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Sermon Outline

Themes in the Gospel of John

Fulfilling Old Testament Prophecies

Lesson #8 for November 23, 2024

Scriptures:John 5:17,20,36-40,46-47; 8:12-30; 13:18; 17:12; Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 9:9.

  1. How difficult would it be for you to believe that a Person might actually be God if He looks like you, dresses like you, and walks around like a human being? In this lesson we will see an additional collection of reasons why we should believe the truth about Jesus and His Divinity. However, we will also see why many did not believe. If it had been obvious that Jesus was all that He claimed to be, they would have made an “idol” out of Him.
  2. As many of the Jews expected, the Messiah was born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) and was a descendant of David. However, because of the persecution by Herod the Great, many people were not aware of those details. Most knew Jesus only as Jesus of Nazareth.

[From the Bible study guide=BSG:] We shall study some pertinent prophecies in the Scriptures that clearly reveal Jesus as the promised Messiah. Moreover, we will examine the specific details of how these prophecies were precisely fulfilled. For example, we will look at the fulfillment of the prophecy about how Jesus would enter Jerusalem, riding on a donkey (Ps. 118:26,Zech. 9:9). We also will look at the prophecy of the disciple who would betray Him (Ps. 41:9). Moreover, we will study the dynamic of why some leaders decided to reject Him while, surprisingly, others chose to believe in Him. Ultimately, in this process, we will consider the question: What does it mean to have the mindset of reasoning “from beneath,” according toJohn 8:23, versus a mindset of reasoning from above?―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 106.†‡§

  1. Predictions about the ministry of John the Baptist are found in the Old Testament.

John 1:23: John answered by quoting the prophet Isaiah:

“I am ‘the voice of someone shouting in the desert:

Make a straight path for the Lord to travel!’ ”—American Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation* (2nd ed.,John 1:23). New York: American Bible Society [abbreviated as Good News Bible].

Isaiah 40:3: A voice cries out,

“Prepare in the wilderness a road for the LORD!

Clear the way in the desert for our God!”—Good News Bible.*

  1. It may be difficult for us to understand why some people had trouble believing in Jesus. However, look at this.

John 14:10-11: 10 “Do you not believe, Philip, that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I have spoken to you,” Jesus said to his disciples, “do not come from me. The Father, who remains in me, does his own work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. If not, believe because of the things I do.”—Good News Bible.*

  1. Even some of His disciples had trouble believing Jesus was the Messiah of the Bible!
  2. We are not accustomed to having people walking around performing miracles and even raising people from the dead!
  3. There are four known periods in biblical history when miracles were fairly common: (1) Creation; (2) At the time of the exodus from Egypt; (3) During the days of Elijah and Elisha as they worked to stop the advance of Baal worship; and (4) During the days of Jesus and the apostles. What do these periods of divine activity tell us about the relationship between God and us and the state of spiritual enlightenment that typified the people of that time?
  4. Miracles were performed at times of great apostasy and/or skepticism during the times of the Old and New Testaments. John chose miracles which he believed pointed specifically to the Messiahship of Jesus and His connection to the Father Himself. What was it about those miracles?

[BSG:] If Jesus had come right out and said He was the Messiah, the religious leaders—looking for anything they could find against Him—would have pounced on Him. Knowing this, Jesus instead pointed to the works He had done. If Jesus had said He was the Christ, they could easily seek to deny that. But how could they deny the signs, the works, and the wonders? These were powerful testimonies to who He was and where He had come from.―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Sunday, November 17.

  1. When the Sadducees and the Pharisees came together to demand that Jesus give them a sign that He was the Messiah come from God, He responded with the very interesting comment inMatthew 12:38-40; andLuke 11:29-30. (Compare Matthew 16.)

Matthew 12:38-40: 38 Then some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up. “Teacher,” they said, “we want to see you perform a miracle.”

