“Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3,” New Testament Institute Teacher Manual (2025)
John the Baptist Baptizing Jesus, by Greg K. Olsen
Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3
To prepare the way for the Savior, John the Baptist preached the importance of repentance and baptism. Jesus was baptized by John to “fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). Later, as the Savior walked by the Sea of Galilee, He called Simon (Peter), Andrew, James, and John to leave their nets and follow Him. As the demands of His ministry increased, Jesus continued to make time to be alone with His Heavenly Father.
Additional Resources
Scripture Helps: New Testament, “Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3”
Note: The “Introduction to the Course” provides guidance on how to use the four standard lesson elements that follow.
Encouraging Personal Study
Before class, consider sending students one or more of the following messages or some of your own:
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Study Matthew 3, and consider how repentance and baptism can draw us closer to the Savior.
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Are you feeling stressed? Read Mark 1:35; Matthew 14:22–23; Luke 6:12 to learn what the Savior did to handle the demands of daily life.
Questions and Sharing
Provide time for students to ask questions and share insights and truths they discovered in their personal study of Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3.
Skill Training
Matthew 3:1–12 and Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 3:34–36, 38–40 (Gospel Library) might be helpful places to use the skills “Finding the Meaning of Words and Phrases” and “Using Teachings of Church Leaders to Understand the Scriptures” in Scriptures Study Skills.
Improving Our Teaching and Learning
Discern what students need to learn. As you review the “Learning Activity Options” section for each lesson, prayerfully consider which learning activities may be most relevant to your students. Seek to understand the circumstances of their lives. Carefully listen to what they share with you before, during, and after class. Consider what is being taught by Church leaders. Seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost so you can discern what is most important for your students.
Learning Activity Options
Multiple learning options are provided for you and your students. Prayerfully choose which option or options will be most meaningful for your class.
Matthew 3:1–12; Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 3:34–36, 38–40
How can understanding repentance and baptism make my life better?
Consider inviting students to share the different attitudes young adults in their community might have about repentance and baptism.
After placing students into small groups, invite them to use Matthew 3:1–12; Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 3:34–36, 38–40 to prepare an uplifting message to help someone see how repentance and baptism could bless their life. The following handout could help students as they prepare their message. As needed, introduce related study skills such as “Finding the Meaning of Words and Phrases” and “Using Teachings of Church Leaders to Understand the Scriptures” in Scripture Study Skills.
After sufficient time, invite groups to share their messages about repentance and baptism. Encourage them to share personal experiences related to how repentance, baptism, and the baptism of fire (the gift of the Holy Ghost) help us become more like the Savior.
If students seem unsure about the meaning of the phrase baptism of fire, watch “The Baptism of Fire” (1:41), or read together and discuss the following statement by Elder David A. Bednar:
We are commanded and instructed to so live that our fallen nature is changed through the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost. President Marion G. Romney taught that the baptism of fire by the Holy Ghost “converts [us] from carnality to spirituality. It cleanses, heals, and purifies the soul. … To receive [this baptism of fire] is to have one’s garments washed in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ” (Learning for the Eternities, comp. George J. Romney [1977], 133; see also 3 Nephi 27:19–20).
Hence, as we are born again and strive to always have His Spirit to be with us, the Holy Ghost sanctifies and refines our souls as if by fire (see 2 Nephi 31:13–14, 17). Ultimately, we are to stand spotless before God. (“Clean Hands and a Pure Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 81)
Give students a few minutes to reflect on their attitudes toward repentance and baptism. Or they could record what they can do to more fully invite the sanctifying influence of the Holy Ghost.
What can I learn about the Savior from His baptism?
You could share the following scenario:
You have been asked to teach a youth Sunday School class about baptism. When the class reads about the Savior’s baptism, one young man asks, “I thought Jesus was perfect. Why would He need to be baptized?”
Ask a few students to share how they might answer the young man. Then read together Matthew 3:13–15, looking for how the Savior explained His reason for wanting John to baptize Him.
You could write the following incomplete statement on the board: Through His baptism, Jesus Christ fulfilled all righteousness by … Then invite students to briefly discuss in pairs how they might finish the sentence.
