Lesson 61: John 2
---In John 2:1–11,
we will learn about the first recorded miracle that Jesus performed during His
earthly ministry. Look for why this first recorded miracle may be significant.
---Think about the following
“firsts” that may have occurred in your lives: first day of school, job, time you
remember feeling the HG
- Why do we sometimes place importance on these and other “firsts” in our lives?
---Shortly after He was baptized, He
and His disciples attended a wedding feast in Cana, a village near Jesus’s
hometown of Nazareth.
1---Wine was a customary drink at a wedding feast. Sometimes
the wedding feast would continue for multiple days. To run out of wine would
have been embarrassing for the hosts of the feast. Mary seemed to feel some
responsibility for the feast, so when the wine ran out, she approached her Son
and asked for His help in an effort to save the hosting family from
embarrassment. Jesus’s response demonstrated respect and compassion for His
mother’s desire to help at the wedding.
---Invite a student to read John 2:4 aloud, including the JST in footnote a. looking for
Jesus’s response to His mother.
- What did Jesus say in response to His mother?
- How does Jesus’s response show His respect for His mother? (Jesus not only asked His mother what she wanted Him to do, but He also expressed willingness to do it. In Jesus’s day, “woman” was a respectful way to address one’s mother. The question ‘What have I to do with thee?’ essentially meant ‘What do you want me to do?’)
- What was Jesus referring to when He said, “Mine hour is not yet come”?
- What do Mary’s instructions to the servants teach us about her faith in Jesus?
---During Jesus’s time, waterpots
made from stone were considered ritually pure for use in religious ceremonies.
It was the practice of Jews to ceremonially purify themselves prior to eating a
meal by washing their hands using the water from these waterpots.
- How full did the servants fill the waterpots?
---Display an open container that
can hold one gallon. A “firkin” was about nine gallons (or 34 liters), so the
six pots could have held between about 100 and 160 gallons (or about 380 and
600 liters). Fill the container with water.
---Read John 2:8-10 (Dip a cup into the water, and hold it up) look for what
the governor said after tasting the drink
- What had Jesus done to the water?
- What did the governor of the feast say about the new wine? (the best wine was often used at the beginning of the feast and lesser-quality wine was used later into the feast.)
---Jesus never provided a specific
interpretation of the meaning or symbolism of this first recorded miracle of
His mortal ministry. There are, however, many significant truths we can learn
from this account of Jesus’s first recorded miracle.
PADDLE---SMALL GROUPS (2-3). List on
a piece of paper as many truths that can be learned from John 2:1–11
as you can.
---Share with the class the truths your
group identified. (show paddles)
---SCRIBE write on the board each
unique truth that is shared. (He has power over physical elements. He knew He
had a divine mission to fulfill. The Messiah manifested His divine power
through miracles. The Son of God loved and respected His mother.)
- What effect did this miracle have on Jesus’s disciples?
---Circle: Jesus
Christ has power over physical elements.
(or add it to the list.)
- How does understanding that Jesus has power over physical elements strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ?
- What other accounts that we have studied in the New Testament also illustrate that Jesus Christ has power over physical elements? (the two miracles of the loaves and fishes, calming the storm(Mark), or walking on water [Matthew 14:22–33].)
PADDLES---Name outdoor games you
played as children. After they list several games, ask the following:
- Although these games are innocent and fun, would you feel comfortable playing them on the grounds of the temple?
PADDLES---SMALL GROUPS of two. Scan John 2:12–17 for answers to the following questions (on board one at a
time):
- Who did Jesus find in the temple?
- Why do you think Jesus became upset?
- What did Jesus do to correct the problem?
2---The thousands of visitors who came to Jerusalem for the
celebration of Passover needed to purchase animals to offer as sacrifices in
the temple as part of their worship. Money changers exchanged Roman and other
currency for temple currency so that sacrificial animals could be purchased,
and other merchants sold the needed animals. While the commerce needed to
happen, handling such business at the temple was disrespectful and irreverent.
PADDLE---What truth about temples
can we learn from Jesus’s description of the temple in verse 16?
(It
is the house of God.)
- In what ways are temples the house of God? (places where God may come, where His presence or Spirit may be felt, & where ordinances pertaining to His work of salvation are performed. They are the most holy places of worship on the earth.)
---President Howard W. Hunter. (listen
for how Jesus’s understanding of the holiness of temples contributed to His
decision to drive the money changers and merchants from the temple.)
