Matthew 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8
“Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord”
Before Jesus Christ began His public ministry, John the Baptist sought to prepare others to accept and follow the Savior. In this lesson you will consider how you have accepted and followed the Savior, how you can better accept and follow Him, and what you can do to prepare others to accept and follow Him.
Helping each other. Most students like to learn from each other. Help them understand that as they participate in class, they can have a positive effect on others. Encourage them to sincerely listen to other students and respond thoughtfully and with kindness to each other.
Student preparation: Invite students to think about what they would do and say if they had the chance to prepare someone else to accept and follow the Savior.
Possible Learning Activities
Preparing for Jesus Christ
As an alternative to the following scenario, consider placing several obstacles to block the entrance to class or to the students’ seats. For example, consider placing a chair or table in the doorway or in front of where students sit. As students arrive, invite them to come in and take their seats. Observe what students do in order to enter class and sit down. At the beginning of the lesson, discuss how students responded to these obstacles with questions like “What did you do about the obstacles?” “Did you notice anyone helping others overcome the obstacles?”
Imagine you were going on an important journey and there were obstacles on the path. What would you do? Would you turn around? Would you try to go over or around them? Would you try to remove the obstacles for those who come after you? Imagine that you discover that someone who came before you already removed many of the most difficult obstacles.
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How would you feel about those who prepared the way for you?
Today you will study about John the Baptist, whose mission was to prepare people to accept and follow the Savior (see Luke 1:17).
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Who has helped prepare the way for you to accept and follow the Savior in your life?
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Who is currently preparing the way for the Savior to be in your life more?
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What has helped you to accept and follow the Savior?
As you study this lesson, think about any obstacles that still stand in the way of you or others accepting and following Him, and what might help you or them to overcome these obstacles.
Introduction to the Gospel of Mark and the ministry of John the Baptist
Mark began his Gospel with the account of John the Baptist. Unlike Matthew or John, Mark was not an Apostle of Jesus Christ but a later convert. Mark may have written his Gospel under the Apostle Peter’s direction. In his Gospel, Mark wrote to a gentile audience and emphasized what the Savior did more than what He said.
Consider inviting students to work in pairs or small groups as they study the verses below.
Read Mark 1:1–8, looking for what John the Baptist did that helped prepare others to accept and follow Jesus Christ.
Scripture study tools.
Several study tools and methods can enhance your learning. To enhance your study of scripture accounts, try looking at the same account from different Gospel authors.
Reading about the same event in different Gospel accounts can often be helpful to your learning. Read Matthew 3:7–12, looking for additional details about John the Baptist’s ministry. In the Savior’s day, many covenant Israelites had become extremely prideful and turned away from the teachings of Jehovah. Some believed that being a descendant of Abraham alone was enough to save them (see Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 3:36 [in the Bible appendix] and Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 3:8 [in Luke 3:8, footnote d).
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What did John the Baptist do to help prepare the people to accept and follow the Savior?
As students answer, consider asking follow-up questions such as “How would confessing and repenting of sins prepare the people to more fully accept and follow the Savior?” Note that the next two lessons go into greater depth about repentance and baptism.
It may be helpful to clarify that John’s words recorded in Mark 1:7–8 are speaking of the Savior.
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What additional insights did you gain from also studying Matthew’s account about John the Baptist?
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What evidence have you seen in our day that Heavenly Father is still trying to prepare people to accept and follow the Savior?
Accepting the Savior and helping others to accept Him
Complete one of the following activities. Think about how you can more fully accept and follow the Savior yourself and help prepare others to do the same.
Consider displaying the following activity options or creating small handouts of each for students to use as they complete their chosen activity.
Activity A: Journaling
Reflect on and record in your study journal experiences that have helped you to accept and follow the Savior. Consider including what has helped you come to believe in Jesus Christ and be more committed to living His teachings. Then answer the following questions:
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What do you think Heavenly Father might invite you to do to accept and follow Jesus Christ more in the future?
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What are some things you could do to help others accept and follow Jesus Christ?
