Christ Came to Save a Wicked World

2 Nephi 10:3 - "Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ—for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name—should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall crucify him—for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God."

President Brigham Young - “I suppose that God never organized an earth and peopled it that was ever reduced to a lower state of darkness, sin and ignorance than ours. I suppose this is one of the lowest kingdoms that ever the Lord Almighty created.”

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Transcript

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Welcome to Speak this Peace. A daily podcast dedicated to drawing closer to the Savior through the powerful truths found in the Book of Mormon. Each episode, we focus on one verse that helps us walk more faithfully in his footsteps.

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One of the great truths of the gospel is that Jesus Christ came into the world filled with sin, rebellion, and darkness. He did not wait for humanity to become worthy before he came. He came because humanity was not worthy. The Savior entered a fallen world because we needed him. His willingness to come into such a broken world teaches us something important about his love. He did not turn away from darkness. He enters into it so he can rescue us from it. The people of Jacob's day lived in a wicked world, and Jacob wanted them to understand that Christ's coming was not an accident. It was part of God's plan from the beginning. The Savior would come among people who rejected him, hated him, and ultimately crucified him. Yet he would still come willingly, because his mission was greater than the hatred of men. His mercy was greater than the sins of the world. Second Nephi chapter ten verse three states Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ, for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name, should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world, and they shall crucify him, for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God. As we study this verse today, along with teachings from President Brigham Young, we will consider what it means to live in a wicked world, why Christ came anyway, and how we can stay close to him and live with purpose in Jesus Christ. Jacob teaches something very sobering in this verse. He says that Christ would come among people who were the more wicked part of the world. That statement can sound surprising because the Jews were God's covenant people. They had the scriptures, the prophets, the temple, and the law. Yet having spiritual opportunities does not guarantee righteousness. Sometimes greater light can bring greater accountability. When people know the truth and still reject it, their rebellion can become even more serious. The people among whom Christ came had been given much, but many of them refused to recognize him when he arrived. This is important for us to understand, because we also live in a world with tremendous spiritual opportunity. We have scriptures, prophets, temples, and access to the gospel in ways many generations never had. Yet we also live in a world filled with confusion, sin, and rejection of truth. Wickedness is not always obvious. Sometimes it comes through pride, selfishness, worldliness, and the belief that we do not need God. The Savior came into that kind of world. He came among people who would mock him, accuse him, and crucify him. He knew what would happen before he came, yet he came anyway. That teaches us that Christ's love is not dependent on the goodness of the people around him. His love is constant even when the world is not. President Brigham Young said, I suppose that God never organized an earth and peopled it that was ever reduced to a lower state of darkness, sin, and ignorance than ours. I suppose this is one of the lowest kingdoms that ever the Lord Almighty created. That is a strong statement, but it reminds us that wickedness is not only something that existed in ancient Jerusalem, it exists in our day as well. We live in a world where many people call evil good and good evil. Many people reject God, mock faith, and ignore his commandments. Sin is often celebrated instead of repented of. Sometimes we may look around at the world and feel discouraged. We may wonder how people can become so distant from truth. We may feel frustrated by the amount of anger, immorality, dishonesty, and confusion that surrounds us. But Jacob's words remind us that none of this is new to God. The Savior came into a world that was dark. He came into a world that would reject him. He came into a world that would crucify him. Yet he still completed his mission. That means we do not need to fear the wickedness around us. We do not need to panic when we see darkness increasing in the world. The answer is not fear. The answer is to stay close to Jesus Christ. The darker the world becomes, the more important it is that we remain connected to the light of the world. The world may become more wicked, but Christ remains the same. His truth does not change, his gospel does not change, his power to save does not change. We may not be the people who physically crucified Christ, but we still have to decide what place he will have in our lives. We can either welcome him, follow him and center our lives on him, or we can slowly push him to the edges of our lives through distraction, compromise, and spiritual neglect. The world constantly encourages us to make other things more important than Jesus Christ. It tells us to chase comfort, success, entertainment, money, popularity, and self-interest. None of those things can save us. None of those things can bring lasting peace. When we allow worldly thinking to shape us more than the gospel, we begin moving away from Christ without even realizing it. That is why we need regular scripture study, prayer, repentance, and worship. These simple habits keep us grounded in truth. Living in a wicked world means we must be intentional about staying close to the Savior. We cannot casually drift toward righteousness, we must choose him daily. We must choose to believe when the world rejects him. We must choose to obey him when the world mocks obedience. We must choose to trust him when the world offers easier paths. Christ came into a dark world because he knew we would need him. That need has not changed. If anything, it has become even greater. So here is today's challenge. Spend a few minutes today identifying one influence in life that is pulling attention away from Jesus Christ. It may be a distraction, a habit, a fear, a form of entertainment, or a worldly priority. Then choose one simple action that will bring greater focus back to the Savior. Read a few extra verses, spend more time in prayer, remove something harmful or make time for quiet worship. The darker the world becomes, the more important it is that we intentionally stay close to Jesus Christ. Thank you for listening to Seek This Jesus. I hope this message helps you draw a little closer to the Savior, Jesus Christ. Please, don't let this podcast be your only scripture time today. As we open the scriptures for ourselves, the Spirit will teach us things no podcast ever could. If you are exploring the truths of the Book of Mormon for the first time, you can receive a free copy using the link in the description found in every episode of Seek This Jesus. I invite you to come back tomorrow for another verse and message to help you stay focused on Jesus Christ. Until next time, keep seeking this Jesus.