He Yieldeth Himself as a Man

What a wonderful blessing it is to have the Book of Mormon to help us learn of the Savior and draw closer to Him. Much of the doctrine concerning His Atonement is expounded in the Book of Mormon in such a way to give greater insight and clarity the mission of the Savior.

One of the questions asked by an angel in Nephi's temple-like experience was, "Knowest thou the condescension of God?" (1 Nephi 11: 16). A few chapters later several prophets, some of which are not mentioned in the Bible, elaborate on this theme.

In the Gospel of Mark Jesus is portrayed as a powerful figure right from the start. In the opening chapter the Lord performs several miracles, including commanding an unclean spirit to come out of a man, an act demonstrating a direct confrontation with Satan. While John uses a Greek word for miracle, meaning a sign or token, Mark uses the Greek word dynamis, the root of the English word dynamite. Mark does everything possible to emphasize the power of Jesus, until the final trip to Jerusalem. Then Jesus enters Gethsemane "sore amazed," which in the Greek means "struck with terror." He cries out to His Father using the familial word Abba, a word we would equate with "daddy or poppa" (see Mark 14: 33,36).

The Book of Mormon explains how Jesus descended below all things during the Passion and highlights the dual nature of Christ with a certain verse:

"And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men . . ." (1 Nephi 19: 10).

Did you notice that? He yielded Himself "as a man," and not "as a God." As a perfectly obedient Man, and yet very mortal in His ability to feel pain, sorrow for sin, and the full range of human experience, Jesus makes intercession for all mankind. The superhuman aspect of the Atonement was not to shield Himself from pain and suffering, but rather to be able to remain alive to suffer greater depths. Again, the Book of Mormon is very clear: 

"And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people" (Mosiah 3: 7).

In other words, such an experience would kill any other mortal long before the suffering was complete.

The Savior willingly suffered "as a man" in the hands of wicked men. He then allows Himself to become vulnerable and helpless in order to succor us when we experience temptation, sorrow, hunger, thirst, or fatigue.

Then the dramatic contradictions begin to play out. The King of kings wears a crown of thorns and is smitten to the point that someone else has to carry the cross (Matthew 27: 29-32). The source of "living water" is compelled to cry out, "I thirst" (John 4: 10; 19: 28). He who gave the law as Jehovah became the "curse of the law," after the law He gave read, "Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" (Galatians 3: 13). He who committed no sin would be wounded and receive the stripes necessary to heal us (see Isaiah 53: 5). As Elder Renlund noted in our last General Conference, "Life would be the most unfair for Jesus Christ" (Ensign, May 2016). 

My heart goes out in gratitude to Him, that He would be willing to descend below all things to rescue a wretched man like me.