Sabbath School Lesson for September 28-October 4, 2024 Introduction and Overview of Lesson 1, Signs That Point the Way Key Text: “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:30-31 NKJV John, the youngest disciple among the twelve and one of the “Sons of Thunder”, was also the one who lived the longest, dying on the lonely island of Patmos. He was direct in his purpose for writing this account of Jesus’ life. It was so we can know that Jesus is the Son of God, who gives us life. John humbly called himself the disciple “whom Jesus loved”. That doesn’t mean he was a favorite of Jesus; but, rather it indicates that being so young, he may have been more open and receptive to Jesus’ love and grace. This gospel is unique from the other three. Many of the events that John wrote about are interactions between Jesus and just one or two people. John had the ability to take his eyes off the large crowds and capture the more intimate conversations and miracles of His Master. Many of the signs and miracles John records do not appear in the other Gospels; but were, nonetheless, observed by the disciples in their quieter moments with each other. They reinforce for us, just as they did for the disciples. that Jesus was God’s Son in the flesh (John 1:14). This week, we will see… Sunday: The Wedding at Cana–reminding the disciples of when Moses, another deliverer, turned the water of the Nile into blood Monday: The Second Sign in Galilee–Jesus healed the nobleman’s son without even being there Tuesday: The Miracle at the Pool of Bethesda–Jesus healed on the Sabbath by telling a lame man to get up and walk Wednesday: Hard Hearts–Jesus healed a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath, again ignoring the tedious, manmade regulations about Sabbath observance Thursday: Jesus’ Claims–Jesus claimed equality with God, so He was also charged with blasphemy Sunday: The Wedding at Cana How appropriate that Jesus’ first miracle happened at a wedding. Marriage was ordained by God back in the Garden of Eden. And Jesus’ presence at this humble, smalltown gathering set the stage for how He would continue to go where the people were and show an interest in fulfilling their needs. Even today, we can invite Jesus to attend our wedding festivities, knowing that He longs to continue blessing our sacred, committed unions. In addition, the disciples, having just been called to follow this unusual Master, were exposed firsthand to the quiet miracle that occurred when Jesus turned water into wine. It must have reminded some of them how, during one of the plagues, Moses was used to turn the waters of the Nile into blood. Could it be that Jesus would turn out to be their Deliverer as well? Some, of course, have questions about what kind of wine Jesus provided for the wedding guests in Cana. The Greek word for wine (oinos) is used for both fresh and fermented juice. It certainly makes sense that this new wine was not fermented, but rather the pure, fresh juice of the grape. Surely, the freshest juice at these weddings would have been served first. But the bridegroom marveled that his host had saved the newest, best juice, or wine, till last, not knowing that the juice was previously water just a few moments before. Bible Verses: John 2:1-11 How did this sign of God’s power help the disciples know who they were following? Monday: The Second Sign in Galilee Another miracle or sign for the disciples that pointed to Jesus’ identity happened when a nobleman’s son was healed. A nobleman in Cana heard that Jesus from Judea was there and approached Him, asking for his seriously-ill son to be healed. Jesus, without even seeing the boy, told the worried father that he would be well. When the father got home, he found it to be so. His son’s fever had left the day before, at the same hour Jesus had declared him well. This “long-distance” healing was done quietly, but it showed dramatically the extreme power of the One the disciples had chosen to follow. It was noteworthy that Jesus had first said to the nobleman. “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” Instantly, the nobleman saw his own lack of faith and sensed that it might keep his son from getting well. He quickly opened up his heart and believed that Jesus could heal his son. The disciples must have been amazed that Jesus not only healed people so effortlessly, but He could also read their hearts and heal their broken spirits. Bible Verses: John 4:46-54 What connection might there be between this miracle and the one at the wedding, and why did John think they were both important? Since Satan can also perform supernatural “miracles”, what other criteria do we have of a miracle being from God? Tuesday: The Miracle at the Pool of Bethesda How it must have moved Jesus’ compassionate heart as He walked in the temple on the Sabbath and saw the many sufferers around the Pool of Bethesda. He knew that each of them had serious ailments. That’s why they were there–in hopes of getting in the Pool first when the waters stirred, so they might be healed. At least, that was the commonly-held belief at the time. Jesus, quietly approached one of the crowd gathered there, knowing that he had been lame a long time. Thirty-eight years, John tells us in John 5:5. It may have then seemed like an unusual question for Jesus to ask the pitiful man if he wanted to be healed. Of course, that’s why they were all there by the Pool. But in reply, the crippled The Teacher’s Notes–Signs That Point the Way, Lesson 1 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2024 4Q, “Themes in the Gospel of John”“>Read more…

