THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST.
BY ELDER WILLIAM BAYLISS.
Jesus,
when upon the cross and about yielding up the ghost, uttered these
words—"it is finished." From this expression in his last moments,
many have supposed that he intended to convey the idea that the work of
salvation was complete, and that all was done that could be or was necessary to
be done on the earth for the salvation of the human family. Consequently, they
have concluded in their own minds that all that mortals can now do on the earth
is to look to Christ and his finished work, and all will be well with them.
Now,
so far as Jesus was permitted to carry out the decrees of his Father, while
sojourning on the earth, in establishing his kingdom and revealing the plan of
salvation amongst mankind, his work was finished. But we learn from the
Scriptures that a great deal had to be done after he uttered that expression.
It is true he had then made an offering for sin, and his mortal career was then
finished. The "prince of this world" had succeeded in taking his life
from the earth, no doubt thinking that then the work of salvation would cease.
But we shall be able to see, by an examination of the Bible and Book of Mormon,
that the work of salvation did not cease at the death of Jesus, but that he
continued to carry out the great scheme of redemption after he had put on
immortality.
We
read in the New Testament that during his sojourn on the earth he laid the
foundation of his Church in Jerusalem and the regions round about, that he
called and ordained Twelve Apostles and several Quorums of Seventies and other
officers for the work of the ministry, and that he instructed them in the laws
and ordinances of his kingdom, and that he himself opened the door and set a
bright example of all mankind to follow him. But the full power of the
priesthood to enable them to preach the Gospel and administer the ordinances of
the kingdom remained to be given after his death and resurrection; and we thus
find him busily engaged for the space of forty days upon the earth, after his
resurrection, instructing his disciples relative to their mission and showing
them by many infallible proofs that although he had been put to death in the
flesh, God had raised him up and given him power to carry out his purposes. He
therefore called them to him to handle him and see that he had not lost his
tangibility or identity. He eat and drank with them, and opened their understandings
that they might understand the Scriptures, and told them he would send them the
promise of the Father; but they were to tarry at Jerusalem till they were
endowed with power from on high. he then led them out as far as Bethany, lifted
up his hands and blessed them, and was then parted from them and carried into
heaven. The disciples returned to Jerusalem and waited to receive their
endowments. And being assembled in an upper room, the Holy Ghost fell upon
them, when they spoke with other tongues the wonderful works of God, and with
such power that many were convinced of the truth and were accordingly baptized.
The Apostles where began their public ministry after Jesus left the earth.
We
see from this that had the Apostles and other officers of the Church imbibed
the same idea as modern Christendom, that Jesus had finished his work, they
would not have troubled themselves to have gone to Jerusalem, or have assembled
in an upper room, to have received their endowments, or the gift of the Holy
Ghost. They would have thought it was all non-essential.
Again:
We learn from the Scriptures that the Gospel of salvation was universal, that
it had to be preached to all the world, that all mankind had to be saved by it,
and that no individual could enter the kingdom of heaven without hearing and
believing it. We therefore find that Jesus, after he expired on the cross,
performed a mission to the prison-houses of the dead, visiting the
antediluvians who "died while the long-suffering of God waited in the days
of Noah, while the ark was preparing, wherein eight souls were saved."
The
Apostle Peter informs us that Jesus, "being put to death in the flesh, was
quickened by the Spirit, by which also he went and preached to the spirits in
Prison." (1 Pet. iii. 18.) He also informs us that this was done that
"they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to
God in the spirit." (Chap. iv. 6)
Again:
We find it written in John x. 16 that Jesus says, "And other sheep I have,
which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice;
and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." Now, as we do not find
him, during his lifetime, ministering to any save the Israelites dwelling in
and around Jerusalem, we must either conclude that these sayings of Jesus must
fail, or that he went and visited them after his death upon the cross.
We
read in the Book of Mormon, commencing on page 456, that after Jesus was
crucified he did actually make his appearance to a portion of the house of
Israel on the continent of America, and there established his Church, and
revealed the order of his kingdom, called and ordained Apostles, Prophets,
Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers, endowed them with the holy Priesthood, and
thus commissioned them in the same manner as he had done their brethren in the
land of Judea, thus proving the saying of the Apostle Paul, that God had made
of one blood all nations of the earth, and appointed their times and seasons
and the bounds of their habitations, that they might feel after him and find
him, as he was not far from every one of them. (Acts xvii. 26, 27.) Nor does
his work finish here; for we again read in the Book of Mormon (page 465,) that
Jesus said unto his disciples, "Other sheep I have which are not of this
fold, neither of the fold at Jerusalem, nor any of the regions round about
whither I have been to minister; but I have received a commandment from the
Father to go unto them, that they may hear my voice, and be numbered among my
sheep." Therefore said he, "I go to show myself unto them." We
further read that Jesus continued with his disciples for a short time,
instructing them in the government of his Church and blessing them with the
power of the holy Priesthood, and then a cloud overshadows them, that they
could not see him. He then departed from them into heaven.
The
sheep Jesus alluded to in the foregoing are no doubt that portion of the house
of Israel who were carried away captive into the north country, of which the
Bible says never man has heard from them since. But it appears that the Lord
had not forgotten them, and thus the Saviour went forth unto them to carry the
great plan of salvation, that they might hear his voice, and come into his
fold, and be numbered with his sheep.
And
the Lord in his revelations to Joseph the Prophet, in speaking about the great
gathering in the last days, says that those who are in the north country shall
come in remembrance before him, and their Prophets shall hear his voice, and
they shall come forth and smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down and they
shall come forth and be crowned amongst the children of Ephraim. (See Book of
Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 108, par. 6.)
Can
we not see then, that if the work of Christ had been finished when he uttered
the expression on the cross, what a vast amount must of necessity have remained
undone? The Church could not have been organized amongst the house of Israel
that were lost to their brethren, the prison-house of the dead would have
remained unvisited, the captives could not have been set free, and thus the
most important part of the Saviour's mission would have remained unperformed.
But,
O the short-sightedness of mortals whose minds have not been lit up by the
Spirit of God—the light of heaven! How little they know of the purposes of the
Almighty, or the mission of the Saviour! They judge according to their own
contracted minds, and vainly suppose that they enjoy the Spirit of the Lord,
when they have not performed the first act that will entitle them to it; but,
on the contrary, have denounced the ordinances of the Gospel as being
non-essential. How can such ever expect to receive the blessings of the kingdom
of God? (William Bayliss, "The
Finished Work of Christ," The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star
22, no. 25 [June 23, 1860]: 385-87)
Further Reading:
Full Refutation of the Protestant Interpretation of John 19:30