Lessons on the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ and His Apostles
Lesson No. Seven
Jesus Taught the Truths of Eternity
Jesus, by example, taught the importance of honoring and caring for our parents (see John 2:1-11): At the marriage where Mary had an important responsibility, she told Jesus that they were out of wine. The well-known versions of the New Testament translates John 2:4 to show Jesus’ response to His mother as uncaring. The JST shows Jesus honored His mother. His respectful response to His mother is an example for all of us:
King James: “Jesus saith unto her, Woman what have I to do with thee? my hour is not yet come.”
Living Bible: “I can’t help you now, it isn’t yet my time for miracles.”
Revised Standard: “O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
New English Bible: “Your concern mother, is not mine. My hour has not yet come.”
Phillips Modern English: “Is that your concern or mine, Mother? My time has not come yet.”
Jerusalem Bible: “Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet.
Joseph Smith Translation: “Woman, what wilt thou have me do for thee? that I will do, for my hour has not yet come.”
This likely was the marriage celebration of one of Mary’s other children. There has been no mention of Joseph being involved since Jesus was 12 years old. This suggests that Joseph was dead and if that was the case, as Mary oldest son, Jesus assumed the responsibility for His mother. While on the cross He made sure His mother would continue to be cared for after His death:
“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her into his own home” (John 19:26-27).
Jesus taught the importance of personal revelation and how to receive it (see John 3:1-21):
Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and said: “Rabbi (which is a Jewish title for a teacher), we know thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him” (Vs 2). The miracles caused Nicodemus to believe Jesus was a great teacher come from God. but these miracles did not give him a spiritual witness that Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus knew Nicodemus’ problem and informed him that spiritual knowledge cannot be had through the physical senses or by what a man sees and hears and touches. (See Vs 3)
Jesus now teaches that the kingdom of God can neither be seen nor entered except we are born again (Vs 3, 5). This is the mighty change of heart described in the Book of Mormon (see Mosiah 5).
Jesus now teaches how to receive personal revelation: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh” meaning that which we learn through our normal senses and has to do with this earth. “And that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” meaning the things we learn through personal revelation are of God and of the Spirit.
We receive spiritual knowledge and personal revelation by being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and pressing forward striving to stay on the strait and narrow path. (See 2 Nephi 31)
Jesus taught eternal life is given to those who know and worship the Father (see John 4:4-42) – Millions of people who read the many versions of the Bible believe that Jesus taught the Samaritan woman that “God is a Spirit” (John 4:24). Most of these people do not know that the correct rendering of this verse is in the JST: “And the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him. For unto such hath God promised his Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (JST John 4:23-4).
Most people do not yet understand that, “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us” (D&C 130:22).
They do not yet understand the Father desires eternal life for His children: “For behold, this is my work and my glory – to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).
One of the wonderful and unique beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that everyone, whether in this life or in the next, will have the opportunity to know God and Jesus Christ and become heirs of eternal life: The Prophet Joseph Smith wrote: “For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it” (D&C 123:12).
Those who love the Lord will one day find the truth and receive eternal life which is “the greatest of all the gifts of God” (1 Nephi 15:36).
The knowledge of God and Jesus Christ comes through personal revelation (see John 17:1-26) – In His Intercessory prayer Jesus prayed: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). A latter day apostle gave this explanation:
“This knowledge of ‘the only true God, and Jesus Christ’ is the most important knowledge in the universe; it is the knowledge without which the Prophet Joseph Smith said no man could be saved…
“We should keep in mind that there is more than one source of knowledge. There is the knowledge obtainable through man’s normal sensory organs. Such knowledge should be sought after. The Lord has commanded us to get all such knowledge we can in this manner.
“There is also knowledge of given things which comes through direct revelation…And there are two aspect to religious knowledge. One of them concerns the great store of religious knowledge which we have in the scriptures. Ever since the beginning…the Lord has given through his prophets, by revelation religious knowledge. Such knowledge concerns the verities of life. It deals with God and his beloved Son, the great gospel plan, and the mission of Jesus as Savior and Redeemer. The other aspect to religious knowledge is the personal witness available through inspiration, a form of revelation that comes to each individual….
“Everyone has to have a spiritual experience to gain eternal life, to know God the Eternal Father, and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent…To gain this knowledge is not a mass experience. It must come to each individually…’The Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith’ (D&C 42:14). You who have been baptized have the right to it. Desire it. Pray for it. Work for it, and God will give it to you” (Marion G. Romney, Except a Man Be Born Again, Ensign, November 1981).
Testimony – For three years Jesus “walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead…” But only about 30 days of His three year ministry are delineated on a day to day basis. (This Lesson touches on four of those days) But to better understand the mortal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ we must realize that what He did, day after day, day in and day out, was to teach His Gospel. “He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come…God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son” (The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles).