Gospel Doctrine Lesson Twelve Purpose:

To help class members look to Jesus Christ as

“the bread of life”, the source

of everlasting life

I Am The Bread of Life

“Jesus saith unto him, ‘Rise, take up thy bed, and walk’”. John 5:8

Notice the steps involved in this man's healing:

(1)  Rise: We have to do what Jesus says

(2)  Take up thy bed: Make no provision for a relapse, don’t give yourself an excuse to fail. Pick up your bed and get rid of it.

(3) Walk: Do not expect to be carried.

Think of a situation in your own life where you are stuck, waiting for help, or hurting.

1)  How can you rise from this situation? How can you start to move away from what is hurting you? Name one action step that you can this week.

2)  Now, identify your mat. What does it look like? It could be anything in your life that has been making your present bad situation comfortable, Your mat is whatever has kept you

chained down in mediocrity, Your mat is whatever keeps you from trying for more and reaching out for help. What is your mat?

3)  Once you have enlisted the help of the Savior, followed His commands, and taken steps to rid yourself of your mat, you are ready to be healed. Answer the question Jesus asked the

man in verse 6, “Wilt thou be made whole?”

Feeding of the Five Thousand Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:32-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15

1.  What terrible news did Jesus receive at the beginning of this passage? (See Matthew 14:1-12)

2.  What did Jesus do when he heard the news?

3.  What did the people do when Jesus left by boat?

4.  What was the attitude and recommendation of Christ’s disciples when, at the end of the day, the crowds were still there?

5.  How did Jesus respond to the crowds?

President Faust taught, “Many nameless people with gifts equal only to five loaves and two small fishes magnify their callings and serve without attention or recognition, feeding literally thousands. … These are the hundreds of thousands of leaders and teachers in all of the auxiliaries and priesthood quorums, the home teachers, the Relief Society visiting teachers. These are the many humble bishops in the Church, some without formal training but greatly magnified, always learning, with a humble desire to serve the Lord and the people of their wards. … “A major reason this church has grown from its humble beginnings to its current strength is the faithfulness and devotion of millions of humble and devoted people who have only five loaves and two small fishes to offer in the service of the Master. They have largely surrendered their own interests and in so doing have found ‘the peace of God, which passeth all understanding’ (Philippians 4:7)” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1994, 4–5; or Ensign, May 1994, 5–6).

The Bread of Life By: Max Lucado

Bread is a staple. Throughout recorded history it has been popular in almost every country. If the poor have nothing, they have bread. If the rich have everything, they still have bread. Bread is not a regional food nor a national dish. No country claims to be the exclusive source of bread. It may be in the form of a tortilla in Mexico or a bagel in New York, but bread is available everywhere. So is Christ. He is not bound by boundaries. No country claims him. No region owns him. No nation monopolizes him. He came and died for all of his children. His teachings, his example and his death are universally available. Bread is eaten daily. Some fruits are available only in season. Some drinks are made only at holidays. Not so with bread. And not so with Jesus. He should be brought to our table every day. We let him nourish our hearts, not just in certain months or on special events, but daily. Bread is served in many forms. It’s toasted, jellied, buttered, flattened, and grilled. It can be a sandwich, sweet roll, hot-dog bun, croissant, or dinner roll. Bread can meet many needs. So can Jesus. He adapts himself to meet our needs. He has a word for the lonely as well as for the popular. He has help for the physically ill and the emotionally ill. If your vision is clear, he can help you. If your vision is cloudy, he can help you. Jesus can meet each need. The grain-to-bread process is a demanding one. The seed must be planted before it can grow. When the grain is ripe, it must be cut down and ground into flour. Before it can become bread, it must pass through the oven. Bread is the end result of planting, harvesting and heating. Jesus endured an identical process. He was born into this world. He was cut down, bruised and beaten on the threshing floor of Calvary. He passed through the fire of God's wrath, for our sake. He "suffered because of others' sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus is the bread of life. He has lived up to the title. The question is, have you partaken? An unopened loaf does no good. How can you make your experiences with the Savior feel as necessary to you as eating? How can our Savior fill your needs, both physical and spiritual?

James E Talmage said, “To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ was and is to believe in and accept Him as the literal Son of God and Savior of the world, and

to obey His commandments. By these means only may the Spirit of God become an abiding part of man’s individual being, even as the substance of the food he

eats is assimilated with the tissues of his body.

Symbols of the Sacrament John 6:54-56

“Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I

will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth

in me and I in him”.

Throughout the scriptures, references are made to the ways that living the gospel can change us physically. What can we do to assimilate spiritual habits into our life in such that they become a part of our physical presence? So that we dwell in Christ

and he in us?