John 2, John 3, John 4, Mathew 5, Luke 6
John 2:
Summary and Topics of Interest:
Miracles - why they happen and don't
Anger - is anger bad?
Spiritual Rebirth - what is it and why is it important
Spiritual Gifts - Discernment, Miracles, The Holy Ghost
What is VIRTUE - and Perfection? Are they the same thing?
What is a Miracle? (Other lesson)
Why do they happen in the lives of men?
Why do they sometimes not happen?
3: When they wanted wine, the Mother of Jesus saith unto him - they have no wine...
Why did she ask Jesus?
4:He knew why she asked him - they both knew why....
5:His mother didn't even respond to his question - but rather said - Do whatever Jesus says...
10:The best wine... the most alcoholic is provided at the end... but this was the best wine...
11:Manifested his glory and his disciples believed on him...
John 2:13-17
15:Why was Jesus angry - or was he?
Why did he make a whip first?
16:What is a house of merchandise?
17:The Temple - and the zeal of the house of the lord.
John 2:23-25
What is the gift of discernment...
Jesus knew all men - he needed not that any should testify of man - he knew what was in man
Can we have this spiritual gift? How do we gain them?
The Encounter with Nicodemus
2: Why is it significant that Jesus came by night?
2: Nicodemus called him rabbi, and acknowledges his miracles and that only a man of God could do them.
Was Jesus then a rabbi? No - in fact the office of Rabbi was not instituted until around 70 AD or so.
This was rather the term "Teacher" and or "Sage" - in other words a learned teacher, and did not have this sort of title...
Non LDS Source - but good info
3:Jesus answer doesn't respond - but rather states a simple statement
Except a man be born again - he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4:How can a man be born again - literally?
Born Again
5:Except a man be born of the water and of the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6:That which is born of flesh is flesh - and that which is born of spirit is spirit
7-8:The parable of the Wind...
What does it mean - why can we not tell why a person goes or comes if they are born of the spirit?
REVELATION - only the individual knows why they do what they have been inspired to do.
Often it is surprising the actions and the results...
9-10:How can these things be - Rebuked - are thou a master in Israel and you know not these things?
14-15: Parable of the Serpent - Moses raised up
16-17: Jesus didn't come to condemn the world - but save it
Have you ever wondered why? I mean why would he raise up a serpent to save them?
Doesn't the serpent also represent the devil, the God of this world?
Let's consider the story - shall we...
Numbers 21:4-6 -
The people spoke directly AGAINST GOD - and against Moses
We have no bread and water - once again...
Fiery Serpents sent among the people and many died from the bites of the snakes
7-9
The people came to Moses - we have sinned and spoken against God and you
Pray for us that the Lord may take the serpents away.
Does god take the serpents away? No
Why doesn't he?
Instead he raises their serpent up on a stick - and crucifies it... and tells them to look upon their false God and be healed.
Many of them - knowing and understanding what he was doing REFUSE to look upon that which is crucified before them - their FALSE GODS and thus die.
Just as Moses crucified the false God's of Israel and thus saved them from death
So also Will God love the world enough to allow his SON his only son that he loveth to be crucified that the world might be healed.
That whosoever believes on him, and his atonement shall be saved.
Isn't it interesting how a different way of looking at the same story can bring insights - and make it actually make sense.
So often it is with other paradoxes in our minds - as we shall see later today as well as we speak of perfection, and virtue.
18-21: Is belief only required - no deeds
The Testimony of John Concerning Jesus
John 3:25-30
25: Question about purification and remission of sins
26: Jesus baptized people -and all men come unto him for forgiveness of sins
27-36 John's Testimony of Jesus Christ
The Woman at the Well - in SAMARIA
John 4:1-38
Jesus heads toward Galilee - and he had to pass through Samaria...
Who were the Samaritans?
They come to a well... Jacob's well...
8: Disciples were sent into the city to buy food.
