The Way,The Truth,and The Life

                                                                    Sunday School Lesson
                                                                          May 27, 2012
Lesson Focus:
Jesus is the only
way to the Father
Lesson Scripture:
John 14:1-14

INTRODUCTION.  It has been said that all roads lead to Rome.  What may have been true about Rome is not true about God.  Though some people would like to believe that God can be accessed by various means, the clear teaching of the Bible is that Jesus provides the only way to God.  In this week’s lesson, Jesus teaches that He is the one and only Way, Truth and Life.  He alone provides access to the Father in heaven.

(vs. 1).Just after Jesus predicted that before the rooster crowed Peter would deny Him three times (see John 13: 37-38),He gave words of comfort and encouragement to His disciples.Jesus Said “Let not your heart be troubled:ye believe in God, believe also in me.”Just when they needed it the most Jesus brought words of comfort to His distraught disciples. He had just told them that He would be betrayed and would leave them (see John 13:21, 36).He then said,"ye believe in God, believe also in me.”Jesus wanted them to show the same faith in Him that they had in God.But on what basis could Jesus make such a demand?  He could because He is God.  To exercise faith in the Son is the same as faith in the Father.Jesus was clearly claiming equality with God.This was not the first time that Jesus had made faith in Him equal to faith in the Father (see John 12:44-45).

(vs. 2).One of the specific things that Jesus said the disciples were to believe was that “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”Jesus explained to His disciples that there were many “mansions” or dwelling places in His Father’s house and He was going there ahead of them to get some ready for them.The phrase “to prepare a place” refers to a specific location.Heaven is a real place, and all believers will have a residence there in which we will dwell forever.Jesus also assured His disciples that this was the truth by stating “if it were not so, I would have told you.”Jesus assured them that if things were any different than what He had told them, He would have given them the entire truth.Since He was about to tell them that He was the truth, anything He says will be true.We can rest assured that heaven is there for every believer.

(vs. 3).  Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that His going away was ultimately going to benefit them.  Jesus said “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”  He was going away to prepare a place for them and then come back and receive them to Himself so that they could be with Him again.  The phrase “I will come again, and receive you unto myself” refers to the rapture when Christ will return and call all believers to Himself and give them the joy of being with Him and His Father forever (see I Corinthians 15:51-54; I Thessalonians 4:13-18).

(vs. 4).Jesus continued to say to His disciples “And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.”  By this statement Jesus was saying that the disciples knew where He was going, and the way that He was providing for them to go to the same destination, heaven.He had been instructing them throughout His ministry,but much like us, the disciples were slow to learn.Many times Jesus had told them of His certain death (see Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23.However, they did not at that time understand what Jesus meant.

(vs. 5).At this point, our friend Thomas interrupted, pleaded ignorance, and posed the question “Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?”Apparently speaking for the group, Thomas was voicing the confusion that existed in all their minds.In essence he said that they didn’t know where Jesus was going nor did they know how to follow Him to wherever He was going. The disciples had heard what Jesus said about His death and resurrection but they failed to understand it.Note: Jesus’ disciples expected Jesus to establish His kingdom on earth.They had been sent out to preach that the kingdom of heaven was at hand.Now that Jesus was going away, they didn’t know what was going to happen.No wonder they all felt as though they didn’t know what they once thought they understood.          

(vs. 6).Jesus didn’t rebuke Thomas for his lack of understanding, but instead made a straightforward statement about how to get to heaven.“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”Jesus’ statement revealed that He was not talking about going to another place on earth.Instead, He was going to His heavenly Father and the place where He dwelt.  Jesus revealed four truths about Himself in this verse.

  a. First Jesus said “I am the way.” In other words He was the only way to get to the Father and to where He was: heaven.  There is no other “way” or avenue for people to get to heaven. One must go through Jesus, “the way.”This exclusive teaching has caused much criticism among those who want to believe otherwise.

  b. Second, Jesus said “I am the truth.”As God in the flesh, Jesus can be none other than Truth.He spoke words the Father gave Him to speak, and no one who knew Him ever heard Him lie.Jesus told the truth because He was and is God, and God cannot lie (see Hebrews 6:18).

