“Because I live, ye shall live also” (John 14:19).
Easter tends to bring to mind images of Cadbury eggs, plastic baskets overflowing with goodies and fluffy bunnies. While fun and lighthearted these can easily overshadow the true and eternal nature of Easter. In reality, Easter is a reminder of renewal, rebirth and repentance.
Jesus Christ is the one sinless being to have walk the earth. Because of His Atonement, we can overcome sin and the baser elements of ourselves and come to a peaceful rest in him. While we live, He will walk with us. His death was one of the darkest days, but His resurrection brought us all hope. Because He rose, we will live again.
In his talk “None were with Him,” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “One of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so.”
Some say the Savior’s perfection creates an unreasonable, unreachable standard. This is true — for mortality at least. All of us fail. If we didn’t, there would be no need for a Savior. Too often we try to perfect ourselves, rather than relying on Savior for perfection.
We don’t need to wait for perfection to come unto the Savior and use the Atonement. We come to Christ imperfect; only then can we become perfected through Him.
The atonement is not only for sin, but for all hurts and all forms of healing. In Gethsemane, Christ felt all our sorrows.
“The assurance of resurrection gives us the strength and perspective to endure the mortal challenges faced by each of us and by those we love, such things as the physical, mental, or emotional deficiencies we bring with us at birth or acquire during mortal life. Because of the resurrection, we know that these mortal deficiencies are only temporary!” said Elder Dallin H. Oaks.
When we feel alone — or feel that no one can understand — we can know that our Savior does know and does care. That he is not just our Savior, but on a personal, individual level, he is my Savior and your Savior.
Think of that. The only perfect being to walk the Earth was willing to suffer for us, for every individual. No matter how much society looks down on us, no matter how imperfect we believe ourselves to be, Christ loves and cares for us so much He was willing to suffer for us as an individual, to shed a drop of blod for us.
Try as we might, we cannot on our own heal wounds we have inflicted or other people have inflicted on us. His perfection paves the way for us to complete our own steps toward perfection and healing.
People will fail us; we will fail ourselves. Our goal in this life is to realize on whom we can consistently and wholly rely. Christ will never fail or abandon us. He has the power to save and redeem — and He will if we let Him.
So as we approach Easter, may we remember the words of Elder Holland: “May we declare ourselves to be more fully disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not in word only and not only in the flush of comfortable times but in deed and in courage and in faith, including when the path is lonely and when our cross is difficult to bear.”
Join with us in celebrating the King of Kings, who knows us and loves us perfectly. Let us realize that even the most daunting challenges can be approached with the Savior at our side. He will help us, step by painstaking step.
