Healing The Blind Man

                                                                   Sunday School Lesson
                                                                          April 29,2012
Lesson Focus:
Jesus power can change
blindness to sight
Lesson Scripture:
John 9:1-17

INTRODUCTION.  As serious as physical blindness is, there is nothing more serious than spiritual blindness.  In this week’s lesson, Jesus healed a man who had been blind since birth.  Jesus used this experience to teach an important lesson to His disciples and to all Israel: He is Israel’s Light as well as ours.

(vs. 1).Our text begins with “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.” After a lengthy conversation with the scribes and Pharisees that led to an attempted stoning of Jesus from which He escaped (see John 8:12-59), He and His disciples came across a man in Jerusalem who had been blind since birth.In essence, he was born blind.          

(vs. 2).At this point “his (Jesus’) disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?”The question on their minds was had this man suffered God’s judgment and was born blind as a result of his sin or by some sin committed by his parents?Their question was a bit odd because if the man was being punished for a sin he committed, he would have had to sin in his mother’s womb.That would be absurd!The disciples were merely repeating the teachings of their rabbis that a person’s suffering was always the result of specific sins on the part of him or his parents.Unfortunately many people feel this way today.

(vs. 3).  Jesus’ response to His disciples was “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”  We should take note of the first part of Jesus’ answer that “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents.  There are those who are quick to accuse anyone who is suffering from illness or adversity of being chastised or punished by God.  Sometimes bad things happen to people in the normal course of things, and are not the judgment of God.  It is true that God chastens for all sins, but not all suffering is the result of specific, personal sins.  The second part of Jesus’ answer “but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” gives us the reason why the man was born blind.  It was so that God could use His divine power to make the blind man an instrument by which God could glorify Himself (see John 11:4).

 (vs. 4).  Jesus continued to say, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”  A divine compulsion caused Jesus to focus on His Father’s work.  He said, “I must work the works of him that sent me.”The phrase “while it is day” refers to Jesus’ time on earth as He carried out His public ministry.  However, the time was coming when He would no longer be able to continue what He was doing.  Jesus called that coming time “night” referring to His crucifixion.  Note: Christians are stewards of the time God allots to us (see Ephesians 5:16).  We should use our time on earth wisely before the arrival of “night,” that is, the end of our earthly sojourn when we can do no more.

(vs. 5).Jesus concluded His response to His disciples by saying “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”The first phrase of this verse, “As long as I am in the world” indicates that the Jesus’ public ministry in the world would last only about three years.His words therefore, contained a note of urgency.He needed to act decisively, for He had limited time.Christians should have this same attitude as we shine for God in the world (see Matthew 5:14-16; Philippians 2:15).

(vs. 6).  At this point Jesus turned His attention to the blind man.  John wrote that “When he (Jesus) had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.”   After Jesus finished talking with His disciples, He spit on the ground and made clay and He put the mixture on the blind man’s eyes.

(vs. 7).  After applying the spit and dirt mixture to the blind man’s eyes, Jesus “said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.”   As in most, if not all the miracles of Jesus, the object of the miracle was required to demonstrate faith.  In the case of this blind man, he had to exercise faith by going to wash the mixture off his eyes “in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.)”   When he did, he came away with full sight.  This was a miracle that produced complete ability to see instantly.

(vs. 8).  When the former blind man returned home John says, “The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?”  Able to see for the first time in his life, the man returned to his neighborhood.  When the surprised local residents saw him, they began discussing whether or not this was really the man they had known as the blind beggar.  They asked among themselves, “Is not this he that sat and begged?”  In other words, someone asked, isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?  It appears that whoever asked this question was a bit confident that this was the same man.  However, there also appears to be some doubt, for the speaker was seeking confirmation.          

(vs. 9).  As the discussion about the man born blind continued among his neighbors, John tells us that “Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.”  In answer to the question in verse 8, someone declared, “This is he.”   Another neighbor challenged that opinion and stated that “He is like him” suggesting that this was not the same man but rather someone who merely looked like the man born blind.  Since miracles, then as now, were not common or expected, mistaken identity was the easiest way to explain what they saw.  Overhearing this conversation, the healed man decided to end the speculation and simply said, “I am he.”  The healed man assured his neighbors that he was indeed the man who had been blind.
(vs. 10).  Having settled the identity question, this verse says “Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?”  The neighbors wanted to know how someone who had never seen before could all of a sudden have normal eyesight prompting them to ask the once blind man, “How were thine eyes opened?”They wanted to know how he was now able to see.

(vs. 11).  The once blind man “answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.”  The man simply told them what had happened, even though he didn’t understand it himself.  He told them that a man named Jesus had made clay, put it on his eyes and told him to wash it off in the Pool of Siloam.  When he did this, his eyes were opened and he was able to see.

