Home-Study Lesson

Matthew 26:31–Mark 3:35 (Unit 7)

Preparation Material for the Home-Study Teacher

Summary of Daily Home-Study Lessons

The following summary of events, doctrines, and principles students learned as they studied Matthew 26:31–Mark 3 (unit 7) is not intended to be taught as part of your lesson. The lesson you teach concentrates on only a few of these doctrines and principles. Follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit as you consider the needs of your students.

Day 1 (Matthew 26:31–75)

As students studied Jesus’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, they learned that Jesus Christ submitted His will to the Father’s will to accomplish the Atonement and that we follow Jesus Christ’s example when we choose to submit our will to Heavenly Father’s will. From the Savior’s instructions to the Apostles in Gethsemane, students learned that if we watch and pray continually, we will have strength to resist temptation.

Day 2 (Matthew 27–28)

From the account of the Savior’s Crucifixion, students learned that as part of the Atonement, Jesus Christ felt the withdrawal of Heavenly Father’s Spirit. They also learned that Jesus Christ suffered to fulfill the will of Heavenly Father, as He promised in Matthew 26. And as students studied the account of the veil of the temple tearing into two pieces at the death of the Savior, they learned that it symbolized the truth that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can all enter the presence of God if we repent and keep our covenants.

Day 3 (Mark 1)

From the account of Jesus casting out an unclean spirit, students learned that the Savior has power over the devil and his followers. Students also learned that just as Jesus had compassion on and cleansed the leper, as we exercise faith and come unto the Savior, He will have compassion on us and cleanse us from sin.

Day 4 (Mark 2–3)

As students studied the forgiving and healing of the paralytic man, they learned that Jesus Christ has the power to heal us spiritually and physically. As they studied about Jesus dining with publicans and sinners, they learned that the Savior desires to help us repent of our sins and be healed. As they read about when the Pharisees condemned Jesus and His disciples for breaking the Sabbath, students learned that we can keep the Sabbath day holy by glorifying God and doing good works.

Introduction

Jesus Christ was resurrected and appeared to many individuals, including His Apostles. He commanded His Apostles to take the gospel to all nations.

Suggestions for Teaching

Matthew 28

Jesus Christ is resurrected and appears unto many

Ask students to think about whether they or someone they know have had someone close to them die. Then ask the class:

• Why can the death of a loved one be difficult for us?

Ask students to look for truths as they study Matthew 28 that will help them find comfort when a loved one dies.

Explain that early on the first day of the week—Sunday—Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary went to the tomb where Jesus’s body was laid.

Invite a few students to take turns reading aloud from Matthew 28:1–6. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what the women found as they approached the sepulchre.

• What did the women find as they approached the sepulchre? (Explain that the Joseph Smith Translation for these verses clarifies that the women saw two angels, not one [see Matthew 28:2, footnote a; see also John 20:12].)

• How do you think you would have reacted if you saw two angels?

• According to verse 4, how did the guards react?

• According to verses 5–6, what did the angels tell the women?

• What truth do we learn from these words? (After students respond, write the following truth on the board: Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead.)

To help students understand the doctrine of the Resurrection, divide them into groups of two or three students and invite them to complete the accompanying handout in their groups.

“He is risen” (Matthew 28:6)

New Testament Seminary Teacher Manual—Home-Study Lesson (Unit 7)

Study the entry titled “Resurrection” in the Bible Dictionary. Then discuss the questions below and record your answers in the spaces provided.

What is the difference between being brought back from the dead and being resurrected?
What will happen to all humankind as a result of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?
How can understanding the doctrine of the Resurrection provide comfort for those who have lost loved ones?

© 2015 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ask a few students to report to the class what they learned by completing the handout.

Invite a student to read aloud the following statement by President Gordon B. Hinckley:

“The miracle of that resurrection morning, that first Easter Sunday, is a miracle for all mankind. It is the miracle of the power of God, whose Beloved Son gave His life to atone for the sins of all, a sacrifice of love for every son and daughter of God. In so doing He broke the seals of death. …

“And just as He took up His body and came forth from the tomb, even so shall all of us enjoy a reunion of body and spirit to become living souls in the day of our own resurrection.

“We rejoice, therefore, as do many, and as should all mankind, when we remember the most glorious, the most comforting, the most reassuring of all events of human history—the victory over death” (“The Victory over Death,” Ensign, April 1997, 4).

Invite a student to read Matthew 28:7–10 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what the women at Jesus’s tomb were told to do.

• According to verse 7, what did the angels command the women to do?

• Why do you think the women departed “with fear and great joy”? (Matthew 28:8).

• What happened to the women as they went to tell the disciples about their experience?

Summarize Matthew 28:11–15 by explaining that while the women were hurrying to bring the disciples news of Jesus’s Resurrection, the chief priests heard what had happened from the soldiers who guarded the tomb. The Jewish leaders were afraid that people might learn the truth, so they paid the guards to spread lies that the Savior’s disciples had taken His body from the tomb while the guards slept.

Ask a student to read Matthew 28:16–18 aloud. Invite the class to follow along, looking for the blessing that came to the eleven Apostles as they obeyed the message the women gave them and went to Galilee.

• What blessing came to the eleven Apostles because they obeyed the message to go to Galilee? (They saw the resurrected Lord.)

Invite students to stand and read Matthew 28:19–20 out loud together. Remind them that this is a scripture mastery passage.

Ask the class to review verses 19–20, looking for what the Savior commanded His Apostles to do after they saw Him.

• What were the Apostles commanded to do after they had seen the Savior?

• What can we learn from their experience about the responsibility we have as we gain a testimony of Jesus Christ? (After students respond, write the following principle on the board: As we gain a testimony of Jesus Christ, we have a responsibility to testify of Him to others.)

Remind students that as part of their home-study lesson in Matthew 27–28, they listed ways they could testify of Jesus Christ to others (assignment 3 in the Unit 7: Day 2 lesson). Invite students to share what they wrote and to explain and give examples of their ideas. You may want to list their ideas on the board.

• According to Matthew 28:20, what promise did the Savior give His disciples?

• In what ways has the Lord been “with you,” or helped you, in your efforts to share the gospel?

Consider inviting students to share their testimonies of Jesus Christ with the class, in small groups, or in pairs. You may also want to share your testimony of Jesus Christ with the class. Remind students that they also wrote a goal in their scripture study journal assignment regarding how they will testify to others of Jesus Christ. Invite a few students to share their goals with the class.

Next Unit (Mark 4–9)

Explain to students that in the next unit they will learn more about the miracles Jesus Christ performed, such as walking on water, casting out devils from a man, and raising a young girl from the dead. Ask students if they have ever been in a severe storm and how they felt during it. Invite them to consider whether they have ever felt like they have had severe storms or challenges in their personal lives. Invite them, as they study Mark 4–9 during the coming week, to look for ways to find peace amidst challenging times.