Lesson 4: “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord”
New Testament Class Member Study Guide, (1997), 3
What message did John preach to prepare the people for the coming of the Savior? (See Matthew 3:1–2.) What does it mean to repent? (See 2 Corinthians 7:9–10; Luke 19:8; Mosiah 7:33; D&C 1:31–32; 58:42–43.)
As you read about the Savior’s encounter with Satan in the wilderness, what do you learn about withstanding temptation? (See Matthew 4:1–11. See also the footnotes to Matthew 4:1–2, 5–6, 8–9, and 11, which contain the Joseph Smith Translation of these verses.)
After receiving a witness that Jesus was the Messiah, how did Philip answer Nathanael’s doubts? (See John 1:43–46.) What can you do to invite others to “come and see” the Savior?
Suggestion for Family Discussion
Prepare a lesson to help family members who are preparing forbaptism or to discuss ways to help converts who will soon be baptized. Discuss why Jesus needed baptism (Matthew 3:13–15;2 Nephi 31:6–9) and why we need baptism (2 Nephi 31:5, 10–12;D&C 20:71–73; 49:13–14). Invite family members who have been baptized to tell about when they were baptized and express their feelings about the blessings they have received because they were baptized.
Scripture Chain: Repentance
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New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 4 - “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord”
Matthew 3-4, John 1:35-51
Jesus’ baptism
Matthew 3:13-17
John baptizing Jesus
Early Christians viewed the baptism of Christ as a singular event. Many Gnostic Christians, in particular, viewed Jesus’ baptism as the specific event that denoted his becoming Christ. Some early sects used the text in Luke regarding Jesus’ baptism to demonstrate this, as some early manuscripts of Luke have God’s voice stating, “Thou art my Son. Today I have begotten/chosen you.”
Early Beliefs
Matthew 3 1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4 And 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.
5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
The mission of John the Baptist is one of the few areas where all four gospels converge.
In comparing the accounts, it is interesting to note that two Gospel authors passed over the story of Jesus’ birth (Mark and John), only two provided a genealogical introduction (Matthew and Luke), and one (John) looked back at Jesus in premortality, but all four of them introduced Jesus’ ministry by introducing John the Baptist. (Holzapfel, Making Sense of the New Testament)
At the time of the Savior and in the centuries following, there were several “types” of Christianity. Bart Ehrman, a biblical scholar, specifies who these Christians groups were. He indicates the Jewish-Christian gospels, included the Ebionites, the Hebrews, the Nazarenes, the Marcionites and the Gnostics.
Ebionites. “Ebionite” means “poor” in Hebrew. The Ebionite Christians saw Jesus as a Jewish prophet more important than Moses, perhaps even the Messiah, but they did not see him as God. To them we owe the inclusion of the Hebrew scriptures in Christian canons. They insisted on the necessity of Jewish law and rites. More importantly for us, to Ebionites (and Mormons) there would be no purely spiritual Jesus. Issues of the substance of the Savior (and God) and their personalities did not concern the Ebionites (as they largely do not concern us).
Marcionites. The Marcionite Christians take their name from a Christian gentile who rejected all things Jewish (except Jesus). Their efforts were the first attempt to create a Christian canon as they tried to remove all things Jewish. They accepted Paul’s rejection of the Jewish law. Latter-day saints would agree in general with Marcion that one need not be bound by the strictures of the Jewish law. While they were once widespread, they, like the Ebionites disappeared.
Gnostics. The gnostics (“gnosis” is “knowledge”, or “knowing”) shunned the material world (thus an anti-gnostic, or agnostic is one who “doesn’t know”, as opposed to an atheist who does not believe). They believed in a spiritual Jesus, that Jesus was not flesh at all. This belief, in a “spiritual-only” Jesus is called Docetism. Docetism became so connected with the gnostics that they are sometimes not separated as they should be. Gnostics/Docetists believe that since Jesus doesn’t have a body, it was not necessary to know him in the flesh. While neither Paul nor Joseph Smith would have denied Jesus’ flesh, both knew him spiritually through revelation.
Some Gnostics went so far as to believe that Jesus and Christ were two separate beings. The mortal Jesus was baptized, upon which the Spirit of Christ entered into him, and remained with him until the cross. When Jesus exclaims, “My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” it is because the Christ has left the mortal to suffer on the cross alone.
For his sacrifice, the dead Jesus is resurrected and given a great responsibility to teach the apostles. It would be due to such heresies that the apostle John and others would warn of anti-Christ's: those who claimed the Christ never was mortal or resurrected.
Today, modern revelation through latter-day prophets show that Christ’s work began before the world began. Nephi saw in vision the birth of Christ by the virgin Mary, and this event was one of two condescension's of God, the other being Jesus’ baptism (1 Nephi 15). Each of these events is a sign of his divinity, as Christ was fully human, but also fully divine. That even God had to receive the ordinances of the Gospel meant that he was not above men. It also meant that as he would later be lifted up on the cross, he would be able to lift up those who followed him.
