In our yard, we have a lot of trees. They were all very bare just a few weeks ago, such that they looked kind of sickly and scrawny. But in the past few weeks they’ve started to come to life, and the animals have too. We’re seeing a lot of chipmunks, birds, and squirrels where there wasn’t any life before. March and April means a springtime renewal to the entire northern hemisphere of the world, and with spring comes Easter, with a renewal of hope for the entire human race. Easter is a very beautiful time of the year, and I don’t think that is by accident.

A prophet named Zechariah foresaw the opening of the greatest week since man was placed on the earth, when he said, (in Zech 9:9) “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.”

550 years later, this scripture was fulfilled. Jesus, who was directly descended from the beloved King David, was the rightful king of Israel and the people of Jerusalem were his rightful subjects. He was indeed the King of the Jews. The Savior asked his disciples to go find him a colt so that he could ride on it, creating the setting for the grandly humble entrance of the king. The people of Jerusalem were excited with his entrance and laid down some of their own garments onto the ground, and laid down soft branches, thus carpeting the way for their king.

As the Savior passed in review before them, the crowd shouted and sang, “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” This was the triumphal day now known throughout the Christian world as Palm Sunday.

Thus began the most terrible and the greatest week in human history.

The next day, Monday, provided a bookend of sorts to the Savior’s ministry. Just as he had done at the very beginning of his ministry as recorded in John 2, he again saw that the temple was overrun by avarice and corruption, people trying to make money as worshippers attended the temple. He overthrew the tables of the money changers and the seats of them that sold doves, and quoted Jeremiah 7:11, saying, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.’” Three years after he had first done this, as recorded in John 2, he saw that little had changed. Of course, the chief priests and scribes, who probably were involved in this money making venture at the temple, were not pleased with Jesus and his doctrine, and plotted how they would destroy him.

The next day, Tuesday, Jesus taught in the temple, now that those grounds had been cleared. He taught the parables of the talents, the wicked husbandmen, the ten virgins, the widow’s mite, and the marriage of the King’s son. He clarified questions about paying tribute to Caesar, warned against the hypocrisy so typical of the religious ruling class of the day, and he taught what the greatest commandment was. He taught, and he taught, and he taught. Tuesday was full of his last lessons to the general public in the square of the temple. The evening ended with Judas Iscariot meeting with the chief priests and agreeing to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

The record is silent about the next day, Wednesday. But I can imagine it was spent in preparation for the events to come.

The next day, Thursday of that week, was coincidentally the first day of Passover, which celebrated the people of Moses being saved from death, with the blood of a lamb serving as their protection. Here, the Lamb of God was about to fulfill what was known as Moses’ law, and save all from death.

The disciples focused their efforts that day on preparing for the Passover meal. Jesus told them how they would find a house where the owner would take them in and let Jesus and the twelve eat their Passover in the upper room of that house. While the disciples were eating, there arose a little argument about who was the greatest disciple. The Savior taught them a lesson about greatness, by taking a basin of water and washing each of their feet, as a servant would. That is true greatness.

Later, Jesus began to feel sorrowful, and told the disciples that one of them would betray him. Those who had just been arguing about who was the greatest now were filled with self doubt, and asked, “Is it I?” The Savior indicated that he knew exactly who it was, and told Judas Iscariot, “That thou doest, do quickly.” Most of the apostles thought Judas was just supposed to run some minor errand, perhaps for the Passover meal. He was, in fact, arranging for the fulfillment of the Passover meal.

When Judas left, Jesus seemed relieved that things were in motion, and said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God glorified in him.” He went through the ritualistic Passover meal, but it all had new meaning now. Instead of remembering the original Passover and deliverance from slavery, now the disciples were asked to remember Jesus. The final stages of the Passover meal involve breaking bread (the afikomen) and sharing the “Cup of Redemption.” As we partook of sacrament today, we did that in memory of him, and our own deliverance from bondage.

Jesus warned his friends a bit about what was ahead. He told them that they would feel afraid enough to abandon him. When Peter doubted that level of fear, the Savior gave him a merciful sign, so that when it eventually did happen, Peter would know that the Savior already knew about this and it would be ok. Nevertheless, Peter was undoubtedly disappointed in himself when events came to pass.