39 “How evil and godless are the people of this day!” Jesus exclaimed. “You ask me for a miracle? No! The only miracle you will be given is the miracle of the prophet Jonah. 40In the same way that Jonah spent three days and nights in the big fish, so will the Son of Man spend three days and nights in the depths of the earth.”—Good News Bible.*

Luke 11:29-30: 29 As the people crowded round Jesus, he went on to say, “How evil are the people of this day! They ask for a miracle, but none will be given them except the miracle of Jonah. 30In the same way that the prophet Jonah was a sign for the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a sign for the people of this day.”—Good News Bible.*

  1. So, what was the sign of Jonah or the miracle of Jonah?
  2. Just as Jonah spent three days in the “belly of the whale” which Jonah himself called sheol or grave, Jesus would spend three days in the tomb of Joseph. Jonah was vomited up on the shore which was a miracle in itself; but, it had nothing to do with Jonah’s personal abilities.
  3. On the other hand, Jesus told the Jewish leaders, “Destroy this temple,” that was saying effectively: “You will kill me, but three days later I will give you a sign that no human being could ever give, a proof of my divinity.” Jesus’s rising from the dead in His own power proved His divinity. (See #32 below.)
  4. How much about Jesus is found in the Old Testament? Jesus assumed that those who were listening to Him believed in the Old Testament. To His critics, He said:

John 5:39-40,46-47: 39 “You study the Scriptures, because you think that in them you will find eternal life. And these very Scriptures speak about me! 40Yet you are not willing to come to me in order to have life….”

46 “If you had really believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. 47But since you do not believe what he wrote, how can you believe what I say?”—Good News Bible.* [Moses was the ultimate authority.]

[BSG:] Estimates vary, but some scholars argue that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled hundreds of Old Testament prophecies. Whatever the amount, the odds against one man’s fulfilling even a few of them, much less them all, are staggering. Every now and then someone will use an image like this: imagine filling an area the size of Texas with coins two feet high and painting one coin pink and then mixing them all up. Then give a blindfolded person one chance to pick the pink coin. What are the odds that, with one pick, he or she would get the pink one!

No question—Christ’s birth, life, and death were predicted by the Old Testament, stunning evidence of His identity as the expected Messiah. John points to these Old Testament texts again and again to make that very point about who Jesus was, and also, why we should believe in Him and accept the salvation He offers.―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Wednesday, November 20.

  1. One of the things that Jesus pointed to that provided convincing evidence was the story of being lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness. He spoke to Nicodemus about that.

John 3:14: “As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert, in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up.”—Good News Bible.*

  1. See the Old Testament story as recorded inNumbers 21:5-9. Many people do not believe that God would have sent snakes to bite the Israelites. It is important to notice whatDeuteronomy 8:15 says.

Deuteronomy 8:15: “He led you through that vast and terrifying desert where there were poisonous snakes and scorpions. In that dry and waterless land he made water flow out of solid rock for you.”—Good News Bible.*

  1. Those snakes and scorpions were residents of that desert; but, God had been protecting them from harm until they rebelled against Him and rejected His protection.
  2. What are the forces today that either subtly or openly work to undermine our faith in the authority of the Bible?

[BSG:] In a discussion with the religious leaders about His identity, Jesus affirmed the authority of Scripture. At first glance, it would seem unnecessary for Him to do that because the religious leaders believed in Scripture. Nevertheless, even with them, Jesus would emphasize the authority of the Scriptures, and He did so in order to show them who He was—no matter how hard their hearts were, and no matter how much they tried to fight conviction.―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Tuesday.

  1. Remember that many of the Jewish leaders had memorized the Old Testament in Hebrew. Did they miss the references that applied to Jesus or could have applied to Jesus?

[BSG:] The problem with the religious leaders is that they knew the letter of the law but not its spirit. Indeed, they knew the Written Word but, alas, not the Living Word. Jesus testified to this failing when He said to them: “ ‘You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life’ ” (John 5:39, 40, NKJV). Ancient Jewish traditions taught that merely knowing the Scriptures guaranteed eternal life. This notion is evident in what Hillel, a renowned rabbi of the first century b.c., reportedly taught about this subject. Hillel is quoted as saying, “One who has acquired unto himself words of Torah, has acquired for himself the life of the world to come.”—Mishnah Aboth 2. 7, Soncino ed. of the Talmud, p. 17 (quoted in the SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 955).―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 107.†‡§

  1. Clearly, the Jewish leaders had become so obsessed with their detailed interpretations of the Old Testament Scriptures and their hopes of a Messiah who would conquer the Romans that it prevented them from seeing deeper into the actual mission of Christ.

