Author Topic: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 5--4th Quarter 2020--Jesus as the Master Teacher  (Read 1640 times)

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Wally

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Lesson 5 October 24-30


Jesus as the Master Teacher






Commentary in Navy                  Inspiration in Maroon







So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants:  we have done that which was our duty to do.  Luke 17:10

Richard Myers

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Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Heb. 1:1-4; 2 Cor. 4:1-6; John 1:14, 18; 14:1-14; Phil. 2:1-11; 2 Cor. 5:16-21.

Memory Text: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6

Billy Graham tells the story of when he visited soldiers at a field hospital in the company of their general. One young soldier “was so mangled that he lay facedown on a canvas-and-steel contraption.” A doctor whispered to Graham, “I doubt he’ll ever walk again.” The soldier made a request of the general: “Sir, … I fought for you, but I’ve never seen you. Could I see your face?” So the general got down, slid under that canvas-and-steel contraption, and talked with the soldier. As Graham watched, a tear fell from the soldier onto the general’s cheek.

At the time of Jesus’ birth, humanity lay mangled and bleeding, in need of a healing vision of God. It is as though humankind pleaded, “Oh, God, could we see Your face?” In sending His Son to this planet, the Father sent the Master Teacher on a mission: to show humankind His face. Ever since, we have had the wondrous privilege of beholding “the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

As we watch the Master Teacher make His way to Earth, what can we learn from Him?

What can we learn from Jesus? What does God want us to learn from His Son who came to this dark spot in the universe? He sent Him to this wicked world that we might know Him who loves us and gave His Son for us. There was a risk in letting Jesus come here a helpless baby subject the weakness of humanity to fight the battle of life as we must fight it.....at the risk of failure and eternal loss. God wants us to vindicate His character before the unfallen worlds. Satan has claimed God to be unfair, that He will not give us eternal life unless we keep His laws. Why is that unfair? Because Satan claims we cannot keep the law of God. Every time we sin, we support Satan's charges against God. Can we learn to stop sinning? That is what God wants us to learn, to love Him with the whole heart. That seems to be an almost impossible thing to do. Why is it so hard? Is it because God is weak, or is it because we don't really love Him more that the things of this world?


Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 31.

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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Sunday         October 25

Revealing the Father


What are the most important points the apostle makes about Jesus at the beginning of the Epistle to the Hebrews? (Heb. 1:1-4).

New Testament authors repeatedly accent a significant idea: Jesus comes to earth to show human beings who the Father is. In past times, God’s revelation came in a fragmented way through the prophets; in Jesus, however, the final and complete revelation of God has come.

It is true that the very best revelation of the character of God is in His Son when He our Brother came to dwell among us (Immanuel, God with us). But, the revelation prior to His incarnation was not fragmented. The Hebrew sanctuary was very pointed in revealing Jesus as the Savior of mankind. All of the sanctuary and its services revealed the love of God and His grace towards sinners. The prophets added to this, and of course the commandments written by the finger of God were a revelation of God's character also.


Also, in His person, Jesus is “the reflection of God’s glory” (Heb. 1:3, NRSV). As sinful humans, we could not endure full access to the glory of God. As the incarnate Son, Jesus reflects that glory. It is muted in Christ’s humanity so that we might see it and understand clearly the character of God.

Jesus is also “the express image of his person” (Heb. 1:3). The term used here, the Greek word character, is sometimes used of the impression a seal makes in wax or the representation stamped on a coin. So Jesus is “the exact imprint of God’s very being” (Heb. 1:3, NRSV).

If we wish to know the Father, we must listen carefully to what the Master Teacher says about Him. And we must watch the Master Teacher, as well. The Father is seen in the Son.

Compare Hebrews 1:1-4 with 2 Corinthians 4:1-6. In 2 Corinthians 4:1-6, who is Jesus, and what do we learn from Him?

As they educate others about God, Paul and his coworkers seek to reflect Jesus’ own teaching ministry about the Father. As “the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4), Jesus brought us knowledge about God the Father. Similarly, Paul avoids deception and distortion of God’s Word and, instead, sets forth the truth plainly (2 Cor. 4:2).

Just as God, at creation, used light to dispel darkness, He has given us His Son, Jesus, to dispel false views about Him and to show us the truth about God. It is in “the face of Jesus” that we gain the clearest knowledge of God (2 Cor. 4:6).

Jesus accurately reflected the Father, something we too are called to do since we are invited to “be imitators of God as dear children” (Eph. 5:1, NKJV). What does that mean, and what can we learn from Jesus about how to be “imitators” of God?