But the Savior said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Ye believe in God, so believe also in me. I am going to prepare a place for you. If ye love me, keep my commandments. I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. As I have loved you, love one another.” He expressed his most heartfelt teachings to his closest of friends whom he would soon be leaving. He knew they would be shaken by the upcoming events, but he wanted to let them know all was in accordance with the most loving of plans.

After the supper, they planned to walk back to their homes less than two miles from Jerusalem to a town called Bethany at the foot of the Mount of Olives. On the way there, they stopped at a favorite garden filled with olive trees called Gethsemane, which means “oil press.” Jesus told eight of his disciples to wait outside the gate and asked them to pray that they enter not into temptation. Jesus then asked Peter, James, and John to come into the garden with him and stay with him while he prayed. Finally, Jesus told them to stay where they were, and Jesus continued alone about a stone’s throw away from them.

Jesus then fell on his face and asked, “Abba (or ‘Daddy’), if it is at all possible, please take this cup from me.” He really would rather not do this. But then he said, “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.” He continued to pray, and while doing so he took upon himself all guilt caused by all sin. All the wrongs, including the horrific events of the Holocaust, 9-11, genocide, rape, school shootings, abuse, as well as our own personal wrongs that we have each committed, were heaped upon this God’s shoulders for him to bear alone. What he undertook was the most intense pain ever experienced by anyone on this planet. It was enough to make our God tremble and suffer so much that it squeezed blood right out of his skin. This olive oil press Atonement came as close to killing him as anything would. Yet, because of his love for us, he did not shrink, and he completed it.

After this experience, Jesus may have been rather disappointed that his apostles couldn’t even stay awake. But they woke up soon enough. There, entering the garden, right about midnight on Friday, was a band of men with torches and swords, led by a familiar face, Judas. Most in the crowd wouldn’t have been able to pick Jesus out of a lineup of bearded men, so Judas gave them a sign, ironically the sign of love, a kiss. Jesus then went forth to the crowd to identify himself. “Whom seek ye?” The crowd replied (as each of us should), “Jesus of Nazareth.” He came forth and said, “I am he.” And he went willingly.

Jesus’ imminent arrest startled the disciples, and Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of Malchus, a high priest’s servant. Jesus reprimanded Peter, saying, “All that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” Jesus then showed Peter the Christian way to deal with so-called enemies, and he healed Malchus’ ear. Malchus was left to ponder that fact.

As Jesus was arrested, his disciples did indeed run away, and he was left alone with his captors. The captors tied his hands and dragged him to the house of Annas, where the old man could question him. Peter followed from far behind, and stayed outside, where he warmed himself by the fire.

Inside, Annas asked Jesus what his doctrine was. Jesus replied that he had always taught openly, and Annas could ask anyone who heard him teach what his doctrine was. For that answer, an officer struck Jesus for talking to Annas in that way. Annas then ordered that Jesus be taken to his son in law, the high priest Caiaphas.

In the presence of Caiaphas, the chief priests tried to come up with something they could charge Jesus with so that they could put him to death. After some struggle, they finally came up with the charge that he said he could destroy the temple and build it again in three days. Jesus refused to answer this ridiculously minor charge. Finally, Caiaphas asked Jesus if he claimed to be the Christ, the Son of God. To that, Jesus said, “I am.” With that, Caiaphas tore his own clothes in his display of shock and cried out, “What need have we of any further witnesses? Ye have heard his blasphemy.” The council answered, “He is guilty, and worthy of death.”

Upon that, they covered his face and spit on him and hit him, saying, “Prophesy, who was it that hit you?”

During all this, Peter was outside warming his hands, when a woman came up to him and “You were with Jesus, weren’t you?” Peter said, “I don’t understand what you are saying.” Another woman came and recognized him, to which Peter denied with an oath that he was not with Jesus. Finally, someone recognized Peter’s accent as being Galilean, to which Peter cursed and swore he didn’t know the man. Immediately, as the events had taken all night and Friday was dawning, the cock crew and Peter was left with his own disappointment in himself. Judas, who had also witnessed the unrighteous conviction of the most innocent of men, felt his own responsibility for these events and lost hope for his very soul.

