Trees versus humans

Momentary hope

Psalm 31

For the music leader. A psalm of David.

4 Therefore, since Christ suffered as a human, you should also arm yourselves with his way of thinking. This is because whoever suffers is finished with sin. ² As a result, they don’t live the rest of their human lives in ways determined by human desires but in ways determined by God’s will. ³ You have wasted enough time doing what unbelievers desire—living in their unrestrained immorality and lust, their drunkenness and excessive feasting and wild parties, and their forbidden worship of idols. ⁴ They think it’s strange that you don’t join in these activities with the same flood of unrestrained wickedness. So they slander you. ⁵ They will have to reckon with the one who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ Indeed, this is the reason the good news was also preached to the dead. This happened so that, although they were judged as humans according to human standards, they could live by the Spirit according to divine standards.

⁷ The end of everything has come. Therefore, be self-controlled and clearheaded so you can pray. ⁸ Above all, show sincere love to each other, because love brings about the forgiveness of many sins.

Jesus’ body is buried

³⁸ After this Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate if he could take away the body of Jesus. Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one because he feared the Jewish authorities. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and took the body away. ³⁹ Nicodemus, the one who at first had come to Jesus at night, was there too. He brought a mixture of myrrh and aloe, nearly seventy-five pounds in all.^{[a] 40} Following Jewish burial customs, they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the spices, in linen cloths. ⁴¹ There was a garden in the place where Jesus was crucified, and in the garden was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. ⁴² Because it was the Jewish Preparation Day and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus in it.