Daily Lesson for Monday 14th of October 2024

John starts his Gospel not with the name “Jesus” or His role as Messiah/Christ but with the term logos. Around the time John wrote, various philosophies used the term logos to refer to the rational structure of the universe, or to refer to the idea of logic and reason themselves.

Also, the teaching of the influential ancient philosopher Plato had divided reality into two realms. One is the heavenly and immutable realm, where absolute perfection exists. The other is the realm here—perishable, changing, a very imperfect representation of the perfect realm above, wherever it supposedly existed. (Plato never answered that question.) Some philosophies identified the logos as some abstract intermediary between the eternal forms and the perishable, earthly forms here.

Image © Darrel Tank at Goodsalt.com

John uses the term in a completely different manner. He maintains that the truth, the logos, is not some ethereal and abstract concept floating between heaven and earth. The logos is a person: Jesus Christ, who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).

For John, the logos is the Word of God. More important, God communicated; that is, He revealed Himself to humanity in the most radical way: God became one of us.

In the Gospel of John, the logos represents the eternal God, who enters time and space, who speaks, acts, and interrelates with humans on a personal level. The eternal God became a human being, one of us.

In John 1:14 the apostle indicates that the logos “became flesh and dwelt among us” (NKJV). The underlying Greek word, translated dwelt, means to pitch a tent. John is alluding to Exodus 25:8, where God told the Israelites to make a sanctuary, a tent structure, so that He could dwell in their midst. In the same way, in the Incarnation, Jesus, the divine Son of God, stepped into human flesh, veiling His glory so that people could come in contact with Him.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24d-03-the-word-made-flesh/

John has written what is possibly the most well-known Bible verse in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son” which has had many say
Lord, I Have Made Thy Word My Choice – Hymn 273 and
Give Me The Bible – Hymn 272. John writes of many people who turned to Jesus in this quarter’s studies. Here are two hymns from which to choose for your theme hymn this quarter. 

The wonders of our Lord Jesus come to us again this week, and we find that He is the Light that all humanity needs so much: 
Hymn 234 – Christ Is The World’s Light, 
Hymn 345 – Christ Is The World’s True Light and 
Hymn 515 – The Lord Is My Light. Sunday closes off with “He is still the divine Son of God”: 
Hymn 637 – Son Of God, Eternal Saviour. 

Monday brings us the information saying 
O Word Of God Incarnate – Hymn 274. 

With joy, in accepting Jesus, we are 
Children Of The Heavenly Father – Hymn 101. Through the process John takes us, we are able to sing 
I Do Believe – Hymn 486 and then ask 
Gracious Father, Guard Thy Children – Hymn 621. 

Our believing continues on Wednesday:
Hymn 511 – I Know Whom I Have Believed. 

Thursday enlightens our thinking with “Jesus is presented as the divine Son of God, the Creator of the universe”: 
Hymn 320 – Lord of Creation. The day’s study closes: “God’s greatest glory is revealed in His greatest shame—bearing the sins of the world in Himself”: 
Hymn 237 – In The Cross Of Christ I Glory.

Please continue to search the scriptures this week to be blessed, and to bless many others.

To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/ 

Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org/Search and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/3-the-backstory-the-prologue-singing-with-inspiration/

Key Thought: The prologue is the opening of the book of John as he tells the story of Jesus within the historical period of Jesus’ life and summarizes its major themes.
October 19, 2024

1. Have a volunteer read John 1:1-5, 14.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. What do these verses tell us about Jesus and what He did?
3. Personal Application: What would we lose if Jesus were just a mere created being? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of you relatives states, “Why would John start out talking about Jesus in His role as Creator? Is it important to have a correct understanding of Creation?” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read John 1:9-13.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
   b. What harsh reality is John stating here about how people respond to Jesus?
   b. Personal Application: How has your life changed by becoming a son or daughter of Christ as you accepted Him? Share your thoughts.
   c. Case Study : One of your friends states, “Have you ever denied being Christian, or hid it from someone? Have you ever been shamed for being a Christian? How could this lead to being honored or rejected by Christ?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read John John 3:16-21, John 9:35-41, John 12:36-46.

