SDA Sabbath School Lesson 2--2nd Quarter 2016--The Ministry Begins

[Wally]

Lesson 2 * April 2-8

The Ministry Begins

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 3:1-12; 2 Pet. 1:19; Phil. 2:5-8; Matt. 4:1-12; Isa. 9:1, 2; Matt. 4:17-22.

Memory Text: “‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people’” (Matthew 4:19, NIV).

One of the great struggles of humanity has been to know what the meaning and purpose of our lives are and how to live them. After all, we don’t come with written instructions tucked under our arms on how to live, do we?

“I didn’t understand what the meaning of life was,” said a 17-year-old boy from a well-to-do family who became a prescription drug addict. “I still don’t, but I thought that everyone else did, that there was this big secret that everyone was in on that I wasn’t. I thought everyone understood why we were here, and that they were all secretly happy somewhere without me.”

Paul Feyerabend, an Austrian writer and philosopher of science, confessed in his autobiography: “So one day passes after another and it is not clear why one should live.”

Hence, the Bible, the gospel, and the story of Jesus and what He has done for us. In Jesus—His preexistence, birth, life, death, ministry in heaven, and Second Coming—we can find the answers to life’s most pressing questions. This week, we will look at the beginning of Christ’s life and work here on earth, a life and work that alone can give full meaning to our own.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, April 9.

Sunday April 3

John the Baptist and “Present Truth”

Matthew 3 begins with John the Baptist, whose first recorded word in the text is an imperative—“Repent!” (Matt. 3:2). In one way, that’s a summary of what God has been saying to humanity since the Fall: Repent, accept My forgiveness, put away your sins, and you will find Redemption and rest for your souls.

And yet, no matter how universal that message, John also put a distinct “present truth” (2 Pet. 1:12) spin on it, a message for those people at that specific time.

Read Matthew 3:2, 3. What was the present truth message that John was preaching, along with his call for repentance, baptism, and confession? See also Matt. 3:6.

John also does something here that is done all through the New Testament. He quotes the Old Testament. Old Testament prophecy comes alive in the New: time and again, whether Jesus or Paul or Peter or John, all quote the Old Testament in order to help validate, explain, or even prove the meaning of what was going on in the New. No wonder Peter, even in the context of the miracles he had personally witnessed, nevertheless stressed the “sure word of prophecy” (2 Pet. 1:19) when talking about the ministry of Jesus.

Read Matthew 3:7-12. What message does John have for the leaders? Despite his harsh words, what hope is being offered them here, as well?

Notice how central Jesus is to everything that John was preaching. Everything even then was about Jesus and about who He was and what He would do. Though the gospel was presented, John also made clear that there will be a final reckoning, a final divide between the wheat and the chaff, and that it will be the prophesied One who will do that dividing. Hence more proof of how inseparable the gospel is from judgment. Here also is an example of how, in the Bible, the first and second comings of Jesus are viewed as one event as we see John—in the immediate context of Christ’s first coming—talking about the second, as well.

Monday April 4

The Contrast in the Wilderness

“Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matt. 4:1, NKJV).

Imagine this scene from the perspective of Satan himself. The divine, exalted Being whom he knew as the Son of God had now lowered Himself—had taken on human flesh—in order to save the human race. This was the same Jesus whom he warred against in heaven and who threw him and his angels out (see Rev. 12:7-9). But now this Jesus was—what? An emaciated human being alone in a harsh wilderness with no obvious support? Certainly Jesus would now be an easy target for Satan’s deceptions.

“When Satan and the Son of God first met in conflict, Christ was the commander of the heavenly hosts; and Satan, the leader of revolt in heaven, was cast out. Now their condition is apparently reversed, and Satan makes the most of his supposed advantage.”—Ellen G. White, TheDesire of Ages, p. 119.

What a contrast: though Lucifer had once sought to “be like the Most High” (Isa. 14:14, NKJV), Jesus had emptied Himself of the glory of heaven. Here, in this one scene, we can see the vast difference between selfishness and selflessness; the vast difference between what holiness is and what sin does.

Compare Isaiah 14:12-14 with Philippians 2:5-8. What does this tell us about the difference between the character of Jesus and Satan?

Imagine how the angels who had known Jesus in His heavenly glory must have viewed what was taking place as these two foes now stood face to face in a mode of conflict that the two had never experienced between them before. Though we have the distinct advantage of knowing how this turned out, the angels—indeed all of heaven—didn’t; and so, they must have watched this conflict with rapt and fascinating attention.

Satan exalted himself. Jesus humbled Himself, even to the point of death. What can we learn from this powerful contrast, and how can we apply this important truth to ourselves? How should it impact the way we make certain decisions, especially those in which our ego is at stake?

[Wally]

Tuesday April 5

The Temptation

Read Matthew 4:1-12. What happened here with these temptations? Why did Jesus have to go through this? What does this story have to do with salvation? How did Jesus endure such powerful temptations under such hard conditions, and what should that tell us about enduring temptations?

Matthew 4:1 starts out with what seems like a strange thought: it was the Spirit that led Jesus into the desert to be tempted. We are supposed to pray that we are not led into temptation. “‘ “And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one” ’” (Matt. 6:13, NKJV). Why, then, would the Holy Spirit lead Jesus this way?

A key is found in the previous chapter, when Jesus comes to John to be baptized. Seeing John’s resistance, Jesus says, “‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness’” (Matt. 3:15, NKJV). To fulfill all righteousness, that is, to do what was needed in order to be humanity’s perfect example and perfect representative, Jesus had to be baptized, even though He was sinless.

In the wilderness temptation, Jesus had to pass over the same ground that Adam did. He needed the victory against temptation that we all, from Adam onward, have failed to attain. And thus, by so doing, “Christ was to redeem Adam’s failure” (Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 117), only He did so under conditions unlike anything that Adam had faced.

By this victory Jesus shows that we never have an excuse for sin, that there is no justification for it, and that, when tempted, we don’t have to fall but through faith and submission we can overcome. As we have been told: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7, 8, NKJV).

How does this account, by showing us in such a powerful way that there is no excuse for our sin, make our need for Christ’s righteousness so essential? Imagine if we had to stand in our own righteousness without that covering and without justification for our sins! What hope would we have?

Wednesday April 6

The Land of Zebulun and Naphtali

Matthew 4:12 tells about the imprisonment of John, thus ending his ministry. At this point, Jesus’ ministry “officially” begins. The text doesn’t say why, when Jesus heard about John, He went to Galilee, only that He did. (See also Mark 1:14-16 and Luke 4:14.) Perhaps, while John was still preaching, Jesus wanted to keep a lower profile, lest a rivalry arise? The Greek verb in Matthew 4:12, often translated “departed,” can give the idea of “withdrawing,” in the sense of avoiding danger. Thus, prudent as always, perhaps Jesus was seeking to avoid trouble.

