No Coincidences

Tag: Father and Son

  • The Lesser Talked about Sacrifice of the Atonement

    The Lesser Talked about Sacrifice of the Atonement

    One of the tragedies the trinitarian belief (that God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are one being) has taken away is appreciation and understanding of God’s part of the sacrifice in the Atonement.

    “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son.”

    Doesn’t mean much if there isn’t actually a God giving up his Only Begotten Son, right?

    We talk so much about the sacrifice that Jesus Christ did for us, for good reason. His Atonement paved the way for us to return home. He suffered, bled, felt the crushing pain of a universe of sickness, pain, and sin, and died for us. He did that. There’s reason we talk about Him. He is the only way to God, our Heavenly Father.

    Speaking of God’s part in that sacrifice shouldn’t diminish what Christ Himself did for us.

    I’m a father.

    The other day Ivy was on the top of the couch and fell backward to the cushion. She wasn’t hurt at all. She was fine, but try telling her that. She was scared, and she was screaming and freaking out. She was fine, but she was still upset.

    Now, if Ivy was really hurt, if she fell from the cushion down to the floor, I would have moved so fast. I would have been there. As it was, I stayed in my seat and tried to tell her how awesome a fall that was.

    If Ivy or Sage are in real pain, I’m there.

    I can’t imagine the torment, the suffering, the heart-wrenching anguish of watching my children suffer. I can’t imagine it.

    God can.

    God watched His Son be spit upon, scourged, beaten, slapped, ridiculed, and finally nailed to a cross to die a slow, painful, and seemingly humiliating death.

    Words from Jeffery R. Holland in a 1999 talk:

    “I am a father, inadequate to be sure, but I cannot comprehend the burden it must have been for God in His heaven to witness the deep suffering and Crucifixion of His Beloved Son in such a manner. His every impulse and instinct must have been to stop it, to send angels to intervene-but He did not intervene. He endured what He saw because it was the only way that a saving, vicarious payment could be made for the sins of all His other children from Adam and Eve to the end of the world. I am eternally grateful for a perfect Father and His perfect Son, neither of whom shrank from the bitter cup nor forsook the rest of us who are imperfect, who fall short and stumble, who too often miss the mark” (“The Hands of the Fathers,” Ensign, May 1999, 14).

    What I realize is that God knew His Son. He knew Jesus Christ was going to fulfill His destiny. He knew what His Son, Jesus Christ, would do on the cross. LIke me on the couch, knowing Ivy was ultimately going to be OK, God knew Jesus Christ would be OK. He knew that Christ so loved us, that He would suffer it all for us. Why did God do it though? Why didn’t He send angels to intervene? Wouldn’t that be what a loving Father would do? He didn’t intervene because He so loved the world. The world is us. He loves us so much that He was willing to suffer this pain of watching His Son suffer. The ultimate sacrifice, of Father and Son.

    If that doesn’t bring you to tears, I don’t know what will.

    God loves you.

    I don’t know how it all works. I don’t know how the celestial kingdom, heaven, a place of infinite joy and peace, can also have weeping. But I know that my God weeps.

    Don’t let us forget that God suffered that day too. He suffered an anguish hardly imaginable. The anguish of watching His only begotten in pain.

    In the case of the suffering of Jesus Christ, the payment had to be made to save us. In some grand cosmic mystery that I don’t yet understand, we can’t return home until we are perfected through the blood of Christ. God allowed that sacrifice, and contributed His sacrifice, because he loves the world. He loves us.

    I believe God does weep over the evil, heartache, pain, suffering, and sadness in this world. He weeps over sin. He weeps over us.

    But ultimately, we have fallen to a soft cushion. We are safe. We are secure. We are secure in the blood of Jesus Christ. We are secure only because of Jesus Christ and what He did for us.

    While God wants to come comfort us, He doesn’t stop suffering because we’re still on the couch cushion. And if it helps us grow, does that make it any easier for Him to watch us suffer? Maybe. I knew Ivy wasn’t really suffering. I knew it was temporary fear she felt. I was always there for her.

    This is my reminder to you: God is there for you. He will never leave you. He is always aware of your hardships. In addition to God, Jesus Christ isn’t only there with your hardships, He already felt your hardships. He understands it all, because He felt it all.

    God loves you. Jesus Christ loves you. They love you so much that they sacrificed for you. Don’t forget that. It will give you strength.

  • Suzerain and Vassal: The Father and the Son

    Suzerain and Vassal: The Father and the Son

    Mosiah 15:1-2 reads:

    1 And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people.

    2 And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son…

    How can Christ be both the father and the son? It’s a question that has troubled Christianity since before it was called Christianity. How can there be the one true God (Jehovah) and yet Jesus Christ (Jehovah) pray to His father who is in heaven?

    How can Christ be both the father and the son? Well, how are you, reading this a father (or mother) and a son (or daughter)? Sometimes we might overcomplicate the simplest things.

