He Will Swallow Up Death in Victory

Psalms 22, Zechariah 9, Old Testament Easter

March 30, 2026, to April 5, 2026

We mourn as we remember Jesus’ suffering and agony in Gethsemane and on the cross. Yet that sorrow is swallowed up as we rejoice in the joy of his Resurrection. Christ’s victory over death and sin are the greatest expression of divine love this world has ever been given.

Psalms 22

“My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?”: Psalm 22 and the Mission of Christ

Shon D. Hopkin

BYU Studies Quarterly 52, no. 4 (2013)

Psalm 22 is a prophecy of the events of Christ’s suffering and Crucifixion in detail, including his statement spoken from the cross. Words in this psalm show that Christ fulfilled his mission of redeeming humankind with his worthiness and authority from the Father intact.

A Precious and Powerful Witness of Jesus Christ

John M. Madsen

Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament (2005)

“The Living Christ” is a powerful summary of the identity and role of Jesus Christ. All scripture and all prophets testify of Christ; salvation comes only through Christ; Jehovah of the Old Testament is Jesus Christ.

The Psalm 22:16 Controversy: New Evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls

Shon Hopkin

BYU Studies 44, no. 3 (2005)

Few verses in the Bible have produced as much debate and commentary as Psalm 22:16: “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.” The discussions center on the last character (reading right to left) of the Hebrew ka’aru (“pierced/dug”), assumed to be the word from which the Septuagint Greek oruxsan (“they have pierced”) was translated—assumed because the original Hebrew texts from which the Septuagint was translated are no longer extant. If the last character of the Hebrew word was a waw (ו), as the Greek seems to indicate, then the translation “pierced” is tenable. But a later Hebrew text called the Masoretic text has a yod (‘) instead of a waw, making the word ka’ari, which translated into English reads “like a lion my hands and my feet.” Thus, two divergent possibilities have existed side by side for centuries, causing much speculation and debate.

The Psalms Sung: The Power of Music in Sacred Worship

J. Arden Hopkin, Shon D. Hopkin

Ascending the Mountain of the Lord: Temple, Praise, and Worship in the Old Testament, Sidney B. Sperry Symposium 53 (2013)

Psalms were often used in early Israelite practice in the context of worship. Psalms were set to music in order to enhance worship and to help draw the worshipper into a state in which she or he was prepared to commune with God. Psalms were designed to mirror important functions of the sacrificial ritual. Understanding the temple tradition of psalms can enhance sacrament and temple worship for Latter-day Saints.

Zechariah 9

“He Is God; and He Is with Them”: Helaman 8:21–23 and Isaiah’s Immanuel Prophecy as a Thematic Scriptural Concept

Matthew L. Bowen

BYU Studies 62, no. 1 (2021)

Grounded in Isaiah’s promise of Immanuel, this article explores how the declaration “God with us” unfolds across scripture and finds its fullest meaning in Jesus Christ. By tracing divine presence from ancient prophecy to Christ’s ministry and triumph over death, it invites readers to see the saving acts of Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of God dwelling with His people.

The Old Testament and Easter

Kent P. Jackson

Ascending the Mountain of the Lord: Temple, Praise, and Worship in the Old Testament, Sidney B. Sperry Symposium 45 (2013)

Palm Sunday, Jesus’ suffering in Gethsemane, and Jesus’ Resurrection are closely tied to the Old Testament.

The Way of the Disciple

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

General Conference (Apr. 2009)

As we study Jesus’s Atonement, we know that now is the time to become his disciples and walk in his way.

Old Testament Easter

“He Is God; and He Is with Them”: Helaman 8:21–23 and Isaiah’s Immanuel Prophecy as a Thematic Scriptural Concept

Matthew L. Bowen

BYU Studies 62, no. 1 (2021)