They say “talk is cheap”–and actions are better. Recent events in my life, however, have focused my thinking around the topic of language and communication. Since the pandemic and the rise of technology, much of our talking is not verbal, but written. We often text and post on social media  and have discovered how easy it is to receive the wrong message from each other. Here’s some simple examples: I’ve had some health scares in the emergency room, and even the hospital lately. When I got home, some relatives texted me that they would be coming to my house for a visit at around 8:30. Did they mean morning, or 8:30 at night? Maybe it was even the next day. It was unclear and I really wanted to be ready for their arrival. Another amusing episode happened later that day. I had just been told that my daughter’s pastor might stop by and have prayer with me sometime that week. So, when I got a text message from someone who said he was Pastor Michael, I thought it was her pastor, who’s name is Mike. But, it turned out that my pastor, whose name is also Michael, had texted me from a different cell number that I didn’t have listed in my “contacts”, so I thought it was my daughter’s pastor who was coming at 2 o’clock. (P.S. There are several Adventist pastors in my hometown. Thankfully, only two Michaels!) Imagine my surprise when the wrong Michael showed up at my door at the specified time! It wasn’t until after Pastor Michael’s visit that I was able to unravel my mistake and find out where I had gotten off track in my texting and confused about which pastor was coming. Let’s remember these examples when it comes to our communication with others about God. It’s vital to be concise and accurate in our messaging. Especially when it comes to the Second Coming of Jesus. Although the Bible gives us signs to watch for, let’s be honest about not knowing precisely when or even how it will happen (Matthew 25:13). Only God knows the details. We only know the signs of it being near. We also must be careful about sending wrong signals about who is coming in the clouds with all His angels. (Don’t be fooled like I was about my pastors.) We may be setting people up to be misled by focusing on some other important personage rather than the Lord. We must keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone can save us from this sinful world (1 Timothy 6:15). Finally, we can take comfort and relax in our private prayer time with God. Our all-knowing Father understands us fully, even when all we can mutter are primitive groanings (Romans 8:26). Holding frequent conversations with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and hearing Him speak to us through the Bible (Revelation 1:3) are the best ways to develop our communication skills. When we stay close to God, He impresses us with just what to say, when to say it, and to whom it needs to be said (John 14:26). Thank you, Jesus!

Sabbath School Lesson for September 21-27, 2024 Overview of Lesson 13, The Risen Lord Memory Text: “But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him’ ” Mark 16:6 NKJV For the disciples, many confusing emotions were felt those last three days–from Jesus’ taking His last breath on the cross to the wonderful realization that their Lord had risen from the grave. There was intense grief and loss of hope at losing their Master, but also fear in what their fate was as His followers. Would they, too, be hunted down and punished for their association with Jesus? Then there was doubt and confusion, when reports came from the women that Jesus was not in the tomb where He’d been laid. At last, when Jesus appeared to them in the flesh, they were all alarmed, but later had great joy in discovering that perhaps all was not lost. As Jesus commissioned them to bring the gospel message that He was risen to the whole world, they were, no doubt, overwhelmed with their enormous task. But finally, happy in knowing more fully what the Messiah’s true mission was for humanity, the disciples proceeded to carry out His will and became faithful witnesses of the resurrection. Here are some of the discoveries found in Mark 16, the last chapter of his Gospel: Sunday: Rejoicing in the Resurrection–the timing of events was important Monday: The Stone Was Rolled Away–who did it? Tuesday: The Women at the Tomb–should we tell someone? Wednesday: Appearing to Mary and Others–unlikely witnesses Thursday: Go Into All the World–Jesus told them what they