The Jewish chief priests had decided that Jesus was worthy of crucifixion, but they were in a bind because their own law said they could not put anybody to death in that manner. So they turned to the guy who could, their Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. The Jewish chief priests thought the best way to win over Pilate was to charge Jesus with sedition, saying that he claimed to be a king, and thus denying Caesar his kingship. Pilate was rather puzzled with these strange charges, but he agreed to question the accused man.

Jesus was brought forth, and Pilate asked, “Art thou the King of the Jews?” Jesus explained that his kingdom was not of this world. After their conversation, Pilate said to the chief priests, “I find no fault in this man.” When the chief priests started accusing Jesus of all manner of charges, Jesus remained silent through all of that. In the midst of these charges, Pilate found out that Jesus was from Galilee, and so was actually under Herod’s jurisdiction, rather than his.

Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at that time, and was actually excited for the chance to see Jesus, because he had heard so many things about him, and he wanted to see some miracles done. But when Jesus was similarly silent at the trial in front of Herod, Herod was unimpressed and joined in mocking him. Herod’s soldiers put a robe on Jesus, and they laughingly mocked the king, as Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.

Pilate responded that since neither he nor Herod had found any fault worthy of death in Jesus, he would just chastise and then release him, since Passover tradition held that a prisoner had to be released. But despite Pilate’s recognition that Jesus was brought in on trumped up charges, the chief priests had convinced the crowd to call for the release of someone who had actually committed sedition (the same charge against Jesus), who was ironically named Bar-abbas—Bar meaning Son and Abbas meaning Father, Son of the Father.

Pilate was taken aback by the crowd reaction to release a real criminal instead of Jesus, and asked the crowd what he should do with him who is called the King of the Jews. The response was, “Crucify him,” the most painful and humiliating form of execution ever devised by man. The victim was, if able, made to drag a beam (weighing as much as 150 lb) to the place of execution. At this point he was stripped of his clothes, and was either tied to or nailed to the beam, hoisted up onto a wood frame, and left to die in a very public part of town. The victim was in easy reach of people passing by, who may choose to spit or mock or whatever else they wanted to.

Pilate was puzzled and said, “Why, what evil has he done?” To which the crowd responded even louder, “Crucify him.” Pilate insisted, “I have found no cause of death in him; I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.” So he sent Jesus to his soldiers, who stripped him of his clothes and put a purple robe on him and mockingly bowed down to him. They weaved a crown of thorns on pushed it on his head, and hit him with a stick, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews.” He was whipped thirty-nine times, with a whip specially treated with barbs to tear skin. Jesus was again brought forth to the people, still wearing his purple robe and his bloody crown of thorns, and Pilate said again, “I find no fault in him. Behold the man!” Pilate told the Jews if they wanted to crucify him, then they should do it, not he, but the Jews said that they couldn’t, their own law did not allow crucifixion. But, Jesus had made himself out to be the Son of God, and so he thus deserved this extra punishment. Hearing that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God frightened Pilate, who had been struck with how dignified and kingly Jesus had been through all of this. Pilate went to Jesus and asked, “Whence art thou?” But Jesus remained silent. Pilate exclaimed, “Don’t you know I have the power to crucify you or set you free?” Jesus said, “You have no power except that which is given you.” Pilate then turned to the Jews and called out, “Behold your King,” and the crowd responded, “We have no king but Caesar.” This is another case of irony as Pilate recognized their king, and the Jews rejected their king in favor of their so-called oppressor, Caesar. When Pilate saw that he could not prevail against this people, he washed his hands in front of the people and said, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person.” Then he released Barabbas, and delivered Jesus to be crucified.

Jesus was ordered to carry his cross to Golgotha, but was already exhausted after the scourging and sleepless night before, so Simon from Cyrene was compelled to help him.

The Roman soldiers probably saw Jesus as just one more crucifixion, and nailed his hands and feet to the cross, and painfully lifted him up onto the frame of the cross between two thieves. Above Jesus’ head, Pilate had ordered the sign written, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” in three different languages to identify who this person was to people passing by.

