Perfect Paradox - Prologue

Initially, I had thought to title this publication Atonement—The Ultimate Contradiction. Others suggested that such may, at first glimpse, cast a negative shadow on the Lord and His work. Certainly, that would be the last thing I would set out to do. Accordingly, in wisdom, the name was changed to reflect words more in keeping with His attribute—perfection. However, for many reasons, I suggest that Christ’s life and atonement are the ultimate contradiction—all others pale in comparison. Concerning this point, Joseph Smith (1891) taught that the Lord “descended in suffering below that which man can suffer . . . and was exposed to more powerful contradictions than any man can be” (p. 54; compare Hebrews 12:3). Even with great effort, a complete list of the contradictions that Jesus endured cannot be supplied. The following inventory suggests only a few:

• The House of Israel gathered against the God of Israel (see 1 Nephi 11:35);
• They sat in counsel (see Matthew 27:1) against the Wonderful Counselor[1] (see Isaiah 9:6);
• He came unto His own and His own received Him not (see 3 Nephi 9:16);
• The god of this world (see 2 Corinthians 4:4) despised the God of this world (see 1 Nephi11:27);
• The Judge of the world (see John 5:22) was judged of the world (see 1 Nephi 11:32);
• He who committed no transgression was numbered with the transgressors (see Isaiah 53:12);
• He who did no sin (see Hebrews 4:15) was punished for the sins of the world (see 2 Nephi 9:21);
• The Innocent (see Matthew 27:4) was condemned by the guilty;
• The High Priest (see Hebrews 4:14) was accused by the chief priests (see Matthew 27:12);
• The Faithful Witness (see Revelation 1:5) was condemned by false witnesses;
• He who came to fulfill the law (see 3 Nephi 15:8) was condemned without law (see Mark 14:43-46; compare John 18:12 – John 19:18);
• He who purchased His people with priceless blood (see Acts 20:28) was sold for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15) and disowned by His people (see Mosiah 15:5);
• Barabbas, meaning “son of the father” (see Matthew 27:16-20), was pardoned so that the Son of the Father (see Mosiah 15:2) could be condemned;
• The Living God (see 1 Thessalonians 1:9) was cut off out of the land of the living (see Isaiah 53:8);
• Life was taken from the Prince of Life (see Acts 3:15);
• The cruelest of violence was committed against Him who did no violence (see Isaiah 53:9);
• The Good Shepherd (see John 10:2) was taken as a lamb to the slaughter (see Isaiah53:7);
• He in whom was no deceit (see Isaiah 53:9) was accused by false witnesses (see Matthew26:60);
• The Word of God (see John 1:1) spoke not a word (see Matthew 27:12);
• The Living Waters (see Revelation 21:6) thirsted (see John 19:28);
• The Righteous (see Moses 7:47) made His grave with the wicked (see Isaiah 53:9);
• The King of Glory (see Psalms 24:7) was stripped of His raiment (see Matthew 27:28);
• The Lord of Hosts (see 2 Nephi 8:15) was led captive by the hosts of men (see Mark 14:46);
• Peace was taken from the Prince of Peace (see Isaiah 9:6);
• The Tree of Life (see 1 Nephi 11:21-23) gave His life on a tree (see Acts 5:30);
• The Perfect, Just God received no justice; and
• The Merciful God received no mercy (see Alma 42:15).

 Such terrible contradictions! Such awful distortions! Such ironies!

