The Atonement in general is such a very large topic to discuss, but I would like to focus primarily in this post on the principle of love that was involved.
"If sacrifice for others is the highest manifestation of love, then the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the grandest demonstration of love this world has ever known."
Tad Callister, The Infinite Atonement
The first aspect of love is that of the love the Savior had for us. His love is not conditional nor is it only temporary. He demonstrated this act of love from before the world was and has continued to do so through out all the eternities by his sacrifice of self. He understood that this sacrifice was needed to pay the price of justice, allowing Him to extend mercy to us in our need.
Secondly, the act of love that can be noted was the Saviors love of the Father. Everything Christ did was to glorify His Father. His complete submission to The Father's will was evidenced throughout His entire life, and culminated on the cross.
Finally, we can observe another type of love that is present in the Atonement, and that is a love of a Father for His children.
Elder Melvin J. Ballard shared these insights:
"God heard the cry of his Son in that moment of great grief and agony, in the garden when, it is said, the pores of his body opened and drops of blood stood upon him, and he cried out: “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me.”
I ask you, what father and mother could stand by and listen to the cry of their children in distress, in this world, and not render aid and assistance? I have heard of mothers throwing themselves into raging streams when they could not swim a stroke to save their drowning children, rushing into burning buildings, to rescue those whom they loved.
We cannot stand by and listen to those cries without its touching our hearts. The Lord has not given us the power to save our own. He has given us faith, and we submit to the inevitable, but he had the power to save, and he loved his Son, and he could have saved him. He might have rescued him from the insult of the crowds. He might have rescued him when the crown of thorns was placed upon his head. He might have rescued him when the Son, hanging between the two thieves, was mocked with, “Save thyself, and come down from the cross. He saved others; himself he cannot save.” He listened to all this. He saw that Son condemned; he saw him drag the cross through the streets of Jerusalem and faint under its load. He saw that Son finally upon Calvary; he saw his body stretched out upon the wooden cross; he saw the cruel nails driven through hands and feet, and the blows that broke the skin, tore the flesh, and let out the life’s blood of his Son. He looked upon that.
In the case of our Father, the knife was not stayed, but it fell, and the life’s blood of his Beloved Son went out. His Father looked on with great grief and agony over his Beloved Son, until there seems to have come a moment when even our Savior cried out in despair: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles until even he could not endure it any longer; and, like the mother who bids farewell to her dying child, has to be taken out of the room, so as not to look upon the last struggles, so he bowed his head, and hid in some part of his universe, his great heart almost breaking for the love that he had for his Son. Oh, in that moment when he might have saved his Son, I thank him and praise him that he did not fail us, for he had not only the love of his Son in mind, but he also had love for us. I rejoice that he did not interfere, and that his love for us made it possible for him to endure to look upon the sufferings of his Son and give him finally to us, our Savior and our Redeemer. Without him, without his sacrifice, we would have remained, and we would never have come glorified into his presence. And so this is what it cost, in part, for our Father in Heaven to give the gift of his Son unto men."
I don't know about you, but I feel my Father's love for me every day. It is manifest in all I do, have and feel.
I am grateful that my Savior Jesus Christ had the perfect ability to love perfectly, and that he was willing to submit and sacrifice. I only hope that someday I can be like Him and learn to submit and sacrifice, showing more charity or the pure love of Christ.
Tags: Atonement Jesus Christ Love Sacrifice
FairLDS.org
LDS.org
MormonWiki
Mormon Encyclopedia
FARMS
