Class 4 Exploring Biblical Foreshadowing of Jesus

Welcome back to the course Seeking Jesus. My name is John Hilton. I've put up a picture on the screen. What activity is happening? You can see the shadows of two snowboarders on a chairlift. Even though the picture shows only a shadow, it was probably enough to help you recognize the activity. That's like what Abinadi said about the Law of Moses. If you teach the Law of Moses, also teach that it is a shadow of those things which are to come. This means that the Law of Moses typifies, or is like a shadow, of Christ. Jesus himself taught that Moses and all the prophets had taught about him and his death. In our last class, we covered the time period from Adam to Abraham. Today, we'll briefly look at three of Abraham's descendants—Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—and see how they are types of Christ. Then, we'll turn to the Law of Moses and learn ways that it foreshadows Jesus. Sarah and Abraham's son, Isaac, was a miracle baby. born when Sarah was 90 and Abraham was 100. Isaac brought great joy to his parents. Imagine Abraham's shock when God told him,"...take thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains, which I will tell thee of."With a heavy heart, Abraham took his son Isaac and traveled for three days to arrive at the place God had appointed for the sacrifice. neither do anything unto him. For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. There's lots that we could say about this passage, but for our purposes, let's focus on what the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob taught, that Abraham offering up Isaac was was a similitude of God and his only begotten Son. Think of the similarities Isaac's miraculous birth was prophesied of, just like the Savior's. Isaac carried the wood for his sacrifice, just like Christ carried his cross. Abraham did not withhold his son from God, just like God did not withhold his only son from us. Metaphorically speaking, what sacrifice is the Lord requiring of us? Will we humbly submit as did Abraham and Isaac? As we shift now to Isaac's son Jacob, let's have a little fun. Have you ever misheard a hymn and then later read the lyrics and thought, that's not what I heard? LDS Living recently wrote an article about kids and what they thought hymn lyrics were saying. Here's one. Find in thee my strength, my bacon. It's actually find in thee my strength, my beacon, although bacon can definitely strengthen you. Or when appeared to heavenly beings. Can you picture a little kid trying to imagine, well, what does this look like? But no, it's two heavenly beings. One woman wrote, My niece came home from primary one day and told her mom that they sang about Santa in primary. Her mom said, are you sure they sang about Santa? Yes, the little girl said. The song said, O Santa, O Santa, all hail triumphant king. It's actually Hosanna, but I can see how the child got mixed up. Here are some actual hymn lyrics, and they're about Jacob, the son of Isaac. Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down, Darkness be over me, my rest a stone. I don't know if you've ever sang that and wondered, what does that mean, my rest a stone? Turn with me to Genesis chapter 28. Jacob is traveling, so that's though like the wanderer. The wanderer is Jacob. And you can see in Genesis chapter 28 verse 10, the sun was set. So that's the sun gone down, darkness be over me. And Jacob took of the stones of that place and put them for his pillows. That's where we get, my rest, a stone. not the most comfortable pillow. Then we read that Jacob lay down in that place to sleep and had a dream in which he saw a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven, and behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. In Jacob's dream, angels travel between heaven and earth via this ladder. Here's what's interesting. Do you remember how in our previous class we talked about the phrase, in the beginning, in John chapter 1, ties us to that same phrase in Genesis chapter 1? Finding similar words or phrases can help us find scriptural connections. This is called intertextuality, and it's a valuable approach to Scripture study. We see a connection between Jesus and Jacob's ladder at the end of John chapter 1. If you flip over to John 1.51, Jesus is talking with a man named Nathanael, and tells him that he will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. In this context, the Son of Man refers to Jesus Christ. This phrase, angels ascending and descending, only appears in Genesis 28 and John chapter 1. Jesus is clearly making a connection. It's as though Jesus is saying, remember Jacob's dream? Angels were ascending and descending on a ladder. The ladder was the path to heaven. But you're going to see angels ascending and descending on me, Jesus. I'm the real path. I'm the ladder in Jacob's dream. So, Jacob's dream is a type of Christ. Jesus is the way. Following him is the path to heaven. Jacob's name was changed to Israel, and he had 12 sons. That's where we get the 12 tribes of Israel. Let's touch briefly on his son, Joseph. Joseph was the favorite child, the one who was given the coat of many colors. His brothers were jealous and sold him into slavery. It seems like whenever Joseph tries to do good things, bad things happen to him. He refuses the sexual advances of Potiphar's wife, and as a result, he's thrown into prison. Sometimes, when we do the right things, our situation gets worse. Maybe you can relate. Like, when you were a teenager, you watched some church video where there were a bunch of kids watching a movie together. The music changes, signaling to you that something inappropriate is happening in the movie. You watch as one of the teenagers says, hey guys, I don't think we should watch this movie. Then his friend says, yeah, you're right, I was thinking the same thing. Let's go eat ice cream. And they all go eat ice cream, and it's awesome. So now it's the next Friday night, and you're at your friend's house, and something bad comes on in the movie. And you say, hey guys, I don't think we should watch this movie. And your friend says, shut up. And then you start crying, and you go eat ice cream with your friend's mom. Things did not turn out the way that you thought they would. Well, Joseph in Egypt, he can relate. He does the right thing, and things go wrong for him. I love that he was still faithful, even in difficult times. In that sense, Joseph is a type of Christ. Jesus was also sold by somebody who should have protected him. Jesus did everything right and still suffered greatly. When you do the right thing and things don't work out exactly the way you would hope, Joseph and Jesus can relate. Sometimes bad things can happen. happen to good people. As you remember, because Joseph did the right thing, eventually he was blessed to bring his entire family to Egypt and save them from famine. Unfortunately, over the next generations, the Israelites became enslaved to the Egyptians, and that takes us to Moses. We could have a whole video just on the narrative of Moses, who he was, and how Jesus helped him lead the Israelites out of Exodus. But for our purposes today, we're going to focus on seeing types of Christ in the Law of Moses, the commandments, rules, and regulations that Moses brought forth. The Law of Moses has many elements that evolved over time. Today we'll look at two celebrations and then two sacrifices, and finally we'll discuss the blood of the covenant. As we go, we'll see how each of these elements of the Law of Moses points to Jesus. Let's start with the Feast of Tabernacles. In Leviticus chapter 23, verses 33 and 34, we read, The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month "...shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord."This is perhaps a lesser-known holiday for some of us, but in the time of Jesus, and for many Jews today, it was one of the biggest annual festivals. Let's look at three elements of this feast that were established by the time of Christ. First, water. The Feast