(vs. 12).  This verse says “Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.”  The neighbors wanted to know where this Jesus was.  The healed man could only answer, I don’t know.  He didn’t know where Jesus was because he returned to his own neighborhood immediately after the miracle.  He had no idea what Jesus looked like.  Jesus could’ve been standing right in front of him and the healed man would not have recognized Him.  It would be sometime later when Jesus would come to the healed man and reveal Himself as the One who gave him his sight (see John 9:35-38).            

(vs. 13).  John now tells us that “They (the neighbors) brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.”  Instead of rejoicing with the healed man over this miracle, the neighbors took him to the Pharisees.  No doubt they felt something as unusual as this required the insight of their highly respected religious leaders.

(vs. 14).  In this verse, John gives us a significant bit of information when it comes to the opposition of the Pharisees to Jesus.  John wrote “And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.”  The Pharisees had a very legalistic view of the Sabbath which caused them to oppose almost everything Jesus did on that day of the week.  It provided them with numerous excuses for condemning Jesus and His ministry.  Note: Jesus had come to fulfill the law and was not bound to it legalistically as the Pharisees were.  In fact, He had informed them that the Sabbath was made for man and not the other way around. He also told them that He was Lord of the Sabbath (see Mark 2:23-28).  For this reason, it was not an issue for Jesus to give this man his sight on the Sabbath, but it was an issue for the Pharisees.          

(vs. 15).  Now John writes, “Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.”  The Pharisees immediately wanted to hear for themselves how the healed man received his sight so they asked him “how he had received his sight.”  The healed man simply repeated for the second time that Jesus put clay upon his eyes, he washed it off, and was able to see.  

(vs. 16).  After the healed man repeated how he received his sight before the Pharisees, this verse says “Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.”  The Pharisees concluded that Jesus was not a man of God because “he keepeth not the sabbath day” meaning that Jesus didn’t keep it holy by not performing any work on that day.  Note: The Jewish Sabbath, Saturday, was the weekly holy day of rest.  The Pharisees had made a long list of what one could and could not do on the Sabbath.  Making clay and healing the blind man was considered work and therefore not allowed.  Jesus may have purposely made the clay in order to emphasize His teaching about the Sabbath---that it is right to care for others’ need even if it means working on a day of rest.  Since Jesus broke their petty rules, the Pharisees decided that He was not from God.  While some of the Pharisees considered Jesus to be a sinner, others wondered if he was a sinner, how could He do such miracles?  Of course this caused a division among the Pharisees.

(vs. 17).  Since the Pharisees couldn’t agree on who Jesus was, John says “They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.”  When the Pharisees asked the healed man for his opinion of Jesus, his conclusion was “He is a prophet.”  This man who had been blind from birth now had more insight into who Jesus was than Israel’s leaders.  It was because as the healed man would say later to the Pharisees, “Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25).  Since this man was open to the truth, Jesus later found him and he became a believer (see John 9:35-38).

                                        

CONCLUSION.  We can trust Jesus to shed light on our dark situations at any time today if we are willing to trust Him with our burdens and impossible predicaments.The blind man’s situation was something he had become accustomed to.  But when Jesus stepped in, it changed His life.  He not only received his sight because he was willing to believe and obey, but he also received Jesus for whom He truly is, the One sent from God.  We too need to see Jesus as the One who saves us from our darkness.  Indeed, He is the Light of the World!                       

          

  

Turning Life Around

                                                                    Sunday School Lesson
                                                                            April 22,2012
Lesson Focus:
Jesus invites everyone
to have eternal life
Lesson Scripture:
John 4:7-15,23-26,28-30

INTRODUCTION.  Do you remember the last time you were really thirsty?  You might have used some very strong statements like “I was desperate for water” or “I thought I would die.” Water is essential to physical life, it is required by all living beings, and without it we will die.Our lesson this week shows us the need for living water for our souls and how we can receive it from the Giver of life, Jesus Himself.What is more amazing is that it is given freely to undeserving people.Would you qualify?Let’s find out together.This week’s printed text begins with verse 7, but verse 4 specifically says of Jesus,“He must needs to go through Samaria.” It was common for Jews travelling from Judea to Galilee to cross the Jordan River and proceed north on the east side of the river in order to avoid going into Samaria, where the people were of a mixed race (Jewish and heathen) and considered by the Jews to be impure.For Jesus to feel the necessity to go through Samaria instead of around it was significant.  God knew that this Samaritan woman’s heart was ready to receive the truth and so He led His Son to the place where He would encounter the woman and have a wider ministry.

(vs. 7).  Verse 6 tells us that Jesus was tired from His journey from Jerusalem to Galilee and arrived at the well where He would meet this woman at “about the sixth hour.”Then in this verse John said, “There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.”  While Jesus rested on the well, a Samaritan woman came to draw water from the well.Jesus then began His conversation with her by asking her for a drink of water.  He had no vessel with which to draw water Himself and the well was deep, so He asked her for assistance.