Read Matthew 4:13-16 (see also Isa. 9:1-2) about Jesus’ settling in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali. What are these texts saying about the ministry of Jesus?

Zebulun and Naphtali were two of Jacob’s sons (see Gen. 35:23-26), and their descendants became two of the tribes that ultimately settled in the beautiful northern region.

Unfortunately, these two tribes were among the 10 tribes who gave up their faith in God and turned to the things of the world. Many of the Old Testament prophets railed against the sinfulness, the worldliness, and the evil of these northern tribes, who were eventually overrun by the Assyrians, who then scattered them around the then known world. In turn, Gentiles settled in Israel, and Galilee became a mixed population, a confused and dark place. Galilee’s most famous prophet was Jonah, which ought to tell us something about their level of commitment.

Whatever the problems in Galilee, there was this beautiful prophecy in Isaiah—that even in the dark land of Zebulun and Naphtali, “‘on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned’” (Matt. 4:16, NIV). In other words, here—where the need was so great, where people were deemed rude, backward, boorish—Jesus came and lived and ministered among them. However exalted He Himself might have been, we see the willingness of Jesus to humble Himself for the sake of others. We see here, too, another example of how central the Old Testament was to the ministry of Jesus.

How can we avoid the temptation to deem people as unworthy of our efforts to minister and witness to them? What’s so wrong with that attitude?

[Wally]

Thursday April 7

The Call of the Fishermen

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17, NKJV). Just like John, Jesus began His ministry with a call to repentance. He knew, as did John, the fallen state of humanity and the need for all people to repent and come to a knowledge of God. Thus, it’s not surprising that His first public proclamation, at least as recorded here in Matthew, was with a call to repentance.

Read Matthew 4:17-22. What do these texts tell us about the totality of that call that Jesus has on our lives?

Here, in the forgotten land of Galilee, was a small fishing partnership run by four young men: two sets of brothers. These men apparently had a heart for God because for a while some of them followed John the Baptist. But, to their surprise, John the Baptist had pointed them in the direction of another young man from their own region.

These men had approached Jesus of Nazareth and asked to spend time with Him (see John 1). That’s how this culture worked: men would approach a rabbi and ask to follow him. But it was the rabbi who made the final decision about who his disciples would be. And when a rabbi asked you to be his disciple, it was a very exciting moment.

Many people have grown up with the idea that when Jesus called the disciples at the sea, this was the first time they had met Him. But we know from John 1 through 5 that these men had already spent a year with Jesus—apparently on a part-time basis.

“Jesus chose unlearned fishermen because they had not been schooled in the traditions and erroneous customs of their time. They were men of native ability, and they were humble and teachable,—men whom He could educate for His work. In the common walks of life there is many a man patiently treading the round of daily toil, unconscious that he possesses powers which, if called into action, would raise him to an equality with the world’s most honored men. The touch of a skillful hand is needed to arouse those dormant faculties. It was such men that Jesus called to be His colaborers; and He gave them the advantage of association with Himself.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 250.

Friday April 8

Further Thought: An evangelist came to town and advertised his meeting like this: “Come see a preacher tear a page out of the Bible!” That, no doubt, brought a crowd. He then stood before them, opened his Bible, and—to their astonishment—tore out a page. “This page,” he said, “never belonged there. It’s the page separating the Old Testament from the New.” Whatever one might think of his theatrics, the preacher made a good point. These two books are, really, one. All through the New Testament, the Old Testament is quoted. Time and again events in the New Testament are explained and justified by either Jesus Himself or the New Testament authors, by references to the Old Testament. How often did Jesus make the statement, in one form or another, that “Scripture must be fulfilled”? Whether from Jesus Himself, who repeatedly pointed back to the Old Testament writings (see John 5:39, Luke 24:27, Matt. 22:29, John 13:18), to Paul, who was always quoting the Old Testament (Rom. 4:3, 11:8, Gal. 4:27), to the book of Revelation, with an estimated 550 Old Testament allusions, the New Testament constantly links itself to the Old. The Old and New Testaments are God’s written revelations to humanity of the plan of salvation. Though, no question, some parts of the Old Testament, such as the sacrificial system, are no longer binding upon Christians, we must never make the mistake of somehow relegating the Old Testament to an inferior status to the New. The Bible is composed of both Testaments, and from them both we learn crucial truths about God and the plan of salvation.

Discussion Questions:

    We can see the various ways that Satan tempted Jesus and how in each case Jesus didn’t fall prey to any of the temptations and deceptions behind those temptations. Notice, too, just how central the Word of God was here. Though Jesus was the Lord Himself, now in “the likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom. 8:3) He used the Scriptures as a means of defense against the devil’s temptations. If Jesus Himself had to do that, what should that tell us about how central and crucial the Bible needs to be in our lives, especially as we struggle with temptation? Though we might know in principle that we are to use the Bible in our battle with temptation, how in practice do we do that? What are some ways we can use the Bible to help us withstand the assaults that we all face?

    Why is humility so crucial a trait for Christians? How can we learn to be and stay humble? What role should the Cross play in helping us in this crucial area?

[Richard Myers]

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 3:1-12; 2 Pet. 1:19; Phil. 2:5-8; Matt. 4:1-12; Isa. 9:1, 2; Matt. 4:17-22.

Memory Text: “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

One of the great struggles of humanity has been to know what the meaning and purpose of our lives are and how to live them. After all, we don’t come with written instructions tucked under our arms on how to live, do we?

“I didn’t understand what the meaning of life was,” said a 17-year-old boy from a well-to-do family who became a prescription drug addict. “I still don’t, but I thought that everyone else did, that there was this big secret that everyone was in on that I wasn’t. I thought everyone understood why we were here, and that they were all secretly happy somewhere without me.”

Paul Feyerabend, an Austrian writer and philosopher of science, confessed in his autobiography: “So one day passes after another and it is not clear why one should live.”

Hence, the Bible, the gospel, and the story of Jesus and what He has done for us. In Jesus—His preexistence, birth, life, death, ministry in heaven, and Second Coming—we can find the answers to life’s most pressing questions. This week, we will look at the beginning of Christ’s life and work here on earth, a life and work that alone can give full meaning to our own.

"Life's most pressing questions".    Yes, there are some questions we would like to have answered. What do you consider to be life's most pressing question?   

