Lesson 1:
Introduction to the New Testament
Introduction
The New
Testament is primarily a record of the mortal life, teachings, and Atonement of
Jesus Christ, the establishment of His Church, and the
ministries of His early disciples as He continued to guide them after His
Ascension into heaven. We will be discussint two major themes found in the
teachings of Jesus Christ and His ancient Apostles: the Savior’s repeated
invitation to come unto Him and the responsibility of His disciples to assist
others to do the same.
I. The New Testament helps us come unto
Jesus Christ
---Before
class, write the following question on the board:
What are
some difficult burdens that youth experience in our day?
---DEMO empty
box (held by student) and heavy objects (put in while students listing burdens
they face)
---Ask a
student to list responses on the board.
---How
would you feel if you had to carry this burden all day?
---What are some challenges or difficulties
that a few of the burdens listed on the board could cause someone.
---The New
Testament teaches us about Jesus Christ’s mortal and post-resurrection ministries, including His teachings,
miracles, atoning sacrifice, and visits to early church disciples. Throughout
His teachings and interactions with others is a repeated truth that can help us
with the burdens we carry.
---Matthew 11 includes an example of this
major theme that students will see often in their study of the New Testament
this year.
---What do you think it means to labor and be
heavy laden?
---What did the Savior say we must do in
order to receive His rest?
(Using
students’ words, write the following principle on the board: As we come unto Jesus Christ with our
burdens, He will give us rest.)
---What do you think it means to come unto
Jesus Christ?
WHAT DOES IT
MEAN TO COME UNTO CHRIST?
Matthew
11:29–30 looking for
the Savior’s instructions to those who desire to come unto Him.
---According to these verses, what must we do
in order to come unto Christ?
---Draw a
picture of a yoke for oxen on the board, or show a picture of a yoke. 
---A yoke is
a wooden beam that joins or couples a pair of oxen or other animals, enabling
them to pull together on a load.
---What is the purpose and benefit of a yoke?
(Although
the yoke is a weight or a burden, it allows both animals to combine their power
and strength, thereby increasing their productivity.)
---What do you think it means to take the
Savior’s yoke upon us?
---. Listen
for how we can take the Savior’s yoke upon us and what blessings we can receive
by doing so in the quote by Elder David A. Bednar
“A yoke places animals
side-by-side so they can move together in order to accomplish a task.
“Consider the Lord’s uniquely
individual invitation to ‘take my yoke upon you.’ Making and keeping sacred
covenants yokes us to and with the Lord Jesus Christ. In essence, the Savior is
beckoning us to rely upon and pull together with Him, even though our best
efforts are not equal to and cannot be compared with His. As we trust in and
pull our load with Him during the journey of mortality, truly His yoke is easy
and His burden is light.
“We are not and never need be
alone. We can press forward in our daily lives with heavenly help. Through the
Savior’s Atonement we can receive capacity and ‘strength beyond [our] own’ (‘Lord,
I Would Follow Thee,’ Hymns, no. 220)” (“Bear
Up Their Burdens with Ease,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 88).
---What “yokes” us to the Savior Jesus
Christ?
---According to Elder Bednar, what are the
blessings of being yoked to the Savior?
PRES HUNTER
QUOTE
---Notice
that the Savior’s promise of “rest” in Matthew 11:28–29 does not necessarily mean that
He will always remove our problems or challenges. Often, the Savior will give
us the peace and strength we need to overcome or endure our trials, thus making
our burdens lighter. If we are faithful through the challenges of mortality,
the ultimate rest we will receive is exaltation with God (see D&C
84:23–24).
---Ponder
how the Savior has given you rest when you have come unto Him.
---Does anyone want to share their
experiences with the class?
---Set specific
goals regarding ways you can come unto Jesus Christ throughout this year of
studying the New Testament. Include in your goals studying the scriptures daily
and reading all of the New Testament this year.