(vs. 8).  John here tells us parenthetically where the disciples were at this time.  He wrote “(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)”  This statement will help us understand what this woman meant in the next verse when she told Jesus that “the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.”

(vs. 9).  In reply to Jesus’ request for a drink of water, “Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.”The woman was very surprised when she was suddenly spoken to by a Jewish man asking for water.  There were at least three reasons for her surprise:  (1) she was a Samaritan, a member of the hated mixed race, (2) she was living in sin (see verse 10), and (3) she was in a public place.Traditionally, no respectable Jewish man would talk to a woman under these circumstances, but Jesus did.  He crossed all barriers to share the gospels, and we who follow Him should do the same.In mentioning that“the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans,”the woman was referring to the fact that Jews never used the same untensils or vessels used by Samaritans.To a Jew, doing this would make them impure.The Jews had business dealings with the Samaritans because verse 8 tells us that after they arrived at the well, Jesus’disciples went into the city of Sychar to buy food.

(vs. 10). Jesus responded to the woman by saying to her, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” Jesus immediately explained to her that if she knew who He was and what He had to offer her, she would have asked Him and He would have given her “living water.” Of course Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit (see John 7:37-39). As the Son of God, Jesus could give her eternal life something she, at this time, knew nothing about.But Jesus introduced her to this truth in order to lead her into further conversation.  Jesus didn’t look down on her because of her status in life.  He loved her and made Himself available to her as He does to all of us. 

(vs. 11).The woman answered Jesus and said, “Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?”   She took Jesus’ comment literally, thinking only of literal water coming from a literal well.  But Jesus was speaking spiritually.  Note: This woman, of course, couldn’t understand what Jesus was really saying because she didn’t have the ability to understand spiritual truth.  In his letter to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote that “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 2:14).  Therefore, her response was understandable.  She could only think about how deep the well was and that Jesus had nothing to draw water with.

(vs. 12).Since the woman thought Jesus was talking about literal water and couldn’t see how Jesus could give her water when he had nothing to draw it with, she posed a logical question.  She asked Jesus, “Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?”  She wanted to know if Jesus was greater than Jacob who gave them the well.  Notice that she referred to Jacob as “our father Jacob.”  Even though the Jews and the Samaritans had great differences, they both claimed Jacob as one of their founding fathers.  The woman knew all about Jacob. She knew that he, his sons, and his livestock had drunk from that well.  She was about to learn about Someone much greater and personal than Jacob.

(vs. 13).Jesus’ response to the woman was “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again.”  Here, Jesus made it plain that He was talking about a different water than she was.  One was physical and the other spiritual.  Jesus indicated that anyone who drinks the water she was talking about “shall thirst again.”  In other words, the physical water could only satisfy thirst temporarily.Note: This is a good example of how the unsaved are not able to understand spiritual truth.  It is only through the enlightening ministry of the Holy Spirit that spiritual truth can be grasped; and until a person receives Jesus as personal Saviour, the Holy Spirit does not indwell him or her.

(vs. 14).Jesus continued to say, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”   Unlike the physical water the woman was talking about, Jesus said in contrast the water He would give was permanently satisfying.  The phrase “a well of water springing up into everlasting life” means that the one who drinks the spiritual water that Jesus gives can find satisfaction without end.  Once our eternal destination has been settled as a result of our faith in Jesus Christ, we have peace and assurance about the future that will never leave us. 

(vs. 15).Now the woman replies to Jesus and “saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.”  Her response to Jesus’ explanation indicates that she still didn’t understand what Jesus meant.  She was still thinking along physical lines.  Addressing Jesus as “Sir,” a term of politeness, she asked Him to give her that water, but her main reason for wanting it was so that she wouldn’t have to make daily trips to the well.  This is the meaning of her statement “give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.”  The woman mistakenly believed that if she received the water Jesus offered, she wouldn’t have to return to the well each day.  She was only interested in what Jesus was saying because she thought it could make her life easier.  But if what she though was true, people would accept Jesus’ message for the wrong reasons.  Christ didn’t come to take away challenges.He came to change us on the inside and to empower us to deal with problems from God’s perspective.  Note: The woman still didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about.  It takes time to accept something that changes the very foundations of your life.  Jesus gave the woman time to ask questions and put pieces together for herself.  Sharing the gospel won’t always have immediate results.  When you ask people to let Jesus change their lives, give them time to weigh the matter. 

(vs. 23).Since the woman changed the subject to where worship should take place, Jesus emphasized that what is really important is how and whom to worship.  Jesus said to the woman, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”  The Old Testament had given specific locations for worship, and there was a great deal of ritual and formality involved.  But when Jesus said, “But the hour cometh, and now is” He was saying that the Old Testament rituals and formalities was now coming to an end.  The Messiah had now come and was changing those things regarding worship right then.  Jesus said that going forward “true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.”  Jesus was saying that people need to worship God with the proper attitude in their own spirits and that their worship must be based on the truth revealed by God.  So, what do you do when you attend worship service?  Do you focus on God, exalting Him in your minds and seeking to offer Him heartfelt adoration and praise?  Or do you only think about the people and situations going on around you?

