Main Theme: This week’s lesson looks at how the Gospel of John presents the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but now within the context of the farewell discourse (John 13:1-17:26).
Study: How does this reveal the breach that sin caused, and what does it mean that it was God seeking them out, not vice versa?
Apply: These verses present the Father in close connection with Jesus Christ, His Son. The Father has intimate contact with our world and a deep investment in our salvation. What does this truth teach us about God’s love for us?
Share: Your friend says, “Jesus made the greatest sacrifice to come and die for us while all the Father had to do was watch from heaven.” What do you tell your friend?
Study: What do the following texts teach us about the relationship between Jesus and the Father?
Apply: How would your life be changed if your thoughts and actions were fully an expression of God’s will for your life? That is, how can we better live out what we know from Jesus is God’s will for our lives?
Share: Your friend asks how do we get to know God now that Jesus is up in heaven and no longer with us? What do you tell your friend?
Study: What do these passages teach us about the importance of the Holy Spirit for conversion?
Apply: How have you seen the Holy Spirit working in your conversion process?
Share: Your friend says that the Holy Spirit convicted her that the Sabbath is no longer binding. What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: John 17:1-26. Have the class define the main idea of this passage.
Study: What words or phrases in this chapter express the desire of Jesus for a close relationship of love between Himself, the Father, and His disciples?
Apply: How can you better reflect the love of God, such as exists between Jesus and the Father, in your own life?
Share: Your friend asks how your church family reflects the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What do you tell your friend?
Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class, December 7, 2024.
Main Theme: This week’s lesson will begin with the purpose of the farewell discourse and its introduction with the significant episode of Jesus’ washing His disciples’ feet. Then it will turn to the “I AM” statement in chapter 14 (“I am the way, the truth, and the life”).
Read in Class: John 13:1-20. Ask the class to define the main idea of this passage.
Study: What happened here, and why is this story so important? What lessons did Jesus seek to teach?
Apply: What does the Ordinance of Humility teach you about following in the footsteps of Jesus and how to humbly serve others?
Share: Your friend says the ordinance of humility, which we do every quarter is an illustration of how we are to serve each other, but what are some literal ways you have seen church members serving each other besides the ordinance of humility? What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class:John 14:1-3. Ask the class to define the main idea of this passage.
Study: In what context did Jesus say these words?
Apply: What does the Cross teach us about the certainty of Christ’s second coming? Without the Second Coming, what good did Jesus’ death do us at the first coming?
Share: Your friend says he is not sure he will make it to heaven. What do you tell your friend, and how might you use John 14:1-3 in the process?
Main Theme: This week continues with the revelation of God as given us in John. We will also more fully explore the flip side of things, in which, despite the powerful evidence for Jesus as the Messiah, some rejected Him. We will study this idea for two reasons: to avoid the same mistake, but also to consider how we might be able to reach out to those in danger of making that mistake, as well.
Share: Your friend says she accepted the gift of eternal life years ago, so she knows no matter what she does today, good or bad, she is already saved. What do you tell your friend? See Once Saved Always Saved.
Read in Class: John 1:12-13. Ask the class to summarize this passage.
Study: What are the steps described here about becoming a Christian?
Apply: Read Romans 8:16. What principle about salvation in Jesus is found here?
Share: Your friend says we are either predestined to be the children of God or we are predestined to be lost. We have no choice? What do you tell your friend? See How do we Get Elected by God?
Apply: Read Numbers 13:23-33. What made the difference between the two reports the spies brought back about Canaan? How do we make sure we don’t make the same mistake most of the spies made?
Share: Your friend asks, did Satan try to tempt Jesus into disbelief? Is so, how did Jesus meet that temptation? What do you tell your friend? See Matthew 4:1-4.
Main Theme: This week we will look at more ways John revealed Jesus as the Messiah, and also, we will look at why some people still continued to reject Him—despite all the powerful reasons affirming Him as the Christ.
Read in Class:John 5:39-40, 46-47. Ask the class to define the main idea of these passages.
Study: What do these verses teach us about Jesus’ attitude toward the authority of Scripture?
Apply: Read John 19:28.What does this passage teach about the authority of Scripture as understood by Jesus and John? What should this tell us about the crucial role all Scripture must have for our faith, as well?
Share: Your friend asks, you, “What are the forces today that either subtly or openly work to undermine our faith in the authority of the Bible?” What do you tell your friend?
Study: How are these New Testament and Old Testament passages linked? That is, how does the New Testament use these texts to bear witness to Jesus?
Apply: How does the fulfillment of these prophecies strengthen your faith an all Scripture, including scriptures that have not been fulfilled yet?
