Notes on Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20-21 "He Is Risen," CFM lesson for June 24-30

Outline of the Four Resurrection Accounts and Witnesses

All four accounts include Mary or Mary and other women as the first witnesses to the resurrection, as well as her or their commission to tell the apostles. Each account has different details and a different order, as would be expected when oral tradition is written down by different authors. Most of the accounts have Mary, mentioned alone or with her companions, arrive at the tomb and find it empty. They see an angel (Matthew, Mark) or two (Luke, John), who give them the good news. They run to tell the disciples, who don't believe them. Mark is the only one who says they didn't tell anyone, but I wonder if it meant they didn't say anything to anyone on the way to telling the disciples as the fact of their witness is so central to the other three accounts. In Luke and John, Peter (with John in John's account) run to the tomb and find it empty, as the women said, and they leave in astonishment. Staying behind, John account tells us of the beautiful details of Mary Magdelene's visit from the Savior. Mark also confirms that Mary was the first to see Him.
Matthew differs in that the women see the tomb and the angels and then while they are on the way to tell the disciples, Jesus appears to them. Lynn Wilson's commentary says that the two verses that describe this may not have been original: "Matthew 28:9–10 “Jesus met them. . . be not afraid: go tell my brethren . . . go into Galilee” These two verses insert that as the women were following through with the angel’s instructions to tell the disciples of the empty tomb, Jesus appeared to them, and gave them the same instructions. A close look shows that these two verses may have been adjusted at some point. First, because they interrupt Matthew’s chiastic outline mentioned above. Second, because they contradict Mark’s and John’s claims that Mary Magdalene was the first witness.18 Third, because they contradict John 21:11–17, where Jesus did not allow the first witness to touch Him. Fourth, because Mark, Luke, and John say that the disciples were informed and Peter found the tomb empty before Lord made His first appearance. Taking these into consideration, it appears at best, that these two verses were adjusted somehow, and at worst, added by a later editor trying to harmonize the angel’s message (from Mark 16:7) to go to Galilee."
Matthew's account includes details about the guards being bribed that are left out of the other accounts and then concludes with a visit to the eleven disciples on a Galilean mountain, where He gives them the commission to teach all nations. This commission is also mentioned in Mark, who adds that signs will follow the believers and that Christ ascended to the right hand of God. Mark tells us briefly about the two who walked and saw Christ, which experience is greatly expanded in Luke. Luke also gives us the detail that Peter saw Christ, though it tells us nothing of that meeting. I wonder what that meeting, so soon after Peter's denial and the rooster's crow, was like!
Mark, Luke, and John give an account of the eleven at supper in a closed room in Jerusalem where Christ appeared to them. Luke says Christ tells them to stay in Jerusalem until they are clothed with power, so Matthew's account on the Galilean mountain must have happened much later. John includes that they were given the Spirit and the power to forgive or retain sin. John includes details that Thomas was missing at that first appearance and how he came to see and know for himself eight days later. John is also unique in telling us about the fishing trip with Peter and six others, as well as the interview Peter had with Christ at that time about whether he loved Christ, feeding sheep, and what would happen to him and John in the future.

The Resurrection and the Appearance to Mary Magdelene and Other Women, Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-11, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-18