  c. Third, Jesus said “I am the life.”Since Jesus has life in Himself, He also gives life to whom He wills (see John 14:19; 17:2-3).The truth that there is new life in Jesus can be testified to over and over again by experience and observation.We can look at others and marvel at the change Jesus has made since that person received Christ into his or her life.We can even see it in our own lives.

  d. Fourth, Jesus said “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”The Lord told it like it is---there is no other way to heaven than by faith in Him.This allows no room for alternate religions.Not all roads lead to Rome, nor do all faiths lead to heaven.It is right and proper for Christians to evangelize those who are not of the Christian faith for there is simply no other way.If there was another way, Jesus would not have had to die.If there was another way, He would not have told us to be His witnesses in all the world.If there is some other way, Jesus would then be only “a” way, not “the” way.  He would also be a liar.Liars cannot save themselves, let alone save others.

(vs. 7).  Continuing His response to Thomas, Jesus said “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.”  Jesus’ statement “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also” does not mean that the disciples didn’t know Him at all.  They knew Him as the Messiah and accepted Him as such, but they didn’t fully understand Him or His relationship with His Father.  In this rebuke, Jesus was saying that by now the disciples should know Him well enough to know the Father also.  Jesus then said, “and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.”  From that point on, Jesus said, not only would they know God but would also see Him through Jesus.  Christ was saying that He and the Father are the same.  Jesus had previously claimed to be a manifestation of the Father when He said, “He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on Him that sent me.  And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me” (John 12:44-45).  Later John would write “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same does not have the Father” (I John 2:23).  Thus Scripture is consistent in proclaiming that Jesus, the Son of God was a visible manifestation of God.

(vs. 8).The fact that the disciples were still lacking in their understanding of Jesus and His Father is blatantly evident in Philip’s request to Jesus.His request was to the point:“Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.”Philip was still not satisfied with what Jesus had already said regarding His relationship with the Father.We have to wonder what else did he need to see.  Philip said that he and the other disciples would only be content if Jesus would provide a theophany, a visible manisfestation of God, such as what had occurred in the Old Testament (see Exodus 24:10-11; 33:18-34:9).Oh, the marvelous patience of the Master!Had Philip only known it was the pre-incarnate Christ who had appeared in the Old Testament theophanies (see I Corinthians 10:4, 9). 

(vs. 9).  Jesus responded to Philip’s request to show them the Father with “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?”  In this question to Philip, Jesus was saying, “I have been with you this long and yet you have not learned to recognize who I really am and that the Father is in me?  You still ask me to show you the Father?”  Jesus’ actions toward people revealed the same concern and care that God has for them.  The attitudes Jesus displayed showed the love that God feels for people.  So once again, Jesus explained that “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”  In other words, anyone who had seen Him had already seen the Father.  There was no reason for them to make the request to “Show us the Father” because that’s what He had already been doing. 

(vs. 10).Jesus continued to say to Philip,“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”Jesus was asking Philip if he believed the relationship He and the Father had. This is what Jesus meant by“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?”  Christ then said that both the words He spoke and the works He did revealed that the Father was in Him.In fact, the words He spoke and the works He did were not really His alone, they were the words and works of the Father Himself.  Note: The fact remains today: what we see in Jesus determines how much we know about the Father.  It is good to study the various academic divisions of theology.  This is why we study both theology (the doctrine of God) and Christology (the doctrine of Christ).  However, if a person is not able to get a Bible college or seminary education in which these doctrines are dealt with extensively, he can learn a great deal about both God the Father and Jesus His Son by spending much time in the Gospels.  Jesus reveals or shows us God.

(vs. 11).  Jesus goes on to say to Philip and the other disciples “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.”  This is a clear statement from Jesus that He and His Father exist in each other.  For sure, our limited minds find it difficult to understand this bit of theology.  With man a mutual indwelling is not possible, but with God it is.  The concept of the tri-unity of God is beyond our comprehension. 

