Redemption Cometh In and Through the Holy Messiah

Today in Sunday school, we studied 2 Nephi chapters 1 & 2.  It's such a bummer sometimes that we only have 40 minutes of Sunday school time to talk about a chapter as rich in doctrine as chapter 2.  2 Nephi 2:6 jumped out at me as we were talking about it today.  The verse states simply: "Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth."

For me, the word redemption is the key in this verse.  Earlier, father Lehi declared to Jacob, "Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer" (verse 3).  In verse 6, Lehi reiterates this point, but also gives the idea deeper meaning.  Lehi unflinchingly teaches Jacob that for any of us to be saved physically from the inevitable death of the mortal body and saved from the spiritual mistakes we have made and the sins we have committed, we need someone to step in and redeem us from these things.  Elder Christofferson taught, "Among the most significant of Jesus Christ’s descriptive titles is Redeemer. ... The word redeem means to pay off an obligation or a debt. Redeem can also mean to rescue or set free as by paying a ransom" (Ensign, May 2013, 109).

Lehi makes it clear that Jesus is the only one who can hold that capital "R" title of Redeemer because He paid the obligation or debt for us to overcome mortal death.  Even more importantly (to my mind), Jesus also ransomed us from the punishment of our sins.  "For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent," Jesus declared to the Prophet Joseph Smith (D&C 19:16).  Elder Christofferson stated, "The Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane and His agony on the cross redeem us from sin by satisfying the demands that justice has upon us. He extends mercy and pardons those who repent" (Ensign, May 2013, 110).

In conjunction with Lehi's description of Jesus as our Redeemer, what also struck me today were the words "in" and "through".  Lehi proclaims that the redemption Jesus offers comes in and through Him and Him alone.  Bear with me, my English major geek side is going to show, but usually these words are prepositions, however, as I've looked at them in the context of this sentence, I find that in this case they are adjectives.  Adjectives are used in sentences to qualify or define a noun.  In this sense, these two words qualify and define the Holy Messiah.  The adjective definition for in that fits in this circumstance is "located or situated within; inner; internal" (dictionary.com; "in" #19).  This makes sense to me because the Atonement allows redemption to be "located or situated within" the Savior.  Because of His voluntary sacrifice, any hope we have to be redeemed from our inevitable physical death and saved from our sins comes to us because the Atonement is an inner or internal part of Christ's being.

Concerning the word through, the adjective definition that fits for me in this instance is "having completed an action, process, etc.; finished" (dictionary.com; "through" #17).  Jesus was the only person who could complete the action and process of the Atonement because of the life he lived as a mortal man.  Jesus was not free from temptation.  Paul testified that the Savior "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).  Our Elder Brother was not free from the burden of temptation or the limitations of the physical body, but in all points, He remained above the weaknesses of the flesh.  Otherwise, He would not have been able to cry, "It is finished!" at that final moment upon the cross (John 19:30).

When considered in the light of these definitions, we now see that redemption is located or situated within the Savior because He has internalized the redemptive power by completing the action and finishing the process of the Atonement.  Understanding this concept as taught by his father, Jacob is later able to teach that the "keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there" (2 Nephi 9:41).  How can anyone but Jesus stand in that spot?  No one else has or could atone for us or redeem us in the way that He has.  In this way, Jesus becomes the central figure in all that we teach because it is in and through Him that the gospel and the Church that bears His name functions.

Because of the fullness of His grace (embodied in the act of freeing all of us—His brothers and sisters—from death and our own spiritual fall), and His truth (given to us when He gave us His word in our premortal life that He would complete the assignment He had accepted), we can rely on His promises (and those of our Heavenly Father) to not only bring us back into the Celestial courts we left when we were born on this earth, but to live the life that God lives for eternity.  This is good news of the gospel.