It is quite impressive to see the wide-ranging beliefs about the Savior in the early years. In reality, with the large number of sects of our day, we are not that much different.
Matthew 3 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
The Christianity we have today was, at the time of Christ was one of many forms of Christianity. It was lined up next to the Ebionite, the Marcionites, the Gnostics…etc. How you viewed these scriptures depended on which “Christianity” you followed. Over the first few centuries after Christ, the different schools, merged, evolved, some disappeared, until there was a victor. It was the Universal Church. The term ‘catholic’ means “universal” and that was the branch that took over and became “orthodox. Their view would continue largely uncontested for over a millennia.
It was the universal church who decided which books to include and which to exclude. It decided which beliefs were “orthodox” and which were heretical and needed to be purged. Now, with the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Nag Hammadi texts we get a picture of these “other” Christianity's, the exact heresies that were stamped out by the universal church in the first few centuries after Christ and the beliefs that were allowed to go forward.
You will find a bit of Mormonism in the Ebionite beliefs, in the Marcionite beliefs, in the gnostics, etc. Remember, they all started out with a bit of truth and then took that truth and developed it as best they could. When the Universal Church consolidated it’s power, all (or most) of these heresies were stamped out. So were many of these early beliefs. They became heresies. The modern gospel, and living prophets, gives us a way to sort out the truth from these early belief systems that is not available to those outside the church.
John continues to direct his comments to the Pharisees and Sadducees that have come.
Matthew 3 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:
12 Whose 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.
And then Jesus comes for his baptism to fulfill all righteousness.
Matthew 3 13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
16 And 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:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Listen to the flow of verse 15-17 in the Complete Jewish Bible…
CJB Matthew 3 15 However, Yeshua answered him, “Let it be this way now, because we should do everything righteousness requires.” Then Yochanan let him.16 As soon as Yeshua had been immersed, he came up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, he saw the Spirit of God coming down upon him like a dove,17 and a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; I am well pleased with him.”
In the Gospel of John it appears that John the baptist does not know the Savior when he appears, an unusual thing since they were related…
John 1 29 ¶The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
But this is clarified by modern prophets in the JST (emphasis mine)
John JST 1 29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and said; Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world!
30 And John bare record of him unto the people, saying, This is he of whom I said; After me cometh a man who is preferred before me; for he was before me, and I knew him, and that he should be made manifest to Israel; therefore am I come baptizing with water. (this verse combines 30-31 above)
31 (compare v 32) And John bare record, saying; When he was baptized of me, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
32 (compare v 33) And I knew him; for he who sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me; Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
33 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
How you interpret that passage, if you live in the first few centuries after Christ, depends to which school of Christianity you subscribed. You may have believed that Christ was already God. Or that Christ became God at that moment. Or that Christ was purely a spirit and the appearance of him as physical was an illusion. Or that Christ had a spiritual form and a physical form that merged here at the baptism and then split at the crucifixion.
In reality, how you interpret that passage, if you live NOW, depends on which school of Christianity you subscribe. Without prophetic assistance, we float on a sea of different beliefs, just as does the rest of the world. Just as did the world at the time of the Savior.
We believe, that In considering Jesus’ baptism, we can see that it was a day in which he was chosen or spiritually begotten, just as all of us are spiritually begotten of God when we are baptized. It officially began his earthly mission, which culminated not on the cross, but at his resurrection.
Matthew 3:16–17 and Luke 3:21–22 record material that Matthew and Luke share but which is not found in the Gospel of Mark. It is possible that both Matthew and Luke used an external source when writing their Gospels, but it is also possible that they drew upon the Gospel of Mark as a source and then drew upon the other Gospel (Matthew drawing upon Luke, or vice versa, depending on which was written first) as a second source; three sections in the Gospel of Mark are preserved nowhere in Matthew and Luke: Mark 1:1; 3:19–21; 4:26–29; 7:31–37; 8:22–26; 14:51–52; 16:14–18. Because Luke so explicitly mentions that he used sources when writing (1:1–3), it is possible that he drew on both Matthew and Mark. (Holzapfel, Making Sense of the New Testament).
Temptation in the Wilderness
Immediately after the Savior’s mission starts with his baptism, he goes to the wilderness for the 40-day fast and confrontation with Satan.
Matthew 4 1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Jesus did not go into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil; righteous men do not seek out temptation. He went "to be with God." Probably he was visited by the Father; without question he received transcendent spiritual manifestations. The temptations came after he "had communed with God," "after forty days." The same was true in the case of Moses. He communed with God, saw the visions of eternity, and was then left unto himself to be tempted of the devil. After resisting temptation he again communed with Deity, gaining further light and revelation. (McConkie)
Matthew 4 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But 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.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, 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.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then 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.