Jesus also told His disciples that if they didn’t believe His words, they should believe Him as a result of the works He had done.  His works spoke loudly confirming that He and the Father were one.

 (vs, 12).Jesus then said “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”In other words, Jesus assured His disciples that anyone who believes in Him will do the works that He did, and in fact they would do even greater works than Jesus did because He was soon going to be with His Father.But how can we do greater works than Jesus since He is God?This probably refers to the fact that Jesus’ ministry would only last about three and a half years and was limited to the land of Palestine.On the other hand, His followers would minister to many nations of the world.They would teach many more people and be instrumental in establishing churches that reached even further into local communities.  Note: Jesus spent time and effort training the disciples, who then branched out to reach many others.  This is what we should do after being taught by our pastors and teachers.

 (vs. 13).Jesus was soon going to His Father, as the last part of verse 12 says.When He did, He would send the Holy Spirit to enable His servants in their ministries (see John 14:16-17; 16:7-14).Jesus also left His servants with the privilege of prayer.He said “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”Jesus assured His disciples that He would do anything they requested in His name.This statement as well as the one in the next verse gives one the impression that we can ask for and receive anything we desire.Looking at Jesus’ statements this way has caused many to be disillusioned.But when Jesus responds to our prayers that are in His will, His answers will bring glory to the Father through the Son.

 (vs. 14). In our final verse,Jesus basically repeated what He said about prayer in the previous verse.  Here He said “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”Praying in the name of Jesus was not meant to be some sort of magical formula.  It means asking according to His will.John later wrote, “and this is the confidence that we have in him,that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petition that we desired of him” (I John 5:14-15).Does this promise of answered prayer apply to us today?  It does when believers pray according to God’s purposes and not for selfish reasons.When we ask according to God’s will we can know that He hears and He is glad to respond to us.At times His answers may not be what we had hoped for, but we can rest assured that He has heard us.

Conclusion.  In this week’s lesson we have considered words of comfort that Jesus gave His disciples after He had spoken troubling words to them.  He assured them that He was going to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house and that He would come again for them.  Jesus also emphasized that the only way to God is through Him.  He declared in no uncertain terms, that those who had seen Him had seen God the Father as well.  Those who come to the Father through the Son will accomplish great things for Him and will be granted requests made in Jesus’ name.  It is a privilege and a responsibility to represent Jesus.  We should encourage one another to work and pray in Jesus’ name, or more specifically, according to His will.

                                                        

The Resurrection and the Life

                                                                     Sunday School Lesson
                                                                            May 20,2012
Lesson Scripture:
John 11:17-27
Lesson Focus:
Jesus brings life
from Death

 INTRODUCTION.This week we focus on the events leading up to the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  The lesson teaches us that if we believe in Jesus, we will experience the resurrection and the life to come in Him.The background for this story begins at a time when Lazarus became sick.Jesus and His disciples were in an area east of the Jordan River (see John 10:40).He stayed there two days after receiving news of Lazarus’ illness (see John 11:6) and returned only after Lazarus had died (see John 11:14-15). 

Death and burial (John 11:17).The lesson begins with “Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.”When Jesus received the news of Lazarus’illness while east of the Jordan, He delayed two extra days before leaving.  Since Jesus is all-knowing, He knew what was happening and what He was going to do about it.  Therefore, He felt no need to hurry.When Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus “had lain in the grave four days already.”In other words, Lazarus had been dead for four days.

(vs. 18).  Here John tells us that “Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off.”  The town of Bethany, the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus was less than two miles east of Jerusalem on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives and also on the road leading to Jericho.  A “furlong” is about five hundred feet.  So fifteen furlongs is a little less than two miles.

(vs. 19).This verse says“And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.”The closeness of Jerusalem to Bethany allowed many friends to travel to Bethany to comfort Lazarus’ sisters Mary and Martha.Such a large number of people present indicates that they may have been a well known family in Bethany.As a result, many people were drawn there in this time of need.

