John the Baptist

“Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

--Matt. 11: 11

Mary and Jesus, with John.

While John the Baptist was in prison he sent two of his disciples to Christ. When they came to Christ they asked him, “…Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” (Matt. 11:3) They were answered by Christ and He told them to return. Had I been with these men I would have probably testified to John that it was indeed the Savior of the world. I would have told him to have faith in Christ and that the prophesies were being fulfilled.

                To some it is speculated the John did not have the faith in Christ and that is why he sent his disciples; however this is not true. For a long time John had told his followers that they should not follow him anymore and they should go follow Christ. The disciples were very loyal to John and did not want to leave him. It was they who lacked the faith. John sent them to Christ as a trial of their faith. He sent them to see for themselves that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, and He was who they should be following. In the Bible Dictionary it states,

“Many have thought this event reflected a lack of confidence in John’s own mind. However, Jesus took the occasion to bear testimony of the great work John had done, emphasizing he was unwavering and true.” (pg. 714)             

From this it is acknowledged that John was faithful to the end, and carried out his mission of “preparing the way for Christ,” unlike any other man could have.

                When speaking of the greatness of John the Baptist Joseph Smith expressed,

“How is it that John was considered one of the greatest prophets? His miracles could not have constituted his greatness. First, he was entrusted with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord. Whoever had such a trust committed to him before or since? No man. Secondly, he was entrusted with the important mission, and it was required at his hands, to baptize the Son of Man. Whoever had the honor of doing that? Whoever had so great a privilege and glory? Thirdly, John, at that time, was the only legal administration in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on the earth, and holding the keys of power. The Jews had to obey his instructions or be damned, by their own law; and Christ Himself fulfilled all righteousness in becoming obedient to the law which he had given to Moses on the mount, and thereby magnified it and made it honorable, instead of destroying it. The son of Zacharias wrested the keys, the kingdom, the power, the glory from the Jews, by the hold anointing and decree of heaven, and these three reasons constitute him the greatest prophet born of a woman.” (Smith, Teachings, pp. 275-76)

In John 3, verse 30 John said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John was speaking of the Savior. By this verse we see how John was telling the people that they needed to follow Christ and stop following him. They believed John to be more than a prophet and weren’t quite following Christ yet. He was telling them to go follow Christ. When I read this verse I could just feel the love John had for Christ. He could have easily went on being the one the people followed, but he was humble and above all he knew that Christ was the Savior of the world. We can also apply this into our everyday lives. By recognizing the power within ourselves and by preparing the way, but when we come to that place where we know we need to hand over the credit, we must do as John and decrease, so that Christ may increase.

“He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.”

--John 5:35

Miracles: Faith and God's Power

" To comprehend the works of Christ, one must know Him as the Son of God; to the man who has not yet learned to know, to the honest soul who would inquire after the Lord, the invitation is ready; let him 'Come and see.' "

--Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pp.148-149

Reference	Miracles of the Lord	Who Demonstrated Faith
Matthew 8:1-4	Jesus heals the leper.	The leper and Christ.
Matthew 8:5-13	Jesus heals the servant.	The centurion/master and Christ.
Matthew 8:14-15	Jesus heals Peter's mother- in-law.	Peter, the mother-in-law, the wife and Christ.
Matthew 8:16	Jesus casts devils out.	The possessed and Christ.
Matthew 8:23-27	Christ calms the sea.	Christ.
Matthew 8:28-34	Christ casts out evil spirits into the pigs.	Christ.
Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34	Christ heals the woman with the blood issue.	The woman and Christ.
Matthew 9:27-31	Christ restores sight to the blind.	The two blind  men and Christ.
Mark 2:1-12	Christ heals the sick of palsy.	The sick, the  friends/family that lowered the sick through the roof. Christ.

Knowing that my Savior Jesus Christ, has this kind of power increases my faith. I have been witness to many miracles in my life. It is through my faith in Christ that I know such miracles occurred. 

Not very long ago my younger sister was very sick. I remember that night like it was yesterday. I remember as soon as I knew, I ran outside in the quiet night and prayed. I prayed the most sincere prayer I have ever prayed. Looking up at the stars in that huge night sky I prayed. With tears streaming down my face I begged for my sister's life. I begged for comfort, for both myself and my family. I begged for a reassurance that everything would be okay. I remember walking into her room and seeing her lying there so lifeless. As my father asked her if she wanted a blessing I recall just screaming in my head to please, please give her a blessing. I knew that if he did, she would be alright. I had the faith that she would be okay.

After the doctor came and took her away I went outside with a dear, dear friend to meditate and pray. As I laid there beneath the stars I thought of all the many blessings and miracles I have had in my life. I pondered all the great miracles Christ has performed. I prayed most of the night away for my sister. I thought about how blessed I had been to have had a sister. How blessed I was to have shared everything with her. Then I thought of how much I had taken it for granted. As I laid there pleading for another chance, I had a calm come over me that everything would indeed be alright.

My sister came home later that night. She was going to be alright. Relief flooded over me. Gratitude burst from my spirit. A miracle had been performed. My Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ had saved my sister. What joy filled my heart knowing that my prayers had been answered. No words can express how I felt knowing that she would be alright.

