The Savior’s crucifixion was horrific and painful, but the experience of being nailed to a cross wasn’t unique to Him. Crucifixion was a common method of execution in those days. What made Christ’s crucifixion unique is that as He was crucified, He bore the weight of all the sins of everyone who would ever live. His suffering was infinite and He did it vicariously for each of us. It began in a place called Gethsemane the night before He was crucified.
President Russell M. Nelson said, “There at Gethsemane ... He took upon Himself the weight of the sins of mankind, bearing its massive load that caused Him to bleed from every pore.”1
How could one person take all of the world’s sins and sorrows upon Himself? We don’t fully understand the “how” of it. We know the “why,” though: because it was necessary for us to be able to eternally progress, and because He loved us.
The Atonement of Jesus Christ included His infinite suffering in Gethsemane, His death on the cross, and His glorious Resurrection. At any point, the Savior could have chosen not to continue, but instead He willingly suffered, died, and was resurrected. This is what we refer to as the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
When you feel sadness, disappointment, pain, illness, remorse, or loneliness, know that the Savior felt it, too. He felt your specific emotions. He knows how you felt when your grandmother died, or when you broke your arm, or when you were left out by your friends. He experienced the pain of all of us so He would know how to comfort, help, and heal us (see Alma 7:12).
How grateful we are for our Lord and Savior!
Memory Challenge
NOTES
This is part of a series about the weekly “Come, Follow Me” scriptures. You can find this week’s lesson here.
1. From “The Atonement,” Oct. 1996 general conference.