of Tabernacles lasted for eight days, and on the first seven days there was a water-drawing ceremony. Each day, a procession of priests walked from the temple to the Pool of Siloam. There would be singing and dancing. Think of something special, like a holiday parade. This was a big deal. A priest would draw water from the pool of Siloam, and this water would be taken back to the temple for a special ritual. This happened on the first seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles, but not on the final day. With that context in mind, come with me to John chapter 7. It's the Feast of Tabernacles, and Jesus is in Jerusalem. Note how John 7, 37, and 38 have additional meaning in context of the Feast of Tabernacles. We read, On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was teaching in the temple complex, he cried out, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. On this final day of the feast, when there was no water-drawing ceremony, Jesus said in effect, You've been going to the pool of Siloam to get water all week. But actually, you can come to me and freely drink of the waters of salvation, this key part of your religious festival. That's me! "A second feature of the Feast of Tabernacles was light. Imagine you live in a time when, when the sun goes down, it's dark. And except for some feeble lamps, there's no light. Well, during the Feast of Tabernacles, four giant lampstands were placed around the temple. They were about 70 feet tall with giant bowls filled with oil. The light from these lampstands was so bright it was reported that the light from the that they lit up every courtyard in Jerusalem. This was completely different from a normal nighttime experience that you'd be used to. Think of a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, the magic when the lights go on. That might give us a feel for what people experienced at the Feast of Tabernacles. In John 8, verse 12, which takes place at the end of the feast, Jesus says, I am the light of the world. Just like with the water, Jesus is taking an element of the Feast of Tabernacles and saying, This is me. Our third example is the sacrifice or death of animals. More animals were sacrificed at the Feast of Tabernacles than any other festival, including the Passover. Imagine the scene at the temple complex. Animals are being killed, there's blood, it's a very visceral experience. Accompanying the sacrifice, participants would recite psalms that centered on overcoming death. At the Feast of Tabernacles, when death is hanging in the air, Jesus says,"'Whoever keeps my word will never see death.'"Each of these phrases from Jesus is compelling on its own, but they're even more powerful when we see them in context of the Feast of Tabernacles. Just like Jesus was the ladder in Jacob's dream, Jesus replaces key elements of the Feast of Tabernacles. Are you thirsty? Come to me, I've got the living water. Do you need light? No worries, I'm the light of the world. Are you afraid of death? Through me, you're going to have light. I want to look at another celebration—the Passover. Let's look at four connections that show how the Passover lamb is a type of Christ. And note that all four appear in the Gospel of John. This seems to be a theme he was especially interested in. First is the title, the Lamb of God. When you and I hear the phrase, Lamb of God, we probably automatically connect it to Jesus Christ. But in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the only time the title Lamb of God appears is in John chapter 1, when John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God. So that's our first basic connection. There's the Passover lamb, and Jesus is identified as the Lamb. Our second connection has to do with the timing of when Jesus was crucified. As you think of the Last Supper, you might think of the Last Supper as a Passover meal. And that's true in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But John does the timing differently. In John, the Last Supper is the night before the Passover meal. Look at John 18, verse 28. This is after the Last Supper, after Gethsemane. Jesus was taken to Pilate's headquarters early in the morning. The Jewish authorities did not... enter the headquarters so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. Can you see how in John 18, verse 28, the Passover meal is not in the past, it's in the future? The Jewish authorities don't want to go into Pilate's residence because they're about to eat the Passover meal that evening. They don't want to be ritually unclean by touching Gentile things. This timing is also evident in John 19, verse 14. Just before Christ is crucified, John tells us, It was the day of preparation for the Passover, meaning the people were preparing for the Passover that would take place that night. What John is showing us with the way he portrays the timing of this event is that Jesus Christ is crucified at the exact same hour that Passover lambs are being killed in the temple in preparation for the Passover meal that evening. As an aside, there are various discussions about how to reconcile what the Synoptic Gospels and John teach about the Last Supper being a Passover meal. That's an interesting discussion, but it misses the theological point that John is trying to make. He is showing us Jesus as the Passover lamb. A third connection is found in the hyssop plant. You might remember that in the original Passover meal, people took the blood of a lamb and put it around their door to protect themselves from the destroying angel. Exodus chapter 12, verse 22 is very specific about what type of plant should be used as a paintbrush, so to speak. It says, and used that to paint the blood over the door of the Lamb. Note the connection to Christ. In John 19, verse 28, Jesus says, I thirst. In response, some bystanders put a sponge full of wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. The same type of plant used for the blood in the Passover was used to deliver wine to Jesus on the cross. One more connection, and this one you're probably familiar with. In Exodus chapter 12, it's explicit that the Passover lamb shouldn't have any broken bones. John tells us that at the crucifixion of Christ, the thieves on the cross next to Jesus had their legs broken to hasten their death. But when the soldiers came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. John records,"...for these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled, a bone of him shall not be broken." So, these are four elements of how John is clearly showing us that Jesus is the Passover Lamb. The title, the Lamb of God, the timing of the Passover, the hyssop plant, and no broken bones. Now, you might be thinking, wow, this is pretty cool. I've learned some details that I didn't know before about the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles. But some of us might be wondering, this is nice, but how does it help me in my life? Let's just pause for a moment. Think of Jesus as the living water, or the light of the world, or the conqueror of death. or the Passover lamb? How do these different connections we've made help us in our lives? What relevance might they have? There are many possible answers. I want to highlight one by looking at a pattern in the Book of Mormon. Jacob wrote, For this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to Christ. Amulek taught, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice, and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God. Remember that part of the law was these feasts, the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles. Finally, we read that the anti-Nephi-Lehi's did not suppose that salvation came by the law of Moses, but the law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ. Note the consistent pattern in these verses, observing the law of Moses, focused people on Jesus Christ. It's true that many people in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles did not see it connecting to Jesus. And lots of people at Passover did not