[BSG:] The Jewish leaders claimed to believe in Moses, their most revered prophet, but they did not believe in the divine “Prophet” whom Moses prophesied was to come. Upon his departure, Moses promised the people, “ ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear’ ” (Deut. 18:15, NKJV). Jesus reminded the Jewish leaders that Moses, whom they greatly admired, believed in Him and His future mission. Yet now that this promise was being fulfilled before their eyes, they refused to believe. Jesus remonstrated with them: “ ‘For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me’ ” (John 5:46, NKJV).―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 107-108.†‡§

Deuteronomy 18:15: [Moses said:] “Instead, he will send you a prophet like me from among your own people, and you are to obey him.”—Good News Bible.*

  1. Try to imagine yourself at this meeting between Jesus and the Sanhedrin starting withJohn 8:1 and continuing:

John 8:12-59: 12 Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. “I am the light of the world,” he said. “Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.” [This was a direct conflict between Jesus and the forces of evil!]

13 The Pharisees said to him, “Now you are testifying on your own behalf; what you say proves nothing.”

14 “No,” Jesus answered, “even though I do testify on my own behalf, what I say is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. You do not know where I came from or where I am going. 15You make judgements in a purely human way; I pass judgement on no one. 16But if I were to do so, my judgement would be true, because I am not alone in this; the Father who sent me is with me. 17It is written in your Law that when two witnesses agree, what they say is true. 18I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me also testifies on my behalf.”

19 “Where is your father?” they asked him.

“You know neither me nor my Father,” Jesus answered. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

20 Jesus said all this as he taught in the Temple, in the room where the offering boxes were placed. And no one arrested him, because his hour had not come.

21 Again Jesus said to them, “I will go away; you will look for me, but you will die in your sins. You cannot go where I am going.”

22 So the Jewish authorities said, “He says that we cannot go where he is going. Does this mean that he will kill himself?”

23 Jesus answered, “You belong to this world here below, but I come from above. You are from this world, but I am not from this world. 24That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. And you will die in your sins if you do not believe that ‘I Am Who I Am’. [sic]”

25 “Who are you?” they asked him.

Jesus answered, “What I have told you from the very beginning. 26I have much to say about you, much to condemn you for. The one who sent me, however, is truthful, and I tell the world only what I have heard from him.”

27 They did not understand that Jesus was talking to them about the Father. 28So he said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, you will know that ‘I Am Who I Am’; then you will know that I do nothing on my own authority, but I say only what the Father has instructed me to say. 29And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.”

30 Many who heard Jesus say these things believed in him….

48 They asked Jesus, “Were we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon in you?”

49 “I have no demon,” Jesus answered. “I honour [sic-Br] my Father, but you dishonour [sic-Br] me. 50I am not seeking honour [sic-Br] for myself. But there is one who is seeking it and who judges in my favour [sic-Br]. 51I am telling you the truth: whoever obeys my teaching will never die.”

52 They said to him, “Now we are certain that you have a demon! Abraham died, and the prophets died, yet you say that whoever obeys your teaching will never die. 53Our father Abraham died; you do not claim to be greater than Abraham, do you? And the prophets also died. Who do you think you are?”

54 Jesus answered, “If I were to honour [sic-Br] myself, that honour [sic-Br] would be worth nothing. The one who honours [sic-Br] me is my Father — the very one you say is your God. 55You have never known him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey his word. 56Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see the time of my coming; he saw it and was glad.”

57 They said to him, “You are not even fifty years old — and you have seen Abraham?”

58 “I am telling you the truth,” Jesus replied. “Before Abraham was born, ‘I Am’. [sic]”

59 Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.—Good News Bible.*†‡ [Were the disciples present at that time?]

  1. In that discussion with the Sanhedrin, three times Jesus claimed that He was God (“I Am.”). Their only significant response of the religious leaders was to pick up stones to throw at Him!