didn’t do, and what they should do Sunday: Rejoicing in the Resurrection It’s understood and accepted that Jesus died late on Friday. This was called the preparation day (from sunset Thursday to sunset Friday), the day Jews were to prepare for the Sabbath. Evidently, the disciples, as Jesus taught them, were observant of God’s rest day (Luke 23:56). His body would remain in the tomb until the day after Sabbath, in observance of God’s holy seventh day. Yes, even Jesus rested in the tomb during those sacred hours. There was great rejoicing in the resurrection that occurred on the first day, the day now known as Sunday. And rightly so. We still celebrate the resurrection with every baptism we participate in or observe (Colossians 2:12 and Romans 6:4). Rejoicing in Christ’s resurrection through baptism also reminds us to rejoice in our own resurrection at the Second Coming. Unfortunately, centuries later, Christians gradually transferred the sacredness of the Sabbath to the first day, Sunday, in celebration of the resurrection. But this transfer is found nowhere in the Scriptures. It became a human tradition that remains to this day. Sadly, we would not see as many evolutionists and atheists had we kept our eyes solely on our Creator by celebrating creation on Sabbath, as the Fourth Commandment invites us to do. Bible Verses to Explore: Mark 15:42-16:6 Although three full days hadn’t passed as we would count them today, how does biblical time reckoning indicate that Jesus had risen on the third day after His death? What were those three days? What relevance is there to the timing of Christ’s death and His resurrection, according to the prophets? Why is this important to the gospel story? Monday: The Stone Was Rolled Away We see how Jesus died and was buried in Mark 15. Then, Mark 16 tells how He was risen from the dead and seen by His followers. Anyone who believes in the creation of life by our Creator God should have no problem believing that God can resurrect us from the dead. He is a life-giving Lord, and perfectly capable of such miracles. This is one reason the Sabbath is so significant. It reminds us of our Creator’s power to create and re-create life. The claim that the disciples had stolen the body of Jesus does not work. The religious leaders had taken measures to prevent such a thing from happening by having Pilate put a guard around the tomb. Plus, there were multiple witnesses who saw Jesus alive. If these witnesses knew it was a lie, that it hadn’t really happened, would they later risk their lives proclaiming the story of the resurrection? We are left with the question that the women had when they arrived at the tomb. Who had rolled the stone away? It could only have been a miracle of God. Bible Verses to Explore: Mark 16:1-8 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 What similarities are there in the stories told by Mark and Paul? Tuesday: The Women at the Tomb Until the end of Jesus’ ministry, people were often told not to tell about His miracles. But, of course, word spread anyway and crowds followed Him everywhere. These requests of silence are thought to be so that Christ could carry out His three-and-a-half year ministry that prophecy had foretold, and not bring Himself to the attention of the nation’s leaders too soon. Daniel speaks of the Messiah being cut off in the middle of the week, (Daniel 9:25-27), indicating three-and-a-half days, or prophetic years would be allowed for His public ministry. The faithful women, who had stood and watched their Master die on the cross, were naturally the first ones who wanted to see that He was anointed properly after He was dead. Even if they had to do it alone, without their male counterparts, still in hiding. At first, even they were hesitant to tell about the empty grave, knowing that women were not viewed in that culture as credible witnesses. They soon overcame their fears and amazement, however, and fearlessly began to tell everyone what they had seen, just as the Lord later commissioned them to do. Bible Verses to Explore: Mark 16:1-8 What motivated the actions of the women in this narrative? Wednesday: Appearing to Mary and Others The The Teacher’s Notes–The Risen Lord, Lesson 13 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2024 3Q, “The Book of Mark”“>Read more…