     There is to be no compromise with the powers of darkness. Individually we must take our stand. If we are not at enmity with the prince of darkness, the serpent, his folds encircle us and all our powers; his sting is in our hearts. All who range themselves under the blood-stained banner of the Prince of Life will henceforth count Satan as a foe, and will in God's strength oppose him as a deadly enemy. They will take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And what will they do in order to hold vantage ground? "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance" (Ephesians 6:18). . . . 
     We should be quick to discern danger. We should see the hateful character of sin and should expel it from the soul. The doers of the Word know that in Jesus there is strength, which becomes their own by faith. They are clothed with righteousness that God will accept, for it is the righteousness of Christ. Clad in this armor of God, the panoply of heaven, they successfully resist the serpent's wiles. Not one soul has a moment to lose. . . . The concerns of eternity are of sufficient importance to take precedence over every other enterprise. "What must I do to be saved?" should be the great and solemn question with us now.    In Heavenly Places, pg 48. 

That question, Laodiceans do not consider pressing, matter of fact they don't even think of the question. Why not?

Hopefully this week our lesson will address the question.

[Richard Myers]

Sunday April 3

John the Baptist and “Present Truth”

Matthew 3 begins with John the Baptist, whose first recorded word in the text is an imperative—“Repent!” (Matt. 3:2). In one way, that’s a summary of what God has been saying to humanity since the Fall: Repent, accept My forgiveness, put away your sins, and you will find Redemption and rest for your souls.

Ah...already an answer to that most pressing question, what must I do to be saved.  "Repent, accept my forgiveness, put away your sins."   "And you will find redemption."   Easy enough. Just repent and put away your sins. If it were that easy, then all would be saved. It is indeed the answer, but we cannot repent in and of ourselves. It is a gift of God, as is eternal life. That leaves us with the question as to what we must do in order to be saved.

If we look at Paul's attempt to put away sin before he was converted, we will see a history of what many professing Christians go through in an attempt to "put away sin". He found it impossible. "   For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me." Romans 7:18-21.

The poor man could not do what he knew was right. He wanted to do good, but found he was evil by nature and in and of himself he had no power to keep the law of God from the heart. He knew nothing of a Savior. He thought Jesus to be an imposter. So, that left Saul with a burning question "what must I do to be saved?" But, the Laodicean does not ask the question because the Laodicean thinks he is saved, just as did Saul before the commandment came home to his understanding. "For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death." Romans 7:9,10.
 
One day soon, some Laodiceans will awaken to their true condition and find themselves in the very same condition. Then they too will cry out as did Saul (Paul) "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Romans 7:24. Unlike Saul, many Seventh-day Adventists know Jesus not to be an imposter, so they ought to know who will save them. But, the question still remains "what must I do to be saved?" We can try, try, and try to keep the law, but cannot in and of ourselves. We need Jesus, but how is it that we can gain the repentance necessary in order to gain salvation? What does the Bible say? What did Jesus tell Nicodemus to do after he told him he was lost? What does Jesus say to the Laodicean? All say the very same thing, they all answer the question "what must I do to be saved?"

And yet, no matter how universal that message, John also put a distinct “present truth” (2 Pet. 1:12) spin on it, a message for those people at that specific time.

Read Matthew 3:2, 3.

 3:2   And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 
 3:3   For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 

What was the present truth message that John was preaching, along with his call for repentance, baptism, and confession? "And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins."  Matt. 3:6..

This is an interesting question. What was the "present truth message"?  John did not know the Lamb of God had to die. He thought Jesus was going to rule an earthly kingdom. How was one to be brought to true repentance without a knowledge of their Savior?

John also does something here that is done all through the New Testament. He quotes the Old Testament. Old Testament prophecy comes alive in the New: time and again, whether Jesus or Paul or Peter or John, all quote the Old Testament in order to help validate, explain, or even prove the meaning of what was going on in the New. No wonder Peter, even in the context of the miracles he had personally witnessed, nevertheless stressed the “sure word of prophecy” (2 Pet. 1:19) when talking about the ministry of Jesus.

Read Matthew 3:7-12.

 3:7   But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 
 3:8   Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 
 3:9   And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 
 3:10   And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 
 3:11   I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and [with] fire: 
 3:12   Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

John certainly understood that God requires a change in character before one has salvation. He made that very clear. The "good fruit" he speak of is the fruit that comes when the Spirit takes possession of the heart. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, not one is missing when one is truly converted.

What message does John have for the leaders? Despite his harsh words, what hope is being offered them here, as well?

Are harsh words ever acceptable when reproving sin? Some would call that "accusing the brethren". But, John is not attempting to push these Laodiceans away, but is trying to reach them by helping them understand they are in a lost condition. It would not be love to leave them in their "lukewarm" condition thinking they were saved because they were the children of Abraham.

Notice how central Jesus is to everything that John was preaching. Everything even then was about Jesus and about who He was and what He would do. Though the gospel was presented, John also made clear that there will be a final reckoning, a final divide between the wheat and the chaff, and that it will be the prophesied One who will do that dividing. Hence more proof of how inseparable the gospel is from judgment. Here also is an example of how, in the Bible, the first and second comings of Jesus are viewed as one event as we see John—in the immediate context of Christ’s first coming—talking about the second, as well.

The "gospel" is inseparable from "judgment".  That would be attempting to remove either justice or grace. In the suffering and death of Christ, we see both, they met at the cross. For all who will be reconciled to God, they will become partakers of God's divine nature and when Jesus comes to take them home, He will also give them new glorified bodies. But, the character they take to heaven, will the character formed on this earth. Genesis 3:15 made possible both the imputed and imparted righteousness of Christ. The devil would separate justice and mercy. That is his work in the great controversy.

    Mercy invites us to enter through the gates into the city of God, and justice is satisfied to accord to every obedient soul full privileges as a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King. If we were defective in character, we could not pass the gates that mercy has opened to the obedient; for justice stands at the entrance, and demands holiness in all who would see God. 
     Were justice extinct, and were it possible for divine mercy to open the gates to the whole race, irrespective of character, there would be a worse condition of disaffection and rebellion in heaven than before Satan was expelled. The peace, happiness, and harmony of heaven would be broken. The change from earth to heaven will not change men's character; the happiness of the redeemed in heaven results from the character formed in this life after the image of Christ. The saints in heaven will first have been saints on earth.  Maranatha, pg 326. 

We are still looking for a Biblical answer to our question "what must I do do be saved?"

[Ed Sutton]

One of the great struggles of humanity has been to know what the meaning and purpose of our lives are and how to live them. After all, we don’t come with written instructions tucked under our arms on how to live, do we?