recognize Christ as the Passover lamb. One application that I see is to ask myself, do my worship practices point me to Jesus? As I participate in religious rituals like taking the sacrament, worshiping in the temple, praying, reading my scriptures, am I just going through the motions or am I focusing on Jesus? Am I seeing Him in the rituals? Think about things like elders quorum or Relief Society activities, the Children and Youth program, ministering, and so forth. Am I engaging in these activities in a way that points myself and others to Jesus Christ? Remember what Amulek taught. Every whit of Nephite worship pointed to Christ. As we likewise focus our worship on Jesus, we will have peace and joy. Let's shift from celebrations to sacrifice. To you and me, the idea of killing animals as a sacrifice sounds pretty gruesome. But from Adam down to Jesus Christ, this was a key part of worship. The Law of Moses had many types of sacrifices. Today, we'll just highlight two. The first one is called the Daily Sacrifice. It gets this name because it's offered every day. Actually, twice a day. In Exodus, we read, This is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar, two lambs of the first year, day by day, continually. The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning, and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even."It's not the most famous of all the sacrifices. It's an everyday sacrifice that was still taking place during the time of Christ. Temple priests would cast lots to see who would perform specific acts of the sacrificial ritual, including dividing up portions of the animal. Can you already see a connection between this daily sacrifice and Jesus'sacrifice on the cross? Soldiers cast lots for it. They divided up Christ's clothing. In addition, Christ said, if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. This idea of a daily sacrifice, carrying your cross daily, can be challenging. I don't know about you, but I feel like I could do a great job doing a giant one-time sacrifice. But the little things can be hard. Let's think a little bit more about Jesus'command to take up your cross daily. Often when we hear that phrase, we think of a trial we're facing. But consider the time of Jesus. When he was talking to his disciples about carrying crosses, he was talking to people who had seen live crucifixions. This is not a hypothetical event. It was real. The Greek word translated in Luke as part of the phrase, take up their cross, is the same Greek word used for the cross that Jesus was nailed to. One scholar said, in the first century, it was culturally unthinkable to make jokes about religion, as it would be today to make jokes about Auschwitz. To carry your cross does not mean to move forward with courage despite the fact that you lost your job or your spouse. It means you are under the sentence of death. You have abandoned all hope of life in this world. And then, Jesus says, and only then, are we ready to follow him. In the daily sacrifice, we see a reminder of the importance of following Christ daily. It's not a heroic one-time effort. It's a daily sacrifice. It's a caregiver who daily serves an aging patient. It's a ministering sister who continually serves somebody in need. It's daily acts of love and devotion. And remember that Jesus said we should take our cross daily as we follow him. It's not I'll grit my teeth and suffer through it, but instead I'm carrying my cross following Jesus. Picturing ourselves following the Savior as we offer our daily sacrifices can give us great strength. The other sacrifice we'll briefly touch on is called the freewill offering. We learn about it in Leviticus 22. Basically, the freewill offering is an offering you choose to give. You're not obligated to do it. Turn with me to John chapter 10 verses 17 and 18, and let's identify phrases that suggest how Jesus could be the freewill offering. Jesus said, Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No one taketh it from me. but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again."If Jesus had wanted to live, he had the power to avoid death. Sometimes we say a phrase like, the Romans killed Jesus, but that's not really accurate. Jesus willingly gave up his life. We see the same idea in a conversation between Pilate and the Savior. Pilate, the most powerful person in the region, said to Jesus, Don't you know that I have the power to crucify thee, and I have the power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. Jesus chose to lay down his life. It was a freewill offering. Think about your life and the sacrifices you make. Maybe you're making extra-mile efforts to help somebody, or there are certain parts of the gospel that feel like a sacrifice. How we view our offerings can completely change when we transform our perspective from doing things because we have to do them into doing things because we willingly choose to do them. One mother shared, Raising three little children is exhausting. I was feeling frustrated with my lack of time and energy and resenting the fact that I had to give up so much of my time to make another meal, wipe another nose, and change another diaper. But one day I thought about Jesus. Nobody made him sacrifice for me. He did it because he wanted to. And I realized that I had always wanted to be a mom. It was my choice. This realization changed everything. Well, most things. It's still exhausting to do the required motherly tasks, but now I feel so much happier as I serve my children, knowing that it's something I've chosen to do. When we choose to see our sacrifices as voluntary or freewill offerings, our hearts soften and service becomes more joyful. We also become more like the Savior. as we emulate the One who freely gives us all things. Before we move to our final topic of the shedding of blood, I want to introduce you to a scripture study tool called the Blue Letter Bible. The website blueletterbible.org can help you learn what the Hebrew or Greek word that's been translated into English meant in the original language. Let me show you an example. If you're able to, either now or later, follow along with me because this is a tool that's worth learning how to use. In Matthew chapter 26 verses 27 and 28 we read, Jesus took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it. For this is my blood of the new testament. A person might wonder, what does the word testament mean? Well, if we click on Matthew chapter 26 verse 28, we can see the English in the left-hand column. If I click on G1242 next to testament, it tells me what the Greek word is that has been translated as testament and gives me a definition. It also shows me the different ways that this same Greek word has been translated in the King James Version. In this case, we see that 13 times it's been translated as testament, but 20 times this Greek word has been translated as covenant. I can read more of the definition, but I've already learned that when Jesus says, this is the blood of the New Testament, he means, this is the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Because I used the Blue Letter Bible, that word has a little different meaning for me, and in fact, in a moment, we'll come back to what we just learned from the Blue Letter Bible. But first, look at this picture. It depicts a story that usually isn't told in primary. Shortly after Moses received the Ten Commandments, he wrote down the words from God and built an altar. Some young men sacrificed oxen, and Moses took the blood from the animals and put them in basins. In Exodus chapter 24 verses 7 and 8, we read, Moses took the book of the covenant and read in the audience of the people. And they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. Then Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you. You can see why this story is skipped in primary. What a shocking experience. An animal has died. Moses takes the blood, throws it on the people, and says, This blood is the blood of the covenant that we are now making with God. Let's connect this