II. Disciples of Jesus Christ have a
responsibility to help others come unto Him
---Think
about times in your lives when you were eager and excited to tell someone about
an experience you had or something you saw, read, or heard.
---What were you eager and excited to tell
someone about?
---The New
Testament contains numerous examples of individuals who were strengthened,
taught, or blessed by the Lord and then felt a desire to tell others about Him.
John
1:37–42 looking for
what two of John the Baptist’s disciples did after hearing his testimony of
Jesus.
---What did Andrew learn about Jesus as he
spoke with Him?
---What did Andrew do after he learned that
Jesus was the Messiah?
---Why do you think he was so anxious to
share this news with his brother, Simon Peter?
ELDER
ANDERSON QUOTE
John
1:45–46 aloud
looking for what Philip did after he learned that Jesus was the Messiah.
---What did Philip say to Nathanael about
Jesus of Nazareth?
---How did Nathanael respond to Philip’s
testimony that Jesus was the Messiah?
---What was Philip’s invitation to Nathanael?
---Write the
following incomplete statement on the board:
As we come
unto Jesus Christ, …
---Based on these examples from the New
Testament, what desire will we have as we come unto Jesus Christ?
As we come
unto Jesus Christ, we will have a
greater desire to invite others to come unto Him.
---To help
students better understand this principle, copy the accompanying diagram on the
board:
---Why do you think we will have a greater
desire to invite others to come unto Christ as we come unto Him ourselves?
---President
Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency taught about a great blessing we
receive as we invite others to come unto Jesus Christ.
“When you give your heart to
inviting people to come unto Christ, your heart will be changed. … By helping
others come unto Him, you will find that you have come unto Him yourself” (“Come
unto Christ,” Ensign, Mar. 2008, 49).
---What can happen in our lives as we invite
others to come unto Jesus Christ?
---Add an
arrow to the illustration on the board so it looks similar to the accompanying
diagram:
---Why do you think inviting others to come
unto Christ can help us come closer to Him as well?
---Who has invited you to come unto the
Savior and His gospel? How has your life been blessed as a result?
---I invite
you to prayerfully consider whom they could invite to come unto Jesus Christ.
---What can we do to invite others to come
unto Him?
---Inviting
friends and classmates to attend seminary is one way that students can invite
others to “come and see” who Jesus Christ is and how His gospel can bless their
lives.
John
1:47–50 aloud
looking for what Nathanael experienced when he met the Savior (explain that the
phrase “no guile” means no deceit).
---What did the Savior say that caused
Nathanael to declare that Jesus was the Son of God?
---Along
with Andrew, Peter, Philip, and others, Nathanael became one of Jesus’s
Apostles. Because these Apostles heeded the invitation to come unto Jesus
Christ, they witnessed many “greater things” (verse 50), including the miracles and
teachings of Jesus Christ and His Resurrection and Ascension into heaven.
---Testify:
As we study the New Testament this year, you will feel the Savior’s continual
plea to come unto Him. As you apply the doctrines and principles they learn
throughout the year, you will receive His help with your
burdens and, like the ancient Apostles, be
filled with a desire to help others come to Him as well.
Right margin extra:
Encourage daily scripture study
Encourage
students to set aside time every day for personal study of the New Testament.
You can help them account for their daily study by providing an appropriate
tracking system (see the reading charts in the appendix of this manual). Give
students regular opportunities to share what they are learning and feeling
during their personal scripture study. Take care not to embarrass or discourage
students who struggle to study the scriptures on their own.
Put on board chart from yesterday as a reminder. Opening hymn: 134 I
Believe in Christ (cd player)
Lesson 2: The
Plan of Salvation
Teams: draw
the Plan—realizing that there are different ways it can be represented.
I. Jesus Christ’s role in the
premortal life
- How would you respond if someone asked you why Jesus Christ is important to you?