Share: Your friend says that every religion has its own god, how do we know our God is the real God? How can you even prove Jesus even really existed? What do you tell your friend?
Study: What do each of these passages from John’s Gospel reveal about Jesus as a fulfillment of Messianic prophecy?
Apply: Read Matthew 24:9. How does the fulfillment of the prophecy about Jesus being betrayed make you feel about the prophecy of what we as Christians will one day face if we are not facing it already? What comfort do you gain by knowing Jesus has already experienced being betrayed?
Share: Your friend asks you what other prophecies about Jesus being the Messiah were predicted in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament? What do you tell your friend? See The Messiah in Scripture.
Read in Class: John 8:12-30. Ask the class to define the main idea of these passages.
Study: What is the dynamic here between Jesus and these religious leaders? Which texts best explain why many rejected Him?
Apply: What lessons do you draw from Jesus’ exchange with the religious leaders? How can we be “from above” and not “from beneath”—and how can we know the difference?
Share: Your friend mentions there were some obstacles that kept certain people from believing in Jesus in His day. What are some obstacles that kept you from first believing in Jesus? How did you overcome those obstacles? What do you tell your friend?
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32 NKJV
Was the Father being fanatical when He gave us His Son, or was He just in love with us? Is the Father being extreme when He gives us all things or is He just in love with us?
In John 12:1-8, a woman comes to Jesus with an extremely expensive bottle of perfume. She anoints Jesus with this costly perfume as an expression of her love and appreciation for the incredible sacrifice Jesus was making for her. She was a sinner, saved by the love of Jesus, and she simply wanted to give all she had for Jesus because Jesus was giving all He had for her. However, some of the disciples, including Judas, took exception to her gift. They called it a waste of money that could have been used to help the poor. John points out though that instead of helping the poor, Judas was using the poor fund to benefit himself. This leads me to a couple of conclusions.
Judas called the woman out for being “wasteful” simply because he was not as giving and did not want to look bad. So how do you make yourself look perfectly balanced while still being selfish? You label the unselfish woman as being fanatical and accuse her of extremism. Do some do this today? Others make reforms in their diet or behavior that we are not willing to make, so to make ourselves look balanced we have to make the unselfish person look unbalanced and extreme or fanatical. By pushing them into the far-right category that moves us into the perfectly moderate and balanced category. However, this woman was not being legalistic, fanatical, extreme, or unbalanced. She was simply in love with Jesus. She was simply giving all she had because Jesus was giving her all He had. This should be the natural reaction of all who have experienced the love of Christ today. Just because someone is making changes that we are not willing to make does not mean that they are unbalanced or extreme fanatics. It could just mean that they love Jesus and want to show their appreciation for His love and sacrifice by making a few sacrifices themselves. That is what love does.
Going back to Judas acting like he was really interested in the poor while only serving himself, how many times have we said, “I wish I was rich so I could give to the poor?” What are we really saying? Could we really be saying, “I wish I was rich so I could give to the poor without having to sacrifice?” Jesus pointed out to Judas that poor have always been there and he can help them anytime he wants. Likewise, we can help the poor anytime we want if we are willing to sacrifice. Do we really wish we had more money to give to the poor or do we just wish we had more money so we could give to the poor without it being such a sacrifice? Keep in mind when the Father gave everything including His son, it was a sacrifice. Is there any other way that we can genuinely respond to such love without also making a real sacrifice?
You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.
Main Theme: Who were some of these people, and why did they testify as they did to the identity of Jesus?
Read in Class: John 12:1-8. Ask the class to define the main idea of this passage.
Study: What was the significance of Mary’s actions here? How was this a witness to who Jesus really was?
Apply: Jesus knew what was in the heart of Mary and the heart of Judas. He knows what’s in your heart, as well. What should this truth tell us about the need of Christ as our righteousness, transforming us and covering us, as well?
Share: Your friend says that she wishes she had millions of dollars so she could help the poor. What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: John 18:38 and John 19:4-22. Ask the class to define the main idea of these passages.
Study: How is Pilate’s verdict connected to the theme of John’s Gospel?
Apply: What can we learn from Pilate’s example about the dangers of allowing popular sentiment, even pressure, to keep us from doing what we believe is right?
Share: Your friend asks you if you can think of others in the Bible or life today who have “unwittingly” testified about Jesus? What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class:John 20:19-31. Ask the class to identify the main idea of this passage.
Study: What can we learn from the story of Thomas about faith and doubt? What major mistake did Thomas make?
Apply: Do you only put your faith in what you can feel or see? Can you think of a time when you put your faith in something you could feel or see and were still disappointed?