(vs. 24).  Jesus continued to say “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”  The fact that “God is a Spirit” means that He is not a physical being limited to one place.  He is present everywhere and can be worshipped anywhere and at anytime.  No, it’s not where we worship that matters, but who and how we worship.  Again, when one worships God in spirit and truth, he or she worships with the proper attitude in their own spirits and that worship is based on God’s revealed truth and on who He is.  Note: Too often we base our worship on what God has done for us.  However, that should not be the basis of our worship.  We should worship God because He is God.  If God never does another thing for us, He is still God and deserves worship for no other reason. 

(vs. 25).John then writes that “The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.”  The Samaritans accepted only the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), so they were looking for a messiah like Moses (see Deuteronomy 18:15-16).  She also knew that the coming Christ would “tell us all things.”  The things He would explain to the Samaritans included things related to life, worship, and anything else that mattered to them.

(vs. 26). Jesus then “saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.”  For the first time in His ministry, Jesus openly declared that He was the Messiah, the Christ.  However, He would not tell the Jews yet because of the possibility of trouble.  But this woman was no threat to Jesus so He felt free to let her know who He was. 

(vs. 28).  After Jesus revealed Himself to the Samaritan woman, John tells us in verse 27 that the disciples returned and were surprised to see Him talking to the woman, but none of them asked Him why.  At this point John says, “The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men.”  She was so excited that she left her waterpot behind and rushed into the city to tell others what had happened.  John says that the woman went into the city and “saith to the men.”  This does not mean that she spoke to only men because the word for “men” here is “anthropois” which means humans.                              

(vs. 29).When she arrived in the city, she told the people of Sychar to “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” The woman was asking a rhetorical question for she knew this had to be the Messiah because He was able to tell her all about herself.As far as she was concerned, anyone who knew all about her past had to be someone extraordinary.She appealed to the people to come and hear what Jesus had to say.          

(vs. 30).In this verse John says, “Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.”Many people came to see and hear Jesus on the basis of what they heard and saw in this woman.  Witnessing begins at home (see Acts 1:8) and with those we know.They are the ones who will notice a change in us when we come to Christ. Note: It seems obvious that this woman became a believer after Jesus revealed Himself as the Messiah. He had offered her living water, and she received it and experienced new life within herself.  People could no doubt see in her countenance that she was a changed woman.  

Conclusion. When we discover the Messiah for ourselves, we must tell others about Him.  That’s what the Samaritan woman did.  Jesus gave her new life, even though neither she nor anyone else deserves it.  So it can be with each of us.  We too experience new life in Jesus when we recognize that He is the Messiah.  He gives us the water of life freely for the asking, to all who come to Him in faith.                          

                   

          

Cleansing The Temple

                                                                    Sunday School Lesson
                                                                          April 15,2012
Lesson Focus:
Keep Jesus the
Focus of worship
Lesson Scripture:
John 2:13-22

INTRODUCTION.  This week we begin the second unit of lessons entitled “The Word is Here and Now.” During this unit of study, we will look at three aspects of Jesus’ historical ministry with spiritual application for today.This week we focus on how Jesus cleansed the temple at Jerusalem.We will see that it is important to revere the house of God. 

(vs. 13).  Last week’s lesson ended with Jesus, his mother, brothers and His disciples leaving Cana of Galilee and going to Capernaum where they had a short stay.  This week’s lesson text tells us why they weren’t there very long.  John says in this verse “And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”  It was time for the Passover, so Jesus traveled to Jerusalem to observe that feast.  This verse also says “and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”  The Scriptures always refer to going to Jerusalem as going “up.”  Jerusalem was the home of the temple and sat on a hill.  Regardless of which direction one was coming from, it was always said that people “went up to Jerusalem.”  Jesus went to Jerusalem to observe the Passover as Jews faithful to God’s Word endeavored to do.

(vs. 14).  Next John says “And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting.”  This was Jesus’ first Passover since He began His ministry and upon reaching the temple in Jerusalem He found that businesses had been set up in the temple court.  Although John says that they were “in the temple” they were not inside the building, but in the outside courtyard known as the Court of the Gentiles.  The areas closest to the temple were reserved for Jews to worship, but outside of those areas Gentiles were allowed.  The temple court was considered part of the temple and was not for business.  Jesus found people selling “oxen and sheep and doves.”  Since many Jewish men had to travel great distances to get to Jerusalem, it was very difficult to bring the proper animals that were to be sacrificed during the Passover.  So there was a need for a market where animals could be purchased to offer as sacrifices.  Jesus also found “the changers of money sitting.”  These were booths set up to exchange foreign money for currency that could be used for paying the temple taxes.  Those who came from far-off places probably used Roman coins with Caesar’s image, which could not be accepted at the temple so it needed to be changed into Jewish currency.