It may be helpful to provide a few copies of the Liahona magazine that includes the most recent general conference for students who choose Activity B.
Activity B: Searching general conference
Recall what you learned in the most recent general conference. If possible, review a general conference address or two, looking for messages that could help you more fully accept and follow Jesus Christ.
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What have modern-day prophets taught recently to help you more fully accept and follow the Savior?
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How might you apply one of their teachings in your life or share it with others?
Activity C: Searching the scriptures
Use the scriptures to better understand how others were led to accept and follow Jesus Christ. For example, you could study examples in the Book of Mormon such as Enos 1:2–8; Mosiah 5:1–2, 5; Alma 22:17–18, 22–23; or Helaman 5:28–30, 40–42.
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What did you learn from the scriptures you studied?
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How might these insights help you more fully accept and follow the Savior or help others to do the same?
Invite several students to share what they learned and felt.
Consider concluding by testifying, or inviting students to share their testimonies, of the joy and happiness that will come as we accept and follow the Savior and help others come to Him.
Commentary and Background Information
Who was Mark?
Mark (also called John Mark) was not among the original disciples of Jesus Christ, but he later converted and worked closely with many of the Savior’s Apostles. Peter referred to him as “Marcus my son” (1 Peter 5:13), suggesting the closeness of their relationship. Mark likely wrote his short Gospel to the Romans, other gentile nations, and new converts to Christianity. Mark also served with Paul for a time on Paul’s first missionary journey (see Acts 12:25).
What are some distinctive features of the Gospel of Mark?
Mark’s Gospel begins suddenly and dramatically and maintains a fast pace, recounting events in quick succession. Mark frequently used the words straightway and immediately, giving the effect of rapid pace and action. Among the important themes in Mark are the questions of who Jesus was and who understood His identity, as well as the disciple’s role as one who must “take up his cross, and follow [Jesus]” (Mark 8:34). In addition, Mark is the only Gospel that relates the parable of the seed growing by itself (see Mark 4:26–27), the healing of a deaf person in the Decapolis region (see Mark 7:31–37), and the gradual healing of a blind man at Bethsaida (see Mark 8:22–26).
Mark 1:8. What is baptism with the Holy Ghost?
John the Baptist declared that he would baptize with water but that Jesus would “baptize … with the Holy Ghost” (Mark 1:8). This baptism of the Holy Ghost and with fire refers to the result of being confirmed after baptism, then receiving the companionship of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost then cleanses and purifies us, similar to the cleansing and purifying effect of fire.
Matthew 3:7. Who were the Pharisees and Sadducees?
The Pharisees were members of a Jewish religious party who prided themselves on strict observance of Mosaic law. They tended to reduce religion to the observance of many ceremonial behaviors. The Sadducees were a wealthy Jewish class with significant religious and political influence. They did not believe in the doctrine of resurrection. Both groups had strayed from the original intent of God’s laws, and many of their members refused to accept the message of God’s prophet John the Baptist.
(Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2019, 19)
Matthew 3:12. What do the fan, floor, wheat, and chaff mean and symbolize?
The “fan” referred to in Matthew 3:12 is a winnowing fan that was used to toss wheat into the air. … Wheat kernels would fall back to the ground while the wind blew the lighter chaff away. The wheat was then gathered into a garner, or storehouse, and the chaff was burned with fire. John the Baptist taught that the Savior, who would come after him, would separate believers from nonbelievers in the same way that wheat was separated from chaff.
(New Testament Student Manual [2018], ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
Supplemental Learning Activities
An alternate way to begin the lesson
Allow students to share what they know about John the Baptist and his mission to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17). Invite them to put themselves in John’s place, ponder what kinds of things they would do and say to prepare others to accept Jesus Christ, and think of what might make this task difficult.
The Harmony of the Gospels
It may be helpful to show students the Harmony of the Gospels tool located in the Study Helps folder on the Gospel Library app or in the Bible Appendix. Help students understand that this tool shows where the same events are recorded in the different Gospels. Invite them to find scriptures about John the Baptist that teach about his life before he baptized Jesus Christ.