[BSG:] Jesus says that they know neither Him nor the Father (John 8:19). They should have known both, but these men were self-deceived. They were so caught up in their own traditions and philosophies that even with Jesus right before them, doing all the things that He did and saying the things that He said—all powerful revelations of the Father—they still rejected Him.―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Thursday.†‡§

  1. Those religious leaders were no more advanced than the ones in the days of Isaiah.

Isaiah 29:13: The Lord said, “These people claim to worship me, but their words are meaningless, and their hearts are somewhere else. Their religion is nothing but human rules and traditions, which they have simply memorized.”—Good News Bible.* [Lord in this verse was not referring to YAHWEH.]

[From the writings of Ellen G. White=EGW:] …. As a golden treasure, truth had been intrusted [entrusted] to the Hebrew people. The Jewish economy, bearing the signature of Heaven, had been instituted by Christ Himself. In types and symbols the great truths of redemption were veiled. Yet when Christ came, the Jews did not recognize Him to whom all these symbols pointed. They had the word of God in their hands; but the traditions which had been handed down from generation to generation, and the human interpretation of the Scriptures, hid from them the truth as it is in Jesus. The spiritual import of the sacred writings was lost. The treasure house of all knowledge was open to them, but they knew it not.

God does not conceal His truth from men. By their own course of action they make it obscure to themselves. Christ gave the Jewish people abundant evidence that He was the Messiah; but His teaching called for a decided change in their lives. They saw that if they received Christ, they must give up their cherished maxims and traditions, their selfish, ungodly practices. It required a sacrifice to receive changeless, eternal truth. Therefore they would not admit the most conclusive evidence that God could give to establish faith in Christ. They professed to believe the Old Testament Scriptures, yet they refused to accept the testimony contained therein concerning Christ’s life and character. They were afraid of being convinced lest they should be converted and be compelled to give up their preconceived opinions. The treasure of the gospel, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, was among them, but they rejected the greatest gift that Heaven could bestow.—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons* 104.4-105.1.†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p15.404&index=0]

  1. What did Jesus mean inJohn 8:23 (GNB*) by saying: “‘You belong to this world here below, but I come from above’”? Or: “‘You are from beneath; I am from above’”? (NKJV*)

[BSG:] Jesus says to them, “ ‘You are from beneath’ ” (John 8:23, NKJV). In other words, however religious they might be, these were not spiritual, godly men. They had a “form of godliness” (2 Tim. 3:5), but that was all. They had outward piety but inward disbelief.―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Thursday, November 21.†‡§

[BSG:] John spends most of … [John] 8 referring to Jesus as the sublime and divine Son of God, sent by His heavenly Father to help hopeless earthlings. Everything Jesus talked about was heavenly. He was the heavenly light that illuminated a world darkened by sin. The Father bore witness that He sent His Son from on high to be a true Witness of the truth. All the gifts that Heaven bestowed on us in the person of Jesus were contrasted with earthly things when the Savior said to the Jewish leaders, “ ‘You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world’ ” (John 8:23, NKJV).―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 108-109.†‡§

  1. Ellen White said some amazing things about the last hours Jesus spent with His disciples.

[EGW:] …. Jesus revealed no qualities, and exercised no powers, that men may not have through faith in Him. His perfect humanity is that which all His followers may possess, if they will be in subjection to God as He was.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 664.4.†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.3274&index=0]

[EGW:] …. The very image of God is to be reproduced in humanity. The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is involved in the perfection of the character of His people.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 671.3.‡† [Compare the story of Job.] [https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.3305&index=0]

  1. In our days of scientific discovery and amazing things happening around the world, is it hard to convince people that the statements from the Bible which were written thousands of years ago are relevant to our lives today? Do you believe in the authority of Scripture and the predictions in the Old Testament about the life of Jesus? Could you give a convincing argument about those issues to an unbeliever?

