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The Life
of Christ Was Predicted Long before His Birth
1. "Every person who comes to
earth depends on Jesus Christ to fulfill the promise He made in heaven to be
our Savior.... All of us need to study the life of the Savior and follow Him
faithfully throughout our lives....
"About
800 years before the Savior was born on the earth, Isaiah foresaw His life.
When Isaiah saw the grief and sorrow that the Savior would suffer to pay the
price for our sins, he exclaimed:
“He is
despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. … Surely
he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. … He was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.... and with his stripes we
are healed” (Isaiah 53:3–5)....
"About
124 years before Jesus was born, King Benjamin, another Nephite prophet, also
foresaw the Savior’s life:
“For behold,
the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent
who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come
down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of
clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing
the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive
their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases. And he
shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the
children of men.
“And lo,
he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue,
even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood
cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and
the abominations of his people. And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the
beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary. And lo, he cometh... that
salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name;
"And
even after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a
devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him. And he shall rise the
third day from the dead.... and behold, all these things are done that a
righteous judgment might come upon the children of men. For... his blood atoneth for the sins of those who
have fallen by the transgression of Adam.... For salvation cometh... through
repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. And moreover, I say unto you,
that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby
salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of
Christ” (Mosiah 3:5–12, 17)" (Gospel Principles, The Life of Christ).
Q Why did
prophets testify of Christ before He came?
He Was the
Only Begotten of the Father
2. "The story of the birth and
life of the Savior is found in the New Testament in the books of Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John. From their accounts we learn that Jesus was born of a virgin
named Mary. She was engaged to marry Joseph when an angel of the Lord appeared
to her. The angel told her that she was to be the mother of the Son of God. She
asked him how this was possible (see Luke 1:34). He told her, “The Holy Ghost
shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the
Son of God” (Luke 1:35). Thus, God the Father became the literal Father of
Jesus Christ.
"Jesus
is the only person on earth to be born of a mortal mother and an immortal
Father. That is why He is called the Only Begotten Son. He inherited divine
powers from His Father. From His mother He inherited mortality and was subject
to hunger, thirst, fatigue, pain, and death. No one could take the Savior’s
life from Him unless He willed it. He had power to lay it down and power to
take up His body again after dying. (See John 10:17–18.)" (Gospel
Principles, The Life of Christ).
Q What did
Jesus Christ inherit from His Father? What did He inherit from His mother? Why
is this important?
He Led a
Perfect Life
3. "From His youth, Jesus
obeyed all that was required of Him by our Heavenly Father. Under the guidance
of Mary and Joseph, Jesus grew much as other children grow. He loved and obeyed
the truth. Luke tells us, “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit,
filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40; see also
D&C 93:12–14)....
"In
order to fulfill His mission, Jesus was to do the will of His Father in Heaven.
“I do nothing of myself,” He declared, “but as my Father hath taught me, I
speak these things. … I do always those things that please him” (John 8:28–29).
"When
Jesus was 30 years old, He came to John the Baptist to be baptized in the
Jordan River. John was reluctant to baptize Jesus because he knew that Jesus
was greater than he. Jesus asked John to baptize Him in order “to fulfil all
righteousness.” John did baptize the Savior, immersing Him completely in the
water. When Jesus was baptized, His Father spoke from heaven, saying, “This is
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The Holy Ghost descended, as shown
by the sign of the dove. (See Matthew 3:13–17.)
Q Which
accounts from the Savior's life are especially meaningful to you?
4. “The passage of time has not altered the capacity of the Redeemer to change men’s lives—our lives and the lives of those with whom we labor. As He said to the dead Lazarus, so He says today: “Come forth.” Come forth from the despair of doubt. Come forth from the sorrow of sin. Come forth from the death of disbelief. Come forth to a newness of life. Come forth” (Thomas S. Monson, April 2001 General Conference).
4. “The passage of time has not altered the capacity of the Redeemer to change men’s lives—our lives and the lives of those with whom we labor. As He said to the dead Lazarus, so He says today: “Come forth.” Come forth from the despair of doubt. Come forth from the sorrow of sin. Come forth from the death of disbelief. Come forth to a newness of life. Come forth” (Thomas S. Monson, April 2001 General Conference).