(vs. 20).John now writes “Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.” As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was near, she went to meet Him.  Martha, not one to sit and brood, as soon as she heard Jesus was near, went to meet Him even before He entered the town (see John 11:30).Mary stayed behind and sat in the house.It was customary for those who were bereaved to remain seated in the house while comforting friends came by to sit in silence with them.

(vs. 21).This verse says,“Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”Upon reaching Jesus, Martha voiced her belief to Him that if He had been there earlier her brother would not have died.  Martha’s words expressed faith in Jesus’ power.  She fully believed He could have healed Lazarus from his illness and kept him from dying.

(vs. 22).Martha’s faith became even more evident as she said “But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”The words “even now” indicate that she had not completely given up hope.  She probably didn’t believe that Lazarus would be resurrected but she knew that if Jesus had come earlier whatever He asked His Father would have been done.            (vs. 23).  In response to Martha’s vague expression of hope, “Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.”  Jesus promised Martha that her brother would “rise again.” 

(vs. 24).  Martha interpreted Jesus’ promise that her brother would rise again this way: “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”  Of course she was correct.  However, she was thinking of resurrection the way the Old Testament refers to it.  Her Jewish religion had taught about the resurrection of the dead (see Job 19:25-27; Daniel 12:2).  However, for the Jews, the resurrection was an event in the distant future completely isolated from their immediate sorrows.  It was also isolated from the Person who would give resurrection meaning. Jesus would one day call forth the dead and give them life (see I Thessalonians 4:13-17).            

(vs. 25).In His superb teaching style, Jesus led Martha gently from one level of faith to another. He said to her “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”Martha believed in a future resurrection but she had not identified it with Jesus.Therefore He attempted to raise her faith one step higher by declaring that resurrection was more than an event, it was bound up in a Him as a Person when He said “I am the resurrection, and the life.”Jesus alone is the resurrection and the life.Life has always resided in Him (see John 1:4); so it is His life that replaces death in the resurrected.  Jesus continued to explain that He functioned as the resurrection and the life in two ways.First, He said to Martha “he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”Here, Jesus spoke of the believer who experiences physical death as Lazarus did.The believer will still live by experiencing resurrection.The believer is not exempt from physical death, but he is assured of living again.
(vs. 26).  Here Jesus gives the second way in which He functions as the resurrection and the life.He said “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”The word “liveth” here refers to physical or earthly life.The phrase “shall never die” refers to spiritual death.  It is a statement that all believers in Jesus Christ will never, ever experience spiritual death,or separation from God.Once we become part of God’s family through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we will never lose that family relationship.From that moment on we have eternal life (see John 3:16; 5:24; 10:28-29).In the last part of this verse, Jesus challenged Martha’s faith by asking “Believest thou this?”  He wanted to know if Martha believed what He said about being the resurrection and the life.
(vs. 27).Martha’s reply to Jesus was “Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”Martha’s answer to Jesus was that she now believed that He was “the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”Identifying Jesus as the Christ, Martha revealed a deep faith in Him understanding that He was the promised Messiah, the Son of God sent by the Father to the world.Note: Martha did not yet grasp just how Jesus was the resurrection and the life, but she believed that He was all He claimed to be.  Her heart was again at ease and her faith in Jesus as the Messiah, or the Christ was vindicated when He miraculously raised Lazarus from the dead.  In Martha’s imperfect but growing faith we find hope for ourselves, for if we have received the right Person, He will continue to reveal new truths about Himself to us.
 Conclusion.Is your heart at ease knowing that you have eternal life?Everyone will exist forever, but unbelievers are not going to be with God.They will experience eternal death in the lake of fire.The Christian, however, has no need for anxiety about the certainty of life after physical death.God’s promises have been recorded and He keeps His promises.Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life, we can be assured of life after physical death, and through faith in Christ we can be assured of spending eternity in God’s presence.                       

