Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord - Lesson Outline

Lesson 4: “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord”," New Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, (2002)

1. Introduction

a) Last week, we discussed the birth of Christ

b) READ Joseph Smith Translation Matthew 3:24-26 – Page 802 of scriptures - 24And it came to pass that Jesus grew up with his brethren, and waxed strong, and waited upon the Lord for the time of his ministry to come.

25And he served under his father, and he spake not as other men, neither could he be taught; for he needed not that any man should teach him.

26And after many years, the hour of his ministry drew nigh.

c) Will discuss the beginning of Christ’s mortal mission today

d)

2. John the Baptist prepares the way of the Lord Jesus Christ.

a) Recall the origins of John the Baptist

i) Prophesies

(1) Reading 1 - 1 Nephi 10:7–10

7And he spake also concerning a prophet who should come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord—

8Yea, even he should go forth and cry in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for there standeth one among you whom ye know not; and he is mightier than I, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. And much spake my father concerning this thing.

9And my father said he should baptize in Bethabara, beyond Jordan; and he also said he should baptize with water; even that he should baptize the Messiah with water.

10And after he had baptized the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world.

(2) Similar prophesy from Isiaih 40:3

ii) Angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias in the temple to announce birth

b) An angel ordained eight-day-old John to his mission (D&C 84:27–28)

c) READ - Joseph Smith taught: "...the spirit of Elias was a going before to prepare the way for the greater, which was the case with John the Baptist.... The spirit of Elias is to prepare the way for a greater revelation of God, which is the Priesthood of Elias, or the Priesthood that Aaron was ordained unto. And when God sends a man into the world to prepare for a greater work, ...it was called the doctrine of Elias, even from the early ages of the world." (TPJS, p335)

d) Reading 2 – Matthew 3:1-6

1In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa,

2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias (Isaiah), saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

4And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

5Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judæa, and all the region round about Jordan,

6And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

i) Note similarity to Elijah

(1) Elijah’s mission was to “turn” Israel’s “heart back again” to God and the covenant (see 1 Kings 18:36-37), so with John the Baptist.

(2) Elijah was “girt with a girdle of leather about his loins” (2 Kings 1:8) so the Baptist was dressed in a “raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins” (Matt. 3:4)

e) Christ’s Testimony

i) Reading 3 – Luke 7:28

28For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

ii) ASK – Why was there no greater prophet than John the Baptist?

(1) From Joseph Smith

(a) He was entrusted with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord

(b) He was entrusted with the important mission, and it was required at his hands, to baptize the Son of Man. Whoever had the honor of doing that? Whoever had so great a privilege and glory? Whoever led the Son of God into the waters of baptism, and had the privilege of beholding the Holy Ghost descend in the form of a dove, or rather in the sign of the dove, in witness of that administration?

(c) John, at that time, was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on the earth, and holding the keys of power. . . . Christ Himself fulfilled all righteousness in becoming obedient to the law which he had given to Moses on the mount, and thereby magnified it and made it honorable, instead of destroying it.

f) Reading 4 – Brother Robert J. Matthew’s has written: [John the Baptist's] mission was to be the living embodiment of the law of Moses which was part of the “preparatory gospel” functioning under the Aaronic Priesthood. John was to do as a man what the law of Moses was to do as a statute—to prepare the way for the Lord by teaching the first principles of the gospel and performing baptisms as called for in the law of Moses. John was the finest example of the powers and purposes of the priesthood of Aaron and the law of Moses. He was the right person to be the final representative of the law of Moses in its capacity as a schoolmaster to bring men to Christ. He bridged two dispensations by being the last legal representative of the law of Moses and, at the same time, being the one preappointed to introduce and prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. (Robert J. Matthews, "“There Is Not a Greater Prophet”: The Ministry of John the Baptist", Ensign, Jan. 1991, 13)

3. Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist

a) Reading 5 – Matthew 3:11-17

[John the Baptist speaking the Pharisees and Sadducees] 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

12Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

13¶Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

14But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

15And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

16And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

i) ASK – What is the sign of the dove in verse 16?

ii) READ - President Marion G. Romney taught, “One is born again by actually receiving and experiencing the light and power inherent in the gift of the Holy Ghost.” This is exemplified in the baptism of Adam: “And it came to pass, when the Lord had spoken with Adam, our father, that Adam cried unto the Lord, and he was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, and was carried down into the water, and was laid under the water, and was brought forth out of the water. And thus he was baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was born of the Spirit, and became quickened [Old English for “made alive”] in the inner man” (Moses 6:64-65)

iii) Reading 6 - President Joseph Fielding Smith taught when one receives the gift of the Holy Ghost, “We are back in the presence of God. The question might naturally be raised: How do we come back into the presence of God if we do not see him? We do not see him now, but are we not in his presence when we have the gift of the Holy Ghost, one of the members of the Godhead, to lead and direct us in righteousness? We are back in his presence, if we keep the commandments and do not longer live in sin; then we are in spiritual life. That is an important thing in connection with baptism not generally understood.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation: Sermons and Writings of Joseph Fielding Smith (3 Vols., Bruce R. McConkie [Ed.], Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-56), 2:328)

4. Temptation in the Wilderness

a) Reading 7 – Matthew 4:1-11

1Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

Joseph Smith Translation Matthew 4:1-2: "Then Jesus was led up of the Spirit, into the wilderness, to be with God (footnote b, Verse 1). And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, and had communed with God (footnote c, Verse 2), he was afterwards an hungered, and was left to be tempted of the devil."

3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. – Scripture - Deut. 8:3

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

5Then the devil taketh him up (Footnote 5.A. - JST Matt. 4:5 Then Jesus was taken up into the holy city, and the Spirit setteth him on the pinnacle of the temple)into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written (Satan tries to quote scripture), He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

8Again, the devil taketh him up (Footnote 8A - JST Matt. 4:8 And again, Jesus was in the Spirit, and it taketh him) into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

b) Similarities to Moses

i) Attempts to kill both Christ and Moses when they were infants

ii) Moses went out from Egypt and Christ was brought out of Egypt after two years

iii) Christ went into wilderness like Moses lead the children of Israel into the wilderness

iv) Christ fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 24:18)

v) Christ taken to an exceedingly high mountain and was tempted by Satan, Moses taken to an exceedingly high mountain and tempted by Satan (Moses 1:1, 12)

c) Cast Not Away Your Confidence

i) READ - Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "When man is communing with his Maker, he is not subject to temptation; when angels are ministering to him and he is under the spell of their angelic influence, he is not subject to temptation; when the Holy Spirit rests mightily upon him and the visions of eternity are open to his view, he is not subject to temptation.... As the period of edification and spiritual enlightenment drew to its close, as the visions and spiritual experiences ceased...and as Jesus prepared to go back into the normal mortal way of life, with angels no longer at his side and his eyes not open to the unending visions of eternity, then the devil came to entice, to trap, to tempt." (Mortal Messiah, p410)

ii) Reading 8 - President Howard W. Hunter wrote: "Satan may have lost Jesus, but he does not believe he has lost us. He continues to tempt, taunt, and plead for our loyalty. We should take strength for this battle from the fact that Christ was victorious not as a God but as a man." (That We Might Have Joy, p35)

5. Some of John the Baptist’s disciples decide to follow Jesus

a) Reading 8: John 1:35-39

35¶Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

36And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

37And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

38Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

39He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

b) READ – John 1:40-42

40One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

41He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

42And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

6. Conclusion