(vs. 15).  Infuriated by what He saw, Jesus took immediate action.  John said “And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables.”   Jesus made a whip out of ropes, the meaning of “he had made a scourge of small cords.”   Using the whip, Jesus drove out the animals and those who sold them.  He also dumped the money changers’ money out on the floor and turned over their tables with everything that was on them.  Jesus didn’t lose His temper (see Proverbs 29:22; Ecclesiastes 7:9; Ephesians 4:26).  Yes, He was angry, but His anger was completely under control.  There is a difference between uncontrolled rage and righteous indignation, yet both are called anger.  We must be very careful how we use the powerful emotion of anger.  It is right to be angry about injustice and sin.  It is wrong to be angry over trivial.

 (vs. 16).  Jesus then “said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.”   It appears that Jesus spoke directly to those selling the doves and commanded them to remove their goods and not turn His Father’s house into a “house of merchandise” or a marketplace.  We can understand Jesus’ anger when we see how worship had been replaced with greed.  Does that sound familiar to us today?  The commercialism of these businesses had not only destroyed the possible atmosphere for worship for the Gentiles, but also turned the temple into a money-making operation.  They had either forgotten or didn’t care that God’s house is a place of worship not a place for making a profit (see Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17).  Our attitude toward the church is wrong if we see it as a place for personal contacts or business advantage.  It would be wise for each of us to examine our own worship habits. Make sure you attend church to worship God.

(vs. 17) John now tells us that “his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”  Jesus’ display of emotion had a positive effect on His disciples because they were reminded of an Old Testament Scripture, Psalm 69:9 that spoke of the Messiah: “For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.”  This quotation was believed to refer to both the psalmist and the coming Messiah.  Jesus used this scripture to show how His incredible zeal for God and for the purity of worship would endanger His life.  This is what is meant by “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. " 

(vs. 18).  This verse says, “Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?”  The Jews referred to here were probably members of the Sanhedrin Council, the Jewish ruling body.  The Jewish leaders were the ones who constantly opposed Jesus, not the people.  These Jewish leaders quickly asked Jesus to show them a sign that would prove He had the authority to clear the temple.  The Messiah would have that authority, so these leaders were really asking Jesus to prove that He was the Messiah, if He was.

 (vs. 19).  Here John writes, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”   The proof that Jesus offered to show that He had the power and authority to cleanse the temple, was His coming death and resurrection.  When Jesus spoke of destroying this temple, He was not talking about the actual building; He was talking about His own body.  However, the Jews’ next response indicated that they didn’t understand what Jesus meant.     

(vs. 20).  This verse says “Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?”  Undoubtedly the Jewish leaders took Jesus’ statement literally.  Their argument was that since the current temple had been under construction for forty-six years, it was ridiculous for Jesus to think that He could rebuild it in just three days.

(vs. 21).  Here John writes, “But he spake of the temple of his body.”  What the Jewish leaders didn’t understand was that Jesus was not talking about rebuilding the literal temple building; He was talking about raising His own body.  Jesus’ statement was a prediction about His resurrection.          

(John 2:22).  John concludes our lesson by saying “When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.”  Even His disciples who spent their entire time with Jesus for over three years didn’t understand quickly some of the truths that Jesus taught them.  It was not until after Jesus’ resurrection that the disciples understood “the word which Jesus had said” referring to destroying the temple and rebuilding it in three days.  At that time they remembered what Jesus said and it all made sense to them.  The phrase “and they believed the scripture” means that after Jesus’ resurrection, His disciples believed and understood all the Old Testament Scriptures that referred to the Messiah’s death and resurrection.

Conclusion.  Things are different today from Jesus’ day.  We don’t have a centralized location like the temple for everyone to worship. However, there is a lack of reverential atmosphere for worship in some churches and that is sad.  Some places of worship have become little more than places offering entertainment.  We don’t need any further sign to validate Jesus’ claims about Himself.  He has already overcome death.  He has the power to cleanse the temple, and He offers to clean up our lives if we will turn to Him.  The Bible tells us that the believer’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, the house of God (see I Corinthians 6:19).  We are called to keep it clean and fit for a holy God.  Remember, the world says it will believe if God will give it a sign, but God wants to see faith instead. 

     

The Dawn Of A New Day

                                                         Sunday School Lesson
                                                                April 8,2012
Lesson Focus:
The word Lives On
Lesson Scripture:
John 20:1-10,19-20


INTRODUCTION.  The bodily resurrection of Christ is one thing that sets Christianity apart from the religions of the world. His resurrection also gives His followers assurance of forgiveness and of their own future resurrection.  So important is the resurrection to the Christian faith that Paul said, “If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (see I Corinthians 15:17).  All over the world this Sunday, Christians are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  In this week’s lesson we will take a look at the details of that first Resurrection Sunday.                                  

