Gospel Doctrine Lesson Twenty

Wo, unto you,

hypocrites

Purpose: To help
class members
recognize and avoid
hypocrisy and thus
strengthen their
commitment to Christ

Mary anoints Jesus Feet:

Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1- 8

In John 12:1-3 we are once again told about a dinner where Jesus, Mary,
Martha and Lazarus are present. This time, instead of eating in the home of
Mary and Martha, they are guests in the home of Simon the Leper. In the
verses above each of the three disciples of Christ is shown worshipping the Savior
in a different way. Martha is serving, Mary is anointing Jesus with costly
ointment, and Lazarus is depicted as simply being with the Savior. . Each of
these actions is a valid form of worship and each would be valuable for us to
learn to incorporate into our own spiritual lives.
How can I, like Martha, better serve the Savior?

How can I, like Lazarus, make more time to simply enjoy being in the presence
of the Savior? What would be the benefit of this type of worship?

How can I, like Mary, be more bold and extravagant in expressing my love for
the Lord and all that he has done for me?

Finding Your Unique Style of Worship

In the movie Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell
defended his devotion to running by telling his
sister, God made me fast, and when I run, I
feel his pleasure. How can you use the talents
that God has given you to worship him?
If, like Martha, God has given you the gift of
service, then serve! Remind the rest of us that
casseroles can be a balm to the soul and phone
calls can be the answers to prayers.
If, like Lazarus, God has given you the gift life,
then testify. Remind the rest of us of the
Saviors great desire to commune with us, one
by one. Remind us, that we dont have to be
busy to be holy.. Remind us, that the spirit
speaks quietly, and that if we dont stop to
listen, we may miss it.

John tells us that the

ointment was worth about 300
denarii. A denarrius was a
days wage for a laborer.
Thus, the cost of the ointment
was 300 days of wages,
approximately a years
salary. How much do you
make in a year? Would you
spend it all to express your
love to the Savior in one
grand gesture?

Likening the scriptures unto ourselves: Is any

amount of money too much to show our love to
If, like Mary, God has given you the gift of
the Lord? What about in the building of our
generosity, then share. Share your time, your
temples? Should they be as lush and
talents, your material goods. Remind the rest
extravagant as possible? Or, should they be
of us that all that we have has been given to us more simple and less expensive to build thereby
by the Lord and that we are simply stewards. freeing up the funds to be used on humanitarian
and missionary work?
Whatever your personal style, whatever your
strengths, take this lesson from these three
faithful followers of ChristEverything we do is
supposed to glorify the Savior. We serve as
canvases for his brush stroke, papers for his
pen, soil for his seeds, reflections of his image.
What is your style of worship? Are you a
Martha or a Mary? A Lazarus or a
complaining Judas?

The triumphal entry into Jerusalem

Matthew 21:1- 11; Mark 11:1- 10;
Luke 19:28-40; John 12: 12-19

Jesus had studied the scriptures and knew that the prophet Daniel had recorded that four
hundred and eighty-three years after the Persian king, Artaxerxes issued an edict for the
rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem the Messiah would enter Jerusalem. That edict is recorded
in Chapter 2 of the book of Nehemiahn Artaxerxes issued the prophesied decree on March 28,
445 B. C. Counting from that date, and making the necessary corrections for calendar errors, it
has been determined that on April 6, 32 AD, Jesus rode into Jerusalem -- exactly four hundred
eighty-three years later. Please notice (and this is super important), that this miracle, this
fulfillment of prophecy, did not happen by accident. Jesus knew the scriptures and he WORKED
to fulfill them. Jesus didnt leave any part of his mission to happenstance. Instead, during a
visit to Jerusalem three months before this particular visit, Jesus made arrangements to rent a
donkey for this entry into the city. Just because God promises something doesnt mean that
you dont have to work for it. Could God have provided a donkey for Jesus without Jesus having
to prearrange for one? Sure. But why? Jesus was capable of acting and needed to exercise his
agency in order to fulfill this prophecy. So you too will need to work and exercise your agency
to fulfill all the duties that the Lord has in mind for you in your life. WORK to obtain all the
blessings promised in both the scriptures and your patriarchal blessing.
What prophecies have been made
regarding you and your mission here
on earth (check your patriarchal
blessing and recent conferences talks if
you are unsure)?

What actions could you take right now

to prepare yourself to do those things
that the Lord has in mind for you?

Forget any suggestion that Jesus was trapped by the Pharisees. Erase
any theory that Jesus made a miscalculation. If the events surrounding
Jesus ride into Jerusalem tell us anything, they tell us that Jesus died on
purpose. No surprise. No hesitation. No faltering. The way entered
Jerusalem this day, knowing that it would lead to his death leaves no doubt:
he had come to earth for exactly this moment. This was Gods plan that he
had made long ago.. The journey to Jerusalem didnt begin in Jericho.
It didnt begin in Galilee. It didnt begin in Nazareth. It didnt even begin in
Bethlehem. The journey to the atonement began long before, in the councils of
heaven, so that even as the echo of the crunching of the fruit was still sounding
in the garden, Jesus was leaving for Calvary.

The scribes and Pharisees try to trap Jesus

Matthew 22:15-46

In these verses we are shown some of the different ways that the Pharisees tried to discredit
the Savior. These same arguments are still being used today to cast doubt on the principle
of the atonement, the mission of the prophet Joseph Smith, and the message of our young
missionaries in the church. Our world equates authority and power with diplomas and
academic qualifications. And so, ironically, just like in the verses above, the created often find
themselves cross examining their creator and wanting to know about his credentials. They
want to know: Did he graduate from the right seminary? Is a member of a proper church?
Does he have legal authority bestowed upon him by some earthly government? Why does
the Lord sometimes choose to use the unqualified to further his work? See D&C 35:13 and 1
Corinthians 2:5.