On Maundy Thursday, Jesus held the Last Supper with His disciples. He instituted the sacrament and, in a masterclass of servant leadership embodied in His gospel, washed His disciples’ feet. Afterwards, He went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where His work of atoning for the sins of the world began.
In ways that are impossible to comprehend fully, but worth every effort to come to know better, Jesus met the demands of justice for all humanity. As nicely described in The Infinite Atonement, the atonement of Jesus Christ is infinite in power, time, coverage, depth, suffering, and love. It brings the blessings of resurrection, repentance, peace of mind, succor, motivation, exaltation, freedom, and grace. It is the bedrock upon which all creation rests, giving hope of transformation from a fallen to a redeemed state of being.
More personally, in the atonement, Jesus Christ intimately loved each one of us enough to suffer along with us in every pain, temptation, sickness, and negative aspect of our lives. His charity knew no bounds. In that, He came to understand us and our experiences better than we know ourselves. In that, He can heal our hearts, minds, and bodies through faith in Him. In that, He can justify us when we repent and sanctify us from future temptation.
During the pain He felt in the agony in the garden, “His sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood falling upon the ground” (Luke 22:44). Afterwards, Jewish leaders, led by the traitor Judas Iscariot, arrested Jesus. There would be no sleep for Him on the final night of His mortal life.
This Easter season, let us reflect on the ways we move beyond the pains of the past, changing our hearts and transforming into a brighter future through the atonement of Jesus Christ.