“I didn’t understand what the meaning of life was,”   

Few look to the simple reasons why we exist, are who we are, where and when.   


They seem too simple a set of reasons, yet they span eternity in the Great Controversy Saga.

The meaning of life definition that did, and still, satisfies me.

When I was very young maybe between 5 & 7, I had given my self to Christ and accepted Him as my Saviour - don't remember exactly what age, ….. as I was walking down the sidewalk, I was asking “why do I exist”,  “why am I here” , “why now”, “why am I me and not someone else” ?     

And quickly the simple answer opened to my mind, in my mind, without words, but a quiet understanding came, I exist because God saw it all in the plans of His mind and wanted me to exist and us to be together, He wanted to create me so I could know Him and love Him, like He loved His thoughts of me as yet uncreated, while He was thinking of me since eternity.   

I am here in my home town and not born somewhere else, because God looked at everywhere in eternity and weighed everything out, and decided here was best for me and I would be happiest here.

I am here now and not some other time, because God looked at all time in eternity, and decided now is where I would be the safest and happiest and fulfill why I was created.

I am me and not someone else because God looked at everyone everywhere across eternity and caused me to be me and not someone else because it was better for me to be me than anyone else, anywhere, anyplace, anytime, and God wanted us to be together forever hand in hand being happy as we delighted in seeking to make each other happy and seek to please each other because that made us both happy.

That answer to a 5-7 yr old child has satisfied my mind ever since then ,  and still does.   Seeking to please someone is actual obedience in essence, and acting on that is obedience in reality.  Mutual love is the continual raison d'etre – the reason to be, the continual actions to take, the continual mindset, what makes Heaven heavenly instead of anything else.


Now on to the other big question from the Sabbath School Lesson so far .   

We are still looking for a Biblical answer to our question "what must I do do be saved?"   

It depends upon what a person's view of salvation is or is not .  There are many opinions.  Here is mine and evidence shaping that opinion .   ( also lookup "not saved until" = 3 SOP hits, then research the object of that topic    the nature of God's seal and obtaining the seal)

Three Fold nature of being a Christian like every coin - it has three sides - Heads - Tails - Edge representing the total nature of what it is made of.

1. Union with Father God, and Christ, and the Holy Ghost on their stated terms in the Bible, with heart reception engrafting of Their life and offered character from above, and active human union with them cheerfully.  John 3:3 -21;  1st Peter 1:13-2:8; John Chapters 14 and 15 and 16 and 17; 1st Corinthians Chapter 13; Ephesians 3:8-21; 1 John 3:10, 14; 1 John 4:8,20 .

2 .  The understanding, adorning and heartfelt obedience, engrafting of all the doctrines of the Bible and the testifying of Jesus Christ.   Matthew 13:3-23; Mark 4:2-20; Luke 8:4-15; James 1:17-27; 1st  Timothy 4:13 - 16; 2nd John 1:9-11; Matthew 28:18-20; Revelation 14:7 ( Deuteronomy 10: 12,13,16, 20; Deuteronomy 30:2,6 onward - verse 16-19.)

Example : John 8:1-36 as applies to the Doctrine of Baptism by immersion after being taught, trained, understandingly accepting Christ alone as your Saviour and Master and Lord and obeying the Bible Doctrine of putting on Christ through immersion baptism, joining Christ through His body on earth, the Church that obeys all Scripture.   John 3:23; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:16; John 4:1-2; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; 1st Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18, 24; 1st Timothy 3:15 ; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12 .

3. Human relationships on God’s terms.   Matthew Chapters 5 - 7 The Sermon on the Mount, and Paul’s writings .


“God imparts His blessing to us, that we may give to others. And as long as we yield ourselves as the channels through which His love can flow, He will keep the channels supplied. When you ask God for your daily bread, He looks right into your heart to see if you will impart the same to others, more needy than yourself. When you pray, "God be merciful to me a sinner," He watches to see if you will manifest compassion to those with whom you associate. This is the evidence of our connection with God,--that we are merciful even as our Father who is in heaven is merciful. If we are His, we shall do with a cheerful heart just what He tells us to do, however inconvenient, however contrary it may be to our own feelings. . . .  {CS 164.3}

 “Wherever there is union with Christ there is love. Whatever other fruits we may bear, if love be missing, they profit nothing. Love to God and our neighbor is the very essence of our religion. No one can love Christ and not love His children. When we are united to Christ, we have the mind of Christ. Purity and love shine forth in the character, meekness and truth control the life. The very expression of the countenance is changed. Christ abiding in the soul exerts a transforming power, and the outward aspect bears witness to the peace and joy that reign within. We drink in the love of Christ, as the branch draws nourishment from the vine. If we are grafted in Christ, if fiber by fiber we have been united with the Living Vine, we shall give evidence of the fact by bearing rich clusters of living fruit. If we are connected with the Light, we shall be channels of light, and in our words and works we shall reflect light to the world. Those who are truly Christians are bound with the chain of love which links earth to heaven, which binds finite man to the infinite God. The light that shines in the face of Jesus Christ shines in the hearts of His followers, to the glory of God.  {1SM 337.2}


“The qualities which it is essential for all to possess are those which marked the completeness of Christ's character--His love, His patience, His unselfishness, and His goodness. These attributes are gained by doing kindly actions with a kindly heart. But Christ's requirements are not met by His people today. A strange deception is upon the people of God. Selfishness prevents the union which should exist. True love for one another is rare in our churches. This lack of love reveals most certainly that the members do not love God as they suppose they do. They give evidence that they need to be sanctified.  {21MR 411.2}

     It is the greatest and most fatal deception to suppose that a man can have faith unto life eternal without possessing Christlike love for his brethren. He who loves God and his neighbor is filled with light and love. God is in him and all around him. Christians love those around them as precious souls for whom Christ has died. There is no such thing as a loveless Christian, for "God is love." [1 John 2:3-5, 8-11; John 13:34, 35; 15:12, quoted.]--Ms 133, 1899.  {21MR 411.3}

To read pdf & listen to MP3 simultaneously:
Lessons on Faith
http://www.tffgny.org/resources/lessons_on_faith.pdf

http://ellenwhiteaudio.org/lessons-on-faith/

Christ and His Righteousness
http://whitehorsemedia.com/docs/CHRIST_AND_HIS_RIGHTEOUSNESS.pdf

http://ellenwhiteaudio.org/christ-and-his-righteousness/

Everlasting Covenant
http://temcat.com/L-1-adv-pioneer-lib/EJWAGGON/THEEVERLASTINGCOVENANT.PDF

http://ellenwhiteaudio.org/everlasting-covenant/

Coming to ISA / Jesus Christ - walking His straight path
http://www.truthfortheendtime.com/SOPText/PDF/steps.pdf

http://www.whiteestate.org/books/sc/sc.asp#top

http://ellenwhiteaudio.org/steps-to-christ/

Salvation is God exercising His mercy according to His terms and conditions, His evidence is His seal within the human fore-brain and heart, which the angel with the writers ink horn places, and the destroying angels see like the blood on the doors in Goshen Egypt at the first Passover.