The women are the first to see the angels and hear the news of Christ's resurrection. In Matthew, it is "Mary Magdelene and the other Mary" who are mentioned. Mark says it was "Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Salome." Luke, who includes more women in all of his writings, has at least five women at the tomb, "It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles." John only mentions Mary Magdelene at the tomb that morning but she uses the plural, "we know not where they have laid him," in her reports to Peter and John John also has the two angels' appearance after the apostles come and leave and before Christ appears to her.
The angel tells the women in Matthew that Jesus will appear before them in Galilee, foreshadowing the forty days Christ will spend with them.
I found this detail about the angels from Lynn Wilson fascinating, "As Mary looked inside, she remembered seeing two angels, but her witness, reaction, or emotions are not what is emphasized here. Rather, the author includes the angel’s position. The hewn rock shelf where the body had laid was wide and tall enough for two angels to sit at either end. It appears that she did not comprehend what she saw. But John’s description resembles the description of the angels in the Holy of Holies (Exodus 37:6–8). In Moses’ Tabernacle, in the Holy of Holies the only piece of furniture was the gold box, known as the “ark of the testament” or covenant. It was covered with a gold lid, carved with two angels on either end facing each other. It was called “the mercy seat” and it represented the throne of God (Exodus 25:17–22). God’s throne is merciful because of Jesus’ atoning gift of Redemption. The most merciful gift in eternity is His resurrection. In a sense, the mercy seat foreshadowed this scene of the empty tomb with the two angels on either end."
The student manual points out that Mary Magdelene "is the only person mentioned in each of the four Gospels as a witness of to the Crucifixion, burial, and empty tomb." The disciples wouldn't believe the witness of the women. In Luke, it says that "their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not." They learned themselves to be wrong.
Peter and John run to the tomb and find it empty, as the women said. When they leave her behind, she has the marvelous visitation of the risen Savior.
I love that Mary didn't recognize Christ until He said her name. Names are important.

The student manual goes on to quote President James E. Faust, “No woman should question how the Savior values womanhood. The grieving Mary Magdalene was the first to visit the sepulchre after the Crucifixion, and when she saw that the stone had been rolled away and that the tomb was empty, she ran to tell Peter and John. The two Apostles came to see and then went away sorrowing. But Mary stayed. She had stood near the cross [see Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; John 19:25]. She had been at the burial [see Matthew 27:61; Mark 15:47]. And now she stood weeping by the empty sepulchre [see John 20:11]. There she was honored to be the first mortal to see the risen Lord”
Why was a woman the first to see Christ? I can think of a few reasons that honor might have come to a woman:

Perhaps Christ wanted to show unequivocally that the greatest among them would be the servant. If He had followed the world's thinking, the first would have been Peter or the Apostles all together. But to have it be a woman showed clearly that God's ways are not man's ways
This sent a clear message to the disciples and all who heard the story later not to discount the witness of women. The Apostles didn't believe Mary or the others. When they found out the women had been right, what affect would that have on their ability to listen to and heed their witnesses and testimonies in the future? Men and women working together in unity is essential to the work of the Kingdom. Here was an event that fostered that unity.
Eve was the first woman to eat the fruit, and so it is fitting that a woman be the first to see the redemption made for that fall.
While all the Apostles fled the night of Christ's betrayal, the women followed and stayed with him at the cross. They were there in His darkest hour and their sorrow and helplessness at the wickedness, cruelty, and injustice of men could be a metaphor for the many generations of women who have suffered at the hands of wicked men and were powerless to stop it. Christ showed himself to a woman as the One who descended below all things and would rise above them all. Because He had done this, He has power now to wipe all tears from our eyes. So many of us are helpless to stop the evil of the world around us, but we know Who will one day make everything all right.
I'm sure there could be other reasons or ideas I haven't thought of. Why do you think Christ appeared first to a woman?

The Student Manual quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie, "“The King James Version quotes Jesus as saying ‘Touch me not.’ The Joseph Smith Translation reads ‘Hold me not.’ Various translations from the Greek render the passage as ‘Do not cling to me’ or ‘Do not hold me.’ Some give the meaning as ‘Do not cling to me any longer,’ or ‘Do not hold me any longer.’ Some speak of ceasing to hold him or cling to him, leaving the inference that Mary was already holding him. There is valid reason for supposing that the thought conveyed to Mary by the Risen Lord was to this effect: ‘You cannot hold me here, for I am going to ascend to my Father.’ But the great message that was preserved for us is Jesus’ eternal relationship to his Father. ‘My’ Father and ‘your’ Father—Elohim is the Father of all men in the spirit, and of the Lord Jesus in an added and special sense. He is the Father of both Jesus’ spirit and his body. ‘My’ God and ‘your’ God—and again Elohim is the God of all men, but in Jesus’ case, though he himself is a God and has all power, though he is a member of the very Godhead itself, yet is he everlastingly in subjection to the same God who is our Father”

