The King James translation of the Holy Bible refers to Christ’s “passion” in the Acts of the Apostles: “Until the day in which [Jesus] was taken up, . . . To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion” (Acts 1: 2, 3). The New International Version of the Holy Bible–translating this same passage from the original Greek text–uses the word “suffering” in place of “passion.”
The passion of the Christ refers to the His suffering–mental, physical, and spiritual. Immense suffering to which the Savior willingly yielded: the spiritual torment and agony in Gethsemane, the mental anguish of betrayal and mocking humiliation, and the excruciating physical pain of scourging and crucifixion. Jesus endured all this, to offer an atoning gift to humanity–a sacrifice for sins.In fulfillment of Biblical prophecies, the Lord has commenced a “restitution of all things” (Acts 3: 19-21). It is because of this restitution that Latter-day Saints (Mormons) have an additional scriptural account of Christ’s suffering, spoken by the mouth of the Messiah Himself:
“For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; . . . Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit” (D&C 19: 16-18).
Those who called for Christ’s crucifixion could not make the connection between thousands of years of offering sacrifice and the meaning of those sacrifices in regard to the Messiah. They mocked the very Man to whom their sacrifices foreshadowed. In the face of many miracles performed by the Master Healer, hard-hearted doubters asked for yet another visual witness:
“He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him” (Matthew 27: 42).
But this call for a mighty manifestation was not sincere; it was just a condescending taunt. Ironically, the “mocking” chief priests could not see before their very eyes, the fulfillment and culmination of thousands of years of Mosaic law. As “ordained in mount Sinai,” the Lord commanded Moses to offer animal sacrifice; and not just any animal, but one that was “unblemished” (Numbers 29: 13) and “without spot.”
“This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the LORD; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, . . . The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even; . . . It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD” (Numbers 28: 3-6).
Animal sacrifice was ordained by God from the days of Adam and Eve (Moses 5: 5-7); it was a foreshadowing of “the great and last sacrifice” of Jesus Christ–a sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world.
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, . . . by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1: 18-20). “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13: 8).
His suffering and death is “the great and last sacrifice” that breathes meaning and purpose into Mosaic law.
In conjunction with the Lord’s “restitution of all things” (Acts 3: 19-21), another testament of Jesus Christ has been given to the world; and this additional witness makes clear, the purpose and meaning of Mosaic sacrifice. What follows are the inspired words of Alma the younger, a prophet of ancient America, written in 74 B.C.
“for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; . . . For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; . . . but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice. . . . and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, . . . And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God” (Alma 34: 9-14).
