ANNOUNCEMENT OF A NEW RESOURCE: AN INTERACTIVE MAP
The Church’s new augmented reality app maps out the events of the New Testament
A brand new digital tool from the Church has opened up even more opportunities to study the Savior’s mortal ministry through augmented reality. A three-dimensional, interactive map of the Holy Land allows for a truly unique Come, Follow Me experience where families can—almost literally—follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ. The interactive map includes 22 pinned locations throughout the Holy Land and 91 events and teachings recorded in the four Gospels, like the baptism of Christ and the Sermon on the Mount. The map also includes scripture stories in locations that may be lesser known to members, like the cursing of the fig tree (event 65) or the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law (event 20). Each of the 91 events contains a related scripture, video, article, and/or image to help provide deeper insights into the event. Each pinned location is marked by a small white circle and illustration, giving a preview of what events or teachings took place there and providing helpful spacial context for some of the cities Christ frequented in relation to one another. You can access the augmented reality map through https://virtualtours.churchofjesuschrist.org/lifeofchristmap/ or by scanning the QR code on the back cover of the February 2023 Liahona. To move around the map, right-click and drag with your mouse and use the left, right, up, and down keys on your keyboard. To learn more about the location’s events and teachings, click on the white circle hovering over the location. (LDSLiving 1/31/2023)
Jesus Christ’s miracles “manifested forth his glory.”
READ Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin…in Additional Resources
SUMMARY of John 2:1-11
-As He began His ministry what was the first miracle Jesus performed?
John 2:1-11. Jesus and the Wedding at Cana -10.5 minutes
As Jesus and His disciples attend the wedding feast (and we don’t really know the particulars but it seems that Mary might have been in charge of providing for the guests. “Whether this circumstance indicates the marriage to have been that of one of her own immediate family, or some more distant relative, we are not informed. (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 144)
-What was the problem at the wedding feast?
-What was the custom with the quality of wine served?
Some have commented that Jesus sounded unkind (vs 4 )to His mother, but scholars say that “woman” (or “Lady” in Greek) was a title of respect, used even in addressing queens. Read the JST of John 2:4 where the Savior says He will do what she asks, where compassion is shown.
READ How much wine did the Savior create?,,,in Add’l Res
-What do we learn from this miracle?
READ What symbolic meaning can be gained from the miracle…in Add’l Res
John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
JST John 2:4 Woman, what wilt thou have me to do for thee? that will I do; for mine hour is not yet come
5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
7-NT SS Lesson Feb 6-12 John 2–4 “Ye Must be Born Again”
QUESTION: What do we learn about the Savior from the account of His first recorded miracle?
We can defend sacred places and things.
SUMMARY of John 4:13-16
-How had the actions of those at the temple desecrated the temple before Jesus arrived?
-What did Jesus do?
-What do the Savior’s words and actions teach you about how He regarded the temple?
READ Why were there ‘changers of money’ ...in Add’l Res
READ What lessons did Jesus teach the Jews by cleansing the temple?...in Add’l Res
-In our lives today, how can we demonstrate our respect for the temple as a house of God?
(Possible answers: We can live so we are worthy to enter the temple; we can pay tithing to help build and maintain temples; in the temple, we can dress and behave in ways that show respect for the house of the Lord.)
SUMMARY of John 2:17-22 After cleansing the temple, Jesus used the temple as a backdrop to teach of His future Resurrection. Like the temple, His body would be destroyed. But unlike the Jerusalem temple, three days after His death, He would rise again; He would be resurrected (see John 2:18–22).
READ In what way did Jesus’ answer about destroying “this temple” foreshadow His own death..in Add’l Res
ANSWERS
John 2:13 And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
We must be born again to enter the kingdom of God.
VIEW John 3:1-16. Jesus and Nicodemus
-What is the story of Nicodemus?
READ John 3:1–2 and look for what Nicodemus and some of his colleagues believed about Jesus Christ at that point.
(Jesus was a teacher from God. God was with Jesus. Jesus was respected, being called “Rabbi,” which means “Master.”)
-What is Nicodemus asking?
READ Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (in right hand column)
Notice how the Savior helped Nicodemus move closer to understanding who He was.
-How does Jesus reply?
-When Nicodemus asks how can this be done what is he told?
READ What does it mean to “be born again”?...in Add’l Res
-What is the difference between “seeing” (3) and “entering” (5))?