Invite the pairs of students to read together 2 Nephi 31:4–9 to discover what Nephi taught about the ways Jesus fulfilled all righteousness by being baptized. (They might identify some of the following ways to make a complete statement: Through His baptism, Jesus Christ fulfilled all righteousness by setting an example. Through His baptism, Jesus Christ fulfilled all righteousness by showing the gate by which we enter the covenant path to the celestial kingdom. Through His baptism, Jesus Christ fulfilled all righteousness by humbly submitting to the will of Heavenly Father. Through His baptism, Jesus Christ fulfilled all righteousness by showing that He would be obedient to the commandments.)
To help deepen students’ discussion, you could display or ask one or both of the following questions:
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What do you learn about Jesus Christ’s character from His baptism?
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How can you continue to follow the Savior’s example or better emulate His character?
Students could share what most impressed them today about Jesus Christ and His baptism. Or you could invite them to remember their own baptism as they watch “Baptism” (3:13).
Note: Depending on students’ needs, you could take a few minutes to discuss how the baptism of Jesus Christ illustrates that the Godhead consists of three separate beings. Show the video “The Baptism of Jesus” (3:10) or review Matthew 3:13–17, and invite students to look for how each member of the Godhead is distinctly identified in this event (see also John 17:1, 21–22; Acts 7:55–56; Doctrine and Covenants 130:22–23; Joseph Smith—History 1:17).
Consider sharing the following statement from President Jeffrey R. Holland:
We declare it is self-evident from the scriptures that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate persons, three divine beings, noting such unequivocal illustrations as the Savior’s great Intercessory Prayer … , His baptism at the hands of John, the experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, and the martyrdom of Stephen—to name just four. (“The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 41)
What can I learn from the Savior’s example that could help me handle my stress?
You could ask students to complete the following self-assessment.
Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree):
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I often feel stressed because of the busyness of my life.
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I often feel stressed because of work, school, or Church responsibilities.
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I often feel stressed because of relationships.
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I often feel tired and worn out because of stressful situations.
After students complete the self-assessment, briefly discuss the challenges that can come from being stressed, tired, and worn out.
Point out that as the Savior’s fame grew, He surely felt the increasing weight of His ministry as people flocked to Him. Students could work in small groups and complete the following table to discover something the Savior did as the demands of His ministry increased.
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Examples of Demands Placed on the Savior |
The Savior’s Response |
Message for Me |
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Examples of Demands Placed on the Savior Many people came to be healed by the Savior (see Mark 1:27–34). | The Savior’s Response | |
Examples of Demands Placed on the Savior Jesus learned of the death of John the Baptist and fed five thousand people (see Matthew 14:1–21). | The Savior’s Response Matthew 14:13, 22–23; see also Mark 6:46 | |
Examples of Demands Placed on the Savior The scribes and Pharisees tried to entrap the Savior. He healed on the Sabbath and prepared to call His Twelve Apostles (see Luke 6:1–16). | The Savior’s Response |
Invite students to share what the Savior did in these difficult circumstances and how this choice can apply to them.
You could share the following statement by President M. Russell Ballard:
Jesus, our exemplar, often “withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed” (Luke 5:16). We need to do the same thing occasionally to rejuvenate ourselves spiritually as the Savior did. (“Keeping Life’s Demands in Balance,” Ensign, May 1987, 14)
To help students apply the Savior’s example in their lives, you could ask questions like the following:
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How can you be blessed by making time to be alone with Heavenly Father? (Students may identify a principle like the following: We can be spiritually rejuvenated as we seek time alone with Heavenly Father.)
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Where do you go, or where could you go, to be alone with God? What difference has it made, or what difference could it make?
Consider watching “Increase Energy” (2:36).
Give students a few minutes to review the survey at the beginning of this learning activity and reflect on the things that make them stressed, tired, and worn out. Encourage them to ponder what they can do to regularly set aside time to be alone with Heavenly Father. Consider how you could follow up and allow students to report on their experience in your next class.
To conclude, you might play the video of Sissel singing “Slow Down” (6:06) with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square.