Christ Appears to Two Disciples on the Road, Luke 24:13-35, Mark 16:12-13

After the experience of the women, Mark shifts a bit in the original. The student manual explains, "The most reliable early manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark do not contain Mark 16:9–20, and the style of the Greek language used in these verses differs from the rest of Mark. This suggests that these concluding verses might not have been written by Mark, but rather by scribes who added accounts of the Savior’s appearances after His Resurrection to bring the ending of Mark’s Gospel more in harmony with the writings of Matthew, Luke, John, and Acts. Whatever the reasons for the manuscript variations, the Church accepts all of Mark 16 as inspired scripture. Its value is based not on which human being wrote it, but on its inspired testimony of truth (see 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:21; D&C 68:4).
I had always somehow pictured that the two disciples were apostles, but I loved reading it this time and realizing that neither of them were. In Luke, it tells us in verse 33 that they returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven, showing that neither of them was one of the eleven. The two aren't named in Mark, but Luke identifies one as Cleopas but the other is unnamed. Lynn Wilson says, "One of the two men may have been the source of the conversation for Luke. It was probably Cleopas/ Clopas, as Luke knew his name. Cleopas may have been the same person as Clopas, married to one of the Mary’s mentioned at the cross and tomb." I have seen speculation that the other person might have been Cleopas' wife. I love the thought that here were two good disciples, distressed and heartbroken at the loss of the One they thought was going to deliver all of Israel out of Roman bondage, and the Savior appears and walks with them. It is even more touching to me to think that it might have been a married couple who experienced such a visitation together.
Christ taught them from the scriptures the necessity of the suffering and death of Christ. He must have walked with them for some time. Christ also walks with us as we try to understand devastating times in our lives. When we turn to the scriptures, He can open them to us. He comforts us, teaches us, and gives us reason to hope again.
In this experience, they finally have their eyes open to him when He "took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight." This experience hints that more than just the twelve Apostles were present at the last supper and received the sacrament there. The new covenant symbolized by the sacrament is the imagery used to reveal Himself to those two sincere disciples.

The Chief Priests React to the Empty Tomb, Matthew 28:11-15

Matthew tells us that the chief priests are still actively working to put down this Jesus movement. When the guards come to them to tell them what happened -- they saw an angel move the stone from the door and speak to the women and they shook and "became as dead men" -- the chief priests counsel together and give the guards money to lie and blame the disciples for coming by night.
It is probably to counter this false tale that most of the accounts make mention of how the linen clothes were left behind nicely. If someone had taken Christ's body away, it's unlikely they would take the time to unwrap it, especially with guards supposedly sleeping outside.
I wonder why the guards came to the chief priests when they were in the employ of Pilate. In the previous chapter, we learn that the chief priests were the ones who insisted there be a watch set. Perhaps the guards feared the consequences of losing the body and sought protection from the chief priests.
Lynn Wilson, "The different Gospels paint a paradoxical contrast between the brave soldiers who passed out (Matthew 28:4), and the frightened women who walked into the tomb (Luke 24:3)" We also see the contrast between the women who ran to tell the truth and the guards who conspired to tell a lie. We also see once again how the chief priests were not ignorant concerning Christ and His miracles. And again, their hypocrisy is on display. They won't go into the court of the Gentiles so they will stay ritually pure and they can't take Judas' money and put it into the treasury because of their piety, but they will condemn, crucify, and pay money for lies to be spread about Christ.

Christ Appears to Disciples in Jerusalem, Luke 24:36-49, John 20:19-23, Mark 16:14-18

While Cleopas and his companion are with the ten Apostles, sharing the news of what they had experienced and likely sharing the scriptural prophecies they now understood, Christ comes and says "peace be unto you." The room had been shut to outsiders "because of fear of the Jews," (John), and at first the disciples are fearful here, too. Luke tells us that Christ asked them to touch His hands and his feet and understand that He was there with flesh and bones. When they still wondered if it were too good to be true, "while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered," He asked for food to be brought to Him so He could prove He was not a spirit. Luke tells us He then opened their minds to the scriptures, and in John, we learn that He gave them the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Mark, who always likes to make sure we see the Apostles' weaknesses, tells us that Christ "upbraideth them with their unbelief and hardness of heart." Whom the Lord love, He chastens. What would Christ upbraid me about if He were to visit me? What would He challenge you to change?