passage with Jeremiah chapter 31, verses 31 and 32. Here the Lord says, Behold, the days come that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my covenant they break. Keeping this context in mind, let's return to Matthew chapter 26, verses 27 and 28, the verses we were just reading in the Blue Letter Bible. Here, Jesus took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Can you see what's happening here? There was an old covenant made with blood. It was broken, and Jeremiah said that in the future, a new covenant would come. Now, as Jesus institutes the sacrament, he says, this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you. Why is this relevant for us? Because we are saved through the blood of Christ. In Hebrews chapter 9 we read, For when every commandment had been told to all the people by Moses in accordance with the law, he took the blood of calves and sprinkled all the people, saying, This is the blood of the covenant that God has ordained for you. Can you see how the author is referring back to that event in Exodus 24? Hebrews then says, Christ has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. And Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Christ's sacrifice, the new covenant of his blood, saves you and me. As the Apostle Peter wrote,"...ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ."Let's go back to the Blue Letter Bible and look up the word translated here as redeem. As you can see, one of its definitions is to liberate by payment of ransom. Christ bought us with his blood. When we deeply know that Christ has purchased or redeemed us, we have a completely new way of looking at things. For example, a person might be tempted to commit sexual sin, thinking, it's my body. As long as everything's consensual, it's okay. But Jesus has purchased our bodies with his blood. We can't do whatever we want with them. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught, In exploiting the body of another, which means exploiting his or her soul, one desecrates the atonement of Christ, which saved that soul, and which makes possible the gift of eternal life. For me, this is a reminder that I'm not living my own life doing whatever I want. I belong to Jesus. What does it mean to you to know that in Peter's words, you were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ? Another important facet of Christ shedding his blood in this new covenant concerns the sacrament. Every time we partake of the sacrament, we hear these words, O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee, in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this water to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them. Note how when Jesus introduced the sacrament, He talked about the blood of the new covenant, which was shed, as do our modern sacrament prayers. So, what is meant by Jesus shedding his blood? On one occasion, I surveyed about 100 of my students and asked, do you think the phrase, the blood of Christ was shed, mostly describes Christ's suffering in Gethsemane or on Calvary? How would you answer this question? About three-quarters of the students chose Gethsemane, and one-quarter chose Calvary. I surveyed an additional group of students and gave them a third option of Christ shedding his blood in both Gethsemane and on Calvary. With a third option, 56% chose both Gethsemane and on Calvary, but still 39% of the class said Gethsemane only. Let me explain why I think this question matters. The Scriptures frequently talk about bloodshed, beginning in Genesis chapter 9. To be very clear, when the Scriptures talk about the shedding of blood, they are talking about death. They are not talking about bleeding. It is definitely death. There are more than 40 times in Scripture where it's explicit that shedding blood equals death. Here's one example. When Nephi was debating whether or not to kill Laban, he said,"...never at any time have I shed the blood of man, and I shrunk, and would that I might not slay him."Again, there are more than 40 passages that are just like this. Shedding blood clearly equals death. This is also unambiguous in Joseph Smith's writings. Consider one example of many. Joseph Smith taught, when you find a spirit that wants bloodshed, Murder, the same is not of God, but is of the devil. Here, Joseph Smith equates shedding blood and murder. So, when Jesus talks about the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many, he's explicitly talking about the blood he will shed on the cross. Paul also points this out in Colossians when he refers to the blood of his cross. Some of you might be wondering, Brother Hilton, why are you emphasizing this so much? It's because in Doctrine and Covenants, section 27, verse 2, Jesus says, It mattereth not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory, remembering unto the Father my body, which was laid down to you, and my blood, which was shed for the remission of your sins."In other words, Jesus in the modern day says, it doesn't matter what you eat or drink for the sacrament, just make sure you're thinking about and remembering my death. Based on how people answered the survey questions, My guess is that some people, when they take the sacrament, are only thinking about Gethsemane. They're not thinking about the cross. To be clear, Christ's suffering in Gethsemane is an important part of his atonement. I'm not discounting that. I'm just saying that when the sacrament prayers talk about us always remembering the blood of thy son which was shed for them, it's a reference to his death. When we take the sacrament, do we remember the love he showed us through his death? If not, would doing so assist us in connecting with Christ? One of my students told me, the idea that Christ shed his blood on the cross is eye-opening. Whenever I thought about the shedding of blood, I think about the atonement as a whole, but more of the Garden of Gethsemane. This brings a whole new perspective during the sacrament, thinking about the Savior's atonement. I'm not suggesting that you should not think about Gethsemane during the sacrament. Rather, I'm pointing out that when Jesus instituted the sacrament, both in the old world and in the new, and in his words in modern times, he's connected the sacrament with the shedding of his blood, his death, and he's specifically asked us to remember his death. I believe we will find great power as we do so. Here's one last thought for us to consider. The shedding of blood is an all-in sacrifice. It is 100%. It is giving everything. Jesus Christ died for us. Christ's blood of the new covenant is a powerful reminder that Jesus did not give up on us on the cross. And if he didn't give up on us then, He is not giving up on us now. Sometimes we might feel, oh, it's too late. There's no hope for me. Nope. Jesus gave the all-in sacrifice, and he is all-in with you and me today. The question is, are we all-in with him? Today we've seen several shadows of Jesus Christ—in Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, as well as in the feasts and sacrifices pertaining to the Law of Moses. We've also focused on Christ shedding his blood for us. We've covered a lot of information, but take a moment to ponder. What does this mean for you in your life? How can you apply what you've learned? The answers will be different for each of us. Perhaps some of us will step back and look at our worship practices and focus them more on Jesus. Others of us may want to more consciously think about daily sacrifices or giving a freewill offering. Or we might choose to think more about the Savior's death as we partake of the sacrament. I hope that each of us will choose some specific applications from this video. that will draw us closer to Jesus Christ. Thanks for staying until the very end. I want to make sure that you know there are pre-class readings for each of these videos in the course, as well as additional resources like PowerPoints and quiz questions to explore. Click the link in the description to access these additional learning resources.

