easter devotional binder. christ's last week

8/14/2019 Easter Devotional Binder. Christ's Last Week

1/16

We mustWe mustWe mustWe must KnowKnowKnowKnow Christ better than we know Him;Christ better than we know Him;Christ better than we know Him;Christ better than we know Him;We mustWe mustWe mustWe must RememberRememberRememberRemember Him more often than we remember Him;Him more often than we remember Him;Him more often than we remember Him;Him more often than we remember Him;

We mustWe mustWe mustWe must ServeServeServeServe him more valiantly than we serve Him.him more valiantly than we serve Him.him more valiantly than we serve Him.him more valiantly than we serve Him. ----Pres. Howard W. HunterPres. Howard W. HunterPres. Howard W. HunterPres. Howard W. Hunter

Easter DevotionalsEaster DevotionalsEaster DevotionalsEaster DevotionalsRRRRememberingememberingememberingemembering CCCChrihrihrihristsstsstssts LLLLastastastast WWWWeekeekeekeek


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Jesus Triumphal EntryJesus Triumphal EntryJesus Triumphal EntryJesus Triumphal EntryMark 11:7Mark 11:7Mark 11:7Mark 11:7----11111111

Day 1Day 1Day 1Day 1 Palm SundayPalm SundayPalm SundayPalm Sunday


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Cleansing the TempleCleansing the TempleCleansing the TempleCleansing the TempleMatthew 21:10Matthew 21:10Matthew 21:10Matthew 21:10----17171717

Day 2Day 2Day 2Day 2 MondayMondayMondayMonday


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Parables & TeachingsParables & TeachingsParables & TeachingsParables & TeachingsMatthewMatthewMatthewMatthew 21:1821:1821:1821:18----23232323

Day 3Day 3Day 3Day 3 TuesdayTuesdayTuesdayTuesday


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There is noThere is noThere is noThere is no scripturalscripturalscripturalscriptural record ofrecord ofrecord ofrecord ofChristChristChristChrists Activities on this days Activities on this days Activities on this days Activities on this day

Day 4Day 4Day 4Day 4 WednesdayWednesdayWednesdayWednesday


6/16

TTTThehehehe LLLLastastastast SSSSupper,upper,upper,upper,

JJJJesusesusesusesus PPPPrayerrayerrayerrayer & A& A& A& Agony ingony ingony ingony in GGGGethsemethsemethsemethsemaneaneaneaneMatthew 26Matthew 26Matthew 26Matthew 26:17:17:17:17----46464646

Day 5Day 5Day 5Day 5 ThursdayThursdayThursdayThursday


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Jesus Trial and CrucifixionJesus Trial and CrucifixionJesus Trial and CrucifixionJesus Trial and CrucifixionLuke 22Luke 22Luke 22Luke 22:66:66:66:66----71717171

Day 6Day 6Day 6Day 6 FridayFridayFridayFriday


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TheTheTheThe Tomb isTomb isTomb isTomb is SSSSealed andealed andealed andealed and GGGGuardeduardeduardeduardedSaturday is the Jewish SabbathSaturday is the Jewish SabbathSaturday is the Jewish SabbathSaturday is the Jewish Sabbath

Matthew 27:62Matthew 27:62Matthew 27:62Matthew 27:62----66666666

Day 7Day 7Day 7Day 7 SaturdaySaturdaySaturdaySaturday


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Jesus ResurrectionJesus ResurrectionJesus ResurrectionJesus Resurrection & Appearances& Appearances& Appearances& AppearancesMark 16:1Mark 16:1Mark 16:1Mark 16:1----6666

Day 8Day 8Day 8Day 8 Easter SundayEaster SundayEaster SundayEaster Sunday


10/16


11/16


12/16


13/16

Palms for the LordPalms for the LordPalms for the LordPalms for the Lord

Much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Tookbranches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel thacometh in the name of the Lord (John 12:1213).

The Sunday before Easter, often called Palm Sunday, reminds us of Christs entering Jerusalem tocelebrate the Passover. We picture Him riding a donkey, with crowds scattering palm branches along Hispath.

Many people think that palm branches were used because there were so many palm trees in that part ofthe world, but there were more reasons than that for choosing them. The palm branch was the emblem oJudea and appeared on the coins of that land, thus symbolizing one of the riches of that country. WhenJesus entered Jerusalem, it was when the trees were in bloom, so in covering the way with palm branchethe people were offering a symbol of luxury.

It was a symbol of necessity too. To the Jews, palm branches represena gift from God because of its many uses in their lives. The palm was simportant in that area that when countries there went to war, the firsthing they did was cut away the palm branches, causing their enemto suffer the loss of food and livelihood (jobs).

