Barabbas

This week in my New Testament class we discussed the Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane and on the cross at Golgotha.  More specifically, we focused on a story that has always troubled me – the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus.  I have never really liked this story because it makes me sick to think that the people of Jesus’s time would release a murderer, thief, and insurrectionist instead of the Son of God.  This story is found in Matthew 27:15-25.  Verse 15 tells us that it was tradition to release a prisoner at the feast of Passover, and it seems as though Pilate wanted the people to release Jesus Christ.  The people knew that Barabbas was a murderer, thief, and insurrectionist, and it seems as though Pilate chose him as the other option because the choice would be obvious as to who to release.  Verse 18 tells us that Pilate “knew that for envy they had delivered [Jesus].”  I believe that Pilate was hoping that once the citizens saw their options of who they could release, that they would realize what was about to happen and release Jesus.  However, as we know, that is the exact opposite of what happened.  When Pilate presented Jesus, the people cried “Crucify Him!”  Barabbas, a perfect representation of a sinner, was set free.  This has always troubled me, but something that Brother Griffin asked us to ponder on has changed the way I look at this story.  He asked us to think if we could represent Barabbas.  We are all sinners that are released because Jesus took our place.  We don’t deserve to be released, but Jesus is willing to take our place so that we may be free.  Brother Griffin said, “A perfect man, in an imperfect trial, was condemned so that an imperfect man, in a perfect trial, may be set free.” Christ was willing to suffer for us and take our rightful place in the suffering so that He may intercede for us with the Father.  That realization has changed the way that I look at this story, and the way that I look at the Savior’s sacrifice.  I love my Savior and all that he has done for me.

"Nevertheless"

This week in my New Testament class we discussed Christ’s infinite atonement.  We read Mark 14: 36 which reads, “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.”  My professor explained why “nevertheless” is his favorite work in the English language – and it really opened up new insight into this verse, and the Savior’s atonement in general.  Nevertheless is the opposite of “therefore.” Therefore has a cause and effect relationship – for example, one might say, “It’s cold in here, therefore I’m going to put a jacket on.” Because that person was cold, they put on a jacket.  However, “nevertheless” has the opposite meaning. For example, “It’s cold in here, nevertheless I’m not going to put on a jacket.”  It has a cause and counter-effect relationship.  The second part of the phrase, the part that comes after the “nevertheless” always has more weight.  Understanding that brought a whole new meaning to Mark 14: 36.  If Christ would have yielded to the natural man, he would have changed the “nevertheless” in that scripture to a “therefore” and not completed the Atonement.  However, Christ perfectly submitted His will to the Father and did something he did not want to do.

            Now what does that mean for you and me?  We can learn from this example that it’s not a sin to not want to do something we know that we need to do.  Christ gave us that example.  However, it becomes a sin if we yield to the temptation of making it a “therefore” statement instead of a “nevertheless” statement.  We shouldn’t get down on ourselves if there are righteous things that we know we should be doing, but for some reason or another don’t want to do in that moment.  But we should always follow Christ’s example and put the will of the Father before our own.  So next time you find yourself in this situation, remember Christ’s “Nevertheless” example and have the faith to follow it.  I know that by doing so we will gain an even greater testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.

The 10 Virgins

This week in my New Testament class we have discussed both the signs of the second coming, and what we need to do to prepare for it.  I want to focus specifically on a parable from Matthew 25.  It’s the parable of the 10 Virgins, and it’s found in verses 1-13.  To best understand this parable, we need to look at the question that spurred it.  That is found in JS Matthew verse 49: “Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?”  First of all, we need to understand what virgins symbolize. Christ used virgins in this parable to symbolize pure, good people.  We can think of this today as being the members of His church.  We read in the parable that there were five wise and five foolish virgins.  They were waiting for the bridegroom, and the wise brought extra oil with them but the foolish did not.  This is where I want to dig a little deeper.  We discussed in class that a very common understanding of the parable is that the lamp is our testimony and the oil is conversion.  However, Brother Griffin asked us to explore other meanings that the lamp and oil can have in our lives.  One that really stuck out to me was the idea that the oil is our covenants and the oil is the renewal of those covenants.  Every member of the church has made covenants with God to obey him and be an example of him.  However, not every member renews those covenants, which is where the true power comes from.  If we, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints only receive our covenants and stand idly by, we will not receive the benefit from them.  We must continually be renewing them and progressing (filling our lamps with oil) to reach our true potential.  The parable states that the wise virgins didn’t share their oil with the foolish ones, not because they were selfish, but because that oil is not something that can be shared.  We must each commit to becoming converted, we must each commit to renew our covenants with God.  We can’t do those things for anyone else but ourselves.  It was very powerful for me to realize that there could be more meaning behind the oil and the lamp than just a testimony and conversion.  Jesus’s parables are meant to be understood at many different levels, and I believe that we receive the benefit of those parables when we personally dig deeper.