Seems like a good time following the thoughts on the Blood of Christ and its sanctifying effect on ours, to talk about the Body of Christ. It is also so closely tied with Christmas and its meaning so here goes.
The Vision of the Tree of Life is shown twice in the Book of Mormon. Lehi's vision is meant as reward and affirmation for a life well lived - he gets to taste the fruit of the tree of life and see that many of his family eventually will as well. Nephi's version is meant as a learning moment to prepare him for his coming call. He doesn't taste the fruit or see his family make it. It is instructional.
Once Nephi's initial request to see what his father say is answered, his next question is to know the interpretation thereof (1 Nephi 11:11). Nephi wants to understand what the Tree of Life means. The answer, if taken in detail, is really interesting. The answers come in the following order:
1. Nephi is shown Mary in Nazareth before she is pregnant with Jesus - this image is the first answer. Interesting that this is where explaining the tree of life starts.
2. Then the question that Nephi must understand BEFORE the tree of life can be explained (1 Nephi 11:16), "Knowest thou the condescension of God?" This is the supreme concept of the tree of life. Nephi makes an attempt, a guess, saying that he knows God loves us, then adds a humble statement that he doesn't understand all things.
3. The angel then goes on to explain the condescension of God back with the picture of Mary. Condescend means to lower one self to a lesser position - of course that of the Savior leaving his supreme position in heaven for birth as a mortal. But even more specifically, the angel could have chosen any number of snipets from the life of Christ including the Atonement, but Mary was selected for this critical statement: "the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh". The KEY was the condescension is most embodied in the evidence and source of Christ receiving mortal flesh. The flesh is the condescension.
4. Nephi has now gained this understanding, but still misses ever so slightly, as the angel enhances his new found understanding by adding something that is only realized through life experiences over time - "and most joyous to the soul".
We often celebrate Christmas in that it began the life and mission of Jesus Christ. That is appropriate, but it also misses some of the important point taught to Nephi. The celebration is that Jesus - God, voluntarily took on mortal flesh. Voluntarily aligned Himself with us. When He became like us He became the Hope of Israel - once God had condescended to our plane the connection was made and the chance that as He went down we might have hope to come up. It is interesting to me that this was the answer to the interpretation of the Tree of Life.
One more thought for today. 2 Nephi 9:5 has a misplaced pronoun. Substitute the second 'it' with the word 'Jesus':
"Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it (INSERT 'JESUS') should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.
Doesn't it make more sense? And if yes, why does Jacob refer to Christ as 'it' rather than 'He'? The answer is that 'it' does not refer to Christ - 'it' refers to the physical body of Christ. Jesus had already been 'among' them many times visiting Moses and numerous other prophets in person, but that wasn't enough. The key was having the physical bdy of a God that subjected God to the flesh and earned the chance for all to 'become subject uno him'.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Symbol of Blood - Final
"and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory;"
As has already been discussed plenty, forgiveness is different than sanctification. Forgiveness comes through receiving the ordinances of the gospel and repenting as the case with baptism by water. Sanctification, to be made holy, is a higher gift and requires a spiritual cleaning of our spirit. The source of this spiritual cleansing is the blood of Christ. So one last effort how it works.
Consider this story from the New Testament (Mark 5) with the symbol of Christ sanctifying blood compared to ours damaged by sin. Look at the description of her attempted healing - something a physical physician was unable to assist. The phrase "nothing bettered" and most importantly ONLY the need to touch the Savior - just to associate ourselves to Him:
And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."
She felt in her body she was healed.
How terribly tragic and ironic the statement in Matthew 27 when Pilate offered Christ's release - "Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children." How much that should have been their sincere and sacred prayer instead of their mocking and evil rant!
1 Corintians 15:50 builds the case for our blood becoming impure through sin - "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."
Alma 5:22 continues - "And now I ask of you, my brethren, how will any of you feel, if ye shall stand before the bar of God, having your garments stained with blood and all manner of filthiness?"
At the second coming the moon will be turned to blood. Christ's garment will be dyed in blood. Isaiah describes it as only he can (Isa 63):
"I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come."