READ What is the difference…in Add’l Res
READ John 3:8
-Does comparing the Spirit to the wind help you understand the process of being “born again”? (Possible answers: We can feel it. We can see its effects. It can be very gentle or very strong).
-How do you think this conversation with the Savior helped Nicodemus move closer to being born again?
-When do we hear again about Nicodemus?
John 7:50 Nicodemus defended Christ before the Pharisees.
READ John 19:39-40 Nicodemus helped with the body of Christ.
Nicodemus is an example of someone who did change as a result of following the gospel of Jesus Christ.
READ What is the Message of Nicodemus…in Add’l Res
John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Elder Holland: “Christ loves us where we are, even if that is not yet where we ought to be” (“Lift Up Your Eyes,” Ensign, July 1983, 13).
John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
John 19:39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
Jesus Christ offers us “living water” and the “meat” of doing God’s work.
READ John 4:5-14
VIEW John 4:7-29. Jesus and the Woman at the Well 7.5 min
-Where was Jesus in this story?
-What does he ask of the woman?
-What is the woman’s reaction. Why is she surprised?
-If she knew who Jesus was, what would she have asked for?
-What is the benefit of the water that Jesus gives?
-Why would the Savior use the words “living water” to represent what He could offer her?
-When she asks for this water (15-19) what does the Savior say?
He tells her to bring her husband. She replies that she has no husband. Jesus then tells her she speaks truthfully, saying:
18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
Later, after further discussion she goes into town and tells people: “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” (vs 29) Her references of Him evolve from: “a Jew”, “Sir”, “a prophet”, “the Christ” as He talks to her.
-.What do these terms indicate about the growth of the woman’s understanding of the Savior?
-What have you learned from this story that helps you better understand the Savior and how He can bless you?
READ How does this account demonstrate the Savior’s respect for women?…in Add’l Res
John 4:5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
-How should we worship the Father?
READ John 4:23-24
READ JST John 4:26 (Joseph’s translation of John 4:24)
READ The Joseph Smith Translation…in Add’l Res
In a similar way (verses 31-33), when His disciples bade him to eat of the food they had brought, Jesus told them that He had meat to eat that they knew not of. Not understanding, the disciples asked each other if someone else had brought food.
Jesus answered them teaching them they were to harvest souls
saying that His “meat is to do the will of Him that sent me.”
READ John 4:34-38
-What is “that saying” mentioned in verse 37?
READ What should we remember about God’s work in His vineyard?...in Add’l Res
John 4:39-42 Many Samaritans hear and believe the Savior
After returning to Cana, in Galilee, Jesus’ heals the nobleman’s son while the son is in Capernaum. .
READ John 4:46-53…in Add’l Res
SUMMARIZE this story.
John 4:54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judæa into Galilee.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
JST John 4:26 For unto such hath God promised his Spirit. And they who worship him, must worship in spirit and in truth.
John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: bother men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
https://virtualtours.churchofjesuschrist.org/lifeofchristmap/
MY THOUGHTS: Perhaps Russia’s most famous painter, Ivan Aivazovsky was born in 1817. He is famous for his many paintings featuring the water and the sea.
Over his lifetime, Aivazovsky amassed around 6,000 finished works, over half of which were maritime subjects. Blessed with an eye and a hand for portraying the movement and translucence of waves, the artist succeeded in capturing on canvas the roiling, foaming essence of the sea.
Metaphorically, many of us find ourselves adrift in life and at the mercy of the waves of opposition, “tossed to and fro.”
The solution for this, interesting enough, also features water. The water of baptism. Our lesson is “ye must be born again.” And we must if we want to find the peace the gospel brings. This doesn’t mean that everything in our life will be filled with ease and peace, but it does mean that if we follow Christ and honor our covenants, the great awards of the gospel, and eternal life, will be ours. If we always remember Him, and truly are reborn,we will find comfort and peace, even amidst the crashing waves of our time.
It is my prayer we stay active, healthy, dry, and safe with the confidence in having been reborn. Have a good week.
Greg
“The Ninth Wave” is widely considered Russian painter Ivan Aivazovsky most famous work and is monumental in scale—measuring almost 11 by 7 feet. It depicts the aftermath of a shipwreck set before a bonfire of a sunrise, with waves in the fore seeming to hold the intensifying morning sunlight in their aqueous grasp. We can see an analogy between the rising sun in the picture above, and the returning Son of God in the last days, the Light and Life of the world.