The Good Shepherd

                                                                 Sunday School Lesson
                                                                         May 13,2012
Lesson Scripture
John 10:7-18
Lesson Focus:
You are lost without
the Good Shepherd

INTRODUCTION.  This week’s lesson comes after the healing and conversion of the man born blind. In verses 1-6 of chapter 10, Jesus presents a scene that was familiar to His listeners.  Sheepfolds were walled enclosures, either next to buildings or in the open country where sheep were housed at night.  In verse 6, Jesus identified this text as a parable emphasizing the contrast between the Good Shepherd of God’s flock and the unworthy shepherds, or the Jewish religious leaders.  A parable is simply an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The main focus of the lesson is that Jesus is our Good Shepherd who cares for us and brings us into an intimate relationship with Him.

(vs. 7).  Earlier in this discourse in verse 1, Jesus referred to Himself as the door of the sheepfold.  After Jesus identified what He was teaching as a parable in verse 6, now in this verse, He repeated it as John wrote, “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.”  It was common for a shepherd to lie down in front of the opening of the sheepfold so the sheep could not leave without his knowledge.  In addition, the shepherd served as a barrier to protect against any wild animals or thieves that might try to get in to the sheep.  Jesus said, “I am the door of the sheep” and as such He is the only means of entry into the family of God (see John 14:6). Therefore, there is no other way to get into the family of God except through Jesus, the Door.  He alone, died and paid the penalty for our sins, and it is only by receiving Him as our personal Saviour can we become part of God’s family and have our eternal destination settled.          

(vs. 8).Jesus continued to say “All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.”When Jesus said,“All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers,” He was not talking about the Old Testament prophets and John the Baptist because they had prophesied His coming. Jesus was referring to the false prophets, false messiahs, and religious charlatans who tried to lead God’s people astray.He also certainly included the current religious rulers of Israel who tried to draw believers away from Him.  Jesus called these devious men “thieves and robbers.”But even though they tried to lead God’s people astray,“the sheep did not hear them.”There were still some in Jesus’ day who were listening to His message and becoming believers in Him. Note: Historically, those who truly belonged to God did not follow the imposters. However, this does not mean that the imposters had no followers.  Sometimes they attracted many, but those who followed them were not true sheep (see John 10:26-27).  The popularity of cultists, many of whom even invoke the name of Jesus Christ, reminds us that spiritual “thieves and robbers” are still active.  The true sheep of God must be able to recognize the Shepherd’s voice by studying God’s Word to be sure that those who teach them come by the Door.     

(vs.9) Jesus again said, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”As the Door, Jesus clearly stated that anyone who enters (the family of God) through Him was saved.Jesus’ reference to being saved refers to spiritual salvation, where there is safety from Satan and eternal destruction.We are guaranteed heaven and salvation from hell when we receive Jesus as our personal Saviour.  In addition to being saved, Jesus said whoever enters by Him would also “go in and out and find pasture.”The phrase “in and out” refers to the new freedom and satisfaction the believer enjoys in his new life.Christ came to provide the “green pastures” and “still waters” of which David wrote (see Psalms 23:2).Those who feed on His Word find satisfaction and growth.Note: Judaism in Jesus’ day had bound men to legalism and had done nothing to free them from the slavery of sin.  Jesus provided freedom from both the law and sin (see John 8:34-36; Galatians 3:13).  Jesus’ invitation to enter God’s family through Him contrasted sharply with the Pharisees’ policy of excommunicating all who disagreed with them (see John 9:22, 34).

(vs. 10).Referring back to the thieves and robbers, Jesus said,“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”Jesus contrasted the purposes of the thief with His own.The thief had no purpose in mind except “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”In the same way, spiritual impostors use people for their own advancement and destroy them when they threaten their own personal interests.  Jesus, on the other hand came“that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”The abundance that Jesus spoke of is not earthly wealth, but the spiritual resources that enable believers to be content in any circumstance(see Philippians 4:12-13).Note:The contrast with the thief and Jesus is striking.The thief came to take; Jesus came to give.The thief would destroy life if necessary; Jesus came to give life.The thief came to deprive us of life and property; Jesus came to give in abundance.