Our blood - the source of life - was physically and spiritually damaged in the fall. Our own sins add more damage to it. Our blood can only be cleansed by his blood. Blood that he voluntarily sacrficed for us. He gave up His perfect and precious blood when he committed Himself to the Atonement. How important is the symbol of blood coming from every pore and falling to the earth! The symbol of His blood being pressed from His body so that it may touch those who seek the hem of His garment.
When His blood enters ours we will be both resurrected and redeemed at the same time. Immortality and Eternal Life. Those in the First Resurrection will be instantly redeemed without feeling the consequences of justice as already described. But I also made the case that all of mankind will be redeemed and receive the blood of Chirst, but those who reject the Savior will wait, suffering their own personal redemption of justice, and missing the chance at Celestial glory. But that doesn't change the fact that their eventual resurrection will come through the blood of Christ and with it will come redemption.
The scriptures are so full of references to cleansed by the blood of Christ. Revelations 1:5, "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,"
Hebrews 13:12, "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate."
Final scripture is D&C 38:4, "I am the same which have taken the Zion of Enoch into mine own bosom; and verily, I say, even as many as have believed in my name, for I am Christ, and in mine own name, by the virtue of the blood which I have spilt, have I pleaded before the Father for them."
The "blood which He has spilt" on the earth and on us if we so chose. There are some extremely sacred imagery in the temple that I can't cover here that shows how we gather the blood of Christ into ourselves. Bottom line is we will need to gather some of the blood shed in the Atonement to add to ours to be redeemed and that is what is decribed in the opening scripture from Moses.
As has already been discussed plenty, forgiveness is different than sanctification. Forgiveness comes through receiving the ordinances of the gospel and repenting as the case with baptism by water. Sanctification, to be made holy, is a higher gift and requires a spiritual cleaning of our spirit. The source of this spiritual cleansing is the blood of Christ. So one last effort how it works.
Consider this story from the New Testament (Mark 5) with the symbol of Christ sanctifying blood compared to ours damaged by sin. Look at the description of her attempted healing - something a physical physician was unable to assist. The phrase "nothing bettered" and most importantly ONLY the need to touch the Savior - just to associate ourselves to Him:
And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."
She felt in her body she was healed.
How terribly tragic and ironic the statement in Matthew 27 when Pilate offered Christ's release - "Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children." How much that should have been their sincere and sacred prayer instead of their mocking and evil rant!
1 Corintians 15:50 builds the case for our blood becoming impure through sin - "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."
Alma 5:22 continues - "And now I ask of you, my brethren, how will any of you feel, if ye shall stand before the bar of God, having your garments stained with blood and all manner of filthiness?"
At the second coming the moon will be turned to blood. Christ's garment will be dyed in blood. Isaiah describes it as only he can (Isa 63):
"I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come."
Our blood - the source of life - was physically and spiritually damaged in the fall. Our own sins add more damage to it. Our blood can only be cleansed by his blood. Blood that he voluntarily sacrficed for us. He gave up His perfect and precious blood when he committed Himself to the Atonement. How important is the symbol of blood coming from every pore and falling to the earth! The symbol of His blood being pressed from His body so that it may touch those who seek the hem of His garment.
When His blood enters ours we will be both resurrected and redeemed at the same time. Immortality and Eternal Life. Those in the First Resurrection will be instantly redeemed without feeling the consequences of justice as already described. But I also made the case that all of mankind will be redeemed and receive the blood of Chirst, but those who reject the Savior will wait, suffering their own personal redemption of justice, and missing the chance at Celestial glory. But that doesn't change the fact that their eventual resurrection will come through the blood of Christ and with it will come redemption.
The scriptures are so full of references to cleansed by the blood of Christ. Revelations 1:5, "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,"
Hebrews 13:12, "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate."
Final scripture is D&C 38:4, "I am the same which have taken the Zion of Enoch into mine own bosom; and verily, I say, even as many as have believed in my name, for I am Christ, and in mine own name, by the virtue of the blood which I have spilt, have I pleaded before the Father for them."
The "blood which He has spilt" on the earth and on us if we so chose. There are some extremely sacred imagery in the temple that I can't cover here that shows how we gather the blood of Christ into ourselves. Bottom line is we will need to gather some of the blood shed in the Atonement to add to ours to be redeemed and that is what is decribed in the opening scripture from Moses.
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