Explaining Christ's Sacrifice

The title of this editorial is “Mom’s Corner” so I figure abut 90% of the men just pass it over.  With that thought in mind I would like to take the liberty to share with you an approach which has enabled me to explain to my children the atonement and the sacrifice that our Savior made for us using a very female based perspective.

Some year’s back one of my children asked me why Jesus had to be nailed to the cross and die like He did?  Why wasn’t there another way for Him to sacrifice for us so that our sins would be forgiven?  He felt badly that Jesus had to die for him almost as if it were his fault. I was impressed that an 8 year old understood so much about the atonement.  I thought to myself, “How do I explain this one so he will understand and appreciate the act of love Christ did for him personally?” While I was pondering his question I looked down at my very pregnant body and felt the baby within me move.  I lovingly responded back to my unborn child’s movement with my hand rubbing over the area that was moving.  Then taking my son’s hand I let him also feel his little brother and we shared a moment of excitement over this new life that was soon going to come into our home.  With that simple act I realized what to say to my son and how to explain Christ’s sacrifice for us.  I also saw the way to explain why Christ willingly gave His life for us as an act of pure love.

Each of the eight times I have given birth I have dreaded the thought of actually going through the childbirth experience again.  I often said to myself. “I wished there was another way to have this baby.”  Modern medications profess to “take the edge off” but that is really just a medical cover up.  The process is still the same.  There is no other way to give birth to a child than through pain and suffering.  In spite of the agony, discomfort and intense pain a mother willingly goes through this for her child.  I have thought many times that giving birth, in a small way, is something like the sacrifice of our Savior for us.  He died so we might live again.  Our Savior even said, “Father, all things are possible unto there; take way this cup from me…” (Mark 14:36) but there was no other way.  Christ willingly went through the pain and suffering and gave His life for us just as we mothers sacrifice for our children so they may come into the world and have life.

I talked with my son about the process of having a baby and used it as an analogy of our Savior.  There is no other way to bring a child into the world and there was no other way for our Savior to save us except by His sacrifice in His death.  I told him that going through the pain of childbirth made me love my child more.  The plain and suffering only bonded me closer to the new baby because I had gone through that for him.  My son was then able to understand that our Savior loved him and His act of selfless love made Him love my son even more.

I think of this experience often and appreciate the fact it was my eight year old that really taught me about the atonement of our Savior.  I have told my children more than once that I should be the one to receive gifts on their birthday because I am the one who gave them life.  This only brings home the question, “How often do I give thanks to my Savior for His sacrifice and His gift to me of eternal life?”  May you have a Christ centered Easter.