January 2–8

Matthew 1; Luke 1

“Be It unto Me according to Thy Word”

Before you read any additional study materials, read and ponder Matthew 1 and Luke 1, and record your spiritual impressions. Let the Spirit guide your preparation. Then explore the ideas in this outline and in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families.

Invite Sharing

A main purpose of Matthew, Luke, and the other Gospel writers was to testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Give class members a few minutes to review Matthew 1 or Luke 1 and share a verse that builds their faith in Jesus Christ. Suggest to the class that as they study the New Testament this year, they might keep a list of passages that testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. You could even keep this list as a class.

Teach the Doctrine

Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:5–80

Heavenly Father works through His faithful children to accomplish His purposes.

• Class members are more likely to have meaningful experiences while studying the New Testament this year if they can draw lessons from the experiences of the people they read about. To help them do this, you could write the names of the people in Matthew 1 and Luke 1 on the board, along with scripture references about these individuals, as follows:

  • Mary (Luke 1:26–56)

  • Joseph (Matthew 1:18–25)

  • Elisabeth (Luke 1:5–7, 24–25, 40–45, 57–60)

  • Zacharias (Luke 1:5–23, 59–64)

  What can we learn from these accounts that will help us today?

• To help class members think more deeply about Mary and her role in the Father’s plan, you could show the videos “An Angel Foretells Christ’s Birth to Mary” and “Mary and Elisabeth Rejoice Together” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Or you could read together Luke 1:26–38, 46–56, looking for things Mary said that reveal something about her character. What else do we learn from Mary?

  An Angel Foretells Christ’s Birth to Mary

  Mary and Elisabeth Rejoice Together

Luke 1:5–25

God’s blessings come in His own time.

• There may be people in your class who, like Elisabeth and Zacharias, are living righteously and yet have not received a hoped-for blessing. Consider inviting the class to search Luke 1:5–25, looking for lessons they can learn from Elisabeth and Zacharias about waiting on the Lord. What other examples of waiting on the Lord’s timing can class members share from their own lives or from accounts in the scriptures? What do we learn from these examples? Class members could also discuss the statement in “Additional Resources.”

Luke 1:26–38

“With God nothing shall be impossible.”

• Class members may at times wonder—as Mary did—how God’s plans for them or promises to them can be fulfilled. To help class members understand that through God’s power all things are possible, you could display the picture The Annunciation: The Angel Gabriel Appears to Mary (Gospel Art Book, no. 28) and invite them to read together Luke 1:26–38. What can we learn about overcoming the seemingly impossible by studying Mary’s words and actions? Ask class members to share experiences in which God helped them accomplish something they thought was impossible.

Additional Resources

Waiting on the Lord.

Acknowledging that many of us question why we have to wait for God’s blessings, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said:

“The answer to such questions is ‘Yes, God can provide miracles instantaneously, but sooner or later we learn that the times and seasons of our mortal journey are His and His alone to direct.’ … Faith means trusting God in good times and bad, even if that includes some suffering until we see His arm revealed in our behalf. …

“… Those who ‘wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength [and] shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; … they shall walk, and not faint’ [Isaiah 40:31; emphasis added]. I pray that ‘by and by’—soon or late—those blessings will come to every one of you who seeks relief from your sorrow and freedom from your grief. I bear witness of God’s love and of the Restoration of His glorious gospel, which is, in one way or another, the answer to every issue we face in life” (“Waiting on the Lord,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 116–17).

Improving Our Teaching

Encourage class members to study the scriptures at home. One way you can encourage scripture study at home is to provide time for class members to share discoveries and insights from their personal and family study (see Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 29).