Have you ever had the experience of seeing your favorite sports team, at the time favored to win it all, even leading most of the way through the game or tournament, only to be beaten in the end? Pretty demoralizing, isn't it?
Conversely, have you ever had experience of seeing your team come back from behind to win? Sports comebacks are inspiring, probably because we all feel behind in one aspect of our lives or another, and we hope one day, against all odds, to pull out a glorious victory.
Imagine what it must have been like to be a disciple of Jesus at Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. A devoted, invested, even consecrated follower. Even worse, what if you had been a member of His family?
From our latter-day vantage point we enjoy the benefit of hindsight so we know that there's a happy ending right around the corner. But tear stains prevented any such clear vision. Earlier in the week, when Jesus entered the city triumphantly, welcomed and heralded, it looked like their lead was secure, the game all but won. As the Savior was apprehended, tried, tortured, crucified, and entombed (all in about one day's time) the tables had turned and momentum swung heavily in favor of the opponent.
Again, our latter-day vision affords glimpses into what was happening not just in Jerusalem, but elsewhere (the good, bad, and transcendant). On the american continent, as recorded by the prophets of The Book of Mormon:
5 ...there arose a great storm, such an one as never had been known in all the land.
6 And there was also a great and terrible tempest; and there was terrible thunder, insomuch that it did shake the whole earth as if it was about to divide asunder.
7 And there were exceedingly sharp lightnings, such as never had been known in all the land.
11 And there was a great and terrible destruction...
12 ...for behold, the whole face of the land was changed, because of the tempest and the whirlwinds, and the thunderings and the lightnings, and the exceedingly great quaking of the whole earth;
13 And the highways were broken up, and the level roads were spoiled, and many smooth places became rough.
14 And many great and notable cities were sunk, and many were burned, and many were shaken till the buildings thereof had fallen to the earth, and the inhabitants thereof were slain, and the places were left desolate.
19 And...the storm, and the tempest, and the quakings of the earth...did last for about the space of three hours;...and then behold, there was darkness upon the face of the land.
20 And it came to pass that there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor of darkness;
21 And there could be no light, because of the darkness, neither candles, neither torches; neither could there be fire kindled with their fine and exceedingly dry wood, so that there could not be any light at all;
22 And there was not any light seen, neither fire, nor glimmer, neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars, for so great were the mists of darkness which were upon the face of the land.
23 And it came to pass that it did last for the space of three days that there was no light seen; and there was great mourning and howling and weeping among all the people continually; yea, great were the groanings of the people, because of the darkness and the great destruction which had come upon them.
By contrast, a latter-day prophet revealed what was going on at the same time in the spirit world:
12 And there were gathered together in one place an innumerable company of the spirits of the just, who had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived in mortality;
15 I beheld that they were filled with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand.
16 They were assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God into the spirit world, to declare their redemption from the bands of death.
18 While this vast multitude waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death, the Son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the captives who had been faithful;
19 And there he preached to them the everlasting gospel, the doctrine of the resurrection and the redemption of mankind from the fall, and from individual sins on conditions of repentance.
29 And as I wondered, my eyes were opened, and my understanding quickened, and I perceived that the Lord...
30 ...organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead.
35 And so it was made known among the dead, both small and great, the unrighteous as well as the faithful, that redemption had been wrought through the sacrifice of the Son of God upon the cross.
And his messengers in the spirit world still preach today! It's wonderful to think about members of our ward and families who have gone into their next chapter in God's great plan of happiness and are now thus organized and engaged!
Soon after the Lord visited the Spirit World his spirit and body joined again in ressurrection and he exited the tomb and showed himself to many people, in Jerusalem, in the American content, probably wherever believers of the day congregated.
What happened that first Easter morning was the greatest comeback in history of the world--better than an 8th seed winning march madness, even better than if every single one of your favorite sports teams were crowned champions in the same year--there's really no comparison.
But it's easy to feel somewhat removed from those events of two millenia ago, isn't it? Especially when we aren't spared from our own hardships, setbacks, and weaknesses.
But what of the Risen Lord? He is alive and well--what is he doing? Doctrine and Covenants section 45 was received on March 7, 1831, just 188 years ago and is the Savior's own answer to this question:
1 Hearken, O ye people of my church...
3 Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—
4 Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;
5 Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.
Within those verses we learn that the Savior "is pleading" (in the present tense) our cause before the Father. It's not that he did plead or will be our advocate--he is our advocate and he is pleading right now.
If not for Jesus Christ, sin would end all hope for a future existence with [our Heavenly parents].
If not for Jesus Christ, death would end all hope for a future existence with [our Heavenly parents].
(Preach My Gospel, Chapter 2, Lesson 3 "The Gospel of Jesus Christ")
Because God loves us, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who took upon Himself our sins so we can repent and keep progressing.
(For the Strength of Youth, a Guide for Making Choices)
In summary:
The Atonement of Jesus Christ
- Each of us sins, and each of us will die. Because God loves us, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to redeem us from sin and death.
- Because of Jesus’s atoning sacrifice, we can be forgiven and cleansed of our sins. Our hearts can be changed for the better as we repent. This makes it possible for us to return to God’s presence and receive a fulness of joy.
- Because of Jesus’s Resurrection, we will all be resurrected after we die. This means that each person’s spirit and body will be reunited, and each of us will live forever in a perfected, resurrected body.
- Jesus Christ offers comfort, hope, and healing. His atoning sacrifice is the ultimate expression of His love. All that is unfair in life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.