Consider this question: “Where did Christ’s Atonement mostly take place?”
A. In the Garden of Gethsemane.
B. On the Cross at Calvary.
This is not a question about where Christ’s Atonement actually took place. We know that the Bible Dictionary teaches that the Atonement includes Gethsemane, Calvary and other events. The purpose of this question is to find out where we place the emphasis. So how would you answer this question: “Where did Christ’s Atonement mostly take place?”
A. In the Garden of Gethsemane.
B. On the Cross at Calvary.
Over 700 students at Brigham Young University answered this question — 88% of students selected “Gethsemane” and 12% selected “Calvary.”
Here’s another question: what do the scriptures teach? How many passages of scripture explicitly teach that Christ suffered for our sins in Gethsemane? How many passages of scripture explicitly teach that Christ died for our sins on the cross?
I just published an article that details the answers to these two questions. The short answer is that there are two passages of scripture about Christ suffering for our sins in Gethsemane and more than fifty that talk about him dying for our sins on the cross. Does that surprise you? When it comes to these two events, the scriptures heavily emphasize the importance of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Which verses teach about suffering for sin in Gethsemane? Which verses teach about dying for our sins on the cross? Why does it matter? How can understanding the scriptural emphasis on Christ’s Crucifixion help us build bridges with others? How can we learn more about teaching this scriptural emphasis? Check out this newly published article or visit my Crucifixion page.