Sabbath School Lesson for September 14-20, 2024 Overview of Lesson 12, Tried and Crucified Memory Text: “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is translated, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'” Mark 15:34 NKJV Mark 14 showed us many contrasts and conflicts between characters; but moving on to chapter 15, we also see many ironies woven into the Passion Narrative. The cruel mocking and treatment of Jesus during His trial was nothing compared to the separation with His Father that He felt as He spoke His last words about being forsaken. That’s the irony of sin. Even Jesus had trouble feeling God’s presence when held in its awful grip at Calvary. Other ironies in this chapter include: the ruling Sanhedrin council, His chosen ones, being the first to accuse, mistreat, and condemn the Lord Pontius Pilate, even though he found no fault in Jesus, still agreed to His execution compassionate Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Sanhedrin, requesting His body for a proper burial Here are other ironies in Mark 15: Sunday: “Are You the King of the Jews?”–Pilate, a pagan governor, wanted to release Jesus, while the Jewish leaders wanted Him killed. Monday: Hail, King of the Jews–Jesus was mocked for being the King of the Jews, when in reality, He was their King. Tuesday: The Crucifixion–Jesus did not save Himself from enduring the cross, in order to save the world from sin. Wednesday: Forsaken by God–Even though man plotted to change God’s will, it was God’s will that prevailed from beginning to end. Thursday: Laid to Rest–Jesus’ missing disciples were not the heroes of the story, but rather it was a member of the plotting religious council, who bravely stepped forward to ask for His body. Sunday: “Are You the King of the Jews?” The unfair trial of Jesus before the Jewish ruling council the night He was arrested resulted in a verdict of blasphemy, a crime worthy of death in their culture. In order for an execution to take place, however, He would have to be found guilty by Pilate, their Roman-appointed governor. Therefore, the charge was changed to sedition, or incitement to rebel against the ruling authority of Caesar. Pontius Pilate was unable to find that Jesus had committed any crime. In order to confirm his suspicions that the members of the Sanhedrin were just jealous of the influence of the humble itinerant preacher, he finally asked Jesus if He was indeed the King of the Jews. Jesus neither denied, nor affirmed it, but softly replied, “You have said so” (Mark 15:2 ESV). In reality, Jesus was both the Messiah and King of the Jews. But His was a kingdom of the heart. What a terrible irony it was that the pagan governor wanted to release Jesus, but His own people wanted to see His death, a horrible death by crucifixion. Bible Verses to Explore: Mark 15:1-5 and Isaiah 53:7 Why was Jesus silent during both of His trials? Mark 15:6-15 and Matthew 27:19, 24 Why did Pilate listen to the crowd, rather than do what he knew was morally right in this case? Monday: Hail, King of the Jews! It was customary for a cruel beating to be given to prisoners before their execution. A large number of soldiers, therefore, took Jesus off to the Praetorium to be whipped. But this severe treatment was followed by mocking cries of “Hail, King of the Jews!”, as they wrapped a purple robe around Him and put a crown of thorns on His head. This callous mockery was emotional torture for the Lord, on top of the intense physical suffering He had just endured. How ironic that He was being called King of the Jews when in fact, He was their King. He was not only King of the Jews, but King of the Roman soldiers who  mocked Him. The one gesture that may have been a concession for this miscarriage of justice was that the soldiers didn’t make Jesus carry the cross naked, which would have been the customary thing to do, and would have pleased the Jewish leaders who wanted Him crucified (Mark 15:20). Bible Verses to Explore: Mark 15:15-20 and Isaiah 53:4-6 How were Isaiah’s prophecies carried out by the Roman soldiers under Pilate? Who was Jesus, the Lamb of God, actually suffering for, and how might that have helped Him bear it? Tuesday: The Crucifixion Jesus was so beaten down after the soldiers’ mistreatment that they had to recruit a bystander to carry His cross to Golgotha, the site of execution. Simon from Cyrene (somewhere in north Africa) was chosen for this disagreeable task. Many of the details are spared us about the method of crucifixion, but history tells us that it was the cruelest form of execution at the time, or maybe even for any time in history. Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah received the most attention ever, due to the accusation posted above Him as He hung on the cross. The inscription read, “The King of the Jews”. The secret was out…He was indeed their King. It was the King of the Universe that caused the veil in the temple between the Holy and the Most Holy Place to be supernaturally torn from top to bottom (Mark 15:38). We all have access to God now, through the sacrifice of His dear Son. His will was not to spare His Son, but to save the world from sin. Bible Verses to Explore: Mark 15:21-26 Why do you think Jesus refused the wine, which might have been a narcotic to ease His pain? Mark 15:27-28 and Isaiah 53:12 How was Isaiah’s prophecy fulfilled with the two robbers being executed that day? Mark 15:29-32 Why was it blasphemy to taunt Jesus to come down from the cross, and what was the irony in this? Mark 15:33-38 and Isaiah 26:33 Why was this veil torn and why do we believe The Teacher’s Notes–Tried and Crucified, Lesson 12 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2024 3Q, “The Book of Mark”“>Read more…