What think ye of Christ? ~Matthew 22:42 (This should be on the chalkboard, along with pictures or Christ)
What do we know about Christ? What do YOU know about Christ? Who is He? How does he affect our daily lives?
While I was cleaning the kitchen and preparing this lesson simultaneously, I picked this month's Ensign up off the counter and went to put it away. But then, I had this thought, "I wonder how much this particular Ensign mentions Christ? Does it help us learn the answers to these questions (I mentioned above)?" Needless to say I didn't put the magazine away. Instead, I browsed through it, scanned a bit, and quickly came up with 25 different paragraphs mentioning things about who He is, what He does, and why He does it. This was the result of a seriously brief read through. Imagine how much more there is that I missed!?! Something tells me EVERY issue is like this one too. Maybe I should check last months...or you can! :)
I've marked all the parts of the February Ensign that I found regarding the Savior. Let's read some of them and have you guys tell me what we learn from the brief, yet poignant sentences authored by both apostles and typical saints like you and me.
Here are some of the things I picked out from all of that (what I found in the Ensign):
-He teaches us to truly love and be loved
-He loves us perfectly
-He is THE perfect example for us to follow, shows us how to pattern our life
-He "bids us enter", invites all to come unto Him
-He understands completely
-He gave us the Atonement; allows us to be truly clean/without sin as He is
-He will never leave us alone, he is constantly helping us
-He carries our "weight" with us
-He helps us and provides ways for us to keep the commandments
-He is our Savior and Redeemer
-He gives us power, strength, and comfort
-He is the great teacher
-We learn charity through Him
-He taught us that we can control our thoughts
-He restores our joy and helps our joy increase
-He taught us to be baptized
-He comforts and assures us
-He blesses our efforts
-He care about what we care about
-He overcame death
-He seeks after the lost lamb
-He blesses even ordinary people like us
If we look at "The Living Christ" we'll find more (and some of the same):
-His life is matchless
-His virtue is infinite
-None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth
-He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New.
-He was the creator of the earth
-He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness
-He went about doing good but was despised for it
-His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill
-He entreated all to follow his example
-He healed the sick, caused the blind to see and raised the dead
-He taught the truth of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and he potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.
-He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice.
-He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross.
-He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in
behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.
-His life neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded in Calvary
- He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only
Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.
-He rose from the grave to “become the first fruits of them
that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20)
- As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among His “other sheep” (John 10:16) in ancient America.
-In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised “dispensation of the fullness of times” (Ephesians 1:10).
-the Prophet Joseph wrote: “His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white
like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah
- he lives!
-he is the Only Begotten of the Father—
“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:22–24).
-His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth—
“built upon the foundation of . . . apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20).
-He will someday return to earth. “And
the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall
see it together” (Isaiah 40:5).
-He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.
- Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father.
-He is the light of the world
-He is the life of the world
-He is the hope of the world
-His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come
From Elder Oak's talk entitles "Teachings of Jesus" we learn of Him as:
-the Only Begotten son (John 3:16-17)
-the Creator (John 1:2-3)
-Lord God of Israel (3 Nephi 11: 10,14)
-the Life of the World (John 10:10, 3 Nephi 11:11)
-the Light of the World (John 8:12, 14:16)
-the Great Exemplar (John 10:27)
and see that he:
-was always doing the will of the Father (Luke 2:49, John 6:38, 5:19)
-gave the priesthood power and authority to his apostle (Matthew 10:1, 16:19)
-gave us the Holy Ghost to help guide us (John 14:26, 16:13)
-also gave us the commandments to help guide us (3 Nephi 11:29-30)
-culminated his mortal ministry with His Resurrection and His Atonement for the sins of the world (John 1:29, Matthew 20:28, 26:28)
"And so we understand that the Atonement of Jesus Christ gives us the opportunity to overcome the spiritual death that results from sin and, through making and keeping sacred covenants, to have the blessings of eternal life (live with God again)." ~Oaks
Again, these are just from one month's Ensign a document from the church and a single talk from Elder Oaks. Imagine how much more there is in the scriptures! If you only read one book in the Book of Mormon, read third Nephi. If you really want to narrow it down, start in chapter 11. That much, I know we can all do. I'm doing it now with me soon to be eight year old. But you know what we should also do? Read the entire New Testament. What do you say? Shall we commit to doing that this year? I know it will be worth the effort... times 1000!
Okay, let's focus on a couple things. First, let's talk about Elder Bednar's talk entitled "Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease." It's the one with the truck that gets stuck in the snow. Remember that one? Who can quickly recap that story?
(truck stuck, needed traction)
How cool is that phrase, "spiritual traction"!?! For whatever reason, that resonates with me. We KNOW life isn't a fairy tale. It doesn't take long to figure that out. I think it would even be accurate to say that we recognize that the trials the Lord allows us to endure make us better people...somehow. But the second we start looking at it as "spiritual traction" it feels more like a intelligent, needed teaching tool and less like the school of hard knocks we all try to escape.
