The New Testament Hope is Lesson 8 in our series. Join the discussion to learn how eternal life is ours.

Amen!(0)

The post The New Testament Hope – Hit the Mark first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

The post The New Testament Hope – Hit the Mark appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/the-new-testament-hope-hit-the-mark/

In one of His miracles, Jesus had fed five thousand people with just a small amount of bread and fish (John 6:1-14). Perceiving that the multitude then intended to proclaim Him king (John 6:15), Jesus sailed with His disciples to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. But the next day the multitude followed Him there, where He delivered His powerful sermon on the Bread of Life, with special emphasis on the gift of everlasting life (John 6:22-59).

Read John 6:26-51. How did Jesus associate the gift of everlasting life with the final resurrection of the righteous?

Image © Pacific Press at Goodsalt.com

In His sermon, Jesus highlighted three basic concepts in regard to eternal life. First, He identified Himself as “the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:33, John 6:58, NIV). By declaring that “I am [Greek egō eimi] the bread of life” (John 6:35, John 6:48), Jesus presented Himself as the Great “I AM” of the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14). Secondly, Jesus explained that everlasting life can be secured in Him: “he who comes to Me” and “he who believes in Me” will have this blessing (John 6:35, NKJV). And finally, Jesus linked the gift of immortality with the final resurrection, assuring His audience three times, “and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40, John 6:44, John 6:54, NKJV).

Jesus also gave this amazing promise: “Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life” (John 6:47, NRSV). So, the gift of eternal life is already a present reality. But this does not mean that the believer will never die, for the very expression “raise him up” (John 6:40, NKJV) presupposes coming back to life after one has died.

The picture is clear. Without Christ, one does not have eternal life. But, even after accepting Christ and having the assurance of eternal life, we continue for now being mortal and, therefore, subject to natural death. At the Second Coming, Jesus will resurrect us and, then and there, He will give us the gift of immortality that was ours already. The gift is assured, not because of a supposed natural immortality of the soul, but, rather, because of the righteousness of Jesus that comes to us by faith in Him.

<–Monday Wednesday–>

Amen!(0)

The post Tuesday: “I Will Raise Him Up” first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

The post Tuesday: “I Will Raise Him Up” appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/tuesday-i-will-raise-him-up/

Inge Anderson

• Sends out new lesson manuscript
• Sends out Inside Story manuscript
• Sends Inside Story photos to Derek

Peter Wannemacher

• Peter converts main manuscript to HTML code in one long file.
• Peter inserts Inside Stories into manuscript

Derek Roux

• Prepares files of lesson texts for Helps and copies to WordPress.

Lloyd Taadira

• Adds context to Bible texts  in Helps where appropriate.
• Adds Ellen White quotations to Helps, providing context for brief quotations. 

Klaus Freidl

• Divides long manuscript into weekly lessons for Biblia version and for BibleGateway (mobile) version.
• Proofreads and tweaks formatting
• Inserts Bible Gateway links into Mobile lessons

Derek Roux

• Prepares lesson index
• (Prepares files of lesson texts for Helps and copies to WordPress, as noted above.)
• Uploads finished Helps to server
• Prepares Inside Story photos and inserts them. 

Inge Anderson

• Prepares Blog lesson index.
• Prepares Lesson Resources
• Updates all necessary blog pages. See Quarterly Transition.

Amen!(1)

The post HTML Lesson Preparation first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

The post HTML Lesson Preparation appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/html-lesson-preparation/

Read John 14:1-3. It has already been almost 2,000 years since Jesus promised to come again. How can we help others see that, despite the great length of time (which really doesn’t matter), this promise is relevant even to our own generation, so long removed from the time when Jesus spoke it?

Four times in the book of Revelation Jesus stated, “I am coming soon!” (Revelation 3:11; Revelation 22:7, Revelation 22:12, Revelation 22:20, NIV). The expectation of His soon coming drove the mission of the apostolic church and filled the lives of uncountable Christians throughout the centuries with hope.

http://www.goodsalt.com/details/lwjas0242.html?r=ssnet

But generation after generation has died, and this promised event has not yet occurred. And thus, many are enquiring: How much longer will we have to preach that “Jesus is coming soon”? Have these words generated an unrealistic expectation? (See 2 Peter 3:4.)

Many Christians have complained about the long “delay” (compare with Matthew 25:5). But how do we, in fact, know that it is a long “delay”? What would have been the “right” time for Christ to have returned? Would it have been 50 years ago, 150, 500? What really matters is the biblical promise that “the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, NIV).

Despite the long centuries since Jesus ascended, the promise of His coming remains relevant, even today. Why? Because all that we have is our own short life (Psalm 90:10), followed by an unconscious rest in the grave (Ecclesiastes 9:5, Ecclesiastes 9:10), and then the final resurrection, without any later opportunity to change our destiny (Hebrews 9:27). As far as each one of the dead is concerned (as stated in lesson three), because all the dead are asleep and unconscious, the second coming of Christ is never more than a moment or two after they die. For you, in your own personal experience (as for all of God’s people of every age), Christ’s return is no more than a moment after your death. That’s very soon, is it not?

Every passing day brings us one day closer to the glorious appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds of heaven. Though we don’t know when He will come, we can be certain that He will, and that is what really matters.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

Amen!(0)

The post Monday: “I Will Come Again” first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

The post Monday: “I Will Come Again” appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/monday-i-will-come-again/

Key Thought: The New Testament hope is a Christ-centered hope in immortality. There is no eternal life apart from a saving relationship with Christ.
November 19, 2022

1. Have a volunteer read John 14:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:12-19..

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. How closely related to Christ’s resurrection is the promise of our resurrection?
3. Personal Application: What does it mean Jesus is preparing a place for us? I thought we were going to build houses and dwell in them. Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “I believe Christ comes to us when we die. It’s been 2,000 years since He promised to come back and get us and I don’t think He really meant to destroy the world when He comes. People die and go to heaven. Others die and go to hell.” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read John 6:26-51..

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. When did Jesus say He would raise the dead and grant eternal life?
3. Personal Application:  Share your thoughts on the relationship between the everlasting and our current everyday lives
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “Why does Jesus compare the miracles of the loaves and fishes and the manna from heaven to Himself and the promise of eternal life?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read I Thessalonians 4:13-18.

1. Ask class members to share a short
2. Who are the others who have no hope? Why don’t they have hope?
3. Personal Application: Is Christ going to give us a sinless and incorrupt nature when He comes, or are we to allow His to develop a sinless and incorrupt nature before He comes? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states: “Why does Christ come with the voice of the Archangel? Does that mean Christ is Michael? I don’t understand this saying.” How would you respond to your relative?

4. Have a volunteer read I Corinthians 15:51-55..

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. Is the mystery Paul is speaking of here referring to the secret rapture?
3. Personal Application: Why is resurrecting the dead and translating the living at Jesus second coming referred to as a mystery? 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).

Amen!(1)

The post 8: The New Testament Hope – Teaching Plan first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

The post 8: The New Testament Hope – Teaching Plan appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/8-the-new-testament-hope-teaching-plan/