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Ed. If we will behold God "exercising His mercy" we shall be saved.

Here is an inspired statement that confirms Ed's answer.

     If sinners can be led to give one earnest look at the cross, if they can obtain a full view of the crucified Saviour, they will realize the depth of God's compassion and the sinfulness of sin. 
     Christ's death proves God's great love for man. It is our pledge of salvation. To remove the cross from the Christian would be like blotting the sun from the sky. The cross brings us near to God, reconciling us to Him. With the relenting compassion of a father's love, Jehovah looks upon the suffering that His Son endured in order to save the race from eternal death, and accepts us in the Beloved.
     Without the cross, man could have no union with the Father. On it depends our every hope. From it shines the light of the Saviour's love, and when at the foot of the cross the sinner looks up to the One who died to save him, he may rejoice with fullness of joy, for his sins are pardoned. Kneeling in faith at the cross, he has reached the highest place to which man can attain.   
     Through the cross we learn that the heavenly Father loves us with a love that is infinite. Can we wonder that Paul exclaimed, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ"? Galatians 6:14. It is our privilege also to glory in the cross, our privilege to give ourselves wholly to Him who gave Himself for us. Then, with the light that streams from Calvary shining in our faces, we may go forth to reveal this light to those in darkness.  Act of the Apostles, pg 210. 

We must do something in order to be saved. We must come to Jesus just as we are. We must learn of Him, feed upon Him. By beholding Him, we are converted, changed into His image by His Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18).  It has been a well kept secret.

[Richard Myers]

Monday April 4

The Contrast in the Wilderness

"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” Matt. 4:1.

Imagine this scene from the perspective of Satan himself. The divine, exalted Being whom he knew as the Son of God had now lowered Himself—had taken on human flesh—in order to save the human race. This was the same Jesus whom he warred against in heaven and who threw him and his angels out (see Rev. 12:7-9). But now this Jesus was—what? An emaciated human being alone in a harsh wilderness with no obvious support? Certainly Jesus would now be an easy target for Satan’s deceptions.

“When Satan and the Son of God first met in conflict, Christ was the commander of the heavenly hosts; and Satan, the leader of revolt in heaven, was cast out. Now their condition is apparently reversed, and Satan makes the most of his supposed advantage.”—Ellen G. White, TheDesire of Ages, p. 119.

What a contrast: though Lucifer had once sought to “be like the most High” (Isa. 14:14), Jesus had emptied Himself of the glory of heaven. Here, in this one scene, we can see the vast difference between selfishness and selflessness; the vast difference between what holiness is and what sin does.

Compare Isaiah 14:12-14 with Philippians 2:5-8. What does this tell us about the difference between the character of Jesus and Satan?

 14:12   How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 
 14:13   For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 
 14:14   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 

 2:5   Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 
 2:6   Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 
 2:7   But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 
 2:8   And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

Imagine how the angels who had known Jesus in His heavenly glory must have viewed what was taking place as these two foes now stood face to face in a mode of conflict that the two had never experienced between them before. Though we have the distinct advantage of knowing how this turned out, the angels—indeed all of heaven—didn’t; and so, they must have watched this conflict with rapt and fascinating attention.

Satan exalted himself. Jesus humbled Himself, even to the point of death. What can we learn from this powerful contrast, and how can we apply this important truth to ourselves? How should it impact the way we make certain decisions, especially those in which our ego is at stake?

If we just read the above as a matter of interest, and leave it there, then when it comes to making decisions involving "ego", where will the power come from to make the right decision? It is a great deception to think we can be like Jesus, unselfish, if we are not dead to self and alive unto Christ. We must be born again daily, moment by moment. It is not in our human nature to be selfless until we become partakers of God's divine nature. "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 Peter 1:4.

As Jesus instructed Nicodemus, we must be born again of His Spirit, and we must do this daily. We must be reconciled to God and maintain that connection in order to do any good thing. It is Christ, not I that has power of fallen flesh. Let us spend that thoughtful hour each day contemplating the life of Christ, for it is by beholding His grace that we are changed into His image.

[Richard Myers]

Tuesday April 5

The Temptation

Read Matthew 4:1-12.

 4:1   Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 
 4:2   And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. 
 4:3   And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 
 4:4   But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 
 4:5   Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 
 4:6   And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 
 4:7   Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 
 4:8   Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 
 4:9   And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 
 4:10   Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 
 4:11   Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. 
 4:12   Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; 

What happened here with these temptations? Why did Jesus have to go through this? What does this story have to do with salvation? How did Jesus endure such powerful temptations under such hard conditions, and what should that tell us about enduring temptations?

Matthew 4:1 starts out with what seems like a strange thought: it was the Spirit that led Jesus into the desert to be tempted. We are supposed to pray that we are not led into temptation. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Matt. 6:13. Why, then, would the Holy Spirit lead Jesus this way?

A key is found in the previous chapter, when Jesus comes to John to be baptized. Seeing John’s resistance, Jesus says, “Suffer [it to be so] now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." Matt. 3:15. To fulfill all righteousness, that is, to do what was needed in order to be humanity’s perfect example and perfect representative, Jesus had to be baptized, even though He was sinless.

Yes, He had to be an example and a representative, but He also had to perfect a character that He could not only impute to repentant sinners, but impart also. What is the difference between the imputation of His character and the impartation of it? Why are both necessary?

In the wilderness temptation, Jesus had to pass over the same ground that Adam did. He needed the victory against temptation that we all, from Adam onward, have failed to attain. And thus, by so doing, “Christ was to redeem Adam’s failure” (Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 117), only He did so under conditions unlike anything that Adam had faced.

By this victory Jesus shows that we never have an excuse for sin, that there is no justification for it, and that, when tempted, we don’t have to fall but through faith and submission we can overcome. As we have been told: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded.” James 4:7, 8.

I have taken the liberty to include the whole verse in 8. Grace has power to cleanse both hands and heart. Now, do you believe these two verses and the statement made by the author, "we never have an excuse for sin, that there is no justification for it, and that, when tempted, we don’t have to fall but through faith and submission we can overcome."

We believe the author's statement and the Bible. Throughout this quarter we will be pointing out where the lesson deviates from this truth.

