Why Jesus Suffered and Died

One of the most notable points in the Day of Atonement ritual is that at no time are the sins of the people placed on the head of Jehovah. Yet somehow, Jehovah’s suffering and death allows him to offer mercy. At the same time, there is a direct connection between our sins and his death so much so that his death is called, “a sin offering”.

We see in the Day of Atonement ordinance that before the sins of the people are placed on the head of Azazel, the goat for Jehovah suffers and dies. The blood of Jehovah was spilt or shed and then sprinkled on the “mercy seat” of the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies.

Jesus played the role of Jehovah in the real atonement. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus suffered terrible sorrow and agony that caused him to sweat blood which is an observed medical condition we call “Hematidrosis”. Although it is extremely rare, Jesus is not the only person who has experienced this condition.

“Hematidrosis is a condition in which capillary blood vessels that feed the sweat glands rupture, causing them to exude blood, occurring under conditions of extreme physical or emotional stress. Severe mental anxiety activates the sympathetic nervous system to invoke the stress-fight or flight reaction to such a degree as to cause hemorrhage of the vessels supplying the sweat glands into the ducts of the sweat glands. It has been suggested that acute fear and extreme stress can cause hematidrosis.” – Wikipedia, hematidrosis

“For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—” – D&C 19:16-18

Why did Jesus suffer in the garden so much that he bled from every pore? How did this great suffering which shed his blood through drops of sweat mirror the sprinkling of blood on the mercy seat giving Christ the right to offer mercy to the repentant? Let’s answer these questions next… 

How Christ Gained the Right to Offer Mercy

Under the Law of Moses there was no such thing as “a victimless crime”. This means that every crime had a victim, someone who was harmed, injured or killed. The person that harmed, injured or killed the victim was the guilty or a criminal.

Under the Law of Moses, when someone has injured another person or their property, and they were unable or unwilling to resolve the conflict between themselves, they would go to court to have a Judge execute justice. 

We then have the three principal parties of every Justice system, they are:

• The Judge (Elohim or God) – Who is required to enforce justice. 
• The Guilty/Criminal (Azazel/Satan or Judas) – The person who injured the Victim or their property.
• The Victim (Jehovah or Christ) – The person who was injured by the Guilty.

Among these three roles, only one has the right to forgive and offer mercy without robbing justice… Do you know which one it is?

The Role of the Judge

It is the Judge’s responsibility to defend the interest of the victim as well as prevent future crimes from occurring. If the Judge were to offer mercy and forgive the guilty then he would have robbed the victim of justice. The judge would be considered unjust and the victim would not have been made whole. 

Additionally, if the judge offered mercy, then there would be no fear of the law which keeps the wicked in check. The judge must uphold the law.

For these reasons, Jesus did not play the role of the Judge in the atonement, however, after completing the atonement he gained the ability to judge men as will be explained later.

The role of Judge in the atonement is played by God. The laws and their associated punishments under the law of Moses, (given to fallen man), were given by the God.

The Guilty/Criminal

The most common teaching regarding the atonement is that Jesus took on the role of the guilty party and suffered the punishment of sin on our behalf. It is commonly taught that he paid the penalty for our sin, (the innocent for the guilty), and thereby gained the ability to forgive us. Not only can justice not be fulfilled by the innocent suffering for the guilty, but the guilty cannot offer mercy without denying justice to the victim.

The guilty party in a crime must suffer the consequence of their actions and receive the punishment of the law. There is no situation in which we could consider that justice had been administered if the guilty party offered themselves or another guilty party mercy.

If Jesus played the role of the guilty party and then offered us, (the guilty), mercy, it would essentially be the guilty offering themselves mercy. The victims of our offenses would be outraged and justice would have been robbed.

The role of the guilty in the atonement is played by Azazel/Satan or Judas. 

The Victim

Under the Law of Moses, there was no such thing as a “victimless crime”. This means that there must be a victim for there to be a crime. If the victim forgave the guilty who wronged them, then there was no crime and no call for justice. In every scenario, the ONLY person who has the right to offer forgiveness and mercy is the victim. They are the one who choose to demand justice or offer mercy.

For Jesus to offer mercy, Jesus had to become the victim of sin and thereby suffer “for” the sins of the world. 

“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” Alma 7:11-12

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 ¶ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

…

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” – Isaiah 53:1-12

Because Jesus suffered as the victim of our sins, whatever we do to others, we are doing to him, both the good and the bad.

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” – Matt. 25:31-45