This important tree has many different species (kinds of trees),ranging in size from less than ten feet (3 m) to over one hundred feet(30 m) high. The date palm supplied dates, of course. The coconut palmsupplied both coconut and coconut milk. The sap of the sugar palm wadried, beaten, and ground into very fine sugar. Its leaves could also be

boiled and used as a vegetable. The trunk of the sago palm supplied astrong starch that was ground into flour and made into unleavenedbread.

Palm trees had almost no waste parts. Their coarse fiber was used to make brooms, mats, and baskets;their fine fiber was used to make sewing thread, and their heaviest fiber was used to make strong ropes ships. Palm oils have been made into both butter and soap.

Coconut shells, too, were used. Fine bowls, cooking utensils, even tools were made from them. The timbof some palms was resistant to rot and salt water and was especially good for making boats.

The seeds of palms were boiled into a medicinal drink or were dried and eaten as nuts. If they wereallowed to dry a long time, they became as hard as rock and transparent, and made durable beads andtrinkets.

The palms yellowish-white flowers had an odor similar to that of violets, and they were made into perfumThe lovely, waxy flowers also were worn by the women as decorative headdresses.

Strewing palm branches at Jesus feet was, then, a symbol of the giving up of worldly goods, bothnecessities and luxuries. By Dorothy D. Warner, Palms for the Lord, Friend, Mar 1996, 26


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Day 5Day 5Day 5Day 5 Thursday, Agony in GethsemaneThursday, Agony in GethsemaneThursday, Agony in GethsemaneThursday, Agony in Gethsemane

None Were with Him

Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be leftalone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are.

Brothers and sisters, my Easter-season message today is intended for everyone, butt is directed in a special way to those who are alone or feel alone or, worse yet, feelabandoned. These might include those longing to be married, those who have lost aspouse, and those who have lostor have never been blessed withchildren. Ourempathy embraces wives forsaken by their husbands, husbands whose wives havewalked away, and children bereft of one or the other of their parentsor both. Thisgroup can find within its broad circumference a soldier far from home, a missionary inthose first weeks of homesickness, or a father out of work, afraid the fear in his eyeswill be visible to his family. In short it can include all of us at various times in our lives.

To all such, I speak of the loneliest journey ever made and the unending blessings it brought to all in the human family. I speaof the Saviors solitary task of shouldering alone the burden of our salvation. Rightly He would say: I have trodden thewinepress alone; and of the people there was none with me. . . . I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that the

was none to uphold [me].1

As President Uchtdorf so beautifully noted earlier, we know from scripture that Jesuss messianic arrival in Jerusalem on theSunday preceding Passover, a day directly analogous to this very morning, was a great public moment. But eagerness tocontinue walking with Him would quickly begin to wane.

Soon enough He was arraigned before the Israelite leaders of the dayfirst Annas, the former high priest, then Caiaphas, thecurrent high priest. In their rush to judgment these men and their councils declared their verdict quickly and angrily. What furtneed have we of witnesses? they cried. He is [worthy] of death.

2

With that He was brought before the gentile rulers in the land. Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, interrogated Him once, aPontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Judea, did so twice, the second time declaring to the crowd, I, having examined himbefore you, have found no fault in this man.

3Then, in an act as unconscionable as it was illogical, Pilate scourged Jesus, [a

delivered him to be crucified.4 Pilates freshly washed hands could not have been more stained or more unclean.

Such ecclesiastical and political rejection became more personal when the citizenry in the street turned against Jesus as wells one of the ironies of history that sitting with Jesus in prison was a realblasphemer, a murderer and revolutionary known asBarabbas, a name or title in Aramaic meaning son of the father.

5Free to release one prisoner in the spirit of the Passover

tradition, Pilate asked the people, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.6

So one godleson of the father was set free while a truly divine Son of His Heavenly Father moved on to crucifixion.

This was also a telling time among those who knew Jesus more personally. The most difficult to understand in this group isJudas Iscariot. We know the divine plan required Jesus to be crucified, but it is wrenching to think that one of His specialwitnesses who sat at His feet, heard Him pray, watched Him heal, and felt His touch could betray Him and all that He was for pieces of silver. Never in the history of this world has so little money purchased so much infamy. We are not the ones to judgeJudass fate, but Jesus said of His betrayer, Good [were it] for that man if he had not been born.

