Holy Week Saturday

the Jewish sabbath, the sealed tomb–Christ descends into hell, organizes the liberation of the dead (D&C 138)–in the Nephite lands, there is no daylight, a voice from the darkness announces that he has destroyed many cities and people, proclaims himself Christ Alpha and Omega, and begs the people to come unto him by repentance (3 Nephi 9-10)

Comment:

There is a minor puzzle in 3rd Nephi.  In chapter 9 the voice of Christ announces that he has laid down his life and taken it up again, but in Chapter 10 10 the three days of darkness ends, so apparently Christ had not resurrected at the time of the announcement.  3 Nephi 9, where Christ announces that he has personally destroyed cities and peoples, naming them city by city–proclaims his universal rule–and then humbly pleads with everyone to come to him–is one of the most astonishing windows into the mystery of divinity in all scripture.

D&C 138 holds many treasures.  One I’d like to highlight is this verse.

For the dead had looked upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage.

Resurrection in the body is not just a symbol.

Finally, try to put yourself in the shoes of the Jewish disciples on that grief-stricken sabbath.  We know so much.  We know Christ is preaching in the Spirit World.  We know that the resurrection is coming.  For us, this day is just a pause.  For them, it was a day of devastation.  All their hopes were gone.   Look out through their eyes and see a bleak landscape.