(John 10:11).  At this point in His teaching, Jesus said “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”The word “good” means “honorable”or“excellent.”Jesus went on to say that “the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”Every shepherd faced certain dangers in his occupation.Thieves and robbers might appear with clubs or knives in an attempt to steal the shepherd’s sheep.In addition, wild animals were always lurking about looking for food.  Good shepherds were willing to put their lives on the line to protect their sheep.As our “Good Shepherd” Jesus was willing to do that for His sheep.The false teachers referred to earlier in verse 8 would never be willing to sacrifice their lives for their followers. Note: The life of a shepherd could be dangerous as illustrated by David’s fights with at least one lion and one bear (see I Samuel 17:34-35).  Jesus, however, is the epitome of a good shepherd, willing to give His life in order to save His sheep.

(vs. 12).  In order to better convey the relationship of the good Shepherd to His sheep, Jesus introduced the hireling into His illustration.  He said “But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.”  The false teachers and selfish leaders of Israel were like hired servants instead of effective leaders.  A hireling is one who works solely to be paid.  Unlike the true Shepherd, the hireling has no personal concern for the sheep because the sheep are not his own.  He tends to the sheep because he can earn money by doing so.  His own interests come before the welfare of the sheep if the two conflict.  Since the sheep don’t belong to the hireling, when he “seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.”  When the hireling sees a wolf coming, he flees to protect himself and gives no thought to defending the sheep.  The wolf runs among the sheep, killing some and scattering the rest. 

 (vs. 13).  Here Jesus gives an additional reason why the hireling won’t protect the sheep in the face of adversity.  He said, “The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.”  This described the attitudes and behaviors of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day.  They had little or no concern for the people.  They were more concerned about having the people adhere to their traditions than to see them have a meaningful relationship with God.  

(vs. 14).  As the good Shepherd, Jesus said “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” This is a reciprocal relationship.  The good Shepherd knows His sheep and they know Him.  The word translated “know” refers to knowledge gained by experience.  It means that Jesus maintains a loving knowledge of each member of the flock and his needs.  In the other half of the relationship Jesus says I “am known of mine.”   In other words, He is known by those who belong to Him.  The Christian therefore, grows in the same kind of intimate knowledge that the Lord has of him. 

(vs. 15).  The example Jesus gave to illustrate this closeness between the good Shepherd and the sheep was His relationship with His father.  Jesus said “As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.”   The Father and the Son know each other intimately and have for eternity past.  Christianity is a reflection of this relationship.  The reciprocal knowledge of Father and Son was also based on experience---an experience that spanned all the ages of eternity.  

(John 10:16).  In this verse, Jesus expanded further on His illustration in order to teach another truth. He said “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”  The good Shepherd has “other sheep which are not of this fold.”  By this Jesus meant that He had other sheep who were not from Israel.  This is a reference to Gentiles.  There were multitudes of Gentiles outside of Israel (non-Jews) who were still unbelievers at that time. However, Jesus said “them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice.”  Jesus offered salvation to the Jews first, but He always intended to offer salvation to Gentiles as well.  There would be many Gentiles who would hear the gospel and respond in faith allowing Jesus to bring them into God’s family along with Jews “and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”  This means that there would be a single flock under one true Shepherd.  All believers are united in Christ and no longer separated. This is the church of God (see I Corinthians 10:32).  Note: Even as Jesus was ministering to Jews, He spoke of a salvation that had no barriers.  Believers of all races could be saved (see John 3:16; 12:32).  Distinctions between Jews and Gentiles would eventually be erased, and they would worship God together (see Ephesians 2:11-16; 3:6).     

(vs. 17).  Here Jesus says “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.”  Again Jesus speaks of laying down His life for the sheep (see vss. 11, 15), but this time He adds that He is doing it voluntarily.  Because of Jesus’ obedience to death, the Father has a special love for Him.  This loving relationship is a perfect example of the relationship we should have with God and with each other. The Jewish leaders thought they were putting Jesus to death, and the Romans thought they were the ones carrying it out.  And certainly Satan thought that he was gaining the ultimate victory by successfully killing the Son of God.  But Jesus made it perfectly clear that none of those things were true.  He voluntarily gave up His own life, and He had the power to take it back again. 

