thus it is often spoken of as ‘fire’”
  
  “When a person speaks by the power of the Holy Ghost that same power carries a conviction of the truth unto the heart of the hearer (2 Ne. 33:1). The Holy Ghost knows all things (D&C 35:19) and can lead one to know of future events (2 Pet. 1:21).”
  
  
3. Review your list of what the Holy Ghost does. Then write responses to the following tasks:
• Describe how the Holy Ghost helped the Apostles fulfill their missions after the Savior’s death and resurrection.
  
  Well I don’t know specifically how the Holy Ghost helped the Apostles fulfill their missions after the Savior’s death and resurrection because we haven’t gotten that far in the scriptures, but I would guess it’s in all the ways we already listed: he comforted them in times of trouble, helped them teach and testify with power unto the convincing of the people they taught, and inspired/revealed truth to them.
  
• Write a paragraph about a time when the Holy Ghost blessed you in one of the ways you listed above. Give an example of how the Holy Ghost has inspired you.
  
  There have been many occasions when I’ve been troubled by sadness or stress or fear and I’ve prayed/read the scriptures and felt the spirit and a sense of peace and calm came over me. I’ve also had some few occasions when I’ve been angry or hurt or upset with someone and I’ve prayed for help in forgiving and having my heart softened, and I’ve been able to get over my hurt feelings and just feel love and understanding for the person who hurt/offended me. I really don’t think I could have done this without the gift of the Holy Ghost because it is very unlike me/unnatural to me to forget the pain I’m feeling and feel love and compassion toward the person who has caused me pain. I don’t have quite as many experiences of being inspired by the Holy Ghost. But there was one time that I was praying for an answer to a question I’d had and then the answer came to my mind so clearly and plainly that I didn’t know why I hadn’t thought of it before. I had wondered if it was just coincidence that right after praying I suddenly understood the answer to my question (because this is possibly the only time this has happened to me), but I really think it was the Spirit enlightening my mind and giving me an answer.

Lesson 6, Unit 1, Choice 3: The Savior Anointed

Choice 3: Mark 14:3–9; Matthew 26:6–13. The Savior Anointed

1. Review Mark 14:3–9 and Matthew 26:6–13. Then write answers to the following questions:

• What reason is given for why the woman anointed the Savior with “very precious” (costly) ointment? - For his imminent burial
  What does Mark 14:8 imply that she understood? (see also Mark 9:31–32). - It implies that she understood that he was about to be killed, buried, and resurrected.
• Why did some of the disciples feel indignant and call her action a “waste”? - 300 denarii was about a year’s wages for a common laborer (so very precious and expensive for the common person). Also Elder James E. Talmage said that “the anointing of head and feet with spikenard, and in such abundance, was an act of reverential homage rarely rendered even to kings.” I think they thought it was a waste because first of all, he was still living (and had he not died perhaps it really would have been a waste), secondly it was incredibly expensive and not even kings were anointed like that in that abundance, and third, they thought if a year’s wages were going to be spent in a minute like that it would have been better that it had gone to the poor.

1. The Savior said that the woman had “wrought a good work” and that wherever the gospel would be preached, the woman’s deed would “be spoken of for a memorial of her” (Mark 14:6, 9). What did the woman do that made it an act worthy of the Savior’s praise and our remembrance? How is the woman an example to you? Write a paragraph describing some ways that you could give the Lord something valuable. (see Matthew 25:40).

At first I thought the Savior’s reaction to being anointed with this oil was kind of strange. In most cases it seems like Jesus is humble and doesn’t want to be served or have any kind of special or reverential treatment given to him. He wants us to instead direct our praise and worship to Heavenly Father and our acts of service and kindness done to one another (for example, he washed his disciples’ feet but did not allow them to wash his feet). So allowing a large amount of special, expensive oil to be used on him, especially when that is money that could have gone to the poor, seems strange to me.
But I don’t think Jesus was praising her necessarily just for treating him like a king--but he was praising the remarkable amount of faith she demonstrated by this action. For one, it showed she believed that his mortal ministry was coming to a close and he would soon be dead and buried (many of his disciples even seemed to not really believe he would soon be gone). It also showed her faith in him being the Son of God. Nobody in their right mind would use that quantity of expensive oil on just any ordinary person. They had to have worked hard, saved, and sacrificed much over the course of several years to purchase the oil in the first place. Using up that oil on Jesus was like consecrating all of those works and sacrifices to him, saying that he was worth an entire year’s worth of labor. Basically, it’s the thought behind her action that counts.
The woman is an example to me in that without a thought she gave up something very valuable and precious for Christ. It was a sacrifice on her part to use that ointment on him, but she didn’t hold anything back. It shows me how generous I should be with what I sacrifice for Christ, since he made the ultimate sacrifice for me. Some ways I can give the Lord something valuable include paying full tithes and generous fast offerings. I can also sacrifice my time to serve him and others and in learning about him and worshipping him. Time is probably our most valuable resource on this earth to give. Money is valuable too because as the expression goes, “time is money.” By giving of our money and resources we’re essentially dedicating the time and energy it took us to earn that money to Christ as well.