There is nothing technically wrong with this phrase. As a Christian, I believe it to be true for any human being who uses it... but it also feels off... like someone who says "your an idiot" on Facebook instead of "you're an idiot" or insists on driving a few miles per hour below the speed limit in the left lane on the freeway. Everyone kind of understands what is meant by these practices, but still... they irritate.
There is a valid place for understanding that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is not just a generic theological concept, but that individual faith and penitence can allow access to infinite grace, healing, and power. Certainly there are many concepts that show the importance of individual salvation. A man will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression. (A of F 2) The message given to the Apostle Peter.. "what God hath cleansed, that call not thou common" (Acts 10:15), or the teaching of John the Baptist "And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." (Matthew 3:9)... all of these ideas tend to suggest that a person's family, circumstances, and background are not as important as the individual decisions each person makes relating to their faith.
On the other hand, groups of people are important to God.
Consider these passages:
- "The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers..." (Deuteronomy 7:7-8)
- "Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." (Genesis 17:5-8)
- "And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had... And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire..." (Joshua 7:24-25)
The impact of a few upon large numbers of people is notable. People have been blessed greatly or punished severely because of their association with others. The Egyptians unfortunate enough to have served in Pharaoh's army when he pursued Moses into the Red Sea seem as randomly placed as the lame man that Peter healed to prove that Christ's power had not ended at the crucifixion.
Jesus Christ himself declared his favoritism to the house of Israel to a woman who sought his help:
"And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour." (Matthew 15:22-28)Again when he appeared to the Nephites, he affirmed his connection with the covenants of Israel:
"And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them. And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel." (3 Nephi 16:11-12)God's promises to the house of Israel are notable. If Christ cares so much about individuals, (and not just certain people, but individuals from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people), how was it ever possible that he became so tightly coupled with the children of Jacob?
The connection can be traced back to Abraham... who in a time of idolatry and wickedness insisted on seeking the Lord in everything he did. Abraham's son Isaac honored the covenant that God had made with his father. Rebekah, Isaac's wife, helped guide young Jacob to receive the blessings of the Lord. Genesis describes a wrestle in which Jacob proves his desire to obtain the favor of the Lord (Genesis 32:24-30). This experience shows something remarkable about the bond between God and Jacob.
Like Abraham, Jacob had been blessed of the Lord... but he was certain that he could do and be more. He worked diligently, believing that he could receive a greater blessing.
This desire is the one that Jesus tried to inspire in the children of Israel when he taught:
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:7-11)How did Jacob develop this desire to be blessed, and the faith to ask, seek, and knock? Surely he could have said that the power of Jesus enabled him. Though he lived thousands of years before the birth of Christ, because of the timeless and infinite power of the atonement, it would not have been inaccurate for him to proclaim that "Jesus suffered for me."
Though he acknowledges the blessings of God... Jacob's actions are not really centered on his personal relationship with the Lord. Israel realized that he was a link in a great chain. He had been guided to divine providence following in the footsteps of his grandfather Abraham... with the patriarchal blessing of his father Isaac... and by following the wise counsel of his mother Rebekah. His efforts were to secure these same blessings for his own family, and his last act before he died was to bless his children.
What guided Jacob to God? What made his children so important to the Lord? This statement by Bruce R. McConkie provides additional clarity:
"In general, the Lord sends to earth in the lineage of Jacob [Israel] those spirits who in pre-existence developed an especial talent for spirituality and for recognizing truth. Those born in this lineage, having the blood of Israel in their veins and finding it easy to accept the gospel, are said to have believing blood."Of course, this does not mean that people who are born into the house of Israel are guaranteed to receive divine favor... or even that they will be decent human beings. Israelites produced men as awful as King Ahab and King Manasseh. Even of his own children, Reuben, Levi, Simeon, and Judah were guilty of terrible sins.
What it does mean is that there is a tendency to recognize the divine. There is access to the holy priesthood. There is opportunity to learn the truths of the Lord.
For thousands of years, God has maintained his connection with Israel's children not because they were necessarily better than other people... but because he is showing that true salvation is never only about individuals. Salvation is about permanent bonds with families.
Modern prophets have affirmed this truth:
"Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God, and for families to be united eternally." (The Family: A Proclamation to the World, emphasis added)
Additionally, Israel will be literally gathered together, and every promise made with the ancient patriarchs will be fulfilled. Christ himself affirmed ancient prophecy when he recited this about the children of Israel:
"Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch not that which is unclean; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. For ye shall not go out with haste nor go by flight; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel shall be your rearward." (3 Nephi 20:41-42)
If you are inspired to get up on Fast Sunday and share your testimony about how important Jesus is... that's fantastic! If you are inspired to talk about how the Lord has blessed you... great! If you want to talk about how the suffering of Christ has brought peace and happiness... Amen!
Just remember... It was never about just you. Though he individually knows you and individually loves you and individually suffered for you... it was never about just you. You are a link in a great chain. You have a part in curses, blessings, and covenants that were made when human civilization was in its infancy. You are connected to those who have gone before, and those who will come after you.
Your potential was never to return to the presence of God all alone... Jesus suffered for you to be united with your spouse, your parents, and your children. He suffered to purchase for you a place in the mansions (plural) of His Father. His commandments were given so that you could "be the children of your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:45) He atoned so that you could be a part of his family.
Jesus suffered for us.