Welcome back to the course Seeking Jesus. My name is John Hilton. I've put up a picture on the screen. What activity is happening?

You can see the shadows of two snowboarders on a chairlift. Even though the picture shows only a shadow, it was probably enough to help you recognize the activity. That's like what Abinadi said about the Law of Moses. If you teach the Law of Moses, also teach that it is a shadow of those things which are to come.

This means that the Law of Moses typifies, or is like a shadow, of Christ. Jesus himself taught that Moses and all the prophets had taught about him and his death. In our last class, we covered the time period from Adam to Abraham.

Today, we'll briefly look at three of Abraham's descendants—Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—and see how they are types of Christ. Then, we'll turn to the Law of Moses and learn ways that it foreshadows Jesus. Sarah and Abraham's son, Isaac, was a miracle baby. born when Sarah was 90 and Abraham was 100. Isaac brought great joy to his parents.

Imagine Abraham's shock when God told him,"...take thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains, which I will tell thee of."With a heavy heart, Abraham took his son Isaac and traveled for three days to arrive at the place God had appointed for the sacrifice. neither do anything unto him. For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

There's lots that we could say about this passage, but for our purposes, let's focus on what the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob taught, that Abraham offering up Isaac was was a similitude of God and his only begotten Son. Think of the similarities Isaac's miraculous birth was prophesied of, just like the Savior's. Isaac carried the wood for his sacrifice, just like Christ carried his cross.

Abraham did not withhold his son from God, just like God did not withhold his only son from us. Metaphorically speaking, what sacrifice is the Lord requiring of us? Will we humbly submit as did Abraham and Isaac?

As we shift now to Isaac's son Jacob, let's have a little fun. Have you ever misheard a hymn and then later read the lyrics and thought, that's not what I heard? LDS Living recently wrote an article about kids and what they thought hymn lyrics were saying. Here's one.

Find in thee my strength, my bacon. It's actually find in thee my strength, my beacon, although bacon can definitely strengthen you. Or when appeared to heavenly beings.

Can you picture a little kid trying to imagine, well, what does this look like? But no, it's two heavenly beings. One woman wrote, My niece came home from primary one day and told her mom that they sang about Santa in primary. Her mom said, are you sure they sang about Santa? Yes, the little girl said.

The song said, O Santa, O Santa, all hail triumphant king. It's actually Hosanna, but I can see how the child got mixed up. Here are some actual hymn lyrics, and they're about Jacob, the son of Isaac. Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down, Darkness be over me, my rest a stone.

I don't know if you've ever sang that and wondered, what does that mean, my rest a stone? Turn with me to Genesis chapter 28. Jacob is traveling, so that's though like the wanderer. The wanderer is Jacob.

And you can see in Genesis chapter 28 verse 10, the sun was set. So that's the sun gone down, darkness be over me. And Jacob took of the stones of that place and put them for his pillows.

That's where we get, my rest, a stone. not the most comfortable pillow. Then we read that Jacob lay down in that place to sleep and had a dream in which he saw a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven, and behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

In Jacob's dream, angels travel between heaven and earth via this ladder. Here's what's interesting. Do you remember how in our previous class we talked about the phrase, in the beginning, in John chapter 1, ties us to that same phrase in Genesis chapter 1? Finding similar words or phrases can help us find scriptural connections.

This is called intertextuality, and it's a valuable approach to Scripture study. We see a connection between Jesus and Jacob's ladder at the end of John chapter 1. If you flip over to John 1.51, Jesus is talking with a man named Nathanael, and tells him that he will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. In this context, the Son of Man refers to Jesus Christ. This phrase, angels ascending and descending, only appears in Genesis 28 and John chapter 1. Jesus is clearly making a connection. It's as though Jesus is saying, remember Jacob's dream?

Angels were ascending and descending on a ladder. The ladder was the path to heaven. But you're going to see angels ascending and descending on me, Jesus.

I'm the real path. I'm the ladder in Jacob's dream. So, Jacob's dream is a type of Christ. Jesus is the way.

Following him is the path to heaven. Jacob's name was changed to Israel, and he had 12 sons. That's where we get the 12 tribes of Israel.

Let's touch briefly on his son, Joseph. Joseph was the favorite child, the one who was given the coat of many colors. His brothers were jealous and sold him into slavery. It seems like whenever Joseph tries to do good things, bad things happen to him.

He refuses the sexual advances of Potiphar's wife, and as a result, he's thrown into prison. Sometimes, when we do the right things, our situation gets worse. Maybe you can relate.

Like, when you were a teenager, you watched some church video where there were a bunch of kids watching a movie together. The music changes, signaling to you that something inappropriate is happening in the movie. You watch as one of the teenagers says, hey guys, I don't think we should watch this movie.

Then his friend says, yeah, you're right, I was thinking the same thing. Let's go eat ice cream. And they all go eat ice cream, and it's awesome.

So now it's the next Friday night, and you're at your friend's house, and something bad comes on in the movie. And you say, hey guys, I don't think we should watch this movie. And your friend says, shut up. And then you start crying, and you go eat ice cream with your friend's mom.

Things did not turn out the way that you thought they would. Well, Joseph in Egypt, he can relate. He does the right thing, and things go wrong for him.

I love that he was still faithful, even in difficult times. In that sense, Joseph is a type of Christ. Jesus was also sold by somebody who should have protected him. Jesus did everything right and still suffered greatly.

When you do the right thing and things don't work out exactly the way you would hope, Joseph and Jesus can relate. Sometimes bad things can happen. happen to good people. As you remember, because Joseph did the right thing, eventually he was blessed to bring his entire family to Egypt and save them from famine. Unfortunately, over the next generations, the Israelites became enslaved to the Egyptians, and that takes us to Moses.

We could have a whole video just on the narrative of Moses, who he was, and how Jesus helped him lead the Israelites out of Exodus. But for our purposes today, we're going to focus on seeing types of Christ in the Law of Moses, the commandments, rules, and regulations that Moses brought forth. The Law of Moses has many elements that evolved over time. Today we'll look at two celebrations and then two sacrifices, and finally we'll discuss the blood of the covenant. As we go, we'll see how each of these elements of the Law of Moses points to Jesus.