[BSG:] As the incarnate Son of God, Jesus came to save this sinful world. He was one with the Father. Thus, Jesus said and did everything in accordance with the will of the Father. Christ was God’s greatest gift to humanity, and without such a gift, the world would be doomed. Yet, sadly and ironically, in spite of this truth, most of the world, which He created, did not believe in Him. Neither did His own people. John made this point abundantly clear. What a tragedy that God’s creatures, made in His image, rejected His indispensable Gift! Jesus “was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:10, 11, NKJV).―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 106.†‡§

  1. Jesus often spent a great portion of the night, sometimes all night, talking with His Father.

Luke 6:12: At that time Jesus went up a hill to pray and spent the whole night there praying to God.—Good News Bible.*

  1. It is important for us to recognize that many of these Old Testament prophecies had a fulfillment in their original context in the Old Testament as well as a second fulfillment pointing forward to the life of Jesus. The behavior of Judas was predicted nearly 1000 years earlier. (SeePsalm 41:9; John 13:18; John 17:12.)

[BSG:] Fulfilled Messianic prophecies, which very often deal with human relationship dynamics, reveal much regarding Christ’s character. Let us consider two such examples. The first prophecy is found inPsalm 41:9, which predicts, “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me” (NKJV). Jesus applied the prophecy to Himself, as the one betrayed by a friend: “ ‘I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me’ ” (John 13:18, NKJV).―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 108.‡§

Psalm 41:9: Even my best friend, [Was that Judas?] the one I trusted most,

the one who shared my food,

has turned against me.—Good News Bible.*†‡

[BSG:] In Mideast culture to this day, sharing food with someone is a special act of bonding that brings emotional and spiritual closeness to a relationship. Thus, duplicity by one toward another with whom food has been shared is a sign of betrayal. Jesus spent three and a half years not only eating with Judas but forgiving and encouraging him. During this time, Jesus sought to protect the reputation of Judas. Though Jesus had ample justification for doing so, He did not seek to expose Judas as a thief publicly. In return, Judas sold Jesus for 30 shekels, the price of a common slave. Then, on the night of the Savior’s arrest, Judas approached Jesus and kissed Him. Despite this treacherous betrayal, Jesus actually called Judas “friend.” Jesus said to him, “ ‘Friend, why have you come?’ ” (Matt. 26:50, NKJV).―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 108.†‡§

Matthew 26:50: Jesus answered, “Be quick about it, friend!”

Then they came up, arrested Jesus, and held him tight.—Good News Bible.*

Zechariah 13:6: “Then if someone asks him, ‘What are those wounds on your chest?’ he will answer, ‘I got them at a friend’s house.’ ”—Good News Bible.*

[BSG:] Let us considerZechariah 13:6. This verse talks about the wounds that Jesus received by means of His crucifixion. His side was pierced, and His hands were wounded. Zechariah foretold in this verse that Jesus would receive these wounds in the house of His friends. By implication, Jesus refers to His arch betrayer as His friend and to His cruel crucifiers among the Jewish leaders as His friends! Thus, the pure and innocent shed blood of Christ does not cry out in vengeance against those who spilled it. His wounded hands are not clenched in wrath; they are stretched forth to embrace all in love and reconciliation.―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 108.†‡

  1. A number of the details of Jesus’s crucifixion are mentioned in Psalm 22 andPsalm 69:21. CompareJohn 19:24,28,36.
  2. What do each of the following passages from John’s Gospel reveal about Jesus as a fulfillment of Messianic prophecy? See John’s Gospel and the Old Testament prediction.

John 2:16-17: 16And he ordered those who sold the pigeons, “Take them out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market place!” 17His disciples remembered that the scripture says, “My devotion to your house, O God, burns in me like a fire.”—Good News Bible.*

Psalm 69:9: My devotion to your Temple burns in me like a fire;

the insults which are hurled at you fall on me.—Good News Bible.*

John 7:38: “Whoever believes in me should drink. As the scripture says, ‘Streams of life-giving water will pour out from his side.’ ”—Good News Bible.*

Jeremiah 2:13: [The LORD said:] “For my people have committed two sins:

they have turned away from me,

the spring of fresh water,

and they have dug cisterns,

cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all.”—Good News Bible.*

  1. Continuing comparing John’s Gospel and the Old Testament predictions: The handling of the Passover lambs in Old Testament times was to foreshadow the crucifixion of Jesus.