(vs. 18).  In our final verse, Jesus continued His discourse regarding His voluntary death.  He said “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”  Since He is God, there is no human or spiritual power that can take His life from Him.  He laid it down by Hs own choice because this was the Father’s plan for the redemption of those He created.  Once the work of redemption was completed through His death, He could take His life back through His resurrection.  We can see Jesus’ deity here, for only God can give life and have the authority Jesus claimed here.  He is God, just as His Father is God.

      

 Conclusion.  There is only one fold, and only the sheep who enter it are saved.The Door to the sheepfold

The Bread Of Life

                                                                       Sunday School Lesson
                                                                               May 6,2012
Lesson Scripture:
John 6:22-35
Lesson Focus:
Our Need For God Goes
beyond our Physical needs

INTRODUCTION.  God has created us with both physical needs (food, clothing, and shelter) and spiritual needs (forgiveness, reconciliation, justification, and more).  Often, however, we focus on our physical needs over spiritual needs.  This week’s lesson shows us how Jesus satisfies our spiritual hunger, for He is the Bread of Life.

(vs. 22).  Our lesson begins with “The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone.”  The phrase “The day following” refers to the day after Jesus miraculously fed the five thousand (see John 6:5-14).  After feeding the multitude, Jesus realized that there was a movement to make Him king, so He immediately left His disciples to be alone (see John 6:15).  Near evening, His disciples boarded a boat and went across the sea toward Capernaum (see vs. 17).  Jesus joined them later by walking on the water (see vss. 18-21).  Those who had been fed went looking for Jesus the next day. They knew that the only boat that was there the day before belonged to the disciples and they had sailed across the sea as noted by the phrase “Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone.”  However, the crowd didn’t see Jesus get in the boat with His disciples.  The crowd then assumed that He was still near Bethsaida so they went looking for Him. They didn’t know that Jesus had walked out on the water to His disciples during the storm in the night.          

(vs. 23).  Here John says parenthetically “(Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks).”  Other boats arrived from Tiberias to this location where Jesus had fed the five thousand but the one carrying the disciples was the only one that had left.  We are not told why these boats came from Tiberias, but one would conclude that word about the feeding of the multitude had spread and others were coming to see Jesus too. 

(vs. 24).  John now writes that “When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.”  When the people looking for Jesus couldn’t find Him, they “also took shipping, and came to Capernaum” meaning that they got into the boats that came from Tiberias and headed for Capernaum to try to find Jesus.

(vs. 25).  This verse says “And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?” When the crowd found Jesus on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, they had only one question for Jesus, “Rabbi, when camest thou hither?”They wanted to know when did Jesus leave Bethsaida and cross the sea to get to Capernaum.They knew He didn’t leave with His disciples and that He went off by Himself from the crowd, but they had no idea how He made it from Bethsaida to Capernaum overnight when there were no boats available.The answer of course was that He walked on the water to His disciples and entered their boat.

(vs. 26).  Jesus then answered the people saying “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.”  The words “Verily, verily” literally mean “truly, truly” and indicated that Jesus was about to say something very important that they needed to hear.  Jesus told them that they were only looking for Him for the free food, not for the miracles He performed. Jesus was about to expose their inner motives for looking for Him, because He knew their hearts.  He knew that they were seeking Him only to see what else He would do for them.

(vs. 27).  Jesus continued to say the people, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”  Jesus told them not to spend their time seeking or working for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life.  In other words, they needed to be looking for spiritual food.  Spiritual nourishment, as opposed to physical nourishment, will endure forever.  This kind of nourishment comes only from the Son of God, the One the Father has authorized or “sealed” to give it to those who believe in Him. 

(vs. 28).  The people “Then said they unto him (Jesus), What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?”  Jesus’ listeners apparently thought He was saying they could gain salvation by earning or working for it. Unfortunately, many people today are puzzled by what God wants them to do.  Like many people today, this crowd thought that their works in life would determine whether or not they will get into heaven.            