Let's start with the Feast of Tabernacles. In Leviticus chapter 23, verses 33 and 34, we read, The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month "...shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord."This is perhaps a lesser-known holiday for some of us, but in the time of Jesus, and for many Jews today, it was one of the biggest annual festivals. Let's look at three elements of this feast that were established by the time of Christ.

First, water. The Feast of Tabernacles lasted for eight days, and on the first seven days there was a water-drawing ceremony. Each day, a procession of priests walked from the temple to the Pool of Siloam.

There would be singing and dancing. Think of something special, like a holiday parade. This was a big deal. A priest would draw water from the pool of Siloam, and this water would be taken back to the temple for a special ritual. This happened on the first seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles, but not on the final day.

With that context in mind, come with me to John chapter 7. It's the Feast of Tabernacles, and Jesus is in Jerusalem. Note how John 7, 37, and 38 have additional meaning in context of the Feast of Tabernacles. We read, On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was teaching in the temple complex, he cried out, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. On this final day of the feast, when there was no water-drawing ceremony, Jesus said in effect, You've been going to the pool of Siloam to get water all week. But actually, you can come to me and freely drink of the waters of salvation, this key part of your religious festival.

That's me! "A second feature of the Feast of Tabernacles was light. Imagine you live in a time when, when the sun goes down, it's dark. And except for some feeble lamps, there's no light. Well, during the Feast of Tabernacles, four giant lampstands were placed around the temple. They were about 70 feet tall with giant bowls filled with oil. The light from these lampstands was so bright it was reported that the light from the that they lit up every courtyard in Jerusalem. This was completely different from a normal nighttime experience that you'd be used to. Think of a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, the magic when the lights go on. That might give us a feel for what people experienced at the Feast of Tabernacles. In John 8, verse 12, which takes place at the end of the feast, Jesus says, I am the light of the world. Just like with the water, Jesus is taking an element of the Feast of Tabernacles and saying, This is me. Our third example is the sacrifice or death of animals. More animals were sacrificed at the Feast of Tabernacles than any other festival, including the Passover. Imagine the scene at the temple complex. Animals are being killed, there's blood, it's a very visceral experience. Accompanying the sacrifice, participants would recite psalms that centered on overcoming death. At the Feast of Tabernacles, when death is hanging in the air, Jesus says,"'Whoever keeps my word will never see death.'"Each of these phrases from Jesus is compelling on its own, but they're even more powerful when we see them in context of the Feast of Tabernacles. Just like Jesus was the ladder in Jacob's dream, Jesus replaces key elements of the Feast of Tabernacles. Are you thirsty? Come to me, I've got the living water. Do you need light? No worries, I'm the light of the world. Are you afraid of death? Through me, you're going to have light. I want to look at another celebration—the Passover. Let's look at four connections that show how the Passover lamb is a type of Christ. And note that all four appear in the Gospel of John. This seems to be a theme he was especially interested in. First is the title, the Lamb of God. When you and I hear the phrase, Lamb of God, we probably automatically connect it to Jesus Christ. But in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the only time the title Lamb of God appears is in John chapter 1, when John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God. So that's our first basic connection. There's the Passover lamb, and Jesus is identified as the Lamb. Our second connection has to do with the timing of when Jesus was crucified. As you think of the Last Supper, you might think of the Last Supper as a Passover meal. And that's true in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But John does the timing differently. In John, the Last Supper is the night before the Passover meal. Look at John 18, verse 28. This is after the Last Supper, after Gethsemane. Jesus was taken to Pilate's headquarters early in the morning. The Jewish authorities did not... enter the headquarters so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. Can you see how in John 18, verse 28, the Passover meal is not in the past, it's in the future? The Jewish authorities don't want to go into Pilate's residence because they're about to eat the Passover meal that evening. They don't want to be ritually unclean by touching Gentile things. This timing is also evident in John 19, verse 14. Just before Christ is crucified, John tells us, It was the day of preparation for the Passover, meaning the people were preparing for the Passover that would take place that night. What John is showing us with the way he portrays the timing of this event is that Jesus Christ is crucified at the exact same hour that Passover lambs are being killed in the temple in preparation for the Passover meal that evening. As an aside, there are various discussions about how to reconcile what the Synoptic Gospels and John teach about the Last Supper being a Passover meal. That's an interesting discussion, but it misses the theological point that John is trying to make. He is showing us Jesus as the Passover lamb. A third connection is found in the hyssop plant. You might remember that in the original Passover meal, people took the blood of a lamb and put it around their door to protect themselves from the destroying angel. Exodus chapter 12, verse 22 is very specific about what type of plant should be used as a paintbrush, so to speak. It says, and used that to paint the blood over the door of the Lamb. Note the connection to Christ. In John 19, verse 28, Jesus says, I thirst. In response, some bystanders put a sponge full of wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. The same type of plant used for the blood in the Passover was used to deliver wine to Jesus on the cross. One more connection, and this one you're probably familiar with. In Exodus chapter 12, it's explicit that the Passover lamb shouldn't have any broken bones. John tells us that at the crucifixion of Christ, the thieves on the cross next to Jesus had their legs broken to hasten their death. But when the soldiers came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. John records,"...for these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled, a bone of him shall not be broken." So, these are four elements of how John is clearly showing us that Jesus is the Passover Lamb. The title, the Lamb of God, the timing of the Passover, the hyssop plant, and no broken bones. Now, you might be thinking, wow, this is pretty cool. I've learned some details that I didn't know before about the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles. But some of us might be wondering, this is nice, but how does it help me in my life? Let's just pause for a moment. Think of Jesus as the living water, or the light of the world, or the conqueror of death. or the Passover lamb? How do these different connections we've made help us in our lives? What relevance might they have? There are many possible answers. I want to highlight one by looking at a pattern in the Book of Mormon. Jacob wrote, For this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to Christ. Amulek taught, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice, and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God. Remember that part of the law was these feasts, the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles. Finally, we read that the anti-Nephi-Lehi's did not suppose that salvation came by the law of Moses, but the law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ. Note the consistent pattern in these verses, observing the law of Moses, focused people on Jesus Christ. It's true that many people in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles did not see it connecting to Jesus. And lots of people at Passover did not recognize Christ as the Passover lamb. One application that I see is to ask myself, do my worship practices point me to Jesus? As I participate in religious rituals like taking the sacrament, worshiping in the temple, praying, reading my scriptures, am I just going through the motions or am I focusing on Jesus? Am I seeing Him in the rituals? Think about things like elders quorum or Relief Society activities, the Children and Youth program, ministering, and so forth. Am I engaging in these activities in a way that points myself and others to Jesus Christ? Remember what Amulek taught. Every whit of Nephite worship pointed to Christ. As we likewise focus our worship on Jesus, we will have peace and joy. Let's shift from celebrations to sacrifice. To you and me, the idea of killing animals as a sacrifice sounds pretty gruesome. But from Adam down to Jesus Christ, this was a key part of worship. The Law of Moses had many types of sacrifices. Today, we'll just highlight two. The first one is called the Daily Sacrifice. It gets this name because it's offered every day. Actually, twice a day. In Exodus, we read, This is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar, two lambs of the first year, day by day, continually. The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning, and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even."It's not the most famous of all the sacrifices. It's an everyday sacrifice that was still taking place during the time of Christ. Temple priests would cast lots to see who would perform specific acts of the sacrificial ritual, including dividing up portions of the animal. Can you already see a connection between this daily sacrifice and Jesus'sacrifice on the cross?