Share: If someone were to ask you Why do you believe in Jesus? what would you say?
And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. Revelation 13:8 NLT
Sadly, many put their confidence in popular opinion, while the Bible tells us the vast majority of the world will worship the beast.
Interestingly while Jesus claimed to be God, the majority accused Him of blasphemy and had Him crucified for making such a claim. Later the beast claims to be God, but instead of accusing him of blasphemy, the majority worships him. Truth is clearly not a popularity contest.
Occasionally, at church or the Adventist school where I teach Bible and evangelism, someone will ask me, “What do we believe about such and such?” My response has always been, “I don’t know what you believe, but here is what I and many Seventh-day Adventists believe,” and I show them in the Bible what I believe and why. I am not going to tell someone what they believe. That is not teaching. That’s brainwashing. Besides, truth is not truth just because everyone in the Adventist church believes it. Truth is not a popularity contest in the church or the world. Truth is truth only if the Bible supports it.
During the Dark Ages, when people did not have access to the Bible, people trusted their priests to tell them what they believed, and because of that there was a lot of brainwashing going on.
Even before the Dark Ages, priests abused their authority and tried to brainwash people into believing whatever they believed. This happened in Jesus’ day when those in “authority” were trying to capture Jesus.
When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”
“We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded.
“Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked. “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? John 7:45-48 NLT
The guards experienced and heard the Word of God speaking to them and believed. Since the Pharisees did not want to believe, they mocked at this. In John 7 the Pharisees misconstrued Scripture to try and prove their point, but amazingly, instead of hanging their hat on Scripture, they hung it on the fact that none of the rulers or leaders believed. Is truth a popularity contest? If everyone else believes something is it right, and if no one else believes it, then is it wrong? Is that how it works?
The number of people who believe something simply because everyone else believes it is staggering. Take the state of the dead for example. Years ago I attended the funeral of a dear Adventist saint. Her family believed in the immortality of the soul and asked the Adventist preacher doing her funeral to “put her in heaven now.” The pastor replied that he could not do that since it simply is not true. However, he told them he believed in liberty of conscience and freedom of speech so if one of them wanted to stand up and say she was in heaven, they could. So, one of the family members stood up and talked about how her grandmother was now in heaven. I remember she kept saying “we cling to this!” Very emphatically, yet she gave no Scriptural reference other than that is what everyone believes. So, I am not sure exactly what she was clinging to other than popular belief. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Paul tells us to “comfort each other with these words” about the resurrection. Sadly, instead of comforting each other with the words Paul told us to use to comfort each other, many people use phrases about going straight to heaven when you die that are nowhere in the Bible and Paul nor anyone else ever suggested that we use. Sadly those phrases have been used so often that people believe it because they have heard it so many times.
When it comes to Sabbath keeping, I have heard so many people say that Sunday must be the true day because the whole world can’t be wrong. They forget that at the time of the flood only 8 people were right! Truth is not a popularity contest.
And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. Acts 17:11 NLT
Like the temple guards, the Bereans were interested in new ideas if they were found in Scripture. They didn’t believe something because Paul and Silas believed it or because a ruler did. On their own they searched the Scriptures daily to find the truth.
I have heard Seventh-day Adventists telling their Baptist and Methodist friends to search the Bible for themselves because their pastors could be wrong. I have watched some of the same Seventh-day Adventists listening to their own favorite Adventist preachers, without bothering to search the Scriptures, because, after all, their pastor is Adventist, so he is automatically right, right? Wrong! We all make mistakes, as we all continue to learn and grow.
Let’s not be like the foolish Pharisees in John 7, who hung their hats on how many people believed or did not believe something. Truth is not a popularity contest. Let’s search the Scriptures ourselves to find truth.
You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.
Main Theme: This week’s lesson looks at some of those who witnessed and testified about Jesus. In each of these incidents, some aspects of who Jesus really is are revealed, and together they create a deeper vision of Jesus, the Messiah.
Study: How does John the Baptist compare himself to Jesus? What are some things John Said about the Messiah that may have surprised his listeners?
Apply: How can we learn the lesson of humility before both God and humanity? What can we learn from the example of John here about humility of the soul?
Share: Your friend asks you how you came to realize that Jesus is the Messiah and your personal Savior? What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: John 6:51-71. Ask the class to summarize this passage.
Study: What did Jesus say that people had trouble accepting?
Apply: What can we learn from this story about the fact that the majority is usually wrong? Why must we remember this, especially with the aspects of our faith that are unpopular with the majority—even the majority of Christians?