---In
today’s lesson we will learn about the role of Jesus Christ in Heavenly
Father’s plan of salvation. Look for truths as we study today that can help you
strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ.
---Put
chart on the board. Students draw it in their notebooks.
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Jesus Christ is central to Heavenly
Father’s plan of salvation
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---Heavenly
Father’s plan consists of three main stages: (1) our premortal life, which
preceded our physical birth; (2) our mortal life on earth; and
(3) our postmortal life, which will follow our physical death.
---Listen
for the limitations we experienced in our premortal life from the following
quote:
“We lived as spirit
children of our Father in Heaven before we were born on this earth. We were
not, however, like our Heavenly Father, nor could we ever become like Him and
enjoy all the blessings that He enjoys without the experience of living in
mortality with a physical body.
“God’s whole purpose—His
work and His glory—is to enable each of us to enjoy all His blessings. He has
provided a perfect plan to accomplish His purpose. We understood and accepted
this plan before we came to the earth. …
“In order to progress and
become like God, each of us had to obtain a body and be tested during a time of
probation on the earth” (Preach My Gospel: A Guide to
Missionary Service [2004], 48, 49).
- What limitations did we experience in our premortal life?
---As
Heavenly Father presented His plan of happiness, we learned that a savior would be
required to
carry out this plan. Lucifer, one of Heavenly Father’s spirit children,
rebelled against Heavenly Father’s plan. He became known as Satan,
a Hebrew term meaning “adversary.”
- What did Satan demand of Heavenly Father?
- According to verse 2, what did Heavenly Father say about Jesus Christ?
- What was Jesus Christ chosen to do?
(After
students respond, write the following truth on the board under Premortal life: Jesus Christ was chosen in the premortal
life to be the Redeemer of
mankind.)
---After
Jesus Christ was chosen to carry out Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation, He
created this
earth where we could each obtain a physical body and gain
experience.
Hebrews 1:1–2
looking for Jesus Christ’s role in the creation of the earth.
- What was Jesus Christ’s role in the creation of the earth? (Write the following doctrine on the board under Premortal life: Under the direction of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ created the earth.)
---Think
about the earth’s beauty. (display one or more pictures showing the beauty of
the earth.)
- How does knowing that Jesus Christ created this earth, and millions of others like it, affect your feelings about Him?
II. Jesus Christ’s role in mortal
life
---In
mortality we experience additional limitations or obstacles that prevent us
from becoming like Heavenly Father and returning to His presence.
---Read
aloud the following statement and listen for two obstacles we experience during
mortality:
“In mortality we live in a
condition where we are subject to both physical and spiritual death. God has a
perfect, glorified, immortal body of flesh and bones. To become like God and
return to His presence, we too must have a perfect, immortal body of flesh and
bones. However, because of the Fall of Adam and Eve, every person on earth has
an imperfect, mortal body and will eventually die. If not for the Savior Jesus
Christ, death would end all hope for a future existence with Heavenly Father.
“Along with physical death,
sin is a major obstacle that keeps us from becoming like our Father in Heaven
and returning to His presence. In our mortal condition we often yield to
temptation, break God’s commandments, and sin. … Although it sometimes appears
otherwise, sin always leads to unhappiness. Sin causes feelings of guilt and
shame. Because of our sins, we are unable to return to live with Heavenly
Father unless we are first forgiven and cleansed.
“… As with physical
death, we cannot overcome the effects of sin by ourselves” (Preach My Gospel, 50).
---Before
Jesus was born on the earth, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream when he
learned that Mary was expecting a child.
Matthew 1:21
looking for what the angel proclaimed to Joseph.
- What did the angel say Jesus would do? (After students respond, write the following doctrine on the board under Mortal life: Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins.)
- What did Jesus Christ do that allows us to be saved from our sins?
Why Weepest Thou?
© 2015 by Simon Dewey. Used by permission of Altus Fine Art,
altusfineart.com.