Christ's Appearance to Thomas, John 20:24-29

Only in John do we get the one incident in Thomas' faithful life that earned him the forever appellation of "doubting." I wonder how much of his doubt was really wanting to see Christ resurrected and how much of it was feeling a bit of envy that he had missed what the others had experienced. In any case, Christ comes to him and the rest in another closed room after eight days with the same message of peace. Thomas believes immediately, crying out, "My Lord and my God." Wayment says this is the first time that any disciples has unequivocally declared Jesus to be God. Even so, Christ tells Him and through this exchange, all of His future disciples, that while believing after seeing is good, believing before seeing will bring the blessings of the Lord.
I find it so beautiful that Christ retains the marks in his hands, feet, and side. It makes me love my own body more, with the weight and stretch marks I gained through giving birth so many times having meaning and purpose. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “Even though the power of the Resurrection could have—and undoubtedly one day will have—completely restored and made new the wounds from the crucifixion, nevertheless Christ chose to retain those wounds for a purpose, including for his appearance in the last days when he will show those marks and reveal that he was wounded ‘in the house of [his] friends’ [Zechariah 13:6; D&C 45:52].

“The wounds in his hands, feet, and side are signs that in mortality painful things happen even to the pure and the perfect, signs that tribulation is not evidence that God does not love us. It is a significant and hopeful fact that it is the wounded Christ who comes to our rescue. He who bears the scars of sacrifice, the lesions of love, the emblems of humility and forgiveness is the Captain of our Soul. That evidence of pain in mortality is undoubtedly intended to give courage to others who are also hurt and wounded by life, perhaps even in the house of their friends” (Christ and the New Covenant[1997], 258–59).

From the student manual: "President Gordon B. Hinckley "“Have you not heard others speak as Thomas spoke? ‘Give us,’ they say, ‘the empirical evidence. Prove before our very eyes, and our ears, and our hands, else we will not believe.’ This is the language of the time in which we live. Thomas the Doubter has become the example of men in all ages who refuse to accept other than that which they can physically prove and explain—as if they could prove love, or faith, or even such physical phenomena as electricity.”

President Hinckley then quoted John 20:26–29 and continued: “To all within the sound of my voice who may have doubts, I repeat the words given Thomas as he felt the wounded hands of the Lord: ‘Be not faithless, but believing.’ Believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the greatest figure of time and eternity” (“Be Not Faithless,” Ensign, May 1978, 59).

While Thomas has traditionally been referred to as “doubting Thomas,” other scriptures affirm his love for the Savior and devotion to Him (see John 11:16). Numerous early Christian writings state that after the Resurrection, Thomas preached the gospel throughout Syria, Mesopotamia, and India. Tradition holds that Thomas died as a martyr in India around A.D. 72."