The next day my two little cousins, ages 4 and 6, that had been staying the night came up to me. They looked up at me and said, " We prayed that Lindsey would get better." Oh, the faith of little children. In the midst of everything that went on that night, they had sensed something amiss and had prayed. It amazed me how faithful they could be at such a young age. The knew that if they prayed, their prayers would be answered.

It is through this experience and so many others that I believe in my Savior Jesus Christ. I know that He lives. I know that He watches over us, each and everyday. I know that He knows what is best for us. He did and still does perform miracle today. I am a firm believer in that. Knowing this makes life so much sweeter. This knowledge allows me to go through life knowing that I am never alone. He will continue to comfort, support, love and perform miracles in my behalf, if I meet Him halfway and exercise the necessary faith.

"...Be not afraid, only believe."

-Mark 5:36

The Samaritan Woman at the Well

“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.” “…Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.”

                                           --John 4:14-15

During the ministry of Christ, the hatred for Samaritans was at its highest. When Jesus stopped to talk to the woman at the well, she was very confused because Jews did not associate themselves at all with Samaritans. Not only did Christ talk to her, but also he treated her with love, which was very surprising to the woman. In both Colossians 3:25 and 2 Nephi 26:33, it expresses that Christ is not a respecter of persons. In Nephi it addresses the fact that Christ does not deny any one to come unto him, no matter who or what he or she is. Here Christ was setting the greatest example, for later in His life we would direct the apostles to take the gospel to all nations. By all nations, Christ was including Samaria. Through this interaction with this woman, Christ was preparing the way for His disciples in the coming years.

The woman at the well started to change her attitude toward Christ the longer she talked to him. In the beginning, she was very standoffish. Once she realized that Christ was not an ordinary man she began to open up and even went so far as to go tell others whom she had been talking with. She had come to the realization that Jesus was the Son of God. He loved everyone and was willing to treat everyone that same, regardless if she was a Samaritan. Once she realized this, she got others to come and listen to Christ. This Samaritan woman and her faith and belief in Christ resulted in many also believing in Christ and being converted.

This same lesson can be applied into my life today. As I have come to better know Christ, my love for Him has deepened. I know that He is my Savior. Knowing this allows me to open up more to Him. I know that I can go to Him with any of my thought, feelings, problems or any other matter in my life. Through His love, I know that he will always be there. I know that what ever I do, He will always love me and has provided a way for me to return unto Him. I feel a great responsibility to share my testimony with others because of what I know. Like the disciples, I know that I am charged with the same responsibility to spread the gospel to all people.

The Savior offered the woman “living water.” The Savior has been quoted as saying that, “men cannot live by bread alone” (Matt. 4:5). It is through His words that we are nourished with His living water. The “living water” is the word of Christ, the gospel. Jeremiah said that some people are prone to rejecting the “living water” and instead “broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” Not only are they rejecting the word, but they are also rejecting the ability to hold onto that word.

“…Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, The Savior of the world.”

--John 4:42

The Childhood of Jesus Christ

“Without a doubt, Jesus came into the world subject to the same condition as was required of each of us—he forgot everything, and he had to grow from grace to grace. His forgetting, or having his former knowledge taken away, would be requisite just as it is in the case of each of us, to complete the resent temporal existence.”

-- President Joseph Fielding Smith

When Jesus was born He also had to go through the veil of forgetfulness. Unlike us, He was able to overcome this veil. When I think about the childhood of Christ the primary song, Jesus Once was a Little Child, comes to mind.

Jesus once was a little child,

A little child like me.

But he was pure and meek and mild,

As a little child should be.

 

Although Jesus was a child like us, His “capacity was greater than that of any other” (Manual pg. 24). From the beginning, He was to become, the Only Begotten Son. Christ had to overcome the veil, which He did. He faced more trials and overcame more temptations than that of any other man that has or will ever live. With His great capacity, came great temptations. The power that it took to overcome these trials and temptations did not come all at once. He grew grace by grace, “line upon line, precept upon precept” (D&C 128:21). Until it was said of Him, “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40).

At a young age, Jesus was about the will of His Father. At age twelve He was preaching in the temple. When His mother found Him, He simply answered, “How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2: 49) He knew His purpose and He was eagerly going about to finish the work He had been sent to do. The Prophet Joseph Smith said of Him:

“When still a boy, He had all the intelligence necessary to enable Him to rule and govern the kingdom of the Jews, and could reason with the wisest and most profound doctors of law and divinity, and make their theories and practice to like folly compared with the wisdom He possessed; but He was a boy only, and lacked physical strength even to defend His own person; and was subject to cold, t o hunger, and to death.” -- (Teaching, p. 392.)

Though Christ had so much power and understanding He never once attributed it to Himself. All the glory was to His Father.

In the manual, I found a quote that I think sums up what Christ would have us do in our own lives to pattern them after His.

“Thus, a man must take his temptations in their turn and conquer them. This is what Jesus did, step by step, degree to greater degree, grace by grace, and this is what Jesus would have you do.”

                                                                                                                        -- (Manual pg. 25)