How does this account, by showing us in such a powerful way that there is no excuse for our sin, make our need for Christ’s righteousness so essential? Imagine if we had to stand in our own righteousness without that covering and without justification for our sins! What hope would we have?

We have all sinned, there is no undoing the past. So, we are all deserving of death without the righteousness of Christ standing in our place for our past sins. We are also ignorant of some sins we continue to commit. Thus we need His imputed righteousness again. And, because we remain in fallen flesh, we are in need of His imputed righteousness. There is nothing good in us, in our flesh. But, this imputation does not provide enough for us to enter heaven. We must be changed, the heart must be cleansed. We must learn to cease from sinning. As the author stated, there is no excuse for sin. As James stated, we must have cleansed hands and a pure heart. Ezekiel 36:26 promises us this new heart. It must be renewed daily by the grace of God. We must remain in Christ and He in us through His Spirit in order to have the imputed and imparted righteousness of Christ.

I want to point out something we will see throughout this quarter. The author stated " Imagine if we had to stand in our own righteousness without that covering..."   Yes, without His covering we would be lost. But, this covering is more than Christ's imputed righteousness, we need to have Christ Himself. We must behave in a different manner. When in a converted state we do not walk after the flesh, but after His Spirit because we are filled with His Spirit, because we then are partakers of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). We become that tree Jesus speaks of that cannot produce bad fruit, but only good fruits (all of the fruits of His Spirit, not one is missing). We will study this lesson in Matthew about the bad fruit and the good fruit, that the tree is either one or the other. You cannot get bad fruit from a good tree. We cannot serve two masters as is often being preached from our pulpits and printed on our presses. We must "draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

The gospel of grace has power to create in us new creatures. Jesus is coming soon. Not all will want to give up the things of this world, but for those who want to be transformed, who want to live a better life, we are going to present a message that few will accept. The road to heaven is narrow, but not so narrow that Christ cannot empower us to walk it. His yoke is easy. As we move forward in this quarter's lessons, we will be sharing more than in the past. As you study the life of Christ, you will see the same progression in His formal ministry. As the end approached, He understood He must prepare His disciples for what was coming.

It has been 16 years we have been presenting the gospel truth, but it is late in the day. All who want to be a blessing to others, and want to know God in a more intimate manner, will not be offended by the truth. And, some who are will turn as they behold the loveliness of Jesus. Today, we will begin to share the simple truth of the gospel in a more pointed manner. Those who are offended will be offended, but we are not here to argue with those who are not seeking truth, but to share with those who are.

 "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as He is pure." Any hope aside and separate from purity and righteousness is a snare of Satan, sophistry, and fatal delusion. Jesus came to our world, and graciously stands inviting us to come unto Him and learn of Him, believe in Him; and as we come, He grafts us into His life and into His character. Our drawing nigh to Christ is faith, and the grafting process is adoption; and by this mutual act we become sons of God and joint heirs with Christ, partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 
     Grafts Into Christ. This ingrafting in Christ separates us from the world. No longer will we love the society of the vile and contaminated and contaminating. We will be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Then rich clusters of fruit are borne. The graces of the Spirit are borne in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness. We have new affections, new appetites, new tastes. Old things have passed away, and lo, all things have become new.  TSB 135. 

God has given us a prophet that the truth might be made easy to understand. While we will continue to teach from the Bible, we will be using more of the Spirit of Prophecy that the gospel might be made plain that the roots of error be pulled out of the mind. There is much to unlearn, just as the Jews had much to unlearn. It is not easy, but with God all things are possible. He promised He would lead us through His Spirit into all truth. May we learn together of His loveliness and power.

[Dorine]

I am so looking forward to these lessons. Thank you for your comments Richard.

I can't imagine what Jesus endured in that wilderness and because of what He endured I know that His victory can be mine too if I stay connected to Him.

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Dorine. You have gotten to the bottom of the issue. If we want to help others, and ourselves, we must stay connected to Christ. It is just that simple. Through prayer and feeding upon Christ we can remain in Him. It is not a figure of speech, but a reality that we must abide in Christ and He in us. "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 1 John 5:11,12.

Unless we stay connected to Christ, we do not have eternal life. We must be reconciled with God in order to be partakers of His divine nature and escape the corruption in the world and in us.

Because time is drawing to a close, we will be focusing in on this in each of our daily lessons.

Thank you, dear Sister Dorine for making the point. It is our great need. We must continually abide in Christ if we want to continually have power to not sin. His suffering in the wilderness reveals to us we can resist the temptation to sin. He has gained the victory for us if we will look to Him for the victory. When we take our eyes off of Him, He stands at the door of the heart knocking to gain entrance. He loves us and has proved it over and over.

     When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, there was no hope for the sinful race; but Christ offered to take the sin upon himself. He offered to go over the ground where Adam stumbled and fell; to meet the tempter on the field of battle, and conquer him in man's behalf. Behold him in the wilderness of temptation. Forty days and forty nights he fasted, enduring the fiercest assaults of the powers of darkness. He trod the "wine-press alone; and of the people there was none with" him. It was not for himself, but that he might break the chain that held the human race in slavery to Satan. He saw that man had become so weakened by disobedience that he had not wisdom or strength to meet the wily foe, and this is why the Son of God takes upon himself man's nature, and, gaining the victory in our behalf, brings to us divine power, that, combined with human effort, will enable us to overcome. 
     There is, then, no ground for men to take glory to themselves. For every blessing which they enjoy, for every good quality which they possess, they are indebted to the grace of Christ. None should exalt themselves as possessing wisdom or righteousness. There are many, especially among those who profess holiness, who compare themselves to Christ, as though they were equal with him in perfection of character. This is blasphemy. Could they obtain a view of Christ's righteousness, they would have a sense of their own sinfulness and imperfection. There is not a case recorded in the Bible, of prophet or apostle claiming, as do the "holiness" people of today, to be without sin. Daniel humbled himself before God, to confess his sins and the sins of his people. Paul had a very humble opinion of his own advancement in the Christian life. He says, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: . . . but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." And John declares, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Those who have the deepest experience in the things of God, are the farthest removed from pride or self-exaltation. They have the humblest thoughts of self, and the most exalted conceptions of the glory and excellence of Christ. Those who are expecting that Christ is soon to come, and that they are to be translated to a holy heaven, should, of all people upon the earth, walk most carefully and humbly before God. All self-importance must be purged away from us before we can grow in grace and the knowledge of the truth. When we have our eyes fixed upon heaven, and have clear views of the character of Christ, we shall exalt the Lord God in our hearts. 
     As one becomes acquainted with the history of the Redeemer, he discovers in himself serious defects; his unlikeness to Christ is so great that he sees the necessity for radical changes in his life. Still he studies with a desire to become like his great Exemplar. He catches the looks, the spirit, of his beloved Master. By beholding, by "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith," he becomes changed into the same image. It is not by looking away from him that we imitate the life of Jesus, but by talking of him, by dwelling upon his perfections, by seeking to refine the taste and elevate the character, by trying, through faith and love, and by earnest, persevering effort, to approach the perfect Pattern. By having a knowledge of Christ,--his words, his habits, and his lessons of instruction,--we borrow the virtues of the character we have so closely studied, and become imbued with the spirit we have so much admired. Jesus becomes to us "the chiefest among ten thousand," the One "altogether lovely".  Review and Herald, March 15, 1887.