Peter Goes Fishing and His Interview with the Lord, John 21:1-19

The apostles have not caught anything all night when they meet a man who tells them to cast on the right side of the fish. They fill up their net so full they can't bring it into the boat. The text tells us there were 153 great fishes and even though there were so many, the net was strong enough to hold. Lynn Wilson comments, "The number of “great fishes” is significant here. According to Jerome, the number 153 was the exact number of species of fish that the Greek zoologists had enumerated at that point in time.40 Symbolically, as this story will lead to a call for greater missionary work, the 153 fish can imply that the Gospel net would extend to all species or kindreds, tongues, and people. More important than the exact number is the inclusion that the net did not break. The net points to the apostles’ role as fishers among humanity. Their capacity as fishers of men will also extend to all who are drawn into the net of the Lord’s gospel. Earlier when the Lord had directed Peter (and possibly his partners James and John) to let down their nets for a great catch, the net broke (Luke 5:6). Now, the net was strong enough for the job and the apostles could handle the work before them. Jesus instructed the fishers to take care of the catch He has provided, “Bring of the fish which you have now caught,” and Peter went back to help drag the net ashore."
Don't you just love Peter's eagerness? I think it's funny that he puts ON an outer coat and then dives into the water. Probably, he first thought he needed to be clad more respectfully in Christ's presence, but then he goes and gets everything all wet so maybe that defeats the whole purpose. And I love that he dives into the water, leaving everyone else behind to deal with the fish, at least at first.
From the student manual: The Greek term translated as “naked” in the King James Version does not always mean “nude” but can mean “lightly clad” or “without an outer garment.” When Peter recognized the Lord, he quickly put on his outer cloak and “cast himself into the sea” (John 21:7). This detail reveals how eager Peter was to be with the Savior.
While the Apostles struggle with the fish, Jesus makes a fire and cooks fish and bread. Don't you love that the Savior is still serving? My friend Montserrat beautiful discusses what Christ's homemaking and cooking tasks mean to her using a talk by Nancy Young from the 2000 BYU Women's Conference. It's worth clicking on the link, especially if you are a mom!
Elder Holland does a fabulous job giving insights into the hearts and minds of the Apostles in this great talk. I posted the video below, but here are a few excerpts: "After a joyful reunion with the resurrected Jesus, Peter had an exchange with the Savior that I consider the crucial turning point of the apostolic ministry generally and certainly for Peter personally, moving this great rock of a man to a majestic life of devoted service and leadership. Looking at their battered little boats, their frayed nets, and a stunning pile of 153 fish, Jesus said to His senior Apostle, “Peter, do you love me more than you love all this?” Peter said, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. The Savior responds to that reply but continues to look into the eyes of His disciple and says again, “Peter, do you love me?” Undoubtedly confused a bit by the repetition of the question, the great fisherman answers a second time, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.”11 The Savior again gives a brief response, but with relentless scrutiny He asks for the third time, “Peter, do you love me?” By now surely Peter is feeling truly uncomfortable. Perhaps there is in his heart the memory of only a few days earlier when he had been asked another question three times and he had answered equally emphatically—but in the negative. Or perhaps he began to wonder if he misunderstood the Master Teacher’s question. Or perhaps he was searching his heart, seeking honest confirmation of the answer he had given so readily, almost automatically. Whatever his feelings, Peter said for the third time, “Lord, … thou knowest that I love thee.”12 To which Jesus responded (and here again I acknowledge my nonscriptural elaboration), perhaps saying something like: “Then Peter, why are you here? Why are we back on this same shore, by these same nets, having this same conversation? Wasn’t it obvious then and isn’t it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish? What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world. So, Peter, for the second and presumably the last time, I am asking you to leave all this and to go teach and testify, labor and serve loyally until the day in which they will do to you exactly what they did to me.”
Elder Holland goes on to say, "My beloved brothers and sisters, I am not certain just what our experience will be on Judgment Day, but I will be very surprised if at some point in that conversation, God does not ask us exactly what Christ asked Peter: “Did you love me?” I think He will want to know if in our very mortal, very inadequate, and sometimes childish grasp of things, did we at least understand one commandment, the first and greatest commandment of them all—“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.”13 And if at such a moment we can stammer out, “Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee,” then He may remind us that the crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty.

“If ye love me, keep my commandments,”14 Jesus said. So we have neighbors to bless, children to protect, the poor to lift up, and the truth to defend. We have wrongs to make right, truths to share, and good to do. In short, we have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the Lord. We can’t quit and we can’t go back. After an encounter with the living Son of the living God, nothing is ever again to be as it was before. The

The student manual points out that the word used for "feed" is not the same in all three verses. It quotes President Nelson, "“In [John 21:15], the word feed comes from the Greek term bosko, which means ‘to nourish or to pasture.’ The word lambcomes from the diminutive term arnion, meaning ‘little lamb.’ …

“In [John 21:16], the word feed comes from a different term, poimaino, which means ‘to shepherd, to tend, or to care.’ The word sheep comes from the term probaton, meaning ‘mature sheep.’ …

“In [John 21:17], the word feed again comes from the Greek bosko, referring to nourishment. The word sheep was again translated from the Greek term probaton, referring to adult sheep.

