John's Picture of the Messiah

The Sabbath system is the most messianic of the ten commandments in its representation of rest and deliverance. Ultimately, Jesus’ ministry points to an eternal and spiritual rest and redemption. This is one picture of Jesus, and each of the gospel writers have a slightly different representation of the Messiah. John records only seven miracles in his gospel, and five of those are unique to John. He portrays Jesus in a very specific way, but, unlike Matthew, he does not continually refer to Levitical scripture to reinforce his points. Rather, he focuses on Jesus’ words describing Himself.

Imagery from John

• In John 2, we see Jesus driving the merchants and money changers from the temple, condemning them for corrupting His father’s house. When asked for a sigh, He said He would rebuild this temple in three days once destroyed, but He has changed subjects. He is not speaking of the physical temple so much as His own body. Jesus here is pictured as God’s true temple.
• John 3 records Nicodemus and Jesus conversing about the meaning of being born again. In verses 14-15, Jesus draws a parallel between Himself and the serpent in the wilderness, lifted up to save people. Where the serpent’s salvation would be physical and temporary, Jesus’ would be spiritual and eternal.
• In John 6:29, after Jesus has fed several thousand from meager portions, the people ask Jesus for another sign once He retreats from them. He speaks to them of a bread from Heaven – to them, a reference to manna. Jesus, however, applies this personally and calls Himself the Bread of Life. He is the true manna.

John 7:37 has Jesus calling those who thirst for life-giving water to come to Him as Moses brought water from a rock in the wilderness. John 8:12 records Jesus calling Himself the light of the world, possibly referring to the pillar of fire the children of Israel followed through the wilderness. In John 15:1, Jesus calls Himself the true vine that bears fruit, and this compares to the vineyard song of Isaiah 5. Finally, John 19 records the events surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion, and, starting in verse 31, John describes how Jesus’ bones would remain unbroken as a Passover lamb was to remain unbroken.

Conclusion

John paints a picture of Jesus as a fulfillment of many Old Testament objects and events. He sends a message that there is more to Jesus than what they thought they saw, and He could be more to us if we open our eyes and hearts. When we begin to comprehend the extent of Jesus’ ministry and sacrifice, how can we not love Him and obey Him?

lesson by Tim Smelser

An Active Inheritance

In Galatians 3:26-29, Paul addresses the idea that we are heirs – sons of God’s, baptized into Christ, heirs according to promise. We are recipients on an inheritance from God, and Romans 8:16 begins a passage about our adoption by God, making us joint heirs in Christ. Ephesians 3:4-6 reads that Jews and Gentiles alike are heirs to the gospel. What is it that we have inherited from the Lord? Whether physical or spiritual, we do not want to waste something we have inherited. We must understand this inheritance if we are to know what to do with it.

What Have We Inherited?

• We have received an unfinished task, one started about 2000 years ago. Matthew 28:18-20 contains what we refer to as the Great Commission, given to us as equally as to the twelve. We must read ourselves into this command lest we neglect the mission given to us. I Peter 3:15 calls on us to always be ready to share the hope within us. Like Jesus, we should be looking for daily opportunities to share this hope. Hebrews 5:12 reminds us to be teachers of the word.
• We have an unchanging message. Hebrews 4:12 assures us God’s word is living and relevant, as much to us as to the disciples of the first century. II Peter 1:3-4 is a reminder that all we need for our lives can be found in God’s unchanging word, and John 12:48-50 has Jesus teaching that His words come by God’s authority and that they will endure until Judgment.
• We have received an unlimited power. Romans 1:16-17 speaks of God’s power contained in His word, power to save, to touch hearts, to release guilt, to provide peace. In II Timothy 1:6-7, Paul reminds Timothy and us to stir up our spirits, relying on the power of His word, remaining unashamed of that word. We have to put God’s power into practice.
• We have received an unfailing promise. Back in Matthew 28, when Jesus passes His work to His disciples, He promises to be with them to the end. Likewise, He is with us as we perform His ministry. Philippians 4:13 records Paul saying he can do all things in Christ, writing this even while in prison. Jesus’ presence and support is an unending promise through which we can accomplish much.

