Hey friends,
It’s been another good week here at LDS Girl Everything. This
week in class we discussed the Savior’s atoning sacrifice. Did you know Gethsemane means “oil press”?
Like the Savior, the olives are pressed and “bleed from every
pore”. It is symbolic of Christ.
In Alma 7:11-13, it reads:
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains
and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this
that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him
the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him death, that he
may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take
upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according
to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his
people according to their infirmities.
13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things;
nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he
might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out
their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold,
this is the testimony which is in me.
Alma’s words give us a small glimpse into what Christ
underwent to fulfill the Atonement. Christ’s
suffering was infinite and encompassed everything we could ever
experience. It was so painful because
Christ had never felt many of these human emotions that result from sin. He lived a perfect life, but He chose to
suffer the consequences of sin for us, so that we could be made clean through
Him. But He suffered so much more than
just this.
In class, we listed from these verses everything Christ
suffered. First, He suffered the
consequences of sin. Guilt, pain,
remorse, sadness, fear, anxiety, depression, withdrawal of the Spirit,
hopelessness, and self-loathing are just a few emotions He felt. He had never experienced many of these before, and
now He experienced them on infinite levels.
If that wasn’t enough, He then experienced all of our pains
and afflictions, as well as our temptations.
He experienced every mortal grief, every sickness, every infirmity, so
that He could succor us in our mortal journey here on earth.
And then, Christ experienced something we will never have to
experience. He was left utterly and
completely alone. The Father withdrew
His presence, His power, and His divine comfort and aid. Christ was left to suffer alone in the
garden, and that is something we can never comprehend, and something we will
never have to comprehend, because of Him.
In Greek, the word agonia
means the most intense pain imaginable, even the pinnacle of suffering. This is what Christ chose to do for us.
How grateful I am for my Savior. My Savior from grief, sin, pain, and
heartache. Often, we equate Christ to
constant peace and no suffering. But in
truth, where there is suffering, there Christ will be, for He specializes in
healing our pains. He doesn’t just save
eternally, He saves us daily. It only
takes one sin for us to be unworthy of heaven, but through Christ’s atoning grace,
we can repent again and again and again, and we can return to our Father in
Heaven. Christ paid the eternal price
for us because He loves us. We are worth
it to Him. So, don’t give up on
yourself. We can do this, for Christ is
on our side. Keep trying and keep
believing.
Have a good week and know how much you are loved!
Brianna
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