(John 20:1).  John begins our lesson by saying “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.”  Only Mary Magdalene is mentioned here, but Joanna, Mary, the mother of James, and other women are included in Luke’s account (see Luke 24:1, 10).  Mark in his gospel included Salome, the wife of Zebedee and mother of James and John (see Mark 16:1).  All these women came to the sepulcher “early, when it was yet dark” on “The first day of the week.”  Note: We don’t know for sure why John only mentions Mary Magdelene out of whom Jesus cast out seven demons (see Luke 8:2).  It may be because she was the first person to see Jesus after His resurrection and John is the only gospel writer who gives the details of the conversation she had with Jesus at that time.  It was now Sunday morning, the first day of the week “when it was yet dark” or just before dawn, and these women had come to Jesus’ tomb with the intention of anointing Jesus’ body with the proper burial spices (see Luke 24:1).  They may have wanted to complete the anointing process that they thought was not finished.  Jesus had to be buried before evening on the Passover which began at evening (see John 19:38-42).  In addition, the law stated that anyone hanged on a tree had to be buried before evening (see Deuteronomy 21:22-23; John 19:31).  When the women arrived at the tomb they “seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.”  The stone that was placed over Jesus tomb had been rolled away.  Matthew’s account tells us that an angel descended from heaven and rolled the stone away from the door of the tomb.            

(vs. 2).  It appears that Mary Magdelene was the first of the women to get to the tomb and John says, “Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the LORD out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.”   The Bible does not tell us whether Mary Magdalene looked into the tomb or not.  What we are told is that once she saw the stone was moved away she ran back and found Simon Peter and “the other disciple, whom Jesus loved.”  This disciple was the Apostle John himself. Throughout his gospel he refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”  Mary Magdalene told them that someone had moved the Lord’s body but she didn’t know where to.  In the meantime, the other women reached the tomb, entered it and found Jesus’ body gone, and two angels who announced His resurrection (see Luke 24:4-7).  These women also hurried off to report these things to the disciples (see Luke 24:9-10), who didn’t believe them and considered their words “as idle tales” (see Luke 24:11).  When the women reported that Jesus’ body was missing, the disciples never seemed to consider the possibility of a resurrection even though Jesus had told them about it numerous times (see Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:17-19).          

(vs. 3).  When Mary Magdalene told Peter and John what had happened, this verse says “Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.”  Both Peter and John, “that other disciple” ran to Jesus’ tomb.    

(vs. 4).  Then John writes “So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.”  Both Peter and John left for the sepulcher, or tomb together, but John outran Peter and arrived first.  It is widely accepted by most scholars that John was younger than Peter, therefore making him faster.                    

(vs. 5).  John reached the tomb first “And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.”  As soon as John reached the tomb, he didn’t enter the tomb immediately, but he did stoop down to look inside.  The linen clothes caught John’s eye lying where Jesus’ body should’ve been. The linen clothes were used to wrap Jesus before His burial (see John 19:40).  They were supplied by Joseph of Arimathaea along with the spices brought by Nicodemus.  They both assisted in the burial of Jesus (see John 19:38-40; Mark 15:46).  The phrase “saw the linen clothes lying” indicate that linen grave-clothes were laying there looking like Jesus just simply passed through them!  This was evidence that the body was not stolen. No thief or person moving the body would take the time to unwrap it.

(Vs.6). Next John writes that “Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie.”  When Peter arrived at the tomb, he walked right inside, without giving the matter a second thought.  Peter saw the same thing that John saw.  There were the linen clothes lying neatly with no body in them.          

(vs. 7).  Here John gives us the details of exactly what he and Peter saw.  He said “And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.”  Peter noticed the “napkin” or piece of cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head.  It wasn’t lying with the linen clothes used to wrap Jesus’ body.  The head “napkin” was folded neatly and laid in a place by itself.  All of this was obvious proof that Jesus had risen from the dead.  The body wrappings were lying where they would be if Jesus was still in them.  It looked as if Jesus’ body slipped right out of the clothes.  The linen strips had not been cut or ripped in any way.  Everything was exactly as it was, except that the body of Jesus was not there. There was every indication of orderliness and not a trace of thievery.     

( vs.8). At this point John says about himself “Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.”  John decided to go into the sepulcher as well.  He “saw, and believed.”  In other words what he saw led him to believe.  The same thing is not said of Peter at this time.  In fact, Luke 24:12 reports that Peter “departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.”  Peter may have been quick to rush into the tomb, but John was quicker to believe.  When John saw the whole scene, he finally understood what Jesus had said about the resurrection.  As he looked upon the empty tomb he believed.