3-“The reason for the tempest lies in just three words: ‘My
Father’s house.’ It was not an ordinary house; it was the house of God. It was
erected for God’s worship. It was a home for the reverent heart. It was
intended to be a place of solace for men’s woes and troubles, the very gate of
heaven. … [Jesus’s] devotion to the Most High kindled a fire in his soul and
gave his words the force that pierced the offenders like a dagger” (“Hallowed Be Thy Name,” Ensign, Nov. 1977, 53).
- How did Jesus’s actions show His reverence for His Father’s house?
---Write the following incomplete
statement on the board: We show reverence for the temple
by …
PADDLES---SMALL GROUPS (2-3) Write as
many ways to complete the statement as they can. Check off matching answers.
- How is it possible to show our reverence for the temple even when we are not in the temple?
---Write in your class notebooks why
you feel it is important that you do all you can to show reverence for the
temple. Write a goal to do one thing to show reverence for the temple. Act on
this goal.
---Testimony
Lesson 62: John 3
Introduction
One night a Pharisee named Nicodemus
approached Jesus and conversed with Him. Jesus taught Nicodemus that all men
must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. Later, John the Baptist
explained to his disciples that his role was to prepare the way for Jesus Christ.
I.
John 3:1–21
Jesus teaches Nicodemus spiritual truths
---Invite students to imagine that
one day while they are discussing religion with some friends, one says, “As
long as I am a good person, I can go to heaven.” Invite students to ponder how
they would respond to this friend.
---Look in John 3 for what we must do to enter God’s
kingdom.
---Near the beginning of His
ministry, the Savior went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Many people in
Jerusalem believed in Jesus after they saw the miracles He performed (see John 2:23–25).
---Read John 3:1–2 aloud. Ask the class to follow along,
looking for what happened while the Savior was in Jerusalem.
- Who visited Jesus?
---As “a ruler of the Jews” (John 3:1), Nicodemus was a member of the
Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was a governing council made up of Pharisees and
Sadducees that directed many of the civil and religious affairs of the Jewish
people.
Nicodemus visits Jesus
- Why do you think Nicodemus may have come to visit Jesus at night?
- According to verse 2, what did Nicodemus acknowledge about Jesus?
---Nicodemus’s acknowledgment that
Jesus was “a teacher come from God” (verse 2) suggests that Nicodemus wanted to
learn from Jesus. Invite a student to read John 3:3–5 aloud. Ask the class to follow along,
looking for what the Savior taught Nicodemus.
John 3:5 is a scripture mastery passage. Studying
scripture mastery passages will help students increase their understanding of
basic doctrines and be prepared to teach them to others. You may want to
suggest that students mark scripture mastery passages in a distinctive way so
they will be able to locate them easily. Refer to the teaching idea at the end
of the lesson to help students with their mastery of this passage.- According to verse 3, what did the Savior teach Nicodemus?
- What did Nicodemus think the Savior meant by the phrase “born again” (verse 3)?
---To be born again is “to have the
Spirit of the Lord cause a mighty change in a person’s heart so that he [or
she] has no more desire to do evil, but rather desires to seek the things of
God” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Born Again, Born of God,” scriptures.lds.org;
see also Mosiah 5:2; Alma 5:14–15; Moses 6:59).
- According to verse 5, what two things did Jesus teach Nicodemus are necessary to enter the kingdom of God? What do you think it means to be “born of water and of the Spirit”?
- How would you summarize what these verses teach about what is necessary for being spiritually reborn and entering the celestial kingdom? (After students respond, write the following principle on the board using students’ words: Being baptized and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost are necessary for being spiritually reborn and receiving exaltation in the celestial kingdom.)
---Remind students of the scenario
with the friend. Divide students into pairs. Invite one student in each pair to
be the friend who thinks that all that is necessary to enter the kingdom of God
is to be a good person. Invite the other student in each pair to practice
clarifying the misunderstanding using John 3:5.
---Remember that in John 3:6–12 Nicodemus asked Jesus what makes it
possible for someone to be born again. Jesus responded by asking how Nicodemus
could be a religious leader and teacher in Israel and not know that spiritual
rebirth is necessary and what makes spiritual rebirth possible.
---In John 3:13–21 we read that the Savior explained to
Nicodemus how it is possible for someone to be born again.