    In the ancient near east there existed a system wherein covenants could be made. That system could be described as a Suzerain Vassal covenant or treaty. In this sort of agreement one of the parties would be greater or more powerful than the other. The suzerain would be the powerful entity. The vassal would be the subservient, or lesser, or learning entity. In this sort of treaty, the vassal would pay tribute or show some form of loyalty to its suzerain. In return, the suzerain would provide protection or some other sort of benefit to its vassal. There could only be one suzerain/vassal connection. Meaning, a vassal couldn’t have two suzerains. This would basically be treason. You can only serve one lord.

    From this article on the suzerain/vassal covenant relationship:

    “The covenant Yahweh established with Israel at Mount Sinai exhibits striking parallels with Hittite suzerain/vassal treaties, which had six basic features: 1) a preamble that identifies the suzerain; 2) a historical prologue that recounts the previous relationship between the parties; 3) covenant stipulations to which the vassal must agree; 4) provisions for periodic reading and safekeeping of the covenant; 5) witnesses to the covenant; and 6) blessings and curses should the vassal either keep or fail to keep the covenant. The Sinaitic covenant contains all six of these characteristics.”

    In his book, The Last Days: Types and Shadows from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, Avraham Gileadi states:

    “the idea of Israel’s suzerain or Lord [Jehovah] assuming vassal or servant status in order to answer to his suzerain [God the Father] for his people’s rebelliousness introduces the concept of a God higher than Israel’s God. That is, Jehovah, the God of Israel, is a “Son” to God the “Father” (3 Nephi 11:7,11,32; compare 15:4-5). That concept does not appear explicitly in the Old Testament. Many Jews, therefore, insist that God is but “one” (Hebrew ehad; Deuteronomy 6:4); other than the Lord, they assume, no God exists (see Isaiah 44:6,8; 45:21-22). However, the idea of “the Father” and “the Son” makes perfect sense in light of ancient Near Eastern suzerain (Lord)–vassal (servant) covenant relationships.

         “Abinadi (and every prophet who teaches God’s redemption of humanity) here enlightens us. Abinadi says that God, who redeems his people, is both “the Father and the Son” (Mosiah 15:1-3; compare Alma 11;38-39; Ether 3:14). That abstruse statement seems at first glance to contradict the careful distinction between the Father and the Son that other scriptures teach. But when viewed from the ancient Near Eastern suzerain (lord)–vassal (servant) covenant relationship, we gain insight on how the Lord can serve as a suzerain or Father to his people Israel, but also can serve as a vassal or Son to his Father or suzerain. To Israel, the Lord is Father, and they become his sons or vassals. To God the Father, the Lord is the Son, subjecting his will to the Father in order to merit Israel’s salvation (Mosiah 15:2,7).

         “Moreover, as the literal and loyal Son of a divine Father–as the Son of a righteous [covenant suzerain “Father”]–the Lord is not subject to death unless he himself consents to die (See the type of Isaac’s consenting to let Abraham sacrifice him–Genesis 22:9) Even if he does die, the Father must come to the aid of his vassal and deliver his Son from death. In ancient Near Eastern literatures there is the concept of the god who dies only to revive and assume the throne of a senior deity. Thus “God breaketh he bands of death . . . giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men” (Mosiah 15:8). What the Father does for the Son, the Son does for his sons and daughters: when “the Son reigneth, and hath power over the dead . . . he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead” (Mosiah 15:20).

         “Moreover, the moment one introduces the idea of the Father and the Son, one also introduces the concept of spiritual progression. That constitutes as much a part of the “good news,” or gospel, as does redemption from death itself (see Mosiah 15:10-19). Inherent in a Father/suzerain–Son/vassal relationship with God is the assuming of divine attributes–becoming God-like…”

    So we see that this Near Eastern tradition of suzerain and vassal treaties and covenants perfectly aligns with how we relate to Jesus Christ. He is our suzerain, making us His children. God is His suzerain. Through our covenant relationship with Christ, we receive protection from both Christ and His Father and our Father, God the Father.

    Another interesting thought from that note is how Christ conquered death. It was by His relationship with the Father that He was able to conquer death. He in turn allows us the same opportunity when we link ourselves to His will and power. Christ received His divine identity from His Father. We can receive our divine identity through Jesus Christ’s Atonement and conquering of death. This is why we only come to the Father through the Son. Christ is our protector, our Suzerain. As we serve Him, we receive that protection as His vassals.

    In addition, another way that Christ is our father is through the resurrection. It is due to Christ’s atonement and resurrection that we are able to be resurrected. This makes Christ the father of our bodies. For we wouldn’t have our bodies without His resurrection and the gift that we can be resurrected into our bodies. God the Father is still the father of our spirits. Whether that be through adoption, some measure of creation, or some other way, we’ll one day know.

    A last note I wanted to make that I liked from this article:

    “The basis of the covenant was Yahweh’s gracious acts toward Israel, not their obedience to him.”

    Our covenant relationship with Christ is a reminder that His grace saves us. It doesn’t matter how obedient we are. We needed His grace to save us. As our Suzerain, His covenant with us is based so much more on how He loves us and all He is willing to do for us than anything we can do for Him. We can never properly repay Christ for all He’s done for us. He is the Suzerain. He has the power to save us.

    This is the good news of the Gospel. Because Christ conquered all, we can become like Him, and in turn, become like our Father in Heaven.