Robert Millet (2003) has written: “Some things are perhaps only fully understood in paradox” (p. 122). I suppose that such is the case with the atonement of Jesus Christ. Strangely enough, it is the contradictions suffered by Christ that bring sense to our Father’s plan. And, because Christ endured such contradictions, His gifts and graces are often demonstrated in paradoxical ways to bless us. Again, I list only a few of the parodies assembled from the scriptures:

• Christ was born of a virgin (see 1 Nephi 11:20);
• Because He died, we will live again (2 Nephi 2:8);
• Because He suffered injustice, mercy can be extended to us (Alma 34:15-16);
• Through His stripes, the stripes of many are healed (see Isaiah 53:5);
• By His blood, our garments are made white (see 1 Nephi 12:11);
• Though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow (see Isaiah 1:18);
• He became subject unto man in the flesh, that all men might become subject unto Him (see 2 Nephi 9:5);
• He took on the image of man (see Mosiah 7:27) so that man might take on the image of Him (see Alma 5:14);
• He was lifted up by men (see 1 Nephi 11:33) so that men can be lifted up by Him (see 3 Nephi 27:14);
• As He was judged, lifted up, and rejected by wicked men (see 1 Nephi 11:32-33), so shall wicked men be lifted up, judged, and rejected by Him (see 1 Nephi 15:36);
• He who died with a broken heart (see Psalms 69:20) binds up the broken-hearted (see Isaiah 61:1; compare D&C 138:42);
• He who was taken from prison (see Isaiah 53:8) declared liberty to the captives (see D&C 138:42);
• He who was bound (see John 18:24) opened the prison to them that were bound (D&C 138:42; compare Isaiah 61:1);
• The bitter fruit of the tree of life (see 2 Nephi 2:15) is turned sweet by the Tree of Life (see 1 Nephi 8:10-11);
• He who was oppressed and afflicted (see Isaiah 53:7) succors the oppressed and afflicted (see Alma 7:11-12);
• The Man of Sorrows (see Isaiah 53:3) removes our sorrows (see Revelation 21:4);
• He who was sold for 30 pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15) extends infinite riches to all (see D&C 84:35-38);
• The King of Heaven (see JST Genesis 14:36) delivers us from hell (see 2 Nephi 9:10; compare 2 Nephi 33:6);
• He that descended below all things (see D&C 88:6) arises with healing in His wings (see 2 Nephi 25:13) and shall exalt us on high (see D&C 121:8);
• He who was perceived to have no seed (see Isaiah 53:8; compare Acts 8:33) has an innumerable posterity (see D&C 138:12; compare Mosiah 15:10); and
• He who was anchored to a tree becomes the Anchor of our Soul (see Hebrews 6:19).

Such parodies make His atonement a strange, yet uniquely wonderful, act. Thus, His defense of those who believe on His name is no less strange, and uniquely wonderful. By virtue of the blood which He spilt, Christ pleads, in His own name, before the Father for those who believe in His name (see D&C 38:4) and it is for His sake that we are forgiven (see Ephesians 4:32). It is because of this Son that God is merciful and it is because of this Son that God’s judgments are turned away (see Alma 33:11, 13). To the prophet Joseph, the Lord declared:

Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—

Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;

Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life (D&C 45:3-5).

The beauty of God’s plan is that the gross injustice suffered by the Holy One ignites mercy. This gross injustice is also the horror of the plan—the blood of God was shed! And because of the ultimate injustice accepted by the Just God, justice everlastingly proclaims: “Remember the sufferings of Him who did no sin and have mercy on those that believe on His name!” Because of Christ’s sufferings, the penitent is justly extended mercy—within the irreconcilable, the penitent discovers reconciliation!

Whether in life’s battlefield or standing before the throne of Grace, Christ is, and forever will be, our “ever sure defense” (Roberts, 1985, p. 78).

WORKS CITED

Millet, R. L. (2003). After All We Can Do . . . Grace Works. Salt Lake City, UT, United States: Deseret Book Company.

Roberts, D. C. (1985). God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand. Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Smith, J. (1891). The Doctrine and Covenants. Salt Lake City: George Q. Cannon & Sons, Co., Printers and Publishers. 

FOOTNOTES

[1] I concur with the authors of Understanding Isaiah (Parry, Parry, & Peterson, 1998) wherein they assert that “Wonderful” and “Counselor” written as separate titles of Christ in Isaiah 9:6 should be joined as one title—“Wonderful Counselor” (p. 92). See Holland (1997, p. 80) wherein Elder Holland likewise unites the two titles into one expression.