(vs. 29).  In response to their question, “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”    Jesus told the crowd that the only work that God expected of them was to “believe on him whom he hath sent.”  Satisfying God does not come from the work we do but in whom we believe.  Of course, this is not work in the sense we usually think of work, but is a matter of responding to God’s offer of salvation through belief in His Son.  There is no activity or work that we can do to earn or merit eternal life (see Ephesians 2:8-9).  It is a free gift given to those who believe that Jesus is who He claims to be, “the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16).  Note: The only requirement for receiving salvation is belief.  It is simply a matter of believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that His death has provided all the payment needed for us to inherit eternal life (see I Corinthians 6:19-20; Hebrews 10:10). 

(vs. 30).  Then the crowd “said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?”  These Jews no doubt understood that Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah when He spoke about believing in the One whom God had sent. Note: Earlier in the text, after the multitude was miraculously fed by Jesus, they concluded that He was “the prophet that should come into the world (see John 6:14).  Of course this was a reference to the expectation of a prophet like unto Moses (see Deuteronomy 18:15-19; John 1:21, 45; Acts 3:20-26) who Israel identified as the Messiah.  Since Jesus claimed to be the One sent by God, the crowd asked for another “sign” or miracle as proof that He was the Messiah.  It’s ironic that they would ask for another miracle since they had just seen Him multiply five loaves of bread and two small fish in order to feed thousands of people.          

(vs. 31).  The people went on to say to Jesus, “Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” By making this statement, the people were attempting to minimize the miracle Jesus performed by comparing it to what Moses,by God’s power,  did in the wilderness.Moses had provided manna for the entire Hebrew nation for forty years while in the wilderness.  As far as they were concerned, Jesus had only fed several thousands once.If He was the Messiah, surely He could do better than that!The people even quoted Scripture to prove their point (see Psalms 78:24).In spite of the fact that Jesus was performing miracles, the people still had their own ideas about what the Messiah would do and be like, and they expected Jesus to fulfill their expectations.Note: It is most important that our understanding of who Jesus is comes from God’s Word and not from other people’s ideas and opinions! 

(vs. 32). After the people tried to compare Jesus’ miracle with what God did through Moses in the wilderness, John says “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.”   Jesus made it perfectly clear that it was God, not Moses, who had sent the bread, or manna from heaven.  When the manna was first provided, even Moses pointed out that it came from God (see Exodus 16:15).  Jesus also indicated that there was a difference between the bread that came from heaven in Moses’ time and the “true bread” that was now available to them.  The biggest difference between these two breads is that the “true bread” would satisfy both spiritually and eternally.          

(vs. 33).  Jesus went on to further describe this spiritual bread.  He said “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.”  The bread that the Father had now sent was in a Person.  The phrase “bread of God” is the same as “bread from heaven” but it is now personified and points to Jesus.  

(vs. 34).  The people then said to Jesus “Lord, evermore give us this bread.”   Like the Samaritan woman, these people were not ready for salvation.  The woman of Samaria wanted the living water from Jesus so that she wouldn’t have to keep going to the well.  These Jews wanted the bread so they wouldn’t have to toil or work to maintain life.  Even today, people want Jesus only for the benefits He can give them.

(vs. 35).  These people needed to know that Jesus wasn’t talking about physical bread so He made some clear statements about Himself.  John writes “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”  Jesus plainly told them that He was “the bread of Life,” the one who could sustain them spiritually if they would receive Him into their lives.  Both the “hunger” and the “thirst” that Jesus referred to are spiritual longings that can be satisfied only through a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  Following Jesus means to allow Him to be Master and Lord; it is a commitment to discipleship.

                  

Conclusion.  Jesus is the Bread of Life for all who will believe and receive Him.  Believing in Him is the first step to experiencing all the blessings that our Lord Jesus has to offer us.  When we turn to Him, the Bread of Life, we will not be in need again.  When we believe in Him, He will satisfy us completely.