Messiah: Behold the Lamb of God, Episode 5 Airs Sunday Of any period in the Savior’s life, His last 24 hours have drawn the most attention from scholars and lay persons alike. An almost endless array of books and videos focus on this brief but crucial period. And not one moment within these hours has escaped the twisting hands of the critics. To be sure, the gospels themselves devote pages to describing Jesus’ last full day, beginning with the preparations for the Last Supper and ending with Jesus’ death on the cross, thus inviting scrutiny. For Latter-day Saints and other believing Christians, these hours teem with fulfillment, brim with eternal meaning, and overflow with promises of divine mercy. But for many scholars, this period is one of puzzlement: Why would a popular teacher knowingly allow himself to be caught within the web of political and social forces that were stretched tight over the city of Jerusalem to keep control of persons and situations that could potentially disturb the status quo between Jewish and Roman authorities? Why did not Jesus simply walk away to live another day? Relying on both biblical sources and additional scripture, Latter-day Saint scholars peel back these most important moments of Jesus’ ministry and expose the real purposes and meaning of the Last Supper, of Jesus’ profound teachings during that gathering, of Jesus’ entry into Gethsemane, of His arrest and nighttime hearing, and of His appearance before Pilate. In sum, through a proper understanding of prophecy, these events were already known to Jesus. These occurrences were not random happenings that swept down an innocent man and his followers. Rather, heavenly purpose and significance attach themselves to every word and every gesture, pointing vividly to the Savior’s grand purpose for coming to this earth, the Atonement. No Comments | Post or read comments |