Lesson 12

ADULT YEARS OF JESUS

Objective: Mainly go over some of the things he did in his ministry

Lesson ideas:

* Baptism of Jesus (Luke 3:21, 22) and the Holy Ghost descending like a dove (Matthew 3:16)

* His fast of 40 days and the temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-10)

* Before Jesus calls the chosen twelve he prayed all night in seclusion to God, then in the morning he choose his disciples starting with Simon Peter and Andrew his brother. (John 1 35-51) (After Christ’s resurrection he also called 12 in the America’s) (3 Nephi 12:1)

* Miracles: like turning water into wine, healing the blind, healing the leapers, raising people from dead, walking on water, calming the sea or any other miracle you would like to share.

* Teachings like: The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12), The Lord’s Prayer, (Matthew 6: 9-13) and Parables. (Many parables in Luke chapters 15 and 17)

* The main difference between the Bible beatitudes and the Book of Mormon beatitudes is baptism. The first verse of the beatitudes states: Blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost and shall receive a remission of sins. (3 Nephi 12: 2)

* The transfiguration:  This is a special time when the Savior, Moses and Elias gave the promised keys of the priesthood to Peter, James and John. (Matthew 17: 1-8)

Scriptures:

Bible

Matthew 3:15 to fulfill all righteousness

Mark 5:21-24 & 35-43 raising Jairus’s daughter

John 2:13-16 Jesus cleansed the temple

LDS Scriptures

3 Nephi 19: 11 Nephi went into water.

3 Nephi 12: 1-11 Beatitude

2 Nephi. 31: 4-11 Jesus’s baptism

                                                                                

Activities

* Pictures of Christ: Jesus being baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, some of the miracles, the Sermon on the Mount. Place the pictures face down and when the picture is picked up talk about the picture.

*  Memory tray:  Bring out a tray of things that remind you of Christ like a loaf of bread, a container of water, figurines of Christ, two fish, sheep, an iron rod, etc., look at it then cover the tray back up to see how well you can remember.  Remembering Christ is what he would want you to do.

* Church Videos:  A parable such as “The Prodigal Son” or videos on Christ’s life.

* Books: There are many children’s books on the life of Christ that would be good to buy or check out of the library.

* Be a reporter and find out where Jesus was baptized, who baptized him and why. How did Heavenly Father show his approval at the baptism?

Reporter:  The purpose of a reporter is to find out the who, where, when, and why of the story.  An example might be to find out about Alma the younger.  What happened to change Alma, who was with him, what were they doing and why or what happened to change his life?

* Show pictures of Jesus being baptized in a river and how most people are now baptized in a baptismal font.

* Color or paint a picture of a dove.

* Make a cross word puzzle game using several of the names given to Christ and circle them. Some names might be, Jehovah, Savior, Redeemer, Holy One, Jesus, Prince of Peace, King of Kings, etc.

* Find pictures of the parable and match them up with the word like “The Lost Sheep”

* Bunny Bunny how’s your neighbor (Jesus would like us to check on our neighbors)

Bunny, Bunny:  The words to this game are: Bunny, Bunny how’s your neighbor?  I don’t know but I’ll go see. The people are gathered in a circle and the first person hops to another child and asks “Bunny, bunny, how’s your neighbor."  The person that was asked then says, “I don’t know but I’ll go see.” He then hops to another person until everyone has had a turn to go ask.

* Magnet:  For “the fisher of men” Put a paper clip at the top of a paper fish and use a magnet to try and fish them

* Memorize beatitude.

* “Striving for Perfection” by Harold B. Lee, Chapter 21  page 196  “The Beatitudes” (Matthew 5: 3-12) & (3 Nephi 12: 1-11) are things we can do to make the Beatitudes more real on a day to day basis. 

1.  (Blessed are the poor in spirit): We are spiritually needy. Let no day pass without fervent prayer of thanksgiving.

2.  (Blessed are they that mourn): Be willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light.    3.  (Blessed are the meek):  Work on not getting easily provoked or irritated.

4.  (Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness): Hunger for righteousness leads us toward the Master and they shall be filled.

5.   (Blessed are the merciful):  To be unkind and cruel both in words and cruelty toward man or beast disqualify the claims for mercy, so be kind.

6.  (Blessed are the pure in heart): The pure in heart are those that not only are good but do good.  They are good for something.

7.  (Blessed are the peacemaker): The people who do follow the teachings of the Master, who work towards peace, are called the children of God.

8.  (Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake):  Don’t be afraid to stand up for what you believe in.

9.  (Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake):  Turn the other cheek and know that you will be crowned with the blessedness of eternal life.

Songs:

Hymns

# 172 In Humility, Our Savior

# 187 God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son

# 116 Come, Follow Me

# 141 Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee

Children’s Songbook

# 34 He Sent His Son

# 74 I Feel My Savior’s Love

# 78 I’m Trying to Be like Jesus

# 57 Tell Me the Stories of Jesus