Christ’s mission seemed to have ended (and even failed) with His death on the cross. Satan succeeded in instigating Judas to betray the Saviour (Luke 22:3-4; John 13:26-27) and the chief priests and elders to demand His death (Matthew 26:59, Matthew 27:20). After Jesus was arrested, “all the disciples forsook Him and fled” (Matthew 26:56, NKJV), and Peter denied Him three times (Matthew 26:69-75). Now Jesus was lying in a tomb hewed out of a rock, closed with a large and sealed stone, protected by Roman guards (Matthew 27:57-66), and watched by invisible demonic powers. “If he could, he [Satan] would have held Christ locked in the tomb.” — Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 12, p. 412.

Image © Philippians McKay at Goodsalt.com

During His earthly ministry, Christ had foretold not only His death on the cross but also His resurrection. Using the Eastern inclusive language — in which a fraction of a day stands for a whole day — Jesus mentioned that “as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39-40, , NKJV). On other occasions Jesus underscored that He would be killed but on the third day He would rise again (Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:22-23; Matthew 20:17-19). The chief priests and the Pharisees were aware of those statements and took measures that they hoped would prevent His resurrection.

Read Matthew 27:62-66. How did these actions only help provide the world later with more evidence for the resurrection of Jesus?

All security measures taken to keep Jesus locked in the tomb only made His victory over death and the hosts of evil even more noticeable because of all the precautions and measures that they took to try to make sure it would never happen.

Also, these men surely had heard of the miracles of Jesus; they had seen some of them, too. And yet, they think that a guard over the tomb could stop Him, the one who was able to do so many miracles, from being resurrected?

Also, to put a guard around the tomb in case of — what? The disciples might steal the body and then claim that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead? When the people would ask, Where is the risen Jesus? They could say: Just take our word for it.

If nothing else, their actions revealed just how afraid the chief priests were of Jesus, even after He died. Perhaps, deep down, did they fear that He just might be resurrected, after all.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/sunday-sealed-tomb/

Image © Pacific Press

Read for This Week’s Study: Matthew 27:62-66; John 10:17-18; Matthew 27:51-53; John 20:11-29; 1 Corinthians 15:5-8.

Memory Text: “When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. He put his right hand on me and said, ’Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the One who lives; I was dead, but look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys to death and to the place of the dead’” (Revelation 1:17-18, , NCV).

Central to the Christian faith is the resurrection of Jesus. Paul made this point very powerfully when he wrote: “For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” (1 Corinthians 15:16-18, NKJV). We will look at this in more detail next week.

Thus, no matter all the emphasis Paul put on Christ’s death, and how important it was — “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2, NKJV) — it really does us no good apart from His resurrection. That’s how crucial the resurrection of Jesus is to the entire Christian faith and the plan of salvation.

However, it’s hard to understand why the resurrection of Christ and with it our resurrection are so important if, as many believe, the dead in Christ are already enjoying the bliss of heaven as they have “gone home to be with the Lord.”

All that aside, this week we will look at Christ’s resurrection and all the convincing evidence He gave us to believe in it.

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 12.

Sunday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/sabbath-christs-victory-over-death/

Support for the mission activities of the Seventh-day Adventist church has always been part of the Sabbath School program. This video is Mission Spotlight for this week.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnvdeXWLtS0&w=560&h=315]

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The post Mission Spotlight for November 5 appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/mission-spotlight-for-november-5/

Turning the Other Cheek

By Rick McEdward

Omar, a university student in the Middle East, desperately needed a job, but he wasn’t ready to do anything to get hired. During a job interview, he openly told the company representative that he could not work on Saturdays because that was his holy day. The company representative did not blink.

Image © Pacific Press

“That’s fine,” he replied. “We don’t need you.”

It was true. National unemployment was so high that the company really didn’t need Omar. Many people were looking for work, and it would be easy to find someone willing to work on Saturdays.

Sadly, Omar left the company’s office. Omar was a new believer who, just days earlier, had given his life to Christ. He had mingled with believers for six years and searched the Bible before making his decision. After the job rejection, he bought a three-wheeled cart with a plan to make money by selling simit, a circular bread covered with sesame seeds.

Omar’s Sabbath-keeping friends were touched by his faithful stand for Jesus and began to pray for him.

A few days later, Omar announced excitedly that the company had called him back and offered him the job with Saturdays off. He was so excited that he decided to find at least one person a day to tell about Christ.

Sipping a drink at a local café a few days later, he and an elderly man began to talk about religion. Omar shared his journey from his family’s traditional holy book to the Bible and the incredible peace that he had found.

As Omar left the café, a man who had overheard the conversation from a nearby table followed him. “I can’t believe that you could say such things!” the man yelled. “Are you not ashamed? You grew up in our country and know better!” The man began to beat Omar with his fists.

Later that day, when a Sabbath-keeping friend video-called Omar, he was greeted by a large, swollen eye and an even larger smile of joy. “You could have called the police!” the friend said. “Yes,” Omar said. “But I remembered that Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek.”

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matthew 5:38-39, NKJV).

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/inside-story-turning-other-cheek/

Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Gethsemane,” Pages 685-697; “Calvary,” Pages 741-758, in The Desire of Ages; “Repentance,” p.27, in Steps to Christ.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

“I saw that all heaven is interested in our salvation; and shall we be indifferent? Shall we be careless, as though it were a small matter whether we are saved or lost? Shall we slight the sacrifice that has been made for us? Some have done this. They have trifled with offered mercy, and the frown of God is upon them. God’s Spirit will not always be grieved. It will depart if grieved a little longer. After all has been done that God could do to save men, if they show by their lives that they slight Jesus’ offered mercy, death will be their portion, and it will be dearly purchased. It will be a dreadful death; for they will have to feel the agony that Christ felt upon the cross to purchase for them the redemption which they have refused. And they will then realize what they have lost — eternal life and the immortal inheritance. The great sacrifice that has been made to save souls shows us their worth. When the precious soul is once lost, it is lost forever.” — Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 124.

Discussion Questions:

<–Thursday

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/friday-further-thought-he-died-for-us/