He
Organized the Only True Church
5. "Jesus wanted His gospel taught to people all over the earth,
so He chose twelve Apostles to testify of Him. They were the original leaders
of His Church. They received the authority to act in His name and do the works they
had seen Him do. Those who received authority from them were also able to
teach, baptize, and perform other ordinances in His name. After His death, they
continued to do His work until the people became so wicked that they killed the
Apostles" (Gospel Principles, The Life of Christ).
Q Why did
the Savior organize His Church and ordain Apostles?
He Taught
Us How to Love and Serve One Another
6. "After His fast and His
encounter with Satan, Jesus began His public ministry. He came to earth not
only to die for us but also to teach us how to live. He taught that there are
two great commandments: first, to love God with all our heart, mind, and
strength; and second, to love others as we love ourselves (see Matthew
22:36–39). His life is an example of how we should obey these two commandments.
If we love God, we will trust and obey Him, as Jesus did. If we love others, we
will help them meet their physical and spiritual needs.
"Jesus
spent His life serving others. He cured them of diseases. He made the blind
see, the deaf hear, and the lame walk....
"Jesus
loved others with all His heart. Often His heart was so full of compassion that
He wept. He loved little children, the elderly, and the humble, simple people
who had faith in Him. He loved those who had sinned, and with great compassion
He taught them to repent and be baptized. He taught, “I am the way, the truth,
and the life” (John 14:6).
"Jesus
even loved those who sinned against him and were unrepentant. At the end of His
life, as He hung on the cross, He prayed to the Father for the soldiers who had
crucified Him, pleading, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”
(Luke 23:34). He taught, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as
I have loved you” (John 15:12)" (Gospel Principles, The Life of
Christ).
Q How did the Savior teach us how to love and
serve one another?
7. "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the
princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great
exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but
whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever
will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom
for many" (Matthew 20:25-28).
8. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another;
as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men
know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John
13:34-35).
9. "When the Son of man shall
come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the
throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he
shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the
goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the
left.
"Then
shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For
I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I
was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick,
and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
"Then
shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and
fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a
stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw
we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer
and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one
of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Mathew
25:31-40).
Following the Example of Jesus Christ
Following the Example of Jesus Christ
10. Jesus taught, "What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, eve as I am" (3 Nephi 27:27).
11. "Whenever I have a difficult decision to make, I have looked at [a picture of Christ] and asked myself, “What would He do?” Then I try to do it. We can never go wrong when we choose to follow the Savior” (Thomas S. Monson, October 2004 General Conference).
12. "[Jesus] taught us how to pray. He taught us how to live. He
taught us how to die. His life is a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the
downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved.... Who was this 'man of sorrows, …
acquainted with grief'? 'Who is this King of glory,' this
Lord of lords? He is our Master. He is our Savior. He is the Son of God. He is
the Author of Our Salvation. He beckons, 'Follow me.' He
instructs, 'Go, and do thou likewise.' He pleads, “Keep
my commandments.” Let
us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His words" (Thomas
S. Monson, October 2010 General Conference).''
13. "What would our Savior do with the opportunities that we have to affect the one? As we apply that principle If Christ had my opportunities, what would He do? our decisions in life will be Christ-centered.... Each one of us can make a difference in someone’s life, even his or her eternal life, but we must act; we must do; we must labor diligently" (Paul K. Sybrowsky, October 2005 General Conference).
Q How have you been blessed by following the example of Jesus Christ?
Q How have you been blessed by others who follow the example of Jesus Christ?
14. "True, enduring happiness, with the accompanying strength, courage, and capacity to overcome the greatest difficulties, will come as you center your life in Jesus Christ" (Richard G. Scott October 2006 General Conference).
15. “I cannot comprehend [the Savior’s] power, His majesty, His perfections. But I do understand something of His love, His compassion, His mercy. There is no burden He cannot lift. There is no heart He cannot purify and fill with joy. There is no life He cannot cleanse and restore when one is obedient to His teachings” (Richard G. Scott October 1988 General Conference).