Preparing for a Future Inheritance

In Colossians 3:23-24, Paul calls on us to work for the Lord because we look forward to another inheritance. We use our current inheritance, looking forward to a future reward. We use our unfinished task, our unchanging message, power from God, and His promises so we may see Heaven as our final inheritance. I Peter 1:3-5 promises that Heaven is reserved for us, and that it is an imperishable and unfading inheritance. Where the things of this world pass away, we are heirs to something greater. We use the inheritance we have received to prepare ourselves for that which is to come.

lesson by Tim Smelser

The Good Life

Right now we are facing some tough economic times in this country. Many are struggling, losing salaries, jobs,m and even homes. As a country, as communities, as families, as individuals – we have been affected. In such times, we look for “the good life,” but what defines this better life? Opinions can vary based on ideals, background, and opinions. Most will agree, though, it involves being happy, full, and free.

Solomon lived during times of prosperity and power. As king, he oversaw an expanded and wealthy Israel, but Proverbs 3:1-13 has him reminding his sons to live wisely regardless of their situations. He encourages them to lean on God more than others or themselves. He calls on them to seek spiritual wisdom over secular wisdom, and he admonishes them to honor God in their wealth and respect His reproof. In his prosperity, Solomon does not forget the Lord in his teachings.

The Spiritual Good Life
What elements do we expect to find in a good life? Here are some things the scriptures say about God’s word and its benefit on our lives.

• Long Life. We value living life to the fullest, lasting long enough to see children and grandchildren. Solomon says that following God’s laws can increase our days in Proverbs 3:2, but Deuteronomy 8:11-14 warns us against losing sight of God as time passes.
• Respect. We want those around us to like us. While human favor can be good, Luke 6:25 warns of the dangers of seeking worldly praise, but Luke 2:52 describes Jesus’ stature increasing in God’s eyes and in man’s. Proverbs 3:4 says wearing kindness and truth will bring us favor before God and man.
• Correct Decisions. Our choices define who we are and the wisdom and character others see in us. Joshua 24:15 challenges us to choose the Lord, and we see this choice in Moses’ life in Hebrews 11:24-26. These determined their paths based on their priorities. In Proverbs 3:5-7, Solomon instructs us to choose Godly wisdom to make wise decisions.
• Money. We need money, but we can fall into bad choices where money is involved. Ephesians 4:28 and I Timothy 5:8 encourage us to help others with our resources, and Proverbs 30:7-9 warns us against wanting more than we have. Philippians 4:19 ensures us that God will supply our needs, and Proverbs 3:9-10 reminds us that, if we are blessed, to remember to honor God in our blessings.
• Training. Correction properly given and corrected demonstrates care and develops wisdom and security. Proverbs 3:11-12 reminds us to accept the Lord’s correction as a child to a loving father. Revelation 3:19 says God reproves those He loves, encouraging us to repent and be zealous for Him.

Conclusion
If we are to obtain a spiritually good life, we should follow these guidelines. Regardless of our physical conditions or circumstances, we can live in and for God. We can make choices that strengthen us in Christ, that can demonstrate kindness and wisdom before others, that can bring us security and contentedness. We can be like Solomon and Joshua, remembering to seek and serve the Lord first in our lives.

lesson by Alan Miller

Certain Unalienable Rights

The preamble of the United States Declaration of Independence contains one of the most famous phrases in modern political philosophy:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

By calling these rights unalienable, the authors of the Declaration – primarily Thomas Jefferson – are saying these are rights inherit in the nature of our species. They are not contingent upon any societal codes, customs, or beliefs. This concept of natural rights is largely derived from, though not exclusive to, the political philosophies of John Locke who, in Two Treatises of Government, writes: "no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions." In the Declaration, the concept of personal property as a right is changed to the pursuit of happiness – Jefferson knowing well that the fledgling government might have to seize property in upcoming battles.