7

Of course others among the believers had their difficult moments as well. Following the Last Supper, Jesus left Peter, James,and John to wait while He ventured into the Garden of Gethsemane alone. Falling on His face in prayer, sorrowful . . . untodeath,

8the record says, His sweat came as great drops of blood

9as He pled with the Father to let this crushing, brutal cup p

from Him. But, of course, it could not pass. Returning from such anguished prayer He found His three chief disciples asleep,prompting Him to ask, Could ye not watch with me one hour?

10So it happens two more times until on His third return He say

compassionately, Sleep on now, and take your rest,11

though there would be no rest for Him.

Later, after Jesuss arrest and appearance at trial, Peter, accused of knowing Jesus and being one of His confidants, denies taccusation not once but three times. We dont know all that was going on here, nor do we know of protective counsel which thSavior may have given to His Apostles privately,

12but we do know Jesus was aware that even these precious ones would not


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stand with Him in the end, and He had warned Peter accordingly.13

Then, with the crowing of the cock, the Lord turned, andooked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord. . . . And [he] went out, and wept bitterly.

14

Thus, of divine necessity, the supporting circle around Jesus gets smaller and smaller and smaller, giving significance toMatthews words: All the disciples [left] him, and fled.

15Peter stayed near enough to be recognized and confronted. John sto

at the foot of the cross with Jesuss mother. Especially and always the blessed women in the Saviors life stayed as close to Has they could. But essentially His lonely journey back to His Father continued without comfort or companionship.

Now I speak very carefully, even reverently, of what may have been the most difficult moment in all of this solitary journey to

Atonement. I speak of those final moments for which Jesus must have been prepared intellectually and physically but which Hmay not have fully anticipated emotionally and spirituallythat concluding descent into the paralyzing despair of divinewithdrawal when He cries in ultimateloneliness, My God, my God, why hast thouforsaken me?

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The loss of mortal support He had anticipated, but apparently He had not comprehended this. Had He not said to His discipleBehold, the hour . . . is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am noalone, because the Father is with me and The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him?

17

With all the conviction of my soul I testify that He didplease His Father perfectly and that a perfect Father did notforsake HisSon in that hour. Indeed, it is my personal belief that in all of Christs mortal ministry the Father may never have been closer toHis Son than in these agonizing final moments of suffering. Nevertheless, that the supreme sacrifice of His Son might be ascomplete as it was voluntary and solitary, the Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His Spirit, the support of Hispersonal presence. It was required; indeed it was central to the significance of the Atonement, that this perfect Son who had

never spoken ill nor done wrong nor touched an unclean thing had to know how the rest of humankindus, all of uswould fewhen we did commit such sins. For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die not onlyphysically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, abjectly,hopelessly alone.

But Jesus held on. He pressed on. The goodness in Him allowed faith to triumph even in a state of complete anguish. The trusHe lived by told Him in spite of His feelings that divine compassion is never absent, that God is always faithful, that He neverflees nor fails us. When the uttermost farthing had then been paid, when Christs determination to be faithful was as obvious awas utterly invincible, finally and mercifully, it was finished.

18Against all odds and with none to help or uphold Him, Jesus of

Nazareth, the living Son of the living God, restored physical life where death had held sway and brought joyful, spiritualredemption out of sin, hellish darkness and despair. With faith in the God He knewwas there, He could say in triumph, Fathento thy hands I commend my spirit.

19

Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely patutterly alone, wedo not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that paththe mercicare of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angelheaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more habeen given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospeTrumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feethat we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said, I will not leave you comfortless. [My Father and] I will come to you [and abidewith you].

20

My other plea at Easter time is that these scenes of Christs lonely sacrifice, laced with moments of denial and abandonmentand, at least once, outright betrayal, must neverbe reenacted by us. He has walked alone once. Now, may I ask that neveragain will He have to confront sin without our aid and assistance, that never again will He find only unresponsive onlookers whHe sees you and me along His Via Dolorosain our present day. As we approach this holy weekPassover Thursday with its

Paschal Lamb, atoning Friday with its cross, Resurrection Sunday with its empty tombmay we declare ourselves to be morefully disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not in word only and not only in the flush of comfortable times but in deed and in couraand in faith, including when the path is lonely and when our cross is difficult to bear. This Easter week and always, may we staby Jesus Christ at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in, even until death,

21for surely that is how H

stood by us when it wasunto death and when He had to stand entirely and utterly alone. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.Elder Jeffrey R. Holland , Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

NOTES1. Isaiah 63:3, 5; see also D&C 76:107; 88:106; 133:50.2. Matthew 26:6566; see footnote 66b.3. Luke 23:14.4. Matthew 27:26.5. See Bible Dictionary, Barabbas, 619.6. Matthew 27:21.7. Matthew 26:24.