Soldiers cast lots for it. They divided up Christ's clothing. In addition, Christ said, if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

This idea of a daily sacrifice, carrying your cross daily, can be challenging. I don't know about you, but I feel like I could do a great job doing a giant one-time sacrifice. But the little things can be hard.

Let's think a little bit more about Jesus'command to take up your cross daily. Often when we hear that phrase, we think of a trial we're facing. But consider the time of Jesus.

When he was talking to his disciples about carrying crosses, he was talking to people who had seen live crucifixions. This is not a hypothetical event. It was real.

The Greek word translated in Luke as part of the phrase, take up their cross, is the same Greek word used for the cross that Jesus was nailed to. One scholar said, in the first century, it was culturally unthinkable to make jokes about religion, as it would be today to make jokes about Auschwitz. To carry your cross does not mean to move forward with courage despite the fact that you lost your job or your spouse. It means you are under the sentence of death.

You have abandoned all hope of life in this world. And then, Jesus says, and only then, are we ready to follow him. In the daily sacrifice, we see a reminder of the importance of following Christ daily.

It's not a heroic one-time effort. It's a daily sacrifice. It's a caregiver who daily serves an aging patient. It's a ministering sister who continually serves somebody in need. It's daily acts of love and devotion.

And remember that Jesus said we should take our cross daily as we follow him. It's not I'll grit my teeth and suffer through it, but instead I'm carrying my cross following Jesus. Picturing ourselves following the Savior as we offer our daily sacrifices can give us great strength. The other sacrifice we'll briefly touch on is called the freewill offering.

We learn about it in Leviticus 22. Basically, the freewill offering is an offering you choose to give. You're not obligated to do it. Turn with me to John chapter 10 verses 17 and 18, and let's identify phrases that suggest how Jesus could be the freewill offering.