For other works of Aivazovsky follow the link below:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917–2008) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles declared: “The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. It takes us as men and women of the earth and refines us into men and women for the eternities” (“The Great Commandment,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 30).
In New Testament times, individuals felt the Savior’s transforming power when they heard His words or saw the miracles He performed. He turned water into wine (John 2:1–11). He cleansed the temple so that it would be revered as His “Father’s house” (John 2:16). He healed a nobleman’s son who was on “the point of death” by uttering these simple words, “Thy son liveth” (John 4:47, 50). He invited Nicodemus to experience spiritual rebirth (John 3:1–21). He helped the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well grow in her understanding until she recognized Him as the Christ (John 4:5–29).
How much wine did the Savior create (vs 6-8)?
Because ancient Jewish wedding celebrations often lasted one to two weeks, a large amount of wine was needed (Drummelow, Bible Commentary, 778). “If each water pot held two or three firkins--a firkin being about nine gallons--the combined pots held between twelve and eighteen gallons of water. When added together, it appears that Jesus miraculously provided an estimated 150 gallons of wine for what must have been a large wedding celebration” (Black, 400 Questions and Answers, 65).
What symbolic meaning can be gained from the miracle of changing water in wine (2:9-11)? “In this miracle story, John’s focus on the jars used for purification can teach us that the law of Moses, potentially symbolized by those jars, is under scrutiny.The jars, held water--useful, but not necessarily palatable. Jesus would replace the water with wine, which, among other things, stood as a symbol for joy, truth, atonement, transformation, and union with God” (Gaskill, Miracles of the New Testament, 4). This manifestation of His power to effect change can help us understand how the Savior can change us from our carnal, fallen state to a state of righteousness (Mosiah 3:19) (New Testament Student Manual, 207). For John, the “primary meaning of the wine is clearly Jesus’s gift of salvation”(Brown, Gospel according to John, 1:110).
What lessons did Jesus teach the Jews by cleansing the temple? “When Jesus overturned the money tables, the attention of the masses fell upon Him and they watched and wondered. Jesus taught them who He was by calling the temple ‘my Father’s house’, instead of ‘our Father’s house.’ The meaning was clear. Jesus had forcefully declared that He was not merely mortal but was the divine Son of God” (Stephenson, “I am He, 8).
Why were there ‘changers of money’ in the temple? (2:15) President David O. McKay taught: “When Jesus cleansed the temple, he was filled with revert indignation because men were desecrating His Father's house, selling doves and lambs to be offered as sacrifice. Money changers were there for the convenience of those who came from other countries, so they could give in local currency their temp contributions. Seemingly, in their own eyes, they were justified, but they were doing these things in the House of God” (CR, Oct 1950)
“Pilgrims traveling from great distances often would not have been able to bring their own animals for sacrifice and would have needed to exchange foreign currency for coins acceptable for temple offerings….Because the temple leadership in this period was notoriously corrupt, the Savior’s rebuke may have been directed in part at them for allowing and likely profiting from, these activities” (Huntsman, “Reflections on the Savior’s Last Week,” 55).
In what way did Jesus’ answer about destroying “this temple” foreshadow His own death and resurrection?
“Although during His mortal ministry the Lord often introduced to his disciples the subject of His death and resurrection, it was not until after His death that hey comprehended His words (John 2:22)” (Draper, “Reality of the Resurrection,” 35).
What does it mean to “be born again”? “Believers who have had this required rebirth [baptism] at the hands of those having authority have already been saved from sin conditionally, but they will not be saved finally until they have completed their mortal probation with the required continuing repentance, faithfulness, service and enduring to the end….Latter-day Saints affirm that those who have been born again in this way are spiritually begotten sons and daughters of Jesus Christ…. Through the grace of God, we have been born again as new creatures with new spiritual parentage and the prospects of a glorious inheritance” (Oaks,”Have You Been Saved?” 55-56}
What is the difference between seeing the Kingdom of God and entering it? “The Prophet Joseph Smith…. Taught about the Savior’s words in verses 3 and 5….’It is one thing ro see the kingdom of God and another thing to enter therein….When a person sees the kingdom of God, the Holy Ghost has caused the person to have a mighty change of heart. Then the person must participate in the ordinances of the gospel in order to enter the kingdom of God” (NT Student Manual, 210)
What is the message of Nicodemus? A common error of New Testament readers is to approach the four Gospels as primarily historical texts. While it is true that these books contain much history, they were not written with that as their primary purpose. Instead, the four Gospels were written to persuade various audiences that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Messiah and the literal Son of God, and each author endeavored through his perspective to present the case for the divine Jesus.
