Feed My Sheep, by Kamille Corry

June 24–30

Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20–21

“He Is Risen”

Before exploring the teaching ideas in this outline, read Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; and John 20–21, and ponder how these chapters might be used to strengthen the faith of those you teach.

Record Your Impressions

Invite Sharing

To help class members share what they learned in their personal and family study, ask them to write down a truth from this week’s reading assignment that they feel should be shared with “all the world” (see Mark 16:15). At the end of class, ask them if they found any additional truths they would like to share.

Teach the Doctrine

Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20

Because Jesus was resurrected, we too will be resurrected.

• To give as many people as possible the opportunity to share what they have learned about the Resurrection, you could give class members a few minutes to review this week’s reading assignment and “Resurrection” in the Bible Dictionary and write down truths they learned about the Resurrection. Let them share what they wrote, and encourage class members to raise their hands when they hear someone share a truth that is similar to what they wrote down. Why are these truths important to us? How does knowing that we will be resurrected affect our feelings about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? Showing the music video “He Is Risen” (LDS.org) can help invite the Spirit into this discussion.

Luke 24:13–35

We can invite the Savior to “abide with us.”

• To help class members see connections between their experiences and the experience of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, draw a road on the board, and invite class members to write details from the account in Luke 24:13–35 on one side of the road. Then, on the other side of the road, they could write parallels they see to their own experiences as followers of Jesus Christ. For example, they could write Their eyes were holden (Luke 24:16) on one side of the road and We sometimes don’t recognize the Lord’s influence in our lives on the other side.

• There are two hymns based on Luke 24:13–35: “Abide with Me; ’Tis Eventide” and “Abide with Me!” Hymns, nos. 165, 166. How can you use these hymns to help class members find deeper meaning in the scriptural account?

Matthew 28:16–20; Mark 16:14–20; Luke 24:44–53

We are commanded to preach the gospel to all the world.

• The commandment that the resurrected Savior gave to His Apostles to preach His gospel can also apply to us today. How can you help your class members see their role in preaching the gospel? Perhaps you could invite them to imagine that they were giving some counsel to a family member or friend who is about to leave on a full-time mission. What would we share from the Savior’s words to His Apostles? How can we apply these same words in our efforts to share the gospel with others?

John 20:19–28

“Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

• You may have class members who empathize with Thomas, who desired to see the risen Lord before he would believe. Your Sunday School class can be a place for class members to strengthen each other’s faith in things that they cannot see. Perhaps you could start by asking someone to summarize Thomas’s experience in John 20:19–28. You could also show the video “Blessed Are They That Have Not Seen, and Yet Have Believed” (LDS.org). Class members could list on the board some things God asks us to believe without seeing. Then you could ask them to share experiences that have strengthened their testimonies of these things. What blessings have come to class members as they have exercised faith?

Jesus taught Thomas, “Be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27).

John 21:3–17

The Savior invites us to feed His sheep.

• What might help your class members accept the Savior’s invitation to “feed [His] sheep”? You might start by inviting them to read John 21:15–17 silently, replacing Simon’s name with their own name and “my lambs” and “my sheep” with the names of people they feel the Lord wants them to serve—for example, people they minister to, neighbors, or people they know at work or school. After a few minutes, class members could share impressions they had. What does it mean to feed the Savior’s lambs and sheep? The statements by President Russell M. Nelson and Elder Marvin J. Ashton in “Additional Resources” could help answer this question.

Encourage Learning at Home

To inspire class members to read Acts 1–5 this week, ask them to pay attention to how an unlearned fisherman became the powerful leader of Christ’s Church as it spread throughout the world. As they study these chapters, they will see how this transformation took place.

Additional Resources

Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20–21

What does it mean to feed the Savior’s sheep?

President Russell M. Nelson shared these insights from the ancient Greek text of John 21:

“In [John 21:15], the word feed comes from the Greek term bosko, which means ‘to nourish or to pasture.’ The word lamb comes from the diminutive term arnion, meaning ‘little lamb.’ …

“In [John 21:16], the word feed comes from a different term, poimaino, which means ‘to shepherd, to tend, or to care.’ The word sheep comes from the term probaton, meaning ‘mature sheep.’ …

“In [John 21:17], the word feed again comes from the Greek bosko, referring to nourishment. The word sheep was again translated from the Greek term probaton, referring to adult sheep.

“These three verses, which seem so similar in the English language, really contain three distinct messages in Greek:

• Little lambs need to be nourished in order to grow;

• Sheep need to be tended;

• Sheep need to be nourished” (“Shepherds, Lambs, and Home Teachers,” Ensign, Aug. 1994, 16).

How can we “feed [His] sheep”?

Elder Marvin J. Ashton explained how we can fulfill the Lord’s commandment to feed His sheep:

“Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’ (John 21:16.) You can’t feed them if you don’t know where they are. You can’t feed them if you give them reason to resist you. You can’t feed them if you don’t have the food. You can’t feed them if you don’t have charity. You can’t feed them if you aren’t willing to work and share. …

“Those who need help come in all age brackets. Some of His sheep are young, lonely, and lost. Some are weary, afflicted, and worn with age. Some are in our own family, in our own neighborhood, or in the far corners of the world where we can help with fast offerings. Some are starving for food. Some are starving for love and concern.

“If we give His sheep reasons to resist us, the feeding process becomes difficult, if not impossible. No one can teach or help with sarcasm or ridicule. Dictatorship or ‘I’m right and you are wrong’ will negate all efforts to feed a wandering sheep. A wall of resistance will be built, and no one will benefit. …

“By our actions we show our love. Expressions of affection are empty if actions don’t match. All His sheep need the touch of a shepherd who cares” (“Give with Wisdom That They May Receive with Dignity,” Ensign, Nov. 1981, 91).

Improving Our Teaching

Reserve time for learners to share. “When learners share what they are learning, they not only feel the Spirit and strengthen their own testimonies, but they also encourage other class members to discover truths for themselves. … Reserve time for student sharing in every lesson—in some cases, you may find that these discussions are the lesson” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 30).