Jesus went to Jerusalem and the temple-His house-during the Feast of the Passover. He met with his disciples on Thursday, Passover day, for the Passover meal and to teach and prepare his disciples for what was to come. I don't think they realized that what He had been teaching them was to be literally fulfilled.
The first Passover involved the blood of an unblemished lamb, obedience to the Lord's directions and deliverance from centuries of captivity and slavery by miraculous means.
This Passover would involve the blood of the Lamb of God, direction given by the Savior to his disciples, covenants made, the will of the Father (who loves us) being fullfilled by His Son, and deliverance from the captivity of death. God's grace and mercy saves us from the slavery of sin and pain and disappointment and misery and anger and depression and physical imperfections and agony and addiction and anything else that causes us to have sad hearts, by means of the greatest miracle in the history of mankind. Remember-a God needed to die to provide our deliverance. Nothing less would suffice.
Jesus and his twelve met for Passover supper. He washed their feet. Peter initially refused, but the Savior taught him that this was needed.
Jesus taught his twelve many things. Love was a preeminent principle. "This new commandment I give ye; love one another." "By this shall men know ye are my disciples; if ye have love one to another." He also promised them comfort, as I'm sure He knew they would need it, both for the events of the next few days and when they would take his word to the world. After he told them that they would be persecuted and killed, he taught them "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
He instituted the Sacrament with his twelve. He told them to eat the bread and drink the wine in remembrance of His flesh and blood. We take Him into us when we renew covenants through the sacrament.
After the washing, teaching, the breaking of bread, the institution of the sacrament, and the pleading to have them love one another, He left them, saving three, and went to Gethsemane.
After his holy work and supplications to his father in the garden, he allowed himself to be taken.
OK, my apologies, little family. If any of you have read this far. I can't come close to communicating what I feel about the Atonement of Jesus Christ in this little post. Here is what I know, but don't fully understand. God loves us. He sent his Son. Jesus' infinite atonement saves us from death-He is mighty to save and we will all live again. It also allows us to change and try to do, then be, better. To be like Him. So we can live with God and our Brother and our families again.
So-I don't at all know how this "condescension of God" works. But, like Nephi, I know why-that He loves his children-us. "For God so loved the world...".
Love each other. Be His disciples. Miracles happen when we do.
Atoning Passover day love to each of you.
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