John 19:36: This was done to make the scripture come true: “Not one of his bones will be broken.”—Good News Bible.*

Numbers 9:12: [The LORD told Moses to tell the people:] “Do not leave any of the food until the following morning and do not break any of the animal’s bones. Observe the Passover according to all the regulations.”—Good News Bible.*

  1. Finally, it seems that the evidence had become almost overwhelming, and this was the result.

[BSG:] The precise fulfillment of the many Messianic prophecies in the life and ministry of Jesus is simply awe-inspiring. These Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled with incredible accuracy. The most hardened skeptic and doubter is rendered defenseless against the avalanche of evidence. Though Jesus knew how hardened the Jewish leaders were, He never gave up on them. He always tried from every possible angle to convict their stubborn hearts. Though many were not responsive to Him, He continued to reach out to them so that, at the very least, they might know that there was a declarer of truth among them.

It is easy to be critical of the Jewish leaders and to be baffled by their lack of faith in their own Scriptures regarding the Messiah. But how would we have reacted if we were in the same position, if our utmost priority was to anticipate a Jewish (not divine) military conqueror in the tradition of Moses or David, one who could vanquish the Roman presence from Israel and break its yoke? Remember, even Christ’s disciples, those closest to Him, were slow to believe in His spiritual kingdom. Indeed, it was only after His resurrection that they truly believed. (SeeJohn 2:22.)Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 106-107.†‡§ [They had mixed up the prophecies about the glorious and victorious second coming with prophecies about His first coming!]

John 2:22: So when he was raised from death, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and what Jesus had said.—Good News Bible.*

  1. Turning to the resurrection, Jesus arose from the grave using His own power. Earlier, inJohn 2:19; and 10:17-18, He had told them what He was going to do.

[EGW:] When the voice of the mighty angel was heard at Christ’s tomb, saying, Thy Father calls Thee, the Saviour [sic-Br] came forth from the grave by the life that was in Himself. Now was proved the truth of His words, “I lay down My life, that I might take it again.... I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” Now was fulfilled the prophecy He had spoken to the priests and rulers, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”John 10:17, 18; 2:19.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 785.2.†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.3866&index=0]

  1. That was His final, compelling argument; and it was irrefutable! What could they say?
  2. John told us that there were many other things that could have been written about Jesus.

[BSG:] Although Jesus was continually pointing the disciples to the Scriptures, which foretold His ministry—when did the disciples finally understand that the Scriptures pointed to His death and resurrection? It was only after He died and was resurrected and appeared to them that they, finally, got it. “Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said” (John 2:22, NKJV; see alsoJohn 20:9).―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Tuesday, November 19.†‡§

  1. Have you ever become discouraged because it seemed like your witnessing efforts were mostly fruitless? Imagine how Jesus felt. And then, we find this incredible statement fromJohn 8:30. It came while Jesus was talking to the Sanhedrin! Reading again:

John 8:30: Many who heard Jesus say these things believed in him.—Good News Bible.*

  1. Eventually, a number of Jewish leaders, Pharisees and Sadducees, believed in Jesus.

Acts 6:7: And so the word of God continued to spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem grew larger and larger, and a great number of priests [usually Sadducees] accepted the faith.—Good News Bible.*

Acts 15:5: But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and told to obey the Law of Moses.”—Good News Bible.*

  1. People’s initial responses might not be their final responses. We need to remember that the work of spreading the gospel is the work of the Holy Spirit. We are just assistants.
  2. Do we ever read or hear portions of Scripture that plainly point us to what we should do and then ignore that information?
  3. One of the issues in our day is the incredible number of distractions and work responsibilities.

[EGW:] …. As activity increases and men become successful in doing any work for God, there is danger of trusting to human plans and methods…. Like the disciples, we are in danger of losing sight of our dependence on God, and seeking to make a savior of our activity.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 362.2. [https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.1746&index=0]

  1. In the big picture, what is the basis for your belief in the Messiah?

[BSG:] How firmly grounded are you in what you believe? If someone were to challenge you on why you believe in Jesus as the Messiah, what answers could you give? Where would you go, and why, to help defend that faith?―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Wednesday, November 20.

©2024, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. *Electronic version. Bold type is added. Brackets and content in brackets are added. §Italic type is in the source. [sic-Br]=This is correct as quoted; it is the British spelling.

Last Modified: October 13, 2024                                                                                       Email: Info@theox.org