A Living Sacrifice

Lehi taught his son Jacob about the Savior and His atonement in these words: “Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered” (2 Nephi 2:6-7). The image of the Savior offering Himself as a sacrifice for sin is a powerful one to me. All throughout the Israelite history, the faithful brought sacrifices of their animals and food to the altar to be consumed for the Lord under the requirements of the law of Moses. They gave their possessions to be sacrificed. Then Jesus came and instead of bringing something else to be offered, He brought Himself: He was the offering. We find a similar message in the words of the Savior recorded by John: “I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father” (John 10:17-18). We often speak about the Savior being crucified by the Romans or being killed by others, but that’s not totally accurate. As He stated, no one took His life from Him. John’s account of His death during the crucifixion uses this language: “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30). This suggests voluntarily giving up His life; though He had access to “twelve legions of angels” to prevent His death, He chose to die at that moment and offer Himself a sacrifice for sin (Matthew 26:53).  

                Just as He gave His life physically in accomplishing His atonement, He asks us to symbolically give our lives to Him as we strive to be His disciples. Paul wrote to the Romans, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). We are to be a “living sacrifice” in which we give of ourselves to follow Him. In most cases we are not asked to die for Him; rather, we are asked to live for Him. After He accomplished His great atonement, He said, “And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi 9:19-20). Instead of offering up physical offerings, we are now required to offer up a part of ourselves, even a broken heart and a contrite spirit. In our dispensation He put it this way, “Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:8). In another revelation, the Lord spoke of how we can be accepted of Him: “Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command—they are accepted of me” (Doctrine and Covenants 97:8). We need broken hearts and contrite spirits willing to keep our covenants by whatever sacrifice He commands in our day. And it won’t be an animal on the altar that He asks us to offer, but it may be our time, our talents, our repentance, and even our hearts. He willingly gave His heart literally through the sacrifice He made for our sins, and He now asks figuratively for ours: “For I, the Lord, require the hearts of the children of men…. The Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind” (Doctrine and Covenants 64:22, 34).