---Take turns reading aloud from John 3:13–15. Ask the class to follow along and
look for how Jesus answered Nicodemus’s question.
Instead of inviting students to read John 3:13–15 aloud, you may want to show the
video “Heavenly Things” (8:55) from time code 5:30 to
the end. This video depicts the Savior teaching Nicodemus. Ask students to
follow along in their scriptures, looking for how Jesus answered Nicodemus’s
question. This video is available on LDS.org.
- What did the Savior say about Himself in John 3:13? (He testified of Himself as the Son of God who came down from heaven.)
---Display the picture Moses and the Brass Serpent (Gospel Art Book
[2009], no. 16; see also LDS.org). Ask students to explain the account
from the scriptures that the picture represents. If necessary, explain that during
the time of Moses
the Lord sent poisonous serpents in consequence of the Israelites sinning
against God. The Israelites were poisoned when the serpents bit them. The Lord
directed Moses to raise up a brass serpent on a pole and promised that any
Israelite who looked at the serpent on the pole would be healed. (See Numbers 21:4–9.)
- According to John 3:14, what did Jesus say the brazen serpent represented?
---Display the picture The Crucifixion (Gospel Art Book [2009],
no. 57; see also LDS.org).
- According to verse 15, what blessing comes to those who look to the Savior?
- What doctrine can we learn from these verses about the Atonement of Jesus Christ? (Students may use different words, but be sure to emphasize the following truth: All mankind can obtain eternal life through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Write this principle on the board.)
---Read John 3:16–17 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for a doctrine we can learn about Heavenly Father.
- What did Heavenly Father send His Son to do?
- What doctrine can we learn from these verses about Heavenly Father? (Students may use different words to identify the following doctrine: Heavenly Father loves His children so much that He sent His Only Begotten Son to suffer for their sins. Add this doctrine to those already listed on the board.)
- How did Heavenly Father sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth show His love for each of us?
---Invite a student to read aloud
the following statement by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles. Ask the class to consider how knowing of Heavenly Father’s
love for them makes them feel.
“There is no greater evidence of the infinite power and
perfection of God’s love than is declared by the Apostle John [in John 3:16]. … Think how it must have grieved our
Heavenly Father to send His Son to endure incomprehensible suffering for our
sins. That is the greatest evidence of His love for each of us!” (“Love and Law,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov.
2009, 26).
- How do you feel knowing that Heavenly Father loves you so much that He sent His Only Begotten Son to suffer and die for you?
- According to John 3:16–17, how can we be saved through the Atonement? (After students respond, add the following principle to the board: If we believe in Jesus Christ, which includes repenting of our sins and obeying His word, we can have everlasting life through His Atonement.)
---Invite students to review the
truths Jesus taught Nicodemus that are listed on the board.
- How do these truths relate to each other?
- What are some ways in which we can show our belief in Jesus Christ?
---Testify that as we demonstrate
our belief in Jesus Christ by repenting and following Him, we can be saved and
receive eternal life through the Atonement.
---Write the following phrase on the
board: I
will show my belief in Jesus Christ by …
---Ask students to finish this phrase
in their class notebooks by writing what they will do to show their belief in
Jesus Christ.
II.
John 3:22–36
John the Baptist teaches that Jesus is the Christ
---Display a clear container full of
water. Add a drop or two of food coloring to the water.
- How might the food coloring be compared to our influence upon others?
---Invite a student to read aloud
the following statements by President David O. McKay. Ask the class to
listen for what we can learn about our influence in the lives of others.
“Every person who lives in this world wields an influence,
whether for good or for evil
(Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay [2003], 227).
“The
effect of our words and acts is tremendous in this world. Every moment of life
you are changing to a degree the lives of the whole world” (Teachings:
David O. McKay, 227).
---Look for a principle in John 3:22–36 that teaches us how we can influence
others for good.
---In John 3:22–26 some of John the Baptist’s disciples
were concerned because people were following Jesus instead of John the Baptist.
---Read John 3:27–30 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along, looking for what John the Baptist understood about his role in relation
to Jesus Christ.
- What did John the Baptist want his disciples to understand about his role? (He had been sent before Jesus Christ to prepare others for Him.)
- What analogy did John the Baptist use (verse 29)?
---The bridegroom represents Jesus,
the bride can represent those who were coming unto Christ, and the friend of
the bridegroom represents John the Baptist.
