…Christ, Who was the Word of God, sacrificed Himself. This
has two meanings—an outward meaning and a true meaning. The outward meaning is
this: Since Christ intended to promote a Cause that entailed the education of
the human race, the quickening of the children of men, and the enlightenment of
all humanity, and since promoting such a mighty Cause—a Cause that would antagonize
all the peoples of the earth and withstand the opposition of every nation and
government—was bound to bring about the spilling of His blood and to lead to
His crucifixion and death, therefore at the moment He revealed His mission He
offered up His life, welcomed the cross as His throne, regarded every wound as
a balm and every poison as sweetest honey, and arose to instruct and guide the
people. That is, He sacrificed Himself that He might bestow the spirit of life,
and perished in body that He might quicken others in spirit.
However, the second meaning of sacrifice is this: Christ was
like a seed, and this seed sacrificed its form so that the tree might grow and
develop. Although the form of the seed was destroyed, its reality manifested
itself, in perfect majesty and beauty, in the outward form of the tree.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Table talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some
Answered Questions’ – 2014 revised translation by the Baha’i World Centre)
