Purpose: To help class members

recognize and avoid hypocrisy and thus

strengthen their commitment to Christ

Wo, unto you, hypocrites

Mary anoints Jesus Feet: Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8

Gospel Doctrine Lesson Twenty

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?

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

the Lord? What about in the building of our temples? Should they be as lush and

extravagant as possible? Or, should they be more simple and less expensive to build thereby freeing up the funds to be used on humanitarian

and missionary work?

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.

If, like Mary, God has given you the gift of generosity, then share. Share your time, your talents, your material goods. Remind the rest of us that all that we have has been given to us by the Lord and that we are simply stewards.

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.