---Display
the pictures Jesus Praying in Gethsemane, The Crucifixion, and Mary and the Resurrected Jesus (Gospel
Art Book [2009], nos. 56, 57, 59; see also LDS.org).
---Remember that Jesus
Christ’s suffering, death, and Resurrection are collectively referred to as the
Atonement.
- What must we do to be saved from our sins through the Atonement of Jesus Christ? (See Acts 2:38).
President
Gordon B. Hinckley testified of the significance of Jesus Christ as the
central figure in the plan of salvation:
“[Jesus Christ’s] Atonement
is the greatest event in human history. There is nothing to compare with it. It
is the most fundamental part of our Father’s plan for the happiness of His
children. Without it, mortal life would be a dead-end existence with neither
hope nor future”
III. Jesus Christ’s role in the
postmortal life
---Think
of someone who has passed away.
- According to your understanding of the plan of salvation, where are those who have passed away? (At death the spirits of all people enter the spirit world.
The Burial of Christ, by
Carl Heinrich Bloch. Courtesy of the National History Museum at Frederiksborg
Castle in Hillerød, Denmark. Do not copy.- What did Jesus Christ do immediately following His death?
D & C 138:18–19, 30–32 looking for what Jesus Christ did to
allow the gospel to be preached to everyone in the spirit world.
- What did Jesus Christ do to allow the gospel to be preached to everyone in the spirit world?
- How do these efforts illustrate the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for all people?
---Refer
to the picture Mary and the Resurrected Jesus (Gospel
Art Book, no. 59; see also LDS.org), and ask the class:
- What happened on the third day after the Savior’s death? (He was resurrected.)
- What does it mean to be resurrected? (A person’s spirit and physical body are reunited, never to be separated again [see D&C 138:17].)
1 Corinthians 15:20–22 looking for how Jesus Christ’s Resurrection
affects each of us.
- How are we affected by Jesus Christ’s Resurrection? (After students respond, write the following doctrine on the board under Postmortal life: Because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, all people will be resurrected.)
- What will happen to each of us after we are resurrected?
---The
book of life can represent a person’s thoughts and actions in this life as well
as the record kept in heaven of the righteous (see Bible Dictionary, “Book of life”). We are judged not only according to our
works but also according to our thoughts, words, and desires (see Mosiah 4:30; Alma 12:14; 41:3; D&C 137:9).
- Who will judge us? (After students respond, write the following doctrine on the board under Postmortal life: Jesus Christ will judge all mankind.)
---The ultimate purpose of Heavenly Father’s
plan is to provide us an opportunity to obtain eternal life, or exaltation,
which means to become like Heavenly Father and live with Him forever in eternal
families.
---Display
a picture of your family and explain why it is important for
you to be able to live with Heavenly Father and your family forever.
John 3:16–17
looking for what we must do to receive
eternal (or everlasting) life.
- What must we do to receive eternal life? (Explain that to believe in the Only Begotten Son means to exercise faith in Jesus Christ and live according to His gospel, which includes receiving temple ordinances.)
- How would you summarize John 3:16 as a principle? (After students respond, write the following principle on the board under Postmortal life: If we exercise faith in Jesus Christ and live according to His gospel, then we can receive eternal life.)
---Remember
the question I asked at the beginning of class: “How would you respond if
someone asked you why Jesus Christ is important to you?”
---How
might you further develop your answers to this question based on what you have
learned today?
---Does
anyone want to share their testimonies of Jesus Christ and His role in Heavenly
Father’s plan?
---Testimony.
Right
margin extras:
Invite the Spirit through effective
devotionals
A
brief devotional at the beginning of class can help teachers and students feel
the Spirit and prepare to learn. A devotional generally includes a hymn, a
prayer, and a thought from the scriptures. Devotionals are most effective when
students bear testimony and share feelings and insights they have had during
their personal scripture study. Consider how you might organize devotionals so
that all students have opportunities to participate throughout the year.
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