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Lucifer did not transport Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple or into a high mountain. Such is not his power or prerogative. In each instance Jesus was taken to these locales by the Spirit, and then the devil came to tempt him. Nor did Lucifer show him all the kingdoms of the world; such was done by the Spirit; it was after he had seen the vision that the devil made his false offer. (McConkie)
Moses and Jesus both fasted for 40 days, prior to beginning an important mission for God. Moses’ fasting brought forth the Ten Commandments for Israel to follow, Jesus’ fasting would allow him to call his apostles and begin his preaching. While the children of Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness due to disobedience, and the earth was destroyed by 40 days of flooding; Jesus came to save the disobedient and rebellious. His 40 days would prepare him to take upon himself their sins, even the pains and sorrows of the whole world.
Jesus then experienced three temptations, even the three main temptations any of us face in our own lives: temptations of the flesh, pride, and the riches and power of the world. In each instance, Jesus did not discuss the temptation with Satan. Nor did he evaluate or consider all aspects of it, especially when Satan quoted scripture to him. Instead, the Savior quoted scripture to establish the right. Only in quickly and fully dismissing the temptation was Jesus triumphant, and he shows us that pattern in doing so. Had he stopped to think about it in the moment, rather than making the complete decision before and in its final form, he would have faltered and failed. If we choose ahead of time what our full decision must be, then in the moment of temptation, we will not have to think twice. The decision will already be made.
While Jesus was tempted with hunger (turn stone into bread), we also face the temptation of many other physical appetites: lust, desire, jealousy, anger, doubt, fear. Each of these can crush our spirit, as the physical body seeks to overthrow it, because it wants its appetites sated. But physical appetites never are satisfied. As with a fire, when you add wood, it only grows hotter and higher. Jesus understood that you starve a fever, or any other physical temptation.
In the Book of Mormon, we find that: “Behold, the pride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction” (Moroni 8:27). Pres Ezra Taft Benson, in warning us against pride, noted:
“Pride is a very misunderstood sin, and many are sinning in ignorance....Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing.
The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.”
Satan was hitting Jesus below the belt. He sought to create enmity between God and God, Father and Son, by tempting Jesus to misuse his powers. The temple’s corner was very high, and below it was one of the major market places in the city. For Jesus to toss himself down and be caught by angels would mean all of Jerusalem would quickly know that Jesus had huge powers. Rather than quietly using those powers to bless others, it would have only been used to satisfy his own pride, instantly distancing himself from Heavenly Father, and invalidating his ability to save mankind.
In the third temptation, for Satan to insist Jesus worship him in exchange for great wealth and power was a sign of pure hubris. Nothing belongs to Satan, and everything already belongs to God! Satan was cast out of heaven for trying to place himself above the throne of Heavenly Father, and now sought to place himself above the Son of God, by having Jesus worship him!
Matthew 4 12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
Traditionally identified as occurring at the beginning of Jesus’ Galilean ministry, John’s imprisonment marks the transition between the rise of Jesus and the fading of John the Baptist, who had prophesied, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Fortunately, we have another source that provides information regarding John’s ministry, including his arrest. The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that John the Baptist was “a good man and had urged the Jews—if inclined to exercise virtue, to practice justice toward one another and piety toward God—to join in baptism.” Additionally, he noted, “Herod [Antipas], fearing that John’s great influence over the people might result in some form of insurrection (for it seemed that they did everything by his counsel), thought it much better to put him to death. . . . So the prisoner, because of Herod’s suspicion, was sent to Machaerus, the stronghold previously mentioned” (Antiquities 18:116–19). John’s arrest and imprisonment were a warning to Jesus. Certainly, Jesus understood the implication—he too could be arrested. (Holzapfel)
Matthew 4 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Most scholars agree that Jesus was known for teaching and healing. Josephus noted, “At this time there appeared Jesus, a wise man. For he was a doer of amazing deeds, a teacher of persons who receive truth with pleasure. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks” (Antiquities 18:63). (Holzapfel)
The quote in vs 15-16 is from Isaiah 9:1-2
Isaiah 9 1 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Then Jesus starts calling his apostles.
Matthew 4 18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.
In calling his apostles the gospels of Mark and Luke mimic Matthew pretty closely. John gives more details (John 1:35-51).
John 1 35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
He indicates that some of Jesus’ earliest disciples were closely associated with John the Baptist. Some believed, from the outset, that Jesus was the Messiah.
John 1 41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
Jesus is also identified as Rabbi.
John 1 38 Then 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?
49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
Nathanael makes the following comment
John 1 45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
Come and see indeed. Nathanael then has the following discussion with the Savior
John 1 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
Greater miracles we will all see by following the Savior.
Bibliography
Bart Ehrman, Jesus Interrupted: http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Interrupted-Revealing-Hidden-Contradictions/dp/0061173932
Bart Ehrman, Lost Christianities: http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Christianities-Battles-Scripture-Faiths/dp/0195182499/ref=pd_sim_b_4
Ezra Taft Benson, Beware of Pride:http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=d8ff27cd3f37b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____
Karl D’s NT lesson 4:http://feastuponthewordblog.org/2011/01/16/new-testament-lesson-3-kd-matthew-3-4/
Jim F’s NT lesson 4:
http://feastuponthewordblog.org/2011/01/16/nt-sunday-school-lesson-4-jf-matthew-3-4-john-135-51/
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