Using the concept of deity to stir the masses, Jefferson (whose beliefs excluded any notion of a God that would intervene in human affairs) writes that these rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are given by our Creator, and it’s so ingrained into our cultural doctrine that it is assumed to be true, but I want to take some time in this lesson to examine what the scriptures have to say regarding our rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Certain Unalienable Rights

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The Right to Life
There is a lot of discussion around the concept of one’s right to life and what that expression means, but, historically, our nation’s leaders have applied it to the preservation of one’s own life at all costs – that our lives our completely and wholly our own. In Matthew 16:24, however, Jesus encourages us to take up our crosses to follow Him – that is to put self and self-interest to death. He goes on to warn that those who are unwilling to make that sacrifice jeopardize their own souls. In fact, Paul says we are purchased by God in Ephesians 1:13-14. We are no longer our own. God holds all rights of ownership over us. Reinforcing that point, Galatians 2:20 has Paul saying he has given himself up, and now Christ lives in him.

Coming to God on His terms involves sacrificing self, giving up that unalienable right of self, and turning our lives over to Him. Our lives are then no longer a right, but they become an opportunity to share God’s grace with others. We give up self-interest to put God and others before ourselves. We no longer look at our lives as our right, as our own possessions to do with as we will. We count our lives as loss so may may lay hold of the eternal life spoken of in I Timothy 6:12.

The Right to Liberty
The Christians of the First Century lived under very oppressive conditions, but the New Testament writers seldom address these conditions. In I Timothy 6:1-2, Paul instructs Christian bondservants (read: slaves) to honor their masters. He even goes on to describe conduct if a Christian owns another Christian. Romans 13:1-7 encourages Christians to submit to their government and pay their taxes, and remember this in the context of Roman rule – a dictatorship with oppressive tax codes and wicked leaders. Even those who would be undergoing persecution in Revelation 3:10 are encouraged to simply endure.

The liberty of the Bible has nothing to do with equal representation, freedom of speech, or taxation. God is concerned with our spiritual liberty. Romans 6:6 calls us slaves to sin without the redeeming blood of Jesus, but verse 7 says those who have died with Christ – that is, submitted to baptism in Him – have been freed from the bondage of sin. Sin and death rule over us no more than over our Messiah, and we obtain this liberty, not through revolution or protests, but by looking into and following the perfect law of liberty according to James 1:25. II Corinthians 3:17 simply states that, where the Lord is, there is liberty. Our spiritual liberty is not a right. Rather it is a gift we obtain through God’s mercy.

The Pursuit of Happiness
When we seek the joys of this life, we are seeking the temporary. We are seeking that which will pass away. I John 2:15-17 warns us against loving the things of this world, and Matthew 6:19 advises against laying up treasures here on this world. Verse 24 states we cannot serve God and our riches simultaneously, and Jesus goes on in the next several verses to say we should let go of the worries surrounding our earthly possessions. While I do believe God allows us to be happy in this life, He does not promise happiness, nor does He encourage us to seek worldly happiness. After all, such endeavors did not get Solomon very far.

After living life to its fullest, the wise ruler of Israel concludes, in Ecclesiastes 12:13, that true fulfillment is found in submitting to God. Returning to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says to seek God’s kingdom first, before all other pursuits in Matthew 6:33, and He calls on us to place our hopes and our hearts in heaven back in verses 20-21. In Colossians 3:1-3, Paul says we have died to the things of this world. We should then be seeking things above.

Conclusion
As hard as it might be for us to hear, God does not guarantee our lives, our liberties, or our happiness as rights in this world. These things are not self-evident, but what is self-evident is that we have a Savior who died on the cross so we may have something better than this life has to offer. With our eyes on that cross, we count this life as loss so we may have eternal life with our Father. We seek liberty from sin, obtainable regardless of the state of our personal liberties. We forsake pursuing the things of this world so we may pursue things above. In this, we gain more than any worldly government can provide according to Philippians 3:20-21. We become citizens of God’s heavenly kingdom, conformed in His perfect image.

lesson by Robert Smelser