(vs. 9).  If we are wondering why it took so long for these men to believe that Christ had risen from the dead, John tells us why in this verse. He wrote “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.”  Yes Jesus had told them more than once that He would be killed and rise again on the third day (see Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:17-19).  But our text says, “they knew not the scripture.”  No doubt John was referring to Old Testament Scriptures.  Passages such as Psalm 2:7 compared with Acts 13:33, Psalm 16:10 compared with Acts 2;24-27 and 13:35, and Psalm 110:1, 4 compared with Hebrews 6:20 should come to the Christian’s mind now.  Note: John believed on the basis of the evidence in the empty tomb, and then the truth of Scripture brought confirming evidence.  The truth is that we ought to believe the Scriptures on their own testimony first.  Then whatever external evidence there may be should serve to confirm our faith.

(vs. 10).  In this verse John said, “Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.”  After they gazed for a while in utter amazement, Peter and John turned and went home.  One can’t help but wonder what Peter and John said and did as they went home.  However, Luke gives us a bit of information on this.  His account says that when they got back from the sepulcher, they reported that they had found it empty as the women had said.  They also told the other disciples that they did not see Jesus (see Luke 24:24).           

(vs. 19).  Moving to this verse, John wrote “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.”   That same Sunday “at evening” Jesus appeared to the disciples as they met behind closed doors “for fear of the Jews.”  The disciples were afraid that the Jewish leaders would take some action against them now that Jesus was dead.  Suddenly “Jesus stood in the midst.”  His resurrection body was not subject to the limitations of His previous body.  Even the shut or locked doors couldn’t keep Jesus out.  His disciples were all afraid, but Jesus said to them “Peace be unto you.”   The risen Lord quickly set them at ease.

(vs. 20).  John here says that after Jesus settled their fears, “he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the LORD.”  So that there would be no doubt from that moment on, the Saviour showed His disciples his hands and his side.  No wonder they were “glad, when they saw the LORD.”  Note: Luke 24:37 says that the disciples at first thought that they were seeing a ghost or spirit when Jesus appeared.  Jesus carefully showed them that He was there in a real body of flesh and bones.  He showed them places where He had been wounded so that they would be sure of His identity.

Conclusion.  The empty tomb is historical evidence that Jesus lives.  To the faithful it produces joy.  We rejoice because Jesus is alive today.  He is our living Word.  When we truly grasp the truth about the living Word of God, our lives are transformed and freed from anxiety and fear.  The event of the resurrection changes everything for us.

Embrace the Truth

                                                                   Sunday School Lesson
                                                                          April 1, 2012
Lesson Focus:
Everyone who listens to
Jesus knows the truth.
Lesson Scripture:
John 18:28-38

INTRODUCTION.  In a world dominated by Satan, who himself was a liar and the father of lies (see John 8:44), there was and is a great need for truth.  Among other reasons, Christ came into the world to testify to the truth.  Such a commodity was lacking at the trials of Jesus, when He who knew no sin was falsely condemned and then taken to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Before His civil trial before Pilate, Jesus faced three religious trials before the Jewish leadership.  He was first taken to Annas, who was the former high priest (see John 18:12-13).  However, he was very powerful and actually ran the show among the religious leaders.  The second religious trial was an appearance before Caiaphas, who was the current high priest (see Matthew 26:57-68; Luke 22:54-62).  Even though many of the scribes and elders of the Sanhedrin Council were there, a third trial was held before the full Sanhedrin as daylight approached (see Luke 22:66-71).  Except for the third trial, the other two were illegal.  The Sanhedrin Council quickly drummed up a verdict condemning Jesus of blasphemy because He claimed to be the Son of God.They actually reached the verdict during the night (see Matthew26:57,62-66;27:1)but announced it at dawn in order to make it look like a legal trial and verdict.          

(John 18:28).  Since any execution had to be approved by the Romans, following Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin, the text says “Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.”In order to get the approval to put Jesus to death, the people took Jesus to “the hall of judgement” which was Pilate’s residence and headquarters.  It was also called the “Praetorium” (see (Mark 15:15-16).We are told that “it was early.”The Jewish Passover was that evening, so the Jewish leaders wanted Jesus to be killed before the Passover began.John also added that “they (the Jewish leaders) themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.”These Jewish leaders who wanted Pilate to put Jesus to death refused to go into the “judgment hall” to keep from defiling themselves and not being able to eat the Passover meal.To be unclean meant that these men would have to refrain from worship and participation in any Jewish feasts until they were cleansed by the proper procedures stated in the law.       

(vs. 29).  This verse says “Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?”Since the Jewish leaders refused to enter the judgment hall, Pilate went out to them.  Roman law stated that no trial could be conducted unless specific charges were brought against the defendant.Therefore Pilate asked the Jews “What accusation bring ye against this man?”Pilate wanted to know what charges were being brought against Jesus.            

(vs. 30).  The Jewish leaders in this verse responded to Pilate: “They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.”Realizing that they didn’t have any charges that would stand up in a Roman trial, the Jews tried to evade the question by calling Jesus “a malefactor.”  This was a general term for a criminal.The Sanhedrin had condemned Jesus with a charge of blasphemy but that wouldn’t matter in Roman law and the Jews knew that.So they simply said that if Jesus wasn’t a criminal they wouldn’t have brought him before Pilate. No doubt they originally thought Pilate would be on their side, but since he asked for a formal accusation they found themselves in a difficult position.                   