“These three verses, which seem so similar in the English language, really contain three distinct messages in Greek:

“Little lambs need to be nourished in order to grow;

“Sheep need to be tended;

“Sheep need to be nourished”
Peter is told the death that he will suffer. That reminds me of when Christ is teaching that just as we count the cost before we build a building so that we know we can see it through to the end, we need to understand the cost before we join Christ (Luke 14:28-33). This is not a half-way commitment. Nothing less than full and complete consecration will be asked for in the end. Peter is all in, and will suffer for it.

The Beloved Disciple's Fate, John 21:20-25

And then, Peter asks essentially, "What about John? You've told me my fate, what about him?" From Christ's response, "What is that to thee? Follow thou me," it seems that Peter's question is not just curiosity, but perhaps is motivated by pride or envy.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell points out the dangers of comparison, "“As for what God gives differentially to others, we need not be concerned. Peter, inquiring about John’s future role, was asked by Jesus, ‘What is that to thee? follow thou me.’ (John 21:22.) Sometimes, brothers and sisters, we do too much comparing and too little following. Sometimes also a few resent God’s having chosen someone else; perceiving themselves as passed over, they then go under spiritually”
From modern scripture, we know that John did not taste of death. The student manual explains, "Earlier in His earthly ministry, the Savior had said, “There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom” (Matthew 16:28). The resurrected Christ foretold that John would be one who would fulfill that prophecy and “tarry” on earth until He came again (see John 21:22–23). A more complete account of this conversation between the Savior, Peter, and John is found in Doctrine and Covenants, section 7, which is “a translated version of the record made on parchment by John and hidden up by himself” (D&C 7, section introduction). This revelation clarifies that John asked the Savior for “power over death, that I may live and bring souls unto thee,” and in response, the Savior granted John power to live until His Second Coming (see D&C 7:1–3). John thus became a “translated” being. Such beings are “changed so that they do not experience pain or death until their resurrection to immortality” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Translated Beings”; scriptures.lds.org). For more information on translated beings, see 3 Nephi 28:4–40, which affirms that three Nephite disciples experienced the same change undergone by John (see 3 Nephi 28:6)."

The Great Commission, Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:14-18

On a mountaintop in Galilee "where Jesus had appointed them," Matthew tells us that Christ testified that He now had all power given to Him. Then He gives them the tasks that will occupy the rest of their lives, to take the gospel to all nations and make disciples everywhere. They still don't understand that the time of the Gentiles has come; that will come later, but surely this task was overwhelming and awe-inspiring. But He promises to be with them.
I love the setting for this. Remember that mountains are where heaven and earth meet, and that the temple, ancient and modern, is considered the Lord's mountain, with each room inside representing our ascension into higher and holier spheres. Moses conversed with God on a holy mountain. Nephi went into the mountain to converse with the Lord.

The Ascension, Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53

Christ's words to Mary tell us something about the state of the soul after death and the spirit world. The Student Manual explains, "Jesus Christ’s appearance to Mary Magdalene makes clear that after His Resurrection, there would be a respectful separation between the mortal disciples and the immortal Christ. Jesus’s appearance also clarifies that He did not go directly into the presence of God the Father after His death. In the same way, after we die, our spirits will go to the world of spirits and await the time when they will be reunited with our physical bodies. The Book of Mormon prophet Alma declared: “Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection … the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life” (Alma 40:11). To be “taken home” to God does not mean that our spirits will go immediately into God’s presence, but rather that they will go into the spirit world, which is under His direction and control."
The student manual points out the centrality of the temple in Luke's teaching, "After Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples returned with joy to Jerusalem. There, they stayed continually in the temple, praising God (see Luke 24:53). Luke’s Gospel begins and ends in the temple—with Zacharias and Elisabeth in the temple, then with Mary and Joseph in the temple, and then, after the Savior’s Resurrection, with the Apostles and other disciples continually in the temple (see Acts 2:46)."
Lynn Wilson points out that Luke seems to be wanting to make deliberate parallels between the birth and death stories, with similar wording, witnesses, and order of events.

Hands full and loving it (mostly)

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