[JimB]

  Easy enough. Just repent and put away your sins. If it were that easy, then all would be saved. It is indeed the answer, but we cannot repent in and of ourselves. It is a gift of God, as is eternal life. That leaves us with the question as to what we must do in order to be saved.

Richard, I do not wish to side track your thought process here but I did want to share something about repentance. It's something that I wish I understood much earlier in my life than I did and thought others might be blessed with this knowledge concerning repentance.

Many think that repentance is a work which wholly devolves upon man as a preparation to come to Christ, his mediator; but this is an error and deception. Repentance must precede forgiveness, but the sinner does not repent until he has faith in Christ as his mediator. The Bible does not teach that man must repent before he comes to Christ. Our Saviour has been lifted up upon the cross of Calvary, and the love of Christ shining from the cross speaks constantly to the sinner of the sufferings of Jesus for fallen man. His love for the fallen race constantly draws sinners to him. The transgressor may resist this love, may refuse to be drawn to Christ; but if he does not resist, he will be drawn to Jesus, and a knowledge of the plan of salvation will lead him to the foot of the cross in repentance for his sins, which have caused the sufferings of God's dear Son.  {ST, August 11, 1890 par. 2} 
     Could sinful man repent of his sins in his own strength, there would be no more virtue in that repentance than in the offering made by Cain. Christ is the author and finisher of our faith. If it were possible for man to repent of himself, the virtue of the atoning sacrifice would be in vain.

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Jim. Thank you for sharing that most beautiful statement of truth. This is our work, to come to Christ that we may be brought to repentance. All sinners remain sinning because they do not do this work, they instead continue to resist the drawing of Christ. Why? Because a total surrender means giving up one's pride and it requires a sacrifice they are unwilling to give. An example is clearly seen in the rich young ruler who would not make the sacrifice. But, it we were to come to Christ, if we would learn of Him, His goodness would transform the life. "The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance." Romans 2:4. When we behold Jesus on the cross because of my sins "godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of..." 2 Cor. 7:10.

In order to retain life (justification) we must continue to surrender the heart to Christ moment by moment. We are wholly dependent upon Christ for our justification unto eternal life. We must die daily to self and sin. It would be well to spend a thoughtful hour each day contemplating the life of Christ, especially the closing scenes. Join us in our daily reading of the Desire of Ages, for we are now reading of the closing scenes of Christ's life.

[Dorine]

Hi Christine,

I notice that this is your first post on Remnant on line. Welcome to our Sabbath School Lesson Study. If you are having trouble navigating please let us know and someone will be happy to help you through it. It's a learning curve and I'm still learning.

We look forward to your contributions to the lesson as we study it together.  Feel free to join us in any of our other discussions.

[Christine]

Yes. I am new and trying to learn how this works. It took me an hour to figure out how to find posts and I believe I am replying to a Dorine who offered to help. Thanks for the offer. Will no doubt need some help.
Hope I reply to this correctly. 

[JimB]

Welcome Christine, look forward to discussing the SS lesson with you. As Dorine said it takes a bit to learn. Especially if you've never done this before. All of us will gladly help. Just ask.

[Richard Myers]

Yes, welcome, dear Sister Christine!  We all had to begin the same way.     But, you have caught on quickly. It took me months to figure things out when I first began.  I removed your post. Not sure how it happened. I am continually causing my posts to disappear by accidentally hitting the pad on my laptop.    

Don't worry about mistakes. Either Jim or I, or a moderator will correct anything that needs to be corrected. Just let us know what needs to be done. 

[Richard Myers]

Wednesday April 6

The Land of Zebulun and Naphtali

Matthew 4:12 tells about the imprisonment of John, thus ending his ministry. At this point, Jesus’ ministry “officially” begins. The text doesn’t say why, when Jesus heard about John, He went to Galilee, only that He did. (See also Mark 1:14-16 and Luke 4:14.) Perhaps, while John was still preaching, Jesus wanted to keep a lower profile, lest a rivalry arise? The Greek verb in Matthew 4:12, often translated “departed,” can give the idea of “withdrawing,” in the sense of avoiding danger. Thus, prudent as always, perhaps Jesus was seeking to avoid trouble.

Read Matthew 4:13-16 (see also Isa. 9:1-2) about Jesus’ settling in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali. What are these texts saying about the ministry of Jesus?

 4:13   And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 
 4:14   That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 
 4:15   The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, [by] the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 
 4:16   The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. 

Zebulun and Naphtali were two of Jacob’s sons (see Gen. 35:23-26), and their descendants became two of the tribes that ultimately settled in the beautiful northern region.

Unfortunately, these two tribes were among the 10 tribes who gave up their faith in God and turned to the things of the world. Many of the Old Testament prophets railed against the sinfulness, the worldliness, and the evil of these northern tribes, who were eventually overrun by the Assyrians, who then scattered them around the then known world. In turn, Gentiles settled in Israel, and Galilee became a mixed population, a confused and dark place. Galilee’s most famous prophet was Jonah, which ought to tell us something about their level of commitment.

Whatever the problems in Galilee, there was this beautiful prophecy in Isaiah—that even in the dark land of Zebulun and Naphtali, “to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” Matt. 4:16. In other words, here—where the need was so great, where people were deemed rude, backward, boorish—Jesus came and lived and ministered among them. However exalted He Himself might have been, we see the willingness of Jesus to humble Himself for the sake of others. We see here, too, another example of how central the Old Testament was to the ministry of Jesus.

How can we avoid the temptation to deem people as unworthy of our efforts to minister and witness to them? What’s so wrong with that attitude?

We cannot read another's heart. What does this mean? It means that even Saul the persecutor could be saved. Who are we to judge the ultimate resting place of a soul for whom Christ died? But, we can know if someone is abiding in Christ. We are to judge righteous judgment. "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." John 7:24. 