Share: Your friend asks, what did Jesus mean by “eat my flesh and drink my blood?” What do you tell your friend?
Study: What does the Father say about Jesus, and what does Jesus say about the Father?
Apply: Read 2 Peter 1:16-21. How would we know the truth about Jesus as our atoning sacrifice unless it were revealed to us? Why, then, is knowing the Bible and what it teaches about Jesus so crucial?
Share: Your friend asks, “How can I know if God is well pleased with me?” What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class:John 7:37-53. Ask the class to summarize this passage.
Study: When Jesus spoke to the Jews attending the Feast of Tabernacles, what was the response of many in the crowd?
Apply: In John 7:47-48, the leaders imply that the people should not believe in Jesus since the leaders don’t believe in Him. How much influence do you allow leaders to have over what you believe? See Truth is not a Popularity Contest.
Share: In your sphere of influence what has been your testimony about Jesus? Is there someone you can share your testimony with this week?
Main Theme: John recounts the encounter between Jesus, the woman at the well, and the people of the Samaritan city of Sychar.
Read in Class: John 4:5-15. Ask the class the identify the main idea of this passage.
Study: How did Jesus use this opportunity to open a dialogue with the woman at the well? How does Jesus begin witnessing to this woman?
Apply: Read John 7:37-38. What is Jesus saying to us in these verses, and how do we experience what He is promising here?
Share: Your friend asks, “What are some of the taboos in your own culture that could hamper your witness to others? How do we learn to transcend them?” What do you tell your friend?
Study: How did Jesus respond to the woman’s request? What truth in Ezekiel 36:25-27 was Jesus trying to bring home to the woman?
Apply: In John 4:16 Jesus gets very personal with the woman to make her aware of her need for healing. How do we react when a friend or maybe even a sermon in church may expose an area where we need healing? Do we become defensive, or do we acknowledge our need for healing?
Share: Your friend asks, you how God has taken away your heart of stone and given you a heart of flesh? What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class:John 4:16-26. Ask the class to define the main idea of this passage.
Study: What did Jesus do to show this woman that He knew her deepest secrets, and how did she respond? How did Jesus reveal His identity to her?
Apply: What should this story tell us about why the gospel needs to break down the barriers that we humans create with each other?
Share: Your friend mentions how you can see a friend you have not seen in years, and once you get back together it was like you were never apart. Could it be because you had been together “in the Sprit” even while you were apart? What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: John 4:27-42. Ask the class to define the main idea of this passage.
Study: What surprising action did the woman take?
Apply: What happened following this encounter, and what does it teach about how the gospel can be spread?
Share: What should this story tell us about how powerful the witness of even one person can be? How powerful a witness are you to what Jesus has done in your life? Who can you share your story with this week?
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” John 1:47 NKJV
We don’t hear much about Nathanael before or after this story. Nathanael does not go on to be a world renowned preacher. If he wrote anything it was never published in the Cannon. There is no record of him parting the waters, or calling fire down from heaven. By all accounts he was just an ordinary guy, but wow, what an awesome affirmation he received from God. Before Nathanael met Jesus, Jesus already knew him by name and publicly recognized his integrity. I am more than happy to just remain a common ordinary guy, so long as I can hear Jesus one day say about me what He said about Nathanel. Such an affirmation coming from God means way more to me than all the worldly accomplishments and fame this world can give.
Nathanael is not the only “ordinary guy” that God knew by name and held in high esteem. In Exodus 31:1-6 God calls out Bezalel and Aholiab by name as the “construction workers” he wanted working on the temple. He even said they were filled with His Spirit, so God not only fills priests and pastors with His Spirit, He fills people in all walks of life. In Nehemiah 3:1-32 Nehemiah calls out several construction workers by name, who made repairs in rebuilding Jerusalem. A few weeks ago, Florida, where I live was hit by two hurricanes. Linemen came from all over the country, and even some from Canada to help restore electricity to our communities. All our churches were praying for these linemen. In Revelation 1:20 we see how Jesus holds His ministers in His hands, but I realized that God also knew these linemen by name and held them in His hands as well.
The world may have some kind of hierarchy, but we all stand on level ground at the foot of the cross and in the presence of God. God does not esteem us according to our fame or worldly status. We may be just ordinary folk to the world, but still be precious in the eyes and in the hands of God. I would gladly trade all the praise and esteem this world has to give just to hear Jesus say about me, “Behold, a man indeed, in whom is no deceit!” By God’s grace, no matter what our positions or worldly titles may be, no matter how common or ordinary we may appear, we may all hear Jesus tell us,
“Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” Matthew 25:21 NKJV
You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.
In Light of The Cross 