Skip to main content

He is Risen!

Today we had our final New Testament class of the semester. It was an awesome experience to learn about the life of the Savior in depth. As we came to the final verses in the four gospels, I found some interesting occurrences that coordinated with foreshadowing verses in the beginning of Christ's ministry. It seems as if the gospel writers are showing how Christ came full circle. How he, like one of his disciples, "fought a good fight and finished his course." Only his fight was one against death and the very jaws of hell. He came, he experienced it all, and he conquered. He did it for us.


Here are some about Christ's birth and death:

Luke 2:7
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Mark 15:46
And he bought fine linen and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.
It was interesting and profound that both in the cases of his birth and his death, Jesus was wrapped. He was then laid. Both his birth and his death took place in a cave of sorts.

The next verses are about the disciples fishing:

 Mark 1:16-18
16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and i will make you to become fishers of men.
18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

John 21:6
And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

In the first passage, Jesus tells them that he will make them fishers of men. In the second one, he says, "Feed my sheep. Feed my lambs." It seems as if he is telling them to help and support the people that have come unto Christ and become his sheep, whereas in the first section he was asking them to find those who wished to follow Christ and be saved. At the time of the second passage, Jesus has won the victory over death and hell and has claimed us his if we will but choose to follow him.

I am so grateful that Jesus suffered and died for me and rose again so that I too may be resurrected. He loves me and he loves you. Never forget that he is there. When you feel your heart burn within you, remember that he is never far away.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Cave of Mental Illness

This is an essay I wrote in the Winter 2014 Semester for my Western Humanities class. I felt like I needed to share it. It is a bit long, but I assure you it's worth your time. Also, take some time to watch the quick video at the end. Jacob Hansen Professor Julie Ransom IHUM 201 Connection to Major 10 April 2014 The Cave of Mental Illness A mere seven months ago I had a different perception of reality. I found myself, as psychologist Kay Jamison puts it, “ enmeshed totally in the blackest caves of the mind ” (68). I, like Jamison, suffer from bipolar disorder. I was diagnosed about twenty months into my mission. Though I was in this cave, during the manic episode I experienced I felt more creative and energetic than I ever had. I felt little need to sleep and could think and make connections very quickly. I understood the world differently than others, and, so I thought, at a higher level. It was as if I had discovered a new revolutionary way of living and I was conf...
3 comments
Read more

"Be Ye Therefore Perfect [Not Perfectionistic]"

As I was doing some research for a project in my New Testament class, I came across an article that talks about perfectionism. It reminded me of the battle I have had throughout my life. I used to struggle immensely with perfectionism. I used to think my imperfections were sins and that I was required to become perfect simply by trying harder. Christ was there to help me, but he needed me to do all the work. I definitely tried to be perfect for others and not for Heavenly Father. I tried to be perfect for my teachers and for my mission president. I wanted them to think I was intelligent and capable. I failed to realize that falling short is inevitable and that it is part of living in a fallen world. I strived so hard on my mission to please my mission president; so much so that I sometimes lost sight of why I was really doing the missionary work. I lost the love part and just did things out of fear that I would never measure up. I remember that one of my companions reminde...
4 comments
Read more

Hate Garments? Think About the Spit and Clay

I'm just gonna say it—I don't enjoy temple garments. They are uncomfortable, pricy, ugly, and just weird. That said, I believe. I believe God wants to protect me and give me a reminder that my Savior literally has me covered. Everywhere. All the time. Elder Holland's talk from the October 2025 General Conference hit me hard.  He said this: "Another truth that is evident here are the instruments the Creator of heaven and earth and all that in them are used to provide this miracle: spit and a handful of dirt! These very unlikely ingredients declare that God can bless us by whatever method He chooses. Like Naaman resisting the River Jordan or the children of Israel refusing to look at the serpent on the staff, how easy it is for us to dismiss the source of our redemption because the ingredients and the instruments seem embarrassingly plain."  It really made sense to me, and it's my testimony that God uses "embarrassingly plain" things to protect us a...
Post a Comment
Read more