Jesus said, Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No one taketh it from me. but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again."If Jesus had wanted to live, he had the power to avoid death. Sometimes we say a phrase like, the Romans killed Jesus, but that's not really accurate. Jesus willingly gave up his life. We see the same idea in a conversation between Pilate and the Savior. Pilate, the most powerful person in the region, said to Jesus, Don't you know that I have the power to crucify thee, and I have the power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. Jesus chose to lay down his life. It was a freewill offering. Think about your life and the sacrifices you make. Maybe you're making extra-mile efforts to help somebody, or there are certain parts of the gospel that feel like a sacrifice. How we view our offerings can completely change when we transform our perspective from doing things because we have to do them into doing things because we willingly choose to do them. One mother shared, Raising three little children is exhausting. I was feeling frustrated with my lack of time and energy and resenting the fact that I had to give up so much of my time to make another meal, wipe another nose, and change another diaper. But one day I thought about Jesus. Nobody made him sacrifice for me. He did it because he wanted to. And I realized that I had always wanted to be a mom. It was my choice. This realization changed everything. Well, most things. It's still exhausting to do the required motherly tasks, but now I feel so much happier as I serve my children, knowing that it's something I've chosen to do. When we choose to see our sacrifices as voluntary or freewill offerings, our hearts soften and service becomes more joyful. We also become more like the Savior. as we emulate the One who freely gives us all things. Before we move to our final topic of the shedding of blood, I want to introduce you to a scripture study tool called the Blue Letter Bible. The website blueletterbible.org can help you learn what the Hebrew or Greek word that's been translated into English meant in the original language. Let me show you an example. If you're able to, either now or later, follow along with me because this is a tool that's worth learning how to use. In Matthew chapter 26 verses 27 and 28 we read, Jesus took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it. For this is my blood of the new testament. A person might wonder, what does the word testament mean? Well, if we click on Matthew chapter 26 verse 28, we can see the English in the left-hand column. If I click on G1242 next to testament, it tells me what the Greek word is that has been translated as testament and gives me a definition. It also shows me the different ways that this same Greek word has been translated in the King James Version. In this case, we see that 13 times it's been translated as testament, but 20 times this Greek word has been translated as covenant. I can read more of the definition, but I've already learned that when Jesus says, this is the blood of the New Testament, he means, this is the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Because I used the Blue Letter Bible, that word has a little different meaning for me, and in fact, in a moment, we'll come back to what we just learned from the Blue Letter Bible. But first, look at this picture. It depicts a story that usually isn't told in primary. Shortly after Moses received the Ten Commandments, he wrote down the words from God and built an altar. Some young men sacrificed oxen, and Moses took the blood from the animals and put them in basins. In Exodus chapter 24 verses 7 and 8, we read, Moses took the book of the covenant and read in the audience of the people. And they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. Then Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you. You can see why this story is skipped in primary. What a shocking experience. An animal has died. Moses takes the blood, throws it on the people, and says, This blood is the blood of the covenant that we are now making with God. Let's connect this passage with Jeremiah chapter 31, verses 31 and 32. Here the Lord says, Behold, the days come that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my covenant they break. Keeping this context in mind, let's return to Matthew chapter 26, verses 27 and 28, the verses we were just reading in the Blue Letter Bible. Here, Jesus took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Can you see what's happening here? There was an old covenant made with blood. It was broken, and Jeremiah said that in the future, a new covenant would come. Now, as Jesus institutes the sacrament, he says, this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you. Why is this relevant for us? Because we are saved through the blood of Christ. In Hebrews chapter 9 we read, For when every commandment had been told to all the people by Moses in accordance with the law, he took the blood of calves and sprinkled all the people, saying, This is the blood of the covenant that God has ordained for you. Can you see how the author is referring back to that event in Exodus 24? Hebrews then says, Christ has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. And Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Christ's sacrifice, the new covenant of his blood, saves you and me. As the Apostle Peter wrote,"...ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ."Let's go back to the Blue Letter Bible and look up the word translated here as redeem. As you can see, one of its definitions is to liberate by payment of ransom. Christ bought us with his blood. When we deeply know that Christ has purchased or redeemed us, we have a completely new way of looking at things. For example, a person might be tempted to commit sexual sin, thinking, it's my body. As long as everything's consensual, it's okay. But Jesus has purchased our bodies with his blood. We can't do whatever we want with them. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught, In exploiting the body of another, which means exploiting his or her soul, one desecrates the atonement of Christ, which saved that soul, and which makes possible the gift of eternal life. For me, this is a reminder that I'm not living my own life doing whatever I want. I belong to Jesus. What does it mean to you to know that in Peter's words, you were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ? Another important facet of Christ shedding his blood in this new covenant concerns the sacrament. Every time we partake of the sacrament, we hear these words, O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee, in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this water to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them. Note how when Jesus introduced the sacrament, He talked about the blood of the new covenant, which was shed, as do our modern sacrament prayers. So, what is meant by Jesus shedding his blood? On one occasion, I surveyed about 100 of my students and asked, do you think the phrase, the blood of Christ was shed, mostly describes Christ's suffering in Gethsemane or on Calvary? How would you answer this question? About three-quarters of the students chose Gethsemane, and one-quarter chose Calvary. I surveyed an additional group of students and gave them a third option of Christ shedding his blood in both Gethsemane and on Calvary. With a third option, 56% chose both Gethsemane and on Calvary, but still 39% of the class said Gethsemane only. Let me explain why I think this question matters. The Scriptures frequently talk about bloodshed, beginning in Genesis chapter 9. To be very clear, when the Scriptures talk about the shedding of blood, they are talking about death. They are not talking about bleeding. It is definitely death. There are more than 40 times in Scripture where it's explicit that shedding blood equals death. Here's one example. When Nephi was debating whether or not to kill Laban, he said,"...never at any time have I shed the blood of man, and I shrunk, and would that I might not slay him."Again, there are more than 40 passages that are just like this. Shedding blood clearly equals death. This is also unambiguous in Joseph Smith's writings. Consider one example of many. Joseph Smith taught, when you find a spirit that wants bloodshed, Murder, the same is not of God, but is of the devil. Here, Joseph Smith equates shedding blood and murder. So, when Jesus talks about the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many, he's explicitly talking about the blood he will shed on the cross. Paul also points this out in Colossians when he refers to the blood of his cross. Some of you might be wondering, Brother Hilton, why are you emphasizing this so much? It's because in Doctrine and Covenants, section 27, verse 2, Jesus says, It mattereth not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory, remembering unto the Father my body, which was laid down to you, and my blood, which was shed for the remission of your sins."In other words, Jesus in the modern day says, it doesn't matter what you eat or drink for the sacrament, just make sure you're thinking about and remembering my death. Based on how people answered the survey questions, My guess is that some people, when they take the sacrament, are only thinking about Gethsemane.

They're not thinking about the cross. To be clear, Christ's suffering in Gethsemane is an important part of his atonement. I'm not discounting that. I'm just saying that when the sacrament prayers talk about us always remembering the blood of thy son which was shed for them, it's a reference to his death.

When we take the sacrament, do we remember the love he showed us through his death? If not, would doing so assist us in connecting with Christ? One of my students told me, the idea that Christ shed his blood on the cross is eye-opening.

Whenever I thought about the shedding of blood, I think about the atonement as a whole, but more of the Garden of Gethsemane. This brings a whole new perspective during the sacrament, thinking about the Savior's atonement. I'm not suggesting that you should not think about Gethsemane during the sacrament. Rather, I'm pointing out that when Jesus instituted the sacrament, both in the old world and in the new, and in his words in modern times, he's connected the sacrament with the shedding of his blood, his death, and he's specifically asked us to remember his death. I believe we will find great power as we do so.

Here's one last thought for us to consider. The shedding of blood is an all-in sacrifice. It is 100%. It is giving everything.

Jesus Christ died for us. Christ's blood of the new covenant is a powerful reminder that Jesus did not give up on us on the cross. And if he didn't give up on us then, He is not giving up on us now. Sometimes we might feel, oh, it's too late. There's no hope for me.

Nope. Jesus gave the all-in sacrifice, and he is all-in with you and me today. The question is, are we all-in with him? Today we've seen several shadows of Jesus Christ—in Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, as well as in the feasts and sacrifices pertaining to the Law of Moses.

We've also focused on Christ shedding his blood for us. We've covered a lot of information, but take a moment to ponder. What does this mean for you in your life? How can you apply what you've learned? The answers will be different for each of us.

Perhaps some of us will step back and look at our worship practices and focus them more on Jesus. Others of us may want to more consciously think about daily sacrifices or giving a freewill offering. Or we might choose to think more about the Savior's death as we partake of the sacrament. I hope that each of us will choose some specific applications from this video. that will draw us closer to Jesus Christ.

Thanks for staying until the very end. I want to make sure that you know there are pre-class readings for each of these videos in the course, as well as additional resources like PowerPoints and quiz questions to explore. Click the link in the description to access these additional learning resources.

Transcript for:Class 4 Exploring Biblical Foreshadowing of Jesus

Transcript for:
Class 4 Exploring Biblical Foreshadowing of Jesus