7: A woman came to draw water - in the middle of the day - the 6th hour (not in the morning - why come in the heat of the day? she was not looked favorably upon probably)
Jesus asks for water
9: She asks why would you ask me a Samaritan for water... Jew's don't talk to us (remember who she was...)
10: If you knew who I was you would ask for living water
11: You don't have a bucket - how can you draw
12: are you greater than Jacob - OUR FATHER - thus making herself equal to the Jews...
13-14: If you drink the living water you shall never thirst or need come hither again!
15: Give me this water - lol... she doesn't want to be thirsty again, and have to come to the well.
16: Go call your husband and come hither... (how did he know - John 2:23-25)
17: I have no husband
18: you don't have a husband but have been married 5 times and are now living with someone
19: I perceive your a prophet - lol
20: Our fathers - worshiped in this mountain - but you claim we must worship in the Temple - the main point of contention...
21-23: Ye worship what you know not - but the Jews know whom they worship
24: God is a spirit - those who worship him must do so in spirit and truth.
25: When the Messiah comes - he will tell us all things
26: I am he
27: Disciples show up and marvel that he talked with her
Why did his disciples marvel that he talked with the woman? (Yet they never asked him... interesting isn't it... why didn't they ask?)
The woman of Samaria - why is it significant that he spoke with her at all?
28-30: the woman goes and gathers the people telling them that the Messiah is at the well...
30-38 - Jesus Teaches about the harvest of men - fishers of men - and that they are to reap them
That they should not take credit for their harvest - but rather are reaping the labor of others
They had among themselves arguments about who is the greater, etc. Jesus teaches them... there is no GREATER/LESSER there is only service to mankind
The healing of the nobleman's son
John 4:46-54
The Beatitudes - the WAY - the path to PERFECTION/VIRTUE
Math 5:1-48
Topics of Interest
#1 They are in direct opposition to the Law of Moses - You have heard it has been said - I say unto you. Can Doctrine Change
Yes - he says so explicitly 17-20 (He is not destroying the previous law he is fulfilling it - and thus changing it)
#2 What does the word Perfect Mean
To be perfect does not mean what many people believe that it does... it means to be complete, to be blameless, to be redeemed, and to be thus at one with God - it does not mean to be SINLESS, or WITHOUT Blemish, or without issues, or without problems.
Where else is perfected used - it is used in the terms of completed, and whole - not in the terms of without error, blemish or sin.
Who are examples of perfect people - people who are COMPLETE, who are whole, who have availed themselves of the atonement of Jesus Christ?
Gen 6:9 - Noah - perfect in his generation
Job 1:1 - Job was perfect and upright and eschewed evil
Luke 1:6 - Zacharias and Elizabeth
Gen 17:1 - Abraham - walk before me - do my commands and be perfect (Then he is tested - will he be perfect/blameless before God Gen 18:9-15 you shall have a son, now take him and kill him Gen 22:1-3)
Mosiah 15:5 - Jesus the Christ - the one who was not only perfect - but sinless
D&C 129:3-6 - A Just man MADE PERFECT - before the resurrection, before entering into a kingdom of Glory and yet PERFECT - at one with God.
Math 19:21 - if thou wilt be PERFECT sell all that thou hast and follow me
Individuals who are perfect, are the penitent - they are not the sinless, they have taken the scriptures and the word of God as their Guide and they follow it.
Individuals who are perfect, who have repented of all their sins are people who have virtue within them - virtue is power. Luke 6:19
Individuals who are perfect, are those who are empowered by the HOLY GHOST - for he is not grieved with them.
Individuals who are perfect, are those who have the HOLY GHOST as their constant companion - they have eternal life and are in the presence of a GOD.
How then do we become perfect NOW? The answer is very simple indeed - REPENT What more can I say
How does one draw upon the powers of heaven - and through perfection and virtue bless the lives of others? The same way Jesus did.
(How do we attain the Blessings of Heaven?)
Attain unto perfection - then be blessed with the powers of heaven.
