Come, Follow Me Podcast #7 “Ye Must Be Born Again”, John 2-4

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John’s gospel is so beautifully structured to reveal eternal truths to his audience who are Church members. One story reinforces and points back or forward to the next. For instance, both the wedding at Cana and the visit to Nicodemus at night are teaching the same thing—an idea the casual reader might miss.

These chapters also include one of our favorite—and tender—JST changes, which is small, but important. There is also much revealed about the Lord’s caring relationship to women, and why when the Samaritan woman came to the well at the sixth hour, it revealed more about her than you would think.

This 30-minute podcast, takes you to some of your favorite scenes from the life of Christ, with added insight for expanded knowledge. Scot and Maurine Proctor have researched the Savior’s life extensively, written about Him in books and articles, and have spent a great deal of time in Israel, walking in Jesus’ footsteps.

You can listen to the podcast in the link below on SoundCloud.

You can also find the podcast on the following platforms (click on the platform of your choice):

References Used in the Podcast not in John 2-4

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.

John 10:10

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Elder Richard G. Scott, “The Sustaining Power of Faith in Times of Uncertainty and Testing,” April 2003

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2003/04/the-sustaining-power-of-faith-in-times-of-uncertainty-and-testing?lang=eng

Trust in God and in His willingness to provide help when needed, no matter how challenging the circumstances. Sometimes these are not big, but big to us.

Mosiah 27: 25,26

And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters.

And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

Elder David A. Bednar “Ye Must Be Born Again”, April 2007

https://www.lds.org/study/general-conference/2007/04/ye-must-be-born-again?id=p14#p14

We are instructed to “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny [ourselves] of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32), to become “new creature[s]” in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17), to put off “the natural man” (Mosiah 3:19), and to experience “a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2).

Please note that the conversion described in these verses is mighty, not minor–a spiritual rebirth and fundamental change of what we feel and desire, what we think and do, and what we are. Indeed, the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ entails a fundamental and permanent change in our very nature made possible through our reliance upon “the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8). As we choose to follow the Master, we choose to be changed–to be spiritually reborn.

Albert Einstein (most researchers have found a much more complex way Einstein said this quote, but sometimes not these exact words.)

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them.

President Spencer W. Kimball (See Teachings of the Presidents of the Church, 67).

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/01/spencer-w-kimball-man-of-action?lang=eng#note9

I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns. I find myself loving more intensely those whom I must love with all my heart and mind and strength, and loving them more, I find it easier to abide their counsel.

President Marion G. Romney, “Receiving and Applying Spiritual Truth,” Feb. 1984, https://www.lds.org/ensign/1984/02/receiving-and-applying-spiritual-truth?lang=eng&_r=1

The Lord was teaching Nicodemus that the process of learning about things from the Spirit is real, even though the Spirit’s workings cannot be understood by those who have not been born again.

President Gordon B. Hinckley, “Testimony,” April 1998

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1998/04/testimony?lang=eng

This thing which we call testimony is the great strength of the Church. It is the wellspring of faith and activity. It is difficult to explain. It is difficult to quantify. It is an elusive and mysterious thing, and yet it is as real and powerful as any force on the earth.

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” John 3:8 This thing which we call testimony is difficult to define, but its fruits are plainly evident. It is the Holy Spirit testifying through us.

Lynne Hilton Wilson, “Christ’s Emancipation of Women in the New Testament”,

https://meridianmag.wpengine.com/christs-emancipation-of-women-in-the-new-testament/

Jewish pharisaic traditions kept men and women physically segregated. Men and women “should not mingle.” This physical segregation led to emotional segregation, which developed into misunderstandings. Women were seen as a cause of temptation, so they were veiled, silenced, and kept away from men as much as possible

An obvious extension of the fact that men and women were segregated was that they did not directly communicate with each other. Simply stated, Jewish men were instructed not to speak very much with women. The Mishnah directed, “Talk not much with womankind…

Another rabbi misused the Scriptures to defend the lack of communication with women: “We have not found that the Almighty spoke to a woman except Sarah.” In his view, because the Holy Book did not record God speaking to women, neither should men.

John’s record includes the woman’s astonishment at Jesus’ breach of social rules.The woman correctly asked Him, “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?” (John 4:9). Jesus’ behavior slashed through strongholds of Judaic social norms: He spoke to a woman, He spoke to a Samaritan, and He asked to drink water from an unclean pot. His actions reinforced His message that God is no respecter of persons (2 Chronicles 19:7; Acts 10:34).

JST – John 4:26