Looking out at those who nailed him to the cross, the Roman soldiers who had taken him for just one more criminal, he called out, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Meanwhile, the soldiers were down on the ground, deciding who was going to take what of Jesus’ clothes.

Those who had ordered the execution reveled in mocking Jesus at this time. “He saved others, let him save himself if he be the Christ.” They recognized that Jesus had indeed done wonderful miracles, but enjoyed casting doubt on Jesus’ divinity as he was fulfilling his role. This use of the word if, as in if he be the Christ, was Satan’s last desperate grasp at tempting a mortal Jesus.

On the cross, Jesus continued to teach and offer comforting words. To the thief next to him who had recognized the Savior’s divinity, Jesus assured, “Today thou shalt be with me in paradise.” To his grieving mother Mary and John his loving friend he said, “Woman, Behold thy son.” “Son, behold thy mother.”

Then for three hours, from noon until three, the sun was darkened. Finally, at three, Jesus was left totally alone to tread this path. He lost the comforting companionship of his Heavenly Father, and he cried out, “My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken me?” Imagine the pain both He and his Father had at this moment of necessary absence. However, successfully managing that abandonment upon the cross, which we taste when we lose the spirit, Jesus now knew he had accomplished everything he was supposed to. For the first time, he acknowledged some physical discomfort and said, “I thirst.” Upon receiving a sponge soaked in vinegar (which fulfilled Psalm 69:21), he called out with a loud voice, “It is finished. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit,” and he willingly left mortality.

Upon this, there was a huge earthquake, and the veil of the temple tore in half from top to bottom, and the centurion who was there to guard the body saw these things and became afraid, and said, “Truly this man is the Son of God.”

That evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was one of the chief Jews but had not consented to the death of Jesus, came to Pilate and asked if he could have the body of Jesus. Pilate agreed, and so Joseph and Nicodemus (who had received the born again lesson of John chapter 3) took the body of Jesus and wrapped the body in linen and spices. They laid the body of Jesus in a new sepulcher, and rolled a great stone over the door of the sepulcher. They did this somewhat hurriedly because the Sabbath was approaching as night fell.

Then next day, Saturday, several of the chief priests came to Pilate and said that Jesus had promised that he would rise again on the third day. They were nervous that one of Jesus’ followers would come and steal the body away and then say that he had risen. The Jewish leaders requested that the stone be sealed (or somehow cemented) in place and that guards be placed to guard the tomb. Pilate agreed to this and supplied some guards. However, upon the guards’ watch, two angels came, broke the seal, and rolled away the stone, which frightened the Roman soldiers so much that they fainted.

The day after the Sabbath, before dawn Sunday, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices to finish preparing Jesus’ body for burial. But they had heard that the door had been sealed and wondered how they were going to get in. But as they approached the tomb, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, with two angels sitting on the stone. The women were afraid, but the angels said, “Don’t be afraid. Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.” But the women may not have understood, for they ran back to the apostles and told them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him.”

Peter and John dashed out and ran to the burial place, and indeed saw that the linen cloths that had been wrapped around Jesus were still there, but his body was not. They were confused about what might have happened, and they went back home.

But Mary continued outside the sepulcher, weeping. She looked inside, and saw two angels where Jesus had lain, and they said to her, “Woman, why weepest thou?” She replied, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.” Then she saw another man, who also asked, “Woman, why weepest thou?” She supposed he was the gardener, and said, “Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.” He then said to her, “Mary.” With that, she recognized who he was, and cried out, “Rabboni!” (or Master!). Jesus replied, “Hold me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brethren, and say to them, ‘I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and my God, and your God.’”

We are asked to do the same thing. Go to our brethren and sisters and tell them that Jesus has ascended, and that the bonds of sin and death are broken. Tell them that Jesus has established his church. While his church, too, died early on, it has been resurrected in an immortal form, never to be taken from the earth again. Tell them we have prophets, priesthood authority, and temples. And tell them Happy Easter, that we are all invited to live with our Heavenly Father once again, if we so choose. God loved each of us so much that he gave his own beloved Son, so that whoever would believe in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Of this I bear testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.