This Week’s Video Lesson

Gather the entire family and watch the video lesson we have created for you focused on John 18:37 “Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.”

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High Five and Dive Resources

Use our High Five method as you work through this week’s lesson focused on the scripture from the reading block, John 18:37 “Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.”

Video Transcript Lesson

Melia: Hey, kids. What did you find today?

Abbie: We found a bottle. It says, “I know (Jesus) was born to help me return to heaven.”

Charlie: We found the book with  animal 5 cards:  a two crabs, an orange fish, a salmon, and a shrimp.

Abbie: And a bag… oh look it is my little teddy bear. Mom, what’s the bear for?

Melia: Let’s read the scripture first and find out. Charlie, can you read it for us?

Charlie: Sure mom. The scripture is in John chapter 18 verse 37. It says, “Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.”

Abbie: Charlie, look it says “bear.” I didn’t know the scriptures talked about bears.

Melia: Actually, the Book of Mormon and the bible mention a bear when they talk about the millennium, a thousand years of peace when Jesus will be here. 

Charlie: That’s going to be so cool. I remember you said the animals will be at peace.

Melia: Yes, Nephi quotes Isaiah when he says, “And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.” That will be a great day, but this scripture isn’t talking about the animal like a bear or a care bear like you found in the bag Abbie. This scripture is talking about bear meaning to carry the weight of or support or to serve as evidence or proof that something exists. 

Let’s start at the beginning of this scripture first and then we will finish up by talking about what Jesus meant when he said, “bear witness.” Do you know what was happening or who Jesus was talking to? Well, after the last supper with his apostles, Jesus went to Gethsemane to pray and take upon him all of our sins and pain, then one of his apostles turned against him and Jesus was taken to the leader at the time in Rome. His name was Pilate.

Pilate was questioning Jesus and asked if he was a king. “Jesus answered (point to board) thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.” There are three words I want to talk about in this scripture: born, cause, and bear. 

First Jesus was born.

Jesus was the only begotten son of Heavenly Father. This means that unlike you and I who have an earthly father and a heavenly father, Jesus’s father on earth and in heaven is the same, our heavenly father. Before he was born, prophets had prophesied that a new star would appear letting the people know that Jesus was born. In the New Testament, the wisemen said, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” In the Book of Mormon, Samuel the Lamanite taught the people, “there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you.” Jesus was born in a humble stable. Elder Alexander B. Morrison said that Jesus is “the Lord God Omnipotent who sits at the right hand of the Father, creator of worlds without number, lawgiver and judge, condescend to come to earth to be born in a manger.”

The next part of this scripture says that “for this cause came I into the world.” Let’s add cause to the board.

If cause means a movement or deep commitment and one is prepared to defend or advocate for it we are talking about Heavenly Father’s cause to “For behold, this is my a work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” The plan of salvation is the plan that helps us live forever with God.

Let’s talk about the plan of salvation and see how Jesus fits into this plan with us.

Abbie: I am so glad we chose to follow Jesus. 

Charlie: Yes, otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to have a body and come to earth.

Melia: I am so grateful that we all chose Jesus before we came to earth so that we can be a family! Now the last part of this scripture says that Jesus “should bear witness unto the truth.”

Let’s add the word bear to the board.

What does it mean to bear witness and not the cute care bear Abbie found in the bag. Well, once a month at church we have a chance to share our testimony with others. This is called a fast and testimony meeting. We fast from food and drink then we share or bear witness about the things we know from the Holy Ghost. We already learned from our T-machine

how we gain or get a testimony and then on Sunday we can share it at church. Do we have to wait until Sunday to share the things we know are true? 

Abbie: No, we can share what we know whenever we want too.

Melia: That’s right Abbie. We have talked about sharing our light before and sharing the things we know to be true. We can do that anytime, anywhere, and with anyone. As you follow the Holy Ghost and learn to listen, you will be inspired to know what to say and share. 

The word bear means to carry the weight of something or support. Bear also means to serve as evidence or proof that something exists. This part of the scripture, “that I should bear witness unto the truth” means that Jesus carried the weight of our sins and pains of the world. This happened in the Garden of Gethsemane. He then literally carried a large wooden cross and then was nailed to it and died for us. I am so grateful that he was then resurrected from the grave 3 days later. I know we can be resurrected and live again just like Jesus did.

Charlie: That’s what will happen to Uncle Ralph, right mom?

Melia: Yes, Charlie. Charlie’s great uncle and my uncle just graduated from earth. He died last week. Let’s look at the plan of salvation again and see where he went. Abbie, do you know where he is right now?

Abbie: Well, you just said that when we die our bodies go into the ground and our spirit goes to heaven so he must be there.

Melia: That’s right, he is in the Spirit World with his parents, wife, and other family members. His body was buried in the ground, but his spirit is heaven. 

I also said to bear means to serve as evidence or proof that something exists. Jesus Christ is evidence of God, the Father’s great love for us. One of the scriptures we studied this year said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Jesus’s birth, life, and death, “bears witness” that God does exist, that he does love and care for us and that we can live with him again. 

Let’s sing the primary song, “I will follow God’s plan.”

I love that song. Jesus Christ is central to the plan of salvation that means that he is the most important part of our happiness. Because Jesus was born for a cause to bear, this plan works. He is the key that unlocks the great blessings found in the plan of salvation as we follow Jesus, we can return to live with God again. Now, let’s decode the message in the bottle.

Charlie: Okay, here’s our cypher card. 

Abbie: Friends if you don’t have one, make sure to go to MTCforkids.com to get yours. Now, let’s decode the message.  

Charlie: The crab is the letter s and there are two of them.

Abbie: The orange fish is the letter u. 

Charlie: The salmon is the letter e.

Abbie: and the shrimp is the letter J.

Charlie: It spells Jesus.

Abbie: “I know (Jesus) was born to help me return to heaven.”

Melia: I know Jesus was born to help us too. He is our advocate with Heavenly Father. He is the way, the truth, and the light. So what can we do to follow him? Friends, you too were born with a purpose, a cause to bear. You were born so that you could get a body and learn how to have faith in Jesus, repent of your mistakes, and make and keep covenants with God. Your cause or your purpose is to follow Jesus, to follow the plan of salvation as we stay on the covenant path and then bear witness or share your testimony and love of Jesus with others. 

We started this lesson talking about a star, the star that saved the Nephites when they were waiting patiently for a sign of Jesus’s birth. It was a sign to the wiseman to know where they could find him and we can be a star as we partner with Jesus, keep his commandments and follow him.

This week find ways to share or bear your testimony of Jesus whether with a friend, with a family member, or with yourself by writing down your feelings about him. You can be a star as you shine your light and help others know who Jesus is.

I know God lives and that he loves us so much. I know that the plan of salvation is the only way we can live forever with our families and with Jesus and our heavenly parents and I know that Jesus is the key to this plan. It is because he died for us, he sacrificed his life for us. He still has scars in both of his hands, his feet, and in his side. Five places that mark his great love for us just like the 5 points of a star.

You are a beloved son or daughter of God. His love for you is infinite and eternal that means it will never go away. He knows you can be faithful in keeping your covenants as you follow and stay on the covenant path.