(vs. 31).  Pilate’s reply to the Jews was “Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.” Pilate no doubt knew that this case was going to be trouble for him so he tried to remove himself from it by commanding the Jews to “judge him according to your law.”The charges being brought against Jesus were religious in nature not civil, so Pilate tried to put the ball back in the Jews’ court.The Jews quickly put the case back into Pilate’s lap when they said,“It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.”They reminded Pilate that they didn’t have the legal authority to put a man to death.Now Pilate was faced with a major decision, because as the Roman governor of Judea, he was the only one who could give the order for an execution.             

(vs. 32).  John now states that all this was done so that the “saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.”  John was saying that since only the Roman governor could order an execution, this would lead to the fulfillment of Jesus’ “saying” or words given in Matthew 20:19: “And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.”   This verse could also refer to other Scriptures that prophesied Jesus would die by crucifixion.  In other verses, Jesus spoke about His death as being lifted up (see John 3:14: 8:28; 18:32).  The only method of execution that lifted a person up was crucifixion.  The Jews’ method of execution traditionally was stoning.The Roman method was crucifixion. 

(vs. 33).  After the Jews advised Pilate that they didn’t have the authority to put anyone to death, John then writes, “Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?”  In Luke’s account, we are told that when the Jews brought Jesus before Pilate, they said that Jesus was against paying tribute to Caesar and also that He was Christ, a King (see Luke 23:1-2).  No doubt, the Jews realized that accusing Jesus of being a King would be seen by the Romans as treason and a threat to their empire, thus forcing Pilate’s hand to sentence Jesus to death.  After meeting with the crowd, Pilate went back into the judgment hall and asked Jesus, “Art thou the King of the Jews?”  Pilate needed to get to the truth about the claim to be king just in case there was some kind of threat to Rome involved.          

(vs. 34).  In Matthew’s account Jesus gives an answer that John does not include. Matthew 27:11 says that Jesus’ first reply to Pilate was “Thou sayest” which meant “Yes, it is as you say.”  Then according to John, Jesus answered Pilate’s original question “Art thou the King of the Jews” with “Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?”  Jesus was asking Pilate if that was his own idea or did someone else give it to him, like the Jews leaders.     

(vs. 35).  Pilate responded to Jesus’ question with a question, maybe in an attempt to be sarcastic.  “Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?”  By answering “Am I a Jew?” Pilate was implying that since he was not a Jew he had no idea why all of this was happening to Jesus.But he did point out that he wasn’t the one who arrested Jesus but “Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me.”  Pilate made it plain that Jesus’ own people brought Him before the governor.  Since Pilate was not a Jew and really wasn’t sure why Jesus was brought before him, He asked Jesus “what hast thou done?”  If there was any problem that would endanger Roman rule Pilate needed to know about it.  He wanted to find out the truth about what was going on.          

(vs. 36).  When Pilate asked Jesus what had he done to be brought before him “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”  By saying “My kingdom is not of this world” Jesus was admitting to being a king, but He was also letting Pilate know that He was not a political threat to Rome.  Jesus went on to say that if His kingdom was merely an earthly kingdom like the Roman Empire, all those who serve Him (including His disciples) would fight to keep Him from being arrested by the Jewish religious leaders.  Then Jesus said, “but now is my kingdom not from hence.”  Jesus was saying that His servants hadn’t come to His defense because His kingdom was not an earthly kingdom. 

(John 18:37).  In response to Jesus’ answer about His kingdom, “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”  Pilate made another attempt to get to the bottom of the problem of this trial and directly asked Jesus again, “Art thou a king then?”  Jesus then affirmed it by saying “Thou sayest that I am a king” and went on to clarify His calling.  Jesus declared that He was born into this world to “bear witness unto the truth” or to bring us the truth of God.  Only those who are “of the truth” or on the side of truth will hear and understand what Jesus was saying.  Note: Spiritual truth cannot be understood by those who are not part of God’s family.  Spiritual truth can only be understood by those who are born again and walk under the Spirit’s guidance.  Even some immature Christians cannot grasp the deeper truths of God’s teachings (see I Corinthians 3:1-4). Therefore, it should be the practice of every believer to continually grow in spiritual understanding. It’s interesting that Pilate ended His questioning of Jesus with the cynical remark “what is truth?”  Unfortunately he didn’t wait for an answer, even though the answer was standing right in front of him (see John 14:6).              

                          
IV. Conclusion.  People who want to know the real truth will follow the truth as expressed in Jesus.  This week’s lesson has taught us that Jesus is the truth of God and that He bore witness to that truth.  Our response should be to receive this truth that has come from God.