The Prophet Joseph Smith, in the JST manuscripts, changed the very title of the “Gospel of John” to read the “Testimony of John.”...For most people a testimony is bearing witness of a specific experience or truth. The same holds true for the apostle John. As he writes, he presents his prophetic witness of selected truths about the Savior which he desires to impress upon all who will listen to his words.
With the idea in mind that John is intentionally selecting certain historical facts to support his prophetic account, it is intriguing to examine a prominent individual who is exclusive to the New Testament record of John. Nicodemus, …surfaces three times in the Gospel of John. The first mention of Nicodemus comes in the well-known exchange with Jesus about the doctrine of spiritual rebirth. The other two appearances are relatively brief, yet nonetheless, significant.
Scholarly interpretations of Nicodemus generally separate into two areas,,,. One views Nicodemus as a cautious convert who grows more courageous as time passes and eventually shows himself as a devoted disciple. The second interpretation is that Nicodemus represents a reluctant witness who feels drawn to accept the Savior’s message but lacks the internal strength to fully commit.
President Gordon B. Hinckley often spoke of committed discipleship. In April 1998 he declared: “This thing which we call testimony is the great strength of the Church. It is the wellspring of faith and activity. . . . The Lord described it when he spoke to Nicodemus and said, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
He continued, “Personal testimony is the factor which turns people around. . . .This is the quiet, encouraging voice which sustains. It is this element . . . which moves every investigator in the direction of conversion.”
His message closely parallels the scriptural account of the hesitant Nicodemus. He obviously is admonishing all Latter-day Saints to stand up and be numbered in the cause of Christ. His voice seems to echo the scriptural message of Nicodemus in the Gospel of John—namely, exposure to truth is not enough. The real issue centers in the courage to follow. That is the message of Nicodemus.
In summary, the Gospel of John is a testimony from John the Beloved about discipleship. Of all the gospel writers only one tells of the man named Nicodemus. Through thoughtful analysis of the text,...it seems most reasonable that Nicodemus was included to teach all about the covenant to follow Christ. Even though this process requires certain costs and sacrifices, it returns a life which is eternal. (Keith J. Wilson, Assistant Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU, “The Message of Nicodemus,” Religious Educator 1, no. 1 (2000): 57-70.)
How does this account demonstrate the Savior’s respect for women? “This account attests to His respect toward all women regardless of their nationality or religious background. Not only did Jesus Christ set aside the traditions of that day, but Elder M, Russell Ballard has acknowledged the honor the Savior bestowed upon this woman. ‘The first time the Lord acknowledged Himself to be the Christ, it was to a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well” (Lund, “Saviors Respect for Women.” 52).
The Joseph Smith Translation gives a clearer understanding of what the Savior was teaching: “For unto such hath God promised his Spirit. And they who worship him, must worship in spirit and in truth” (Joseph Smith Translation, John 4:26 [in John 4:24, footnote a]).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie quoted this passage and then taught: “There is no salvation in worshiping a false god. It does not matter one particle how sincerely someone may believe that God is a golden calf, or that he is an immaterial, uncreated power that is in all things; the worship of such a being or concept has no saving power. Men may believe with all their souls that images or powers or laws are God, but no amount of devotion to these concepts will ever give the power that leads to immortality and eternal life. …
“But if he worships the true and living God, in spirit and in truth, then God Almighty will pour out his Spirit upon him, and he will have power to raise the dead, move mountains, entertain angels, and walk in celestial streets” (“How to Worship,” Ensign, Dec. 1971, 129).
What should we remember about God’s work in His vineyard?. “‘That saying’ referred to by Jesus is not found in our present OT. Evidently Paul was also acquainted with the ancient scripture, now unknown, when he wrote: ‘I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase’. (1 Cor. 3:6) The JST changes ‘other men labored’ to ‘the prophets have labored.’ Jesus is indicating to his disciples that they are building on the foundations established by the earlier prophets” (Ludlow, Companion to Your Study of the NT, 370)
John 4: 46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judæa into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.
48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.
51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.
52 Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.