Daily Lesson for Friday 18th of October 2024

Read Ellen G. White, “ ‘God With Us,’ ” Pages 19–26, in The Desire of Ages.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

“The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father. He was the surpassing glory of heaven. He was the commander of the heavenly intelligences, and the adoring homage of the angels was received by Him as His right. This was no robbery of God [Proverbs 8:22-27 quoted].

“There are light and glory in the truth that Christ was One with the Father before the foundation of the world was laid. This is the light shining in a dark place, making it resplendent with divine, original glory. This truth, infinitely mysterious in itself, explains other mysterious and otherwise unexplainable truths, while it is enshrined in light unapproachable and incomprehensible.”—Ellen G. White Comments, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1126.

“Jesus has said, ‘I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.’ John 12:32. Christ must be revealed to the sinner as the Saviour dying for the sins of the world; and as we behold the Lamb of God upon the cross of Calvary, the mystery of redemption begins to unfold to our minds and the goodness of God leads us to repentance. In dying for sinners, Christ manifested a love that is incomprehensible; and as the sinner beholds this love, it softens the heart, impresses the mind, and inspires contrition in the soul. . . . Whenever they [people] make an effort to reform, from a sincere desire to do right, it is the power of Christ that is drawing them. An influence of which they are unconscious works upon the soul, and the conscience is quickened, and the outward life is amended. And as Christ draws them to look upon His cross, to behold Him whom their sins have pierced, the commandment comes home to the conscience.”—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, Pages 26, 27.

Discussion Questions

<–Thursday

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24d-03-further-thought-the-backstory-the-prologue/

Daily Lesson for Thursday 17th of October 2024

Yesterday’s study looked at the earthly, human storyline of the Gospel of John with its clash and interplay between people, always revolving around who Jesus is and what He is doing. Today’s study focuses on the divine, cosmic storyline, also found in John.

The Prologue begins with that cosmic storyline. Jesus is presented as the divine Son of God, the Creator of the universe. Again, anything that once didn’t exist but came into existence did so only through Jesus. “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3, NKJV). But it goes on to note the glory of His becoming a human being in the Incarnation (John 1:14). John uses the terms glory (doxsa: brightness, splendor, fame, honor) and glorify (doxsazō: to praise, honor, extol, glorify) to speak both of receiving honor from humans and of receiving honor or glory from God.

Image © Erik Stenbakken at Goodsalt.com

In John, the idea of glorifying Jesus is linked to the concept of His hour; that is, the time of His death (compare with John 2:4, John 7:30, John 8:20, John 12:23-27, John 13:1, John 16:32, and John 17:1). The cross is His hour of glory.

This idea is quite paradoxical because crucifixion was the most shameful and humiliating way of execution in the ancient Roman world. This incredible contrast, God on a cross, illustrates the intertwining of the human story plot with the divine.

On the human level, Jesus died in agony, a despised criminal in weakness crying out, “ ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ ” This human, dark side of the cross is particularly presented in Matthew and Mark (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34, NKJV).

But the glorious side of the cross is especially presented in Luke and John (Luke 23:32-47, John 19:25-30). It is a place of salvation, of mercy, and where the Son of God gives Himself to His Father.

How ironic: God’s greatest glory is revealed in His greatest shame—bearing the sins of the world in Himself.

<–Wednesday Friday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24d-03-reappearing-themes-glory/

Join It Is Written Sabbath School host Eric Flickinger and one of this quarter’s authors, Dr. Thomas R. Shepherd, as they provide additional insights into this week’s Sabbath School lesson, “The Beginning of the Gospel.”

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/3-the-backstory-the-prologue-it-is-written-discussions-with-the-author/

View an in-depth discussion of The Backstory – The Proogue in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris.
Click on the image below to view the video:

With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/3-the-backstory-the-prologue-hope-sabbath-school-video-discussion/

Daily Lesson for Wednesday 16th of October 2024

In John’s Gospel, humanity seems to be divided into two overarching groups: those who believe in Jesus and accept Him as the Messiah and those who, having the opportunity to believe, choose not to.

Eleven of the disciples are in the first group, as are others such as Nicodemus (who comes to faith slowly), the woman at the well, and the man born blind. In the second group are Pharisees and high priests, people at the miracle of feeding the 5,000, and even one of the disciples, Judas.

People in the hand of God

It is interesting that the noun pistis (Greek for faith/belief) never appears in the Gospel of John. However, the verb pisteuō (believe) appears 98 times, compared to 241 times total in the entire New Testament! This verb is, indeed, a very big theme in John. This use of the verb instead of the noun may point to a very active sense of becoming a Christian. Being a believer in Jesus is something that we do, and this is expressed in how we live and not just in a set of beliefs. As we know, the devil believes in Jesus, as well (see James 2:19).

In John, the major difference between the two groups is the way that they relate to Jesus. Believers, or those who come to believe, have an openness toward Him, even when He confronts or rebukes them. They come to Jesus and do not run away. He is the Light that shines on them. And by faith, by believing, they become the children of God.

Unbelievers, on the other hand, typically come to Jesus to fight with Him. They are characterized by those who love darkness rather than light. They find His sayings hard to accept or they see Him breaking old traditions and not fulfilling their expectations. They stand in judgment on Him rather than letting His light measure and judge them. This attitude, of course, had been seen again and again in the religious leaders, who ideally, as the spiritual guides of the nation, should have been the first ones to have accepted Jesus.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24d-03-reappearing-themes-belief-and-unbelief/