That being said, gaining spiritual traction is never easy. It takes A LOT of work. And faith. Lots and lots of faith. And hope. Don't forget hope. Many times we feel like the heavy weight lifter carrying impossible amount of weight all alone in hopes to win some contest on our own. Guess what!?! Weight lifting competitions are STUPID (both metaphorically and realistically-or should I not say that. :/ ) That's not what the Lord wants for us.
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: an ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." ~Matthew 11:28-30
What do you know about yokes? Do you know what they look like? Do you know how and why they are used? Tell me what you think the Savior is teaching us hear.
-"In essence, the Savior is beckoning us to rely upon and pull together with Him, even though our best efforts are not equal to and cannot be compared with His. As we trust in and pull our load with Him during the journey of mortality, truly His yoke is easy and His burden is light. We are not and never need to be alone. We can press forward in our daily lives with heavenly help. Through the Saviors Atonement we can receive capacity and "strength beyond our] own"". Bednar
Does this mean that the Lord removes our burdens completely?
Absolutely not.
Mosiah 24: 13-15
13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.
14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand aswitnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord didstrengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
The challenges and difficulties were not immediately removed from the people. But Alma and his followers were strengthened, and their increased capacity made the burdens lighter. These good people were empowered through the Atonement to act as agents (see D&C 58:26–29) and impact their circumstances. And “in the strength of the Lord” (Words of Mormon 1:14; Mosiah 9:17; 10:10; Alma 20:4), Alma and his people were directed to safety in the land of Zarahemla. Bednar
The Savior succors his people. Do you know what succor means? I kind of did, but I couldn't confidently tell you a definitely. So I Googled it. This is what I found:
1. Assistance and support in times of hardship and distress
2 Give assistance or aid too.
“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” (Alma 7:11–12).
Everything is personal with Christ. He cares about what we care about. He KNOWS what we are going through and what we need. He's been there himself! Through His infinite atonement He has experienced everything He needed to in order to truly succor his people.
"Thus, the Savior has suffered not just for our sins and iniquities—but also for our physical pains and anguish, our weaknesses and shortcomings, our fears and frustrations, our disappointments and discouragement, our regrets and remorse, our despair and desperation, the injustices and inequities we experience, and the emotional distresses that beset us." Bednar
There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first. In a moment of weakness we may cry out, “No one knows what it is like. No one understands.” But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice (seeAlma 34:14), He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power. Indeed, His yoke is easy and His burden is light. ~ BednarThe challenges and difficulties were not immediately removed from the people. But Alma and his followers were strengthened, and their increased capacity made the burdens lighter. These good people were empowered through the Atonement to act as agents (see D&C 58:26–29) and impact their circumstances. And “in the strength of the Lord” (Words of Mormon 1:14; Mosiah 9:17; 10:10; Alma 20:4), Alma and his people were directed to safety in the land of Zarahemla. Bednar
The Savior succors his people. Do you know what succor means? I kind of did, but I couldn't confidently tell you a definitely. So I Googled it. This is what I found:
1. Assistance and support in times of hardship and distress
2 Give assistance or aid too.
“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” (Alma 7:11–12).
Everything is personal with Christ. He cares about what we care about. He KNOWS what we are going through and what we need. He's been there himself! Through His infinite atonement He has experienced everything He needed to in order to truly succor his people.
"Thus, the Savior has suffered not just for our sins and iniquities—but also for our physical pains and anguish, our weaknesses and shortcomings, our fears and frustrations, our disappointments and discouragement, our regrets and remorse, our despair and desperation, the injustices and inequities we experience, and the emotional distresses that beset us." Bednar
I invite you to study, pray, ponder, and strive to learn more about the Savior’s Atonement as you assess your individual load. Many things about the Atonement we simply cannot comprehend with our mortal minds. But many aspects of the Atonement we can and need to understand.~Bednar
Not only does the Atonement of Jesus Christ overcome the effects of the Fall of Adam and make possible the remission of our individual sins and transgressions, but His Atonement also enables us to do good and become better in ways that stretch far beyond our mortal capacities. Most of us know that when we do things wrong and need help to overcome the effects of sin in our lives, the Savior has made it possible for us to become clean through His redeeming power. But do we also understand that the Atonement is for faithful men and women who are obedient, worthy, and conscientious and who are striving to become better and serve more faithfully? I wonder if we fail to fully acknowledge this strengthening aspect of the Atonement in our lives and mistakenly believe we must carry our load all alone—through sheer grit, willpower, and discipline and with our obviously limited capacities.
-Bednar
To which Jesus responded (and here again I acknowledge my nonscriptural elaboration), perhaps saying something like: “Then Peter, why are you here? Why are we back on this same shore, by these same nets, having this same conversation? Wasn’t it obvious then and isn’t it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish? What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world. So, Peter, for the second and presumably the last time, I am asking you to leave all this and to go teach and testify, labor and serve loyally until the day in which they will do to you exactly what they did to me.”-Holland