1. a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. How do these texts repeat the theme of belief/unbelief found in the prologue?
3. Personal Application: In what ways do you live out your faith in Jesus rather than just holding a mental assent to Him being the Messiah? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states: “Have you ever had questions about the character of God or the Father? Do you think they exhibit differences in their characters in the Bible? How do you deal with doubts about God’s character?” How would you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read John 17:1-5.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What did Jesus mean when He said, “Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you”?
3. Personal Application: How does God offer Himself dying on the cross to save us from sin tell us about just how bad sin really is? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/3-the-backstory-the-prologue-teaching-plan/

A long time  ago, when I was a teenager, a country singer by the name of Barbara Mandrell, sang, “He grew the tree that He knew would be used to make the old rugged cross.” The song brought out, that even at creation Jesus was planning our redemption. This song could not be any truer.

In Genesis 2:16-17 ESV God says, “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” We all know Adam and Eve did not die the day they ate of the forbidden fruit. Man has been trying to make excuses for God ever since.

Some say, well they began to die. However that is not what God said. He did not say you will begin to die the day you eat of the fruit. He said you will die in the day you eat of the fruit. Others say, they died spiritually that day. I don’t even know what the means! Sounds profound enough, I guess, but what does it mean? Besides, God did not say you will die spiritually the day you eat of the fruit. He said you will die – drop dead the day you eat of it. So what kept Adam and Eve from dropping dead the day they ate of the fruit?

Instead of trying to make up weak excuses for God, let’s let God’s Word explain itself. He does not need any help from us to get out of this  jam. We find the answer at the other end of the Bible. Revelation 13:8 tells us Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. There is our answer! God did not need us bailing Him out by making up our own theories about beginning to die or dying spiritually that day. Revelation 13:8 lets us know that Jesus’ death on the cross had already taken effect. God calls things that are not yet, as though they already were. Just like I can cut and paste, just as I am writing this post in Microsoft Word, God can cut and paste through time and eternity and put the cross at the foundation of the world.

Jesus is truly the Savior of the whole world, as His sacrifice sustains not only the believer but the unbeliever as well. Adam and Eve were not believers; they were running from God. But they still had their breath that day because of the cross of Christ and the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. God told Abraham in Genesis 12:3, “and in thee [Abraham’s Seed which was Christ] shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Notice God said all families will be “blessed,” or benefit from the cross. That includes Christians, Jews, Muslims, and atheists. They all benefit the same way Adam and Eve did.

The reason Adam and Eve did not drop dead the same day they ate the fruit was because Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and His death had already taken effect. The reason we do not drop dead the same day we sin, is because of the cross of Christ as well.

Believer and unbeliever benefit from the cross. This is what John was talking about in 1 John 2:2 ESV. He writes, “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” John was writing to believers when he said “not  for ours only,” the believers, but the whole world! An inspired writer, 1,800 years after John, echoes the same sentiments.

“To the death of Christ we owe even this earthly life. The bread we eat is the purchase of His broken body. The water we drink is bought by His spilled blood. Never one, saint or sinner, eats his daily food, but he is nourished by the body and the blood of Christ. The cross of Calvary is stamped on every loaf.” – Ellen White, Desire of Ages, page 660.

Every breath we breathe is brought to us courtesy of the cross. People curse God with the very breath that He died to give them!

This idea of Jesus beginning our redemption even at creation runs all through the Bible. 

Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” 9Matthew 25:34 ESV)

… even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love. (Ephesians  1:4 ESV)

in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began (Titus 1:2)

Yes! Jesus created the tree He knew would be used to make the old rugged cross. Even at creation He was beginning our redemption. He died to give us probationary time. Not a probationary time to see if God will accept us – He already has accepted us from the foundation of the world – but time to see if we will accept Jesus and His life-changing love.

If we choose to accept His love, Jesus tells us in John 11:26 ESV, “everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?.” Sure, we may fall asleep like Lazarus did, but God will not abandon us in the grave. We will not experience the death and God abandonment that Jesus experienced for us on the cross when He cried out, ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!”

The cross echoes throughout time and space from every corner of eternity, telling us God is love! The Gospel begins at creation.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/jesus-grew-the-tree/