WHOM SAY YE THAT I AM?
In Matthew, chapter 22, the Pharisees were gathered around Christ, trying to denounce his divinity, when Christ asked them, “Whom say ye that I am?” They answered, “The son of David.” Jesus then responded “If David called me Lord, how can I be his son?” “And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.” (Matt 22: 41-2, 45-6)
If Jesus were to ask you, “Whom say ye that I am?” How would you respond?
As a missionary in the MTC, I remember watching a video recording of Elder Bruce R. McConkie’s conference talk titled, The Purifying Power of Gethsemane. During this talk, I felt the Spirit strongly testify to me of Jesus Christ. It has since become my favorite conference talk of all-time. Elder McConkie passed away shortly after giving this, his final testimony:
He said, “I testify that [Christ] is the Son of the Living God and was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person. I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.”
Just like the Pharisees of old, too many of God’s children today are similarly confused. Through scripture study, prayer and modern-day revelation we can know for ourselves who Christ is. He is our Lord, the Only Begotten Son of God, the Creator of all things on earth, the Prince of Peace, the Holy Messiah, our Savior and Redeemer.
For the remainder of this talk, I’d like to focus on the last 2 titles mentioned: Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer.
SAVIOR & REDEEMER
Christ’s atonement is 2-fold:
First, In the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ atoned for the sins of ALL mankind. He made it possible for us to repent of our sins and become spiritually whole so that we can once again be in the presence of God. For ‘no unclean thing can dwell with God’. (1 Ne 10:21)
In the Book of Mormon, Amulek testified to the Zoramites, “For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.” (Alma 34:9)
In this life, we are all going to fall short of perfection. But Heavenly father provided a way back to Him. Jesus Christ is the WAY. He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me.” (John 14:6)
A few years back, I remember attending a Sunday School lesson on the atonement. The teacher compared Christ’s suffering to an olive press. In fact, “the word Gethsemane comes from 2 Hebrew roots: gath, meaning “press,” and shemen, meaning “oil,” especially that of the olive. In the Garden of Gethsemane, olives had been pressed under the weight of great stone wheels to squeeze precious oil from them. Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane was also literally pressed under the weight of the sins of the world. He sweat great drops of blood – his life’s “oil” – which issued from every pore.” (Russel M. Nelson, “In This Holy Land,” Liahona, Feb. 1991)
In some way, incomprehensible to us, Christ’s suffering satisfied the demands of justice, saved our souls from sin, and provided mercy for all those who repent and believe in Him.
I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully He proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.
Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me!
Second, through his death and resurrection, Christ paved the way for ALL to be resurrected. This part of the atonement is unconditional. Because Christ died on the cross and was resurrected, ALL will be resurrected.
Under the word atonement in the Bible Dictionary, it reads:
Jesus Christ was the only sinless person to live on this earth. He was the only one capable of making an atonement for mankind. By his selection and fore-ordination in the Grand Council before the world was formed, his divine Sonship, his sinless life, the shedding of his blood in the garden of Gethsemane, his death on the cross and subsequent bodily resurrection from the grave, he made a perfect atonement for all mankind. All shall rise from the dead with immortal bodies, because of Jesus’ atonement.
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:20, 22) Christ’s final words on the cross were: “It is finished” and he gave up the ghost. (Jn 19:30) Christ’s resurrection then became the crowning event of the atonement.
I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!
Such mercy, such love, and devotion can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feel.
Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me!
A CHARGE:
After his resurrection, Christ gave a charge to his disciples, He wanted them to preach the gospel, and bring God’s children back to him through the gate of baptism.
When we were baptized, we covenanted to bear one another’s burdens, mourn with those that mourn, comfort those in need of comfort, and stand as a witness of God.
It is through the atonement of Christ that we are able to bear our burdens, be forgiven of our short-comings, and then feel comforted. Shouldn’t we then strive to be like Christ and strengthen those around us, forgive others, and administer relief to those in need?
President Hinckley said, “It is Christ’s influence in our lives that stirs within us more kindness, more respect, more love, more concern. It is because of Him and His teachings that we reach out to those in trouble, distress, and need wherever they may be.”
I have loved being in this ward. I have a visiting teacher who cares, kind neighbors, and a loving bishop and relief society president. In fact, just this week, a plate of cinnamon rolls was left on my doorstep from someone in our ward. We need to reach out to others. The Savior expects this of us. His 2 greatest commandments have been and ever will be to love the Lord our God first and our neighbors second.
It is my prayer that we may personally come to know Jesus Christ. If He were to ask, “Whom say ye that I am?” we should all declare with a perfect knowledge that He is our Lord, our Creator, He is God’s Only Begotten Son, He is our Mediator to the Father, He is our Savior and Redeemer. With this knowledge, we will want to do as Christ did – reach out to those in need, succor the weak, show kindness to all – helping each one of Heavenly Father’s children make it back to His presence.