- What do you think John the Baptist meant when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (verse 30)? What does this show about the character of John the Baptist?
- What could Jesus Christ do for people that John the Baptist could not do?
- What can we learn from John the Baptist’s example about what we can do to influence others for good? (Students may identify a variety of truths, but make sure it is clear that we can influence others for good by directing them to Jesus Christ.)
- Why is it so important that we use our influence to direct others to Jesus Christ?
- When have you seen someone direct others to the Savior?
---Invite students to consider ways
in which they can direct others to the Savior. Encourage them to seek the
guidance of the Holy Ghost in their efforts to do so.
---In John 3:31–36 John the Baptist declared that Jesus
had been sent by God and that all who believe in Him can receive everlasting
life.
Scripture Mastery—John 3:5
To help students memorize John 3:5, invite students to write the first
letter of each word in the verse in their scripture study journals. Encourage
students to practice saying the scripture aloud using the first letters and
referring to the scripture passage as needed. When students can say the entire
passage using the first letters, invite them to practice reciting the passage
from memory. You could invite them to practice reciting this scripture at the
beginning or end of class for several days.
Commentary
and Background Information
John
3:3. To be born again
Like Nicodemus, some people may
wonder how to be born again. President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “In addition to
the physical ordinance of baptism and the laying on of hands, one must be
spiritually born again to gain exaltation and eternal life” (“Born of God,” Ensign, July 1989, 2–4).
Therefore, being born again requires more than simply being baptized and
confirmed. In order to be born again one needs to live in such a manner that
the Holy Ghost changes the heart.
Elder David A. Bednar of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
“We begin the process of being born
again through exercising faith in Christ, repenting of our sins, and being
baptized by immersion for the remission of sins by one having priesthood
authority. …
“Total immersion in and saturation
with the Savior’s gospel are essential steps in the process of being born
again” (“Ye Must Be Born Again,” Ensign or Liahona, May
2007, 21).
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained that to be born again is a process
that requires time:
“You may ask, Why doesn’t this
mighty change happen more quickly with me? … For most of us, the changes are
more gradual and occur over time. Being born again, unlike our physical birth,
is more a process than an event. And engaging in that process is the central
purpose of mortality.
“At the same time, let us not
justify ourselves in a casual effort. Let us not be content to retain some
disposition to do evil. Let us worthily partake of the sacrament
each week and continue to draw upon the Holy Spirit to root out the last
vestiges of impurity within us. I testify that as you continue in the path of
spiritual rebirth, the atoning grace of Jesus
Christ will take away your sins and the stain of those sins in you,
temptations will lose their appeal, and through Christ you will become holy, as
He and our Father are holy” (“Born Again,” Ensign or Liahona, May
2008, 78).
John
3:5. We need ordinances in order to gain salvation
The Savior’s teaching in John 3:5 affirms that ordinances are necessary to
enter the kingdom of God. As the Prophet Joseph
Smith taught, “Being born again, comes by the Spirit of God through
ordinances” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 95).
President Boyd K. Packer of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles likewise stated, “Good conduct without the
ordinances of the gospel will neither redeem nor exalt mankind; covenants and
the ordinances are essential” (“The Only True Church,” Ensign, Nov.
1985, 82).
John
3:7–8. Why did Jesus compare being “born again” to the wind?
In response to Nicodemus’s confusion
about being born again, the Savior compared being born of the Spirit to the
wind. (The Greek word for spirit is pneuma, which may also be translated as
breath or wind.) Just as the wind is difficult to see, so it is difficult to
see the process of being born again. We can see the effects of the wind but
struggle to know when it starts and when it ends as well as where it comes
from. A similar conclusion can be drawn about the process of being born again.
It is difficult to see exactly when it starts or when it ends, but its effects
are very visible as actions and desires change.
John
3:16. “For God so loved the world”
Of this verse Elder Bruce R.
McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles declared:
“This is perhaps the most famous and
powerful single verse of scripture ever uttered. It summarizes the whole plan
of salvation, tying together the Father, the Son, his atoning sacrifice, that
belief in him which presupposes righteous works, and ultimate eternal
exaltation for the faithful.
“… Similarly, our Lord ‘so
loved the world that he gave his own life, that as many as would believe might
become the sons of God.’ (D&C 34:3.)” (Doctrinal New Testament
Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 1:144).
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