Go unto the temple and enter into covenants - that bring the Holy Ghost into your life and empower you.
Receive spiritual gifts - and then USE THEM for the benefit of others.
What do you think you cannot have them?
Do you think you cannot use them?
Do you think that the gospel is powerless, and that we cannot attain to perfection now, and by so doing do miracles among ourselves?
We can. Moroni 7:27-31 Saved by faith, repented of their sins, and became the sons of God and were thus enabled to do miracles.
For if miracles have ceased - so also has the redemption of men - and all is in vain. Moroni 7:35-38 TO BE SAVED/REDEEMED is to be perfected!
You are perfect if you have repented of all your sins - if you haven't DO SO NOW, TODAY - for today is the day of your salvation. Alma 34:31-33 - TODAY is the day of your perfection.
Some have told me No Brother Bird that was Just Jesus Christ he is the only one who can do these things...
Yet that is not what the Bible states, who walked on the water - Peter? Who healed by the use of a Paul's Napkin Acts 19:12, and even the shadow cast by the Peter healed - Acts 5:12-15,
#3 This is teaching men what they need to DO - not just believe in order to be perfected and thus redeemed
The Beatitudes
vs 1-12 Blessed are: poor in spirit, mourn, meek, hunger after righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemaker, and the persecuted
vs 13-16 - Salt of the earth, and a candle to be shown to the world
vs 17-20 - The fulfilling of the law
vs 21-26 - Thou shalt not be angry, and forgive others
vs 27-32 - Thou shalt not commit adultery, nor lust after a woman/man, do not break your covenants even that of marriage - be perfect
vs 33-37 - Do not take upon yourselves Oaths
Some have tried to use this against me - in my apologetics and claimed that we should not be making covenants with God anymore.
This is not what it means at all... I shared this with them.
These are not covenants as in marriage or other oaths - but rather Oaths taken for detriment of others - These were BLOOD OATHS often for the detriment of others Acts 23:12
He is not speaking of covenants made between God and man but rather covenants made between men - BEFORE God - and their life as their bond. (
What is a Blood Oath?
The phrase used here is a life oath - as I live I will never return without them - it was one of the strongest oaths in old testament times.
The Lord uses this type of oath in scriptures: Ezek 17:16,17:19, Jer 46:18, Num 14:28, Ezek 20:33, Rom 14:11, Zeph 2:9, D&C 32:1, Moses 7:60 - Men who have no right, thus should not mimic God, who has this right - for he has the power to do so!.
This was used again when speaking and talking with Zoram - 1 Nephi 4:32-33 - Zoram makes an Oath with them 1 Nephi 4:37 (This is what Jesus has told us to no longer do under the new law)
vs 38-42 - Eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth - seems pertinent after the Oaths comment above doesn't it :)
vs 43-48 - Love your Enemies, Do good to them that hurt you, Be ye therefore COMPLETE, REDEEMED, and PENITENT - and thus PERFECT and at one with God.
Luke 6 - Miracles and their purpose
The Confrontation with the Pharisees
Often times people don't realized that Jesus wasn't just calm, passive, and meek as the world teaches what meekness is.
He was often BOLD, POWERFUL in his testimony against evil, FEARLESS in his confrontation with authority, and STRONG in his defense of the truth.
Luke 6:7-12 - See how he with boldness confronts them, directly and in public humiliates them and shames them for their hypocrisy
Do we hide our light for the fear of men?
Do we put our faith out for all to see - and fear not their contempt?
Do we with boldness, testify of the master in public, and in private, to our family, and to our friends as appropriate?
If we don't - why?
Today is a day of reaping, it is a day of harvest, it is a day when men's hearts are failing them. We who have the gospel of Jesus Christ can HELP THEM... we are duty bound to do so.
Luke 6:46-49 - Why call ye me Lord and do not the things which I say?
We teach Repentance unto all, including ourselves - Repent everyone of us - what more can I say?