Easter: April 2023
Talk given to the Mountain Point 4th Ward in Draper, UT on Sunday, April 9, 2023
Outline
- Opening
- Who is Jesus Christ to you?
- Jesus Christ: Teacher
- Jesus Christ: Healer
- Jesus Christ: Savior
Overarching Goal
- Deepen emotional ties to, reverence for, understanding of, and gratitude towards the Savior
Opening - 1min
- I like listening to podcasts
- Especially the Follow Him podcast
- Dr. Anthony Sweat was featured, and framed the discussion for the Holy Week around trying to better answer the question “Who is Jesus Christ”
- As I asked myself this same question, I felt that Jesus Christ has several roles in my life:
- Teacher
- Healer
- Savior
- Today I’d like to expound on these roles, exploring more the question of “Who is Jesus Christ” to me personally.
- I’m going to pull from Scriptures, primarily the New Testament, personal experiences, and quoting extensively from The Living Christ to underscore these roles
- I encourage you all to ponder this same question, and how these questions play out in your own lives, b/c it will be different for each of you.
- In fact, if you want to totally zone out of my talk and explore Christ’s role in your life, that might be time well-spent.
- I pray that the Holy Spirit will be present to help us all deepen emotional ties to, reverence for, understanding of, and gratitude towards the Savior
Jesus Christ: Teacher - 4mins
He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.
- The Living Christ
Christ as a Teacher in the New Testament
- Christ taught the truths of the Gospel even from an early age, before His ministry officially started
- Ex. Christ taught in the temple when He was 12yrs old, and the doctors and teachers and Rabis of the time were asking Him questions, astonished by His answers.
- But Christ did not gain His understanding, interpretation of the Scriptures, and doctrines the “usual” way of the time
- What was customary at that time was to gain knowledge through formal training & study with a specific Rabi
- Instead, Christ’s knowledge and authority came through communion with the Father, through the Holy Ghost, and even potentially through other divine means that we don’t know of for sure.
- Most differently than the other leaders of the time, He did not frame His teachings in terms of “as we see in the teachings of the prophets”, or “as has been taught by Rabi so and so…”
- Matthew 7:28-29
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings with the disciples, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority from God, and not as having authority from the scribes.
- Christ didn’t only teach through specific words and parables; potentially even more importantly, He taught by example
- He committed no sin during His life
- He did the will of Heavenly Father at all times
- He could only accomplish great miracles through aligning His will with the Father’s
- _Setting for the following Scripture: Christ healed a man on the Sabbath and the Jews were angry with him_
- John 5:19
19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
- Even then, His teachings don’t end in recorded examples of His specific words and example:
- Teachings from modern day prophets, inspired directly by Him as the literal leader of His church on earth
- Personal Revelation through the Holy Ghost
- Teachings of my inspired parents and other family members
- In pondering on “Who Christ is to me”, it took me a while to really understand that who I am today is the product of all of these things, and the ultimate source that inspired or taught or prepared all of those sources is Jesus Christ Himself
- So even when He teaches me directly through revelation, or indirectly through others, He is my Teacher
Jesus Christ: Healer - 4mins
He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead.
- The Living Christ
Physical Healing
- The word “Healing” has multiple meanings, and Christ healed in many ways. More literally, there is physical healing.
- I’ve been amazed this year studying the New Testament more closely how often it mentions that Christ performed healing miracles
- He healed the sick, lame, afflicted in any way basically everywhere that He went
- He even took time to heal and comfort people when He was directly experiencing times of grief, pain, anger, and suffering
- Ex. Healed the servant of the High Priest when He was in the middle of suffering the Atonement, and directly after being betrayed by Judas
Other Types of Healing
- As important, if not more importantly, Christ has healed and continues to heal many people’s, “wounds that the eye can’t see.”
- Emotional healing
- Mental healing
- Spiritual healing
- Ex. The woman caught in adultery, defending and forgiving
- Many times Christ did both at the same time, as with the example of the woman with an issue of blood, or the man struck with palsy whose friends lowered him into the house where Christ resided
Today
- Scriptural accounts are powerful, and important, but we believe that the healing power of Jesus Christ did not stop when His earthly ministry ended
- Miracles still happen today
- He has provided to us the priesthood, literally the power of God granted to us on earth, through divine ordination
We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
- The 7th Article of Faith
- I myself have experienced 1st-hand the miraculous healing power of Christ
- _Story: My birth and my kidney_
- Priesthood blessing from my grandfather
- Fasting
- _Story: My birth and my kidney_
Jesus Christ: Savior - 5mins
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.
- The Living Christ
- The older that I get, the more I recognize and am weighed down by my own imperfections
- I’m not a perfect husband, and have caused my wife plenty of grief
- I’m not a perfect father, and my children could benefit so much from increased patience on my part
- I make mistakes, which often results in pain, discomfort, and sadness felt by others and felt by me
- I struggle a lot with the fact that I let people down
- In other words, I have a hard time forgiving myself
- Most potently, of all the roles that I’ve spoken on, Jesus Christ is my Savior, through whom I can be forgiven, and through whom I can forgive myself for mistakes that I make
- Many Scriptures teach and testify of the Lord’s role as Redeemer
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
- 1 John 2:2
- Note: propitiation in this context means satisfying God’s justice; Christ literally balances the scales
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
- Isaiah 53:5-6
- Note: Verse 5 is very commonly referred to in this context. I would also like to call attention to verse 6, as it resonates with my feelings on being forgiven
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
- In my opinion, the Book of Mormon offers up some of the clearest and most powerful descriptions of Christ’s suffering, and the reasons for it
- Alma 7:11-13
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. 12 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. 13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.
- Christ suffered and died that we might receive forgiveness, that we might have a path to our eternal goal: Becoming like God.
- Applied more to me on a personal level, Jesus suffered, died, and was resurrected that I might have a path to forgive and have mercy with myself
- On this Easter Sunday we celebrate the concluding miracle of this, His most important role of all: Savior
- Today we celebrate that Jesus Christ was dead, then He lived again. He took His body back and rose, and completed the Atonement, His divine purpose
Conclusion - 2mins
- I’d like to conclude today quoting The Living Christ:
Of Him the Prophet also declared: “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! “For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that 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)… We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that 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, the life, and 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. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.
- I have not seen Jesus with my own eyes, but I have a testimony that He lives
- I have gained knowledge from Jesus, the Teacher
- I have been physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually healed by Jesus, the Healer
- I can forgive and be forgiven, now and forever, thanks to Jesus, the Savior