This does not mean we are to stop what we are doing and help all who need help. There were many in Jerusalem when Jesus left to keep from being murdered. Then, He purposefully caused some disciples to leave and never return. How we to know who to spend time with and who to leave for others?

There were many with leprosy that Jesus would not heal, why not?  When you come to a stop sign at a T intersection, which way are you going to turn, left of right? There are often times when we do not know what God wants us to do. What are we to do? Does the Bible address this? Yes, it does. God will not leave us without direction.This also applies to who we ought to labor with. If we seek guidance from God, then we must be willing to do all that He asks in the least. If we will not follow the light He has already given, then why would He then reveal more to us?

Not ministering to a person does not always mean they are thought to be "unworthy".  On the other hand, if one is having fun in life rather than being a servant unto others, what does this say about their priorities? What did Jesus spend most of His time doing? What will the disciples of Jesus be doing with much of their time? What is the great desire of those who are truly converted?

[Richard Myers]

Wednesday April 6
The Land of Zebulun and Naphtali.

However exalted He Himself might have been, we see the willingness of Jesus to humble Himself for the sake of others.

I was contemplating this statement this morning, and this came to my mind:

The story of Bethlehem is an exhaustless theme. In it is hidden "the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God." Romans 11:33. We marvel at the Saviour's sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger, and the companionship of adoring angels for the beasts of the stall. Human pride and self-sufficiency stand rebuked in His presence. Yet this was but the beginning of His wonderful condescension. It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man's nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life.  DA 48. 

It is true that Jesus was tempted to use His divine power to relieve Himself from great trial or to execute judgment, but He never did for a moment entertain the thought. He had made the decision in heaven to humble Himself and become a man. He remained faithful for our sake. What love!!

[Richard Myers]

Thursday April 7

The Call of the Fishermen

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). Just like John, Jesus began His ministry with a call to repentance. He knew, as did John, the fallen state of humanity and the need for all people to repent and come to a knowledge of God. Thus, it’s not surprising that His first public proclamation, at least as recorded here in Matthew, was with a call to repentance.

Read Matthew 4:17-22.

 4:17   From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 
 4:18   And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 
 4:19   And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 
 4:20   And they straightway left [their] nets, and followed him. 
 4:21   And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James [the son] of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 
 4:22   And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him. 

What do these texts tell us about the totality of that call that Jesus has on our lives?

We all are called to "repentance" which is a call for the "totality" of the heart. In order to serve Him, we must make a FULL surrender of the heart. Self must die, we must become "new creatures" in Christ Jesus. Jesus wants the whole heart, not just part of it.

The call to full time ministry is not given to all. But all are called to ministry.

Here, in the forgotten land of Galilee, was a small fishing partnership run by four young men: two sets of brothers. These men apparently had a heart for God because for a while some of them followed John the Baptist. But, to their surprise, John the Baptist had pointed them in the direction of another young man from their own region.

These men had approached Jesus of Nazareth and asked to spend time with Him (see John 1). That’s how this culture worked: men would approach a rabbi and ask to follow him. But it was the rabbi who made the final decision about who his disciples would be. And when a rabbi asked you to be his disciple, it was a very exciting moment.

Many people have grown up with the idea that when Jesus called the disciples at the sea, this was the first time they had met Him. But we know from John 1 through 5 that these men had already spent a year with Jesus—apparently on a part-time basis.

“Jesus chose unlearned fishermen because they had not been schooled in the traditions and erroneous customs of their time. They were men of native ability, and they were humble and teachable,—men whom He could educate for His work. In the common walks of life there is many a man patiently treading the round of daily toil, unconscious that he possesses powers which, if called into action, would raise him to an equality with the world’s most honored men. The touch of a skillful hand is needed to arouse those dormant faculties. It was such men that Jesus called to be His colaborers; and He gave them the advantage of association with Himself.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 250.

This is a very good truth to share today. We all need to understand higher education is much more than what is called "higher education" today. Many universities are hotbeds of immorality. And, even in our own colleges and universities we find the world has entered. La Sierra University is a good example where we find the teaching of evolution and God being called a female.

The statement being quoted above is only half the truth. The other half is important also since it is just as true today as it was in the days of Christ. It immediately precedes the above quote.

The Saviour did not despise education; for when controlled by the love of God, and devoted to His service, intellectual culture is a blessing. But He passed by the wise men of His time, because they were so self-confident that they could not sympathize with suffering humanity, and become colaborers with the Man of Nazareth. In their bigotry they scorned to be taught by Christ. The Lord Jesus seeks the co-operation of those who will become unobstructed channels for the communication of His grace. The first thing to be learned by all who would become workers together with God is the lesson of self-distrust; then they are prepared to have imparted to them the character of Christ. This is not to be gained through education in the most scientific schools. It is the fruit of wisdom that is obtained from the divine Teacher alone.  DA 249. 

Amen! This is true "higher education".  Sadly, many of those being educated in these worldly schools have not been taught by Christ. The most advanced nations in the world today have many schools that have produced men and women of high intellect and many have achieved great success in the world, but they have not learned of Christ. In these nations we also find this is the situation in our schools. Many have gained much education and many degrees, but have they learned of Christ and now reflect the character of Christ? Many even who have graduated with high degrees in religion will object to the teaching that the character of Christ is "imparted" to fallen human beings.

Yet, we are told in Scripture that we are to let Christ take possession of the heart and mind and then we shall manifest all of the fruits of His Spirit, not one will be missing. See Galatians, chapter five. If we have not His Spirit, then we stand condemned. "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Romans 8:9.

Here we see it in the Spirit of Prophecy.

   "Abide in Me, and I in you." Abiding in Christ means a constant receiving of His Spirit, a life of unreserved surrender to His service. The channel of communication must be open continually between man and his God. As the vine branch constantly draws the sap from the living vine, so are we to cling to Jesus, and receive from Him by faith the strength and perfection of His own character. 
     The root sends its nourishment through the branch to the outermost twig. So Christ communicates the current of spiritual strength to every believer. So long as the soul is united to Christ, there is no danger that it will wither or decay.   
     The life of the vine will be manifest in fragrant fruit on the branches. "He that abideth in Me," said Jesus, "and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing." When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing.  DA 676. 

Let us today cease resisting His great love and let Him take possession of the heart. Then we will have love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance which is self control. This is the character Christ will impart to all who love Him supremely. It is then we can become "fishers of men". Otherwise, if in the church, we are only decoys with influence leading away from Christ, for we cannot serve two masters. We are serving one of the other. Let us choose Christ.