Gethsemane and the Atonement Part 1

.1 Mormonism and teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints viewpoint when Mormonism is sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect. And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism. Where did the atonement of Jesus Christ take place.

Welcome to this edition of viewpoint on Mormonism.

I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry with me today is Eric Johnson my colleague at MRM we are looking at the April 2021. Addition of that Leo hold magazine. This is the magazine that replaced the inside magazine, but there was an article in this edition that was written by John Hilton the third in his brief bio simply says that he's an associate professor of ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University.

The title of this piece is Jesus suffered, died and rose again for us and the fact that Friday is known as Good Friday. We are coming up upon date that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We felt that this is very pertinent to talk about because what John Hilton does in this article he's trying. Would you say Eric to dispel a myth that may be among many Latter Day Saints that there was only one place where the atonement took place. That being the garden of Gethsemane, but he tries to spread it out into three different places and so were going to be talking about that, but first let's start off with his very first paragraph he writes what comes to mind when you think about the atonement of Jesus Christ. Some members of the church think primarily about what occurred in the garden of Gethsemane. But what about the crucifixion was that part of the Savior's atonement. And what about the resurrection is an interesting question that he asked. Here some members of the church think primarily about what occurred in the garden of Gethsemane and that sounds very similar to a statement that you can find in a book titled third Nephi 9 to 30; this is my gospel. On page 14 and was written by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Junior they were the editors of this block, but this is what it says on page 14. It is probably the case that if 100 Protestants were asked where the atonement of Christ took place those 100 persons would answer at Golgotha on the cross. It is also no doubt true that if 100 Latter Day Saints were asked the same question.

A large percentage would respond in Gethsemane in the garden. In fact, these writers say the sufferings of Jesus Christ that began in the Garden of Gethsemane were consummated on the cross.

So what I get from this is that these two editors of this book.

It sounds like he's drawing the same type of conclusion that John Hilton is bringing out in his piece that is found in bit.ly Ohana magazine.

The April addition starting on page you 10 let's talk about that. If it is true that Protestants, when asked where we think the atonement took place, we would say on Golgotha on the cross.

The question remains, why would we. Why do Protestants tend to look to the cross as the place where the atonement took place. There's good reasons for that folks are very good reasons for that we want to talk about that one of the reasons why we look to the cross is because it was there that Jesus actually died.

He died on the cross for the atonement to be made. There has to be a death, and when you read the Old Testament accounts about the sacrifice of animals. Clearly there is a death that is involved. For instance, if you go back to Exodus chapter 29.

Look at what it says in verse 10. You shall have the bull brought before the tabernacle of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the bull well right there. We notice only certain people could do this, the priest in the Old Testament had to be a son of Aaron, as the expression goes, it couldn't be just anybody but yet in the Mormon church in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints just about any buddy can be a priest as long as your mail doesn't matter what tribe you came from and of course according to the Old Testament that was sinful, but the LDS church doesn't middle think anything of it even though it certainly contradicts the directions that were given in the Old Testament. But here's what the next verse says in verse 11 of Exodus 29, then you shall kill the bull before the Lord, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Verse 15 it says you shall also take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram and you shall kill the ram and you shall take its blood and sprinkle it all around on the altar.

Then in verse 19 it mentions is again you shall also take the other ram and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram. Then you show to the ram. In other words, there's a death that is taken place now for a 21st-century Christian living in a Western culture. You might think that sounds awfully strange. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to us and doesn't that seem like an awful waste of good livestock well know it didn't go to waste. If you read on and in Exodus 29, and you look at verse 32. It says that Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram. In other words, the sacrifices were consumed by the priests and so it did not go to waste at all. And there's a number of verses in the Old Testament that show that these animal sacrifices were eaten by the priest, so no problem there.

But the book of Hebrews.

Eric refers back to these type of verses to show that there was in fact death that was necessary in order for an atonement to be made and you making a good point to that the idea in the Western culture of death is not very fun to talk about.

People don't like to discuss blood and all the things that took place in the Old Testament, but it was required, according to God to be able to have an atonement that would pay for sins and according to Hebrews chapter 9 the author actually says that it's Jesus who fulfilled the actual sacrifice.

He was the sacrifices is what it says in verses 16 through 18.

For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established for a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.

Therefore, not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.

And then verse 22. Quoting from Leviticus 17 says indeed under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. And that's key without the shedding of blood in the context there, it's talking about, not just shedding the blood, but it's actually talking about the death of the sacrificial victim and there are a number of other verses we should point out and I think we should take time going through some of these because it is so important to show the huge distinctive between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and what its leaders and Scripture have said about this issue as opposed to what Christians have traditionally understood and believed, and I would say even celebrated in the acknowledgment of Good Friday, which basically means holy Friday and what took place on that day when Jesus was offered up as a sacrifice. We have an article on our website MRM.org/Gethsemane-atonement Gethsemane-atonement, and we have these verses listed here with Anna read off about a dozen just to get the idea cross that Jesus fulfilled what it talks about in the Old Testament.

So in first Corinthians 118 it says for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness but onto us which are saved it is the power of God. There's that idea, foolishness, and then he goes on in chapter 15 verse three and says, for I delivered to you as of first importance, which I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and then verse 14 he says of Christ were not raised in the Christian's faith is worthless. You can't have a raising unless you have a death in the first place. Will go back where it talks about him dying. I think a very simple question should be raised at this time Latter Day Saints point to the garden of Gethsemane is where the atonement took place, then where is the dying of Jesus, and clearly we see here, he dies, he didn't die in the garden of Gethsemane. So here's the difference folks they will talk about him sweating great drops of blood that's found in doctrine and covenants section 19 but we don't see a death what we have here is a difference between expiation and perspiration because that's really what were talking about when it comes to the Mormon view of the atonement.

It's his perspiring great drops of blood, whereas in Christianity.

He dies he expires. So there is a distinction after the rest the show. Let me just give you these verses acts 530, the God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you have put to death by hanging him on a cross Romans 59. The shedding of his blood on the cross makes justification before in all holy God. A present reality. Romans 834 we have the idea that Christ's death resulted in Christians having one who intercedes on their behalf. First Corinthians 57 through eight talks about Jesus as being a sacrifice Passover lamb. Galatians 31 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us because it's written curse that is everyone who hangs on a tree that's the cross. Galatians 313 Christ's death on the cross. Redeem believers from the curse of the law.

Galatians 614, Paul says he would not want to boast except in the cross of the Lord Jesus through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Colossians 121 and 22 talks about the physical death of Jesus. Colossians 213 through 15. It talks about the written code of regulations that condemned all people was nailed to the cross and that gave forgiveness to the believer of his sins.

Hebrews 214. By his death, Jesus removes the sting of death and freeze those who were once held in slavery by the fear of death. Hebrews chapter 9 verses 13 and 14 and it talks about how the regular sacrifices of bulls and goats were not able to take away the sins of a person, but it's Christ once for all. Death that cleanses the conscious of the believer and takes away sin. Let me stop you there because the reason why it's worded that way. Is anybody could go through the ritual of offering the sacrifice. But there was an element of faith in the Old Testament that sacrifice meant something. There was the giving of a life on behalf of you had to have that faith and believing that just the same as you have to have that kind of faith when it comes to a New Testament context. Just because Jesus died on the cross does not mean your sins are forgiven you have to have faith that what he did on that cross was on your behalf. The Bible very clearly talks about atonement only in sense of a death. There is, as you mentioned no perspiration that would be efficacious for our sins. Thank you for listening.

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