Jacob teaches about the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus. How grateful he was and how grateful I am.
[Because] death has passed upon all
men, [in order] to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator,
there must … be a power of resurrection and the resurrection must … come unto
man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and
because man became fallen, they were cut off from the presence of the
Lord. Wherefore, [the atonement needs to] be an infinite atonement …[Otherwise],
the first judgment which came upon man [would] have remained to
an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to
crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.[1] (2 Nephi 9: 6-7)
The
Infinite Nature of Jesus’ Atonement
The word infinite means limitless, endless, and
unmeasurable. Some people believe that the atonement of Jesus Christ is only
applicable to those living after the Savior’s birth and death. Jacob taught that it is not. Like God Himself, Christ’s Atonement is without
beginning of days and ends of years. (Alma 13: 9) Jacob knew that in order
to teach the Atonement, he had to first teach the Fall, which he had. In these
verses, he taught that the fall came about through transgression. Two things happened as a result: first, men
became mortal and subject to death by reason of Adam’s transgression; second,
mankind were separated from God by reason of our own sin (not Adam’s[2]).
The infinite nature of Jesus’ atonement covers both physical death and
spiritual death – that separation from God by reason of sin. Were it not for
the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our mortal bodies would crumble to dust
forever, and never rise again. Our spirits would be separated, not only from
God, but from our own bodies. Jacob wanted his people to understand the
importance of resurrection as part of the atonement.
[1] Grammar modified
for easier reading
[2] See the Second
Article of Faith
[Jesus] will come into the world that he
may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffered the
pains of all … men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam
…. And he commands all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One
of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God. (2 Nephi
9: 21, 23)
Keys of Both Death and Hell
Jacob concluded his lesson by
differentiating the two parts of the atonement: death and hell. We are told elsewhere in the scripture that
Jesus Christ holds the priesthood keys of both.[1]
Salvation from death is universal and unconditional. However, salvation from sin is a matter of
repentance and baptism, having perfect faith and enduring to the end. When we
stand before the judgment bar of God, we will have a perfect recollection of our
guilt and uncleanliness if we have not repented. If we have, we will be clothed
with purity and the robe of righteousness. (2 Nephi 9: 14) It is contrary to the nature of God that man be raised out
of corruption into a state of incorruption.
As Jacob wrote: they who are righteous
shall be righteous still, [but] they who are
filthy shall be filthy still (2 Nephi
9: 16)
Jacob extols the virtue of a God who is
both perfect in justice and perfect in mercy. These two virtues are compatible,
contrary as that might sound. Oh, then, my beloved brothers [and
sisters] come unto the Lord, the Holy One…. He is the keeper
of the gate. [2](2 Nephi
9:41)
I want to do so. Do you?
[1] See Revelation 1:
18; Also hymn 66, Rejoice the Lord is King; hymn 182, We’ll Sing All
Hail to Jesus’ Name
[2] Jesus is the only
way by which we enter God’s presence; He is called the gate, referencing
the gate of the ancient tabernacle, the only way to enter the house of God and
ultimately regain His presence.
[Jesus]should come among
the Jews … those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall
crucify him—for thus it behooves[1]
our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their
God. For should the mighty miracles be wrought among other nations they
would repent, and know that he be their God. But because of priestcraft[2] and
iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him... (2 Nephi 10: 3-5)
It
Behooves God
As you have likely noted, Jacob is a plain
speaker. He will tell the truth, even
when it is not politically correct to do so. His teaching is not against Jews
at all times and in all places, but a specific group of people in that time and
place. The Old Testament testifies to the propensity of the Children of Israel
in general (not just the Jews) to turn their backs on God. They persecuted, tortured, and killed the
prophets sent to warn them.
In Matthew 21, Jesus told a parable of a
wicked husbandman. This man had been
given stewardship over the vineyards of the Lord, but when the Lord of the
vineyard sent his servants to take an account of the production of the
vineyard, the husbandman and his cronies killed them. Finally, the Lord of the vineyard sent His
own Son, thinking He would be acknowledged and respected, but the wicked husbandman
killed Him as well. The Children of Israel had become like the wicked
husbandman. God had entrusted them with
His priesthood so that they might be a nation of priests.[3]
They had killed God’s prophets over hundreds of years, and when God’s Son came,
they killed Him, too. They were hardened by sin and led by arrogant men who did
not rightly hold the priesthood.
Do we ever set the Lord at naught when He
calls us to account for our stewardship here on earth? If so, we need to humble
ourselves and remember who we are and what we stand for.
[1] Behooves God: it is
the responsibility of God
[2] A state of
illegitimacy; claiming priesthood power when there is none; the High Priest in
Jesus day was not a legitimate heir to the Levitical priesthood. Jesus called
them thieves, which is to say, usurpers. (See Matthew 21: 12-13)
[3] See Exodus 19
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