13. "What would our Savior do with the opportunities that we have to affect the one? As we apply that principle If Christ had my opportunities, what would He do? our decisions in life will be Christ-centered.... Each one of us can make a difference in someone’s life, even his or her eternal life, but we must act; we must do; we must labor diligently" (Paul K. Sybrowsky, October 2005 General Conference).
Q How have you been blessed by following the example of Jesus Christ?
Q How have you been blessed by others who follow the example of Jesus Christ?
14. "True, enduring happiness, with the accompanying strength, courage, and capacity to overcome the greatest difficulties, will come as you center your life in Jesus Christ" (Richard G. Scott October 2006 General Conference).
15. “I cannot comprehend [the Savior’s] power, His majesty, His perfections. But I do understand something of His love, His compassion, His mercy. There is no burden He cannot lift. There is no heart He cannot purify and fill with joy. There is no life He cannot cleanse and restore when one is obedient to His teachings” (Richard G. Scott October 1988 General Conference).
He Redeemed Us from Our Sins and Saved Us from Death
"Near the end of His mortal ministry, Jesus prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for all the sins of mankind. He had been condemned to die because He had testified to the people that He was the Son of God.
"The night before His Crucifixion, Jesus went to a garden called Gethsemane. Soon He was weighed down by deep sorrow and wept as He prayed. Latter-day Apostle Orson F. Whitney was permitted to see the Savior’s suffering in a vision. Seeing the Savior weep, he said: “I was so moved at the sight that I also wept, out of pure sympathy. My whole heart went out to Him; I loved Him with all my soul, and longed to be with Him as I longed for nothing else” (“The Divinity of Jesus Christ,” Improvement Era, Jan. 1926, 224–25; see also Ensign, Dec. 2003, 10). Jesus “went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39).
"In a modern revelation the Savior described how great His suffering was, saying it caused Him “to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit” (D&C 19:18). He suffered “according to the flesh,” taking upon himself our pains, sicknesses, infirmities, and sins (see Alma 7:10–13). No mortal person can comprehend just how great this burden was. No other person could have endured such agony of body and spirit. “He descended below all things … that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth” (D&C 88:6).
"But His suffering was not yet complete. The following day, Jesus was beaten, humiliated, and spit upon. He was required to carry His own cross; then He was lifted up and nailed to it. He was tortured in one of the cruelest ways men have ever devised. After suffering on the cross, He cried out in agony, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). In Jesus’s bitterest hour, the Father had withdrawn from Him so Jesus could finish suffering the penalty for the sins of all mankind that Jesus might have complete victory over the forces of sin and death (see James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 660–61).
"When the Savior knew that His sacrifice had been accepted by the Father, He exclaimed in a loud voice, “It is finished” (John 19:30). “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). He bowed His head and voluntarily gave up His spirit. The Savior was dead. A violent earthquake shook the earth.
"Some friends took the Savior’s body to a tomb, where it lay until the third day. During this time His spirit went and organized the missionary work to other spirits who needed to receive His gospel (see 1 Peter 3:18–20; D&C 138). On the third day, a Sunday, He returned to His body and took it up again. He was the first to overcome death. The prophecy had been fulfilled “that he must rise again from the dead” (John 20:9).
"Shortly after His Resurrection, the Savior appeared to the Nephites and established His Church in the Americas. He taught the people and blessed them. This moving account is found in 3 Nephi 11 through 28" (Gospel Principles, The Life of Christ).
His Sacrifice Showed His Love for His Father and for Us
"Jesus taught: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:13–14). He willingly and humbly went through the sorrow in Gethsemane and the suffering on the cross so we could receive all the blessings of the plan of salvation. To receive these blessings, we must come unto Him, repent of our sins, and love Him with all our hearts. He said:
“And this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.
“And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me … that they may be judged according to their works. …
“For the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do. …
“Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:13–15, 21, 27; italics added)" (Gospel Principles, The Life of Christ).
Please share your testimony of the principles covered in this lesson or share a favorite scripture or quote that wasn't included.