8. Matthew 26:38.9. See Luke 22:44; Mosiah 3:7; D&C 19:18.10. Matthew 26:40.11. Matthew 26:45.12. See Spencer W. Kimball, Peter, My Brother, BrighamYoung University Speeches of the Year (July 13, 1971), 5.13. See Mark 14:2731.14. Luke 22:6162.

15. Matthew 26:56.16. Matthew 27:46; emphasis added.17. John 16:32; 8:29.18. See John 19:30.19. Luke 23:46.20. John 14:18; see also v. 23.21. Mosiah 18:9.


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Last year my sister gave me anLast year my sister gave me anLast year my sister gave me anLast year my sister gave me an EasterEasterEasterEaster BinderBinderBinderBinder andandandand IIIIloved theloved theloved theloved the idea!idea!idea!idea! I want my children to know the realI want my children to know the realI want my children to know the realI want my children to know the realmeaning of Easter, and thismeaning of Easter, and thismeaning of Easter, and thismeaning of Easter, and this wwwwas perfect.as perfect.as perfect.as perfect. It has becomeIt has becomeIt has becomeIt has becomeaaaa favorite Easterfavorite Easterfavorite Easterfavorite Easter tradition in our home!tradition in our home!tradition in our home!tradition in our home! It is soIt is soIt is soIt is so

SimpleSimpleSimpleSimple yetyetyetyet Meaningful!Meaningful!Meaningful!Meaningful!

1.1.1.1. Find aFind aFind aFind a 3 Ring Binder3 Ring Binder3 Ring Binder3 Ring Binder & divide into 9 Sections& divide into 9 Sections& divide into 9 Sections& divide into 9 Sections2.2.2.2. PrintPrintPrintPrint off the 10 Pagesoff the 10 Pagesoff the 10 Pagesoff the 10 Pagesof Section Headers. place at theof Section Headers. place at theof Section Headers. place at theof Section Headers. place at the front offront offront offront of

each division & in the front as the Binder Coveach division & in the front as the Binder Coveach division & in the front as the Binder Coveach division & in the front as the Binder Coverererer....3.3.3.3. UsingUsingUsingUsing sheet protectorssheet protectorssheet protectorssheet protectors,,,, gather & insert any picturesgather & insert any picturesgather & insert any picturesgather & insert any pictures you hayou hayou hayou ha

of Christ and put in corresponding sectionsof Christ and put in corresponding sectionsof Christ and put in corresponding sectionsof Christ and put in corresponding sections....4.4.4.4. StartStartStartStart youryouryouryour Families EasterFamilies EasterFamilies EasterFamilies Easter DevotionalsDevotionalsDevotionalsDevotionals on the Sundayon the Sundayon the Sundayon the Sundaybefore Easter:before Easter:before Easter:before Easter:

Every NightEvery NightEvery NightEvery Night gathergathergathergather as a familyas a familyas a familyas a family

Turn down the lights andTurn down the lights andTurn down the lights andTurn down the lights and light a Candlelight a Candlelight a Candlelight a Candle

Start with an Easter SongStart with an Easter SongStart with an Easter SongStart with an Easter Song

LLLLook at theook at theook at theook at the picturespicturespicturespictures and discuss theand discuss theand discuss theand discuss the Scriptures for each dayScriptures for each dayScriptures for each dayScriptures for each day

5.5.5.5. On Day 4On Day 4On Day 4On Day 4use the Picture Section and talk aboutuse the Picture Section and talk aboutuse the Picture Section and talk aboutuse the Picture Section and talk about Christs life,Christs life,Christs life,Christs life,all that he didall that he didall that he didall that he did from his birth to deathfrom his birth to deathfrom his birth to deathfrom his birth to death!!!!

6.6.6.6. Each yearEach yearEach yearEach year add a few more pictures or articles on Christadd a few more pictures or articles on Christadd a few more pictures or articles on Christadd a few more pictures or articles on Christ....Find great sources on line! Time lines, videos, talks, etc. (see sugardoodle.net and click on tFind great sources on line! Time lines, videos, talks, etc. (see sugardoodle.net and click on tFind great sources on line! Time lines, videos, talks, etc. (see sugardoodle.net and click on tFind great sources on line! Time lines, videos, talks, etc. (see sugardoodle.net and click on tEEEE,,,, look under Easter for lots of great ideas to add to your binder)look under Easter for lots of great ideas to add to your binder)look under Easter for lots of great ideas to add to your binder)look under Easter for lots of great ideas to add to your binder)

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What to Do?What to Do?What to Do?What to Do?

easter devotional binder. christ's last week

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