young men and young women studying in seminary class
This lesson is intended to help you evaluate the goals you have set and the personal growth you have experienced during your study of the New Testament.
Using a variety of teaching methods. Students are often more engaged when teachers use a variety of teaching methods. Be willing to try new approaches and be prepared to make adjustments during the lesson if students lose interest or if an activity does not seem to be helping students reach the desired outcomes.
Student preparation: Invite students to reflect on their experience studying the first half of the New Testament and the ministry of Jesus Christ. Encourage students to come prepared with something they learned or felt from the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that is significant to them.
Possible Learning Activities
This lesson is intended to help students assess goals they have set, their ability to explain teachings in the New Testament, or how their attitudes, desires, and ability to live the gospel are changing. The class’s study of Matthew 26–28; Mark 14–16; Luke 22–24; John 13–21 may have emphasized truths other than those in the following activities. If so, the activities could be adapted to include those truths.
Love God with all your heart
If students had an opportunity to reflect on their love for God as they studied Matthew 22 and John 14:15, this exercise could help students assess how they have grown and increased their love for God.
Draw a heart on the board. Invite a willing student to share one thing they have learned or felt about Jesus Christ that has increased their love for Him. Encourage the first student to select a second student to share something else they love about the Savior. Continue this activity with students selecting additional students until all students have had an opportunity to share. List student responses about their love for Jesus Christ in or around the heart on the board.
Students may need some time to think about their responses to the following questions. Invite students to write down their responses, and then ask willing students to share.
How has learning more about the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for you motivated you to try to love Them more?
How has your understanding of Their love for you helped increase your love for other people?
Recall that the Savior taught that we show love to Him by keeping the commandments (see John 14:15). Jesus Christ provided the perfect example of showing love to Heavenly Father by obeying all the commandments (see John 14:31).
When you studied John 14:15, you may have written in your journal about your desires to keep the commandments and your motives, or your reasons, for doing so. If so, review what you wrote.
Give students time to reflect on the following questions. It may not be appropriate to invite students to share specific answers. However, students could be invited to share general ideas relating to the questions.
How do you feel about your current desires and motives to keep the commandments in order to show your love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? Compare your desires and motives now with where you were earlier in the year.
What changes have you noticed in your love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as you have studied the New Testament? If you have noticed any changes, what do you think has led to these changes?
Are there any additional changes you feel like you need to make in order to show or increase your love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
The Atonement of Jesus Christ: What would your life be like without it?
The purpose of this activity is to give students the opportunity to evaluate their understanding of and need for the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Consider displaying a picture like the following while students ponder their answers. Using images in class can help students focus their thoughts.
Think of what you have learned about the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ from the New Testament. Ponder for a moment what Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice mean to you personally. Consider what your life would be like without either.
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Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane
Now that you have taken time to ponder, record some of your thoughts by responding to the following questions. Include meaningful details in your responses, and include scripture passages that have impacted you about Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.
How would your life be different if the Savior had not suffered for you in Gethsemane and died for you on the cross at Calvary?
How would your life be different if Jesus Christ had not overcome death through His glorious Resurrection?
What would happen to Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation without the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ?
After sufficient time, invite willing students to share their responses to the questions above. Consider sharing the following quote or showing the video “Because of Him” (2:33) to further help students feel and understand their need for Jesus Christ. This video might have been shown during the lesson “Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–35.” After the video, the phrase Because of Him … could be written on the board, and students could be invited to complete the phrase with an answer that is meaningful to them. The following statement by President Ballard could be shared to help students understand their need for the Savior’s Atonement.
President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught:
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President M. Russell Ballard
Thankfully, Jesus Christ courageously fulfilled this sacrifice in ancient Jerusalem. … Jesus suffered willingly so that we might all have the opportunity to be washed clean—through having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized by proper priesthood authority, receiving the purifying gift of the Holy Ghost by confirmation, and accepting all other essential ordinances. Without the Atonement of the Lord, none of these blessings would be available to us, and we could not become worthy and prepared to return to dwell in the presence of God.
The following activity is designed to help students review and summarize their experience studying the four Gospels.
Now that you have reflected on the importance of Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice, read the following statement by President Russell M. Nelson.
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President Russell M. Nelson
The word gospel means “good news.” The good news is the Lord Jesus Christ and His message of salvation. Jesus equated the gospel with both His mission and with His ministry in mortality.
There may be similar examples of posts made on the Gospel Living app that could be shown to students to help them begin to create their own.
What good news would you like to share with others about Jesus Christ and His divine mission? Imagine the Church is launching a social media campaign to spread awareness about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ recorded in the four Gospels. The Church is requesting social media posts for the campaign.
Write a brief post that explains your good news about Jesus Christ. Think about something you learned from the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that is special to you and has helped you feel closer to Jesus Christ. For example, you could choose something that Jesus taught, a miracle He performed, a parable, a story of how He interacted with others, an attribute He exemplified, or a part of His atoning sacrifice, death, and Resurrection. If you feel comfortable, you may want to post your good news on social media or share it with another person. Include the following details in your post:
Make a headline or title for your post.
Explain how the Savior’s good news has been meaningful to you and helped you feel closer to Him.
Include a specific passage of scripture from the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John).
Include your testimony and how this good news can benefit others.
Consider inviting willing students to share their posts with the class.