The question is clearly answered in 2 Corinthians verse 18.  It tells us what it means to imitate God and how it is that we can reflect His character, His image.  "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Would you like to be changed into the image of God? Yes, you can. And God tells us how. It is by beholding God's grace that we are transformed in character. This is what it means to be a true Christian, to be converted from sinner to saint. A saint is one who walks in the light of God's glory.  Jesus tells us that we must drink His blood and eat His flesh. What does that mean? It means to feed upon Jesus, to study His life, especially the closing scenes where He revealed grace as He hung upon the cross. It is an intellectual and a spiritual truth that by beholding we become changed. The mind gradually adapts itself to what it is accustomed to behold.

Now we understand why young people can pull the trigger on a gun and knife an innocent person. If they spend hours doing this in make believe on computer games or watching tv and movies, they are being transformed into what they have been beholding. The opposite is true also. By beholding the life of Christ we will imitate His character. In order to continue being a faithful witness we must continue to behold Him who gave all for us while we were yet sinners. It would indeed be well to spend a thoughtful hour a day contemplating the life of Christ.

We invite you to join with us in reading daily a chapter from the life of Christ, The Desire of Ages. Click here    There is also a recording for each chapter that you can listen to daily. And, you can join us in sharing what it is that Jesus has shown us when we read. We look forward to you sharing with us!


Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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  • Posts: 44592
  • Grace, more than a word, it is transforming power
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Monday          October 26

Revealing the Father (Cont.)


In the moving prologue to his Gospel (John 1:1-18), John discusses Jesus as the eternal “Word.” John’s claims for Jesus are not timid or limited; they are bold and cosmic in scope. Jesus was in existence before the world came into being – from eternity, actually. In fact, Jesus is the agent of creation (John 1:2, 3). He is “the light of all people” (John 1:4, NRSV), and, as the Word who came into the world, He “enlightens everyone” (John 1:9, NRSV).

According to John, what is the result of Christ’s becoming a human being? As the Word, what light did He bring? What qualifications does He possess to do so? John 1:14, 18.

“The Light appeared when the world’s darkness was deepest … .

“There was but one hope for the human race … that the knowledge of God might be restored to the world.

“Christ came to restore this knowledge. He came to set aside the false teaching by which those who claimed to know God had misrepresented Him. He came to manifest the nature of His law, to reveal in His own character the beauty of holiness.” — Ellen G. White, Education, pp. 74-76.


Amen! How do false teachers misrepresent the character of God? Is it more than the false doctrine they teach?  Yes, all who sin misrepresent God's character when called by His name "Christian.


Everything Jesus did in His life on earth had a single purpose: “the revelation of God for the uplifting of humanity.” — Education, p. 82.

Jesus came to re-create us in His own image. Sinners? Yes, but that is not an excuse to sin. God has provided at great expense a Savior to save us from sin, not in sin.


Jesus Himself says, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9, NRSV). What was the setting of Jesus’ statement? Why did He make it? John 14:1-14.

It is tempting to criticize Philip’s blundering statement (John 14:8 ). After years of close fellowship with Jesus, he still misses the essential point of the incarnation – that Jesus has come to show the Father’s character. Perhaps teachers today can take some comfort in the fact that one of the Master Teacher’s pupils performed so badly! Philip’s statement is probably recorded, though, not to give us reason to criticize him but to give us opportunity to examine ourselves. How long have we walked with Jesus? And have we understood Jesus any better than Philip had? “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”

The question is more than have we seen Jesus? Even if we have known Him as King Saul did, what happens if we do not feed upon Him daily? God's does not give grace for tomorrow. We must return to the Fountain in order to obtain grace for each day. It is by grace we are saved and transformed in character. Again, it would be well to spend a thoughtful hour each day contemplating  the life of Christ.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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  • Posts: 44592
  • Grace, more than a word, it is transforming power
    • The Remnant Online
Tuesday       October 27

Reading the Master Teacher’s Mind


What concern about the Christian community in Philippi is on Paul’s heart as he writes his letter to them? Phil. 2:1-4; Phil. 4:2, 3.

Philippians 2:1-11 is one of the most profound passages in all the Bible. It discusses the preexistence of Christ, His divinity, His incarnation, His humanity, His acceptance of death on the cross. It describes the long, difficult, downward road that Jesus took from heaven to Calvary (Phil. 2:5-8). And it describes how the Father exalts Jesus to a position of universal worship (Phil. 2:9-11). A lot of amazing truth is packed into those verses.

How does Paul introduce Philippians 2:5-11? Of the events of Jesus’ life that he celebrates, which ones do you think he expects believers to reflect in their own lives? Phil. 2:6-11.

Paul hopes that the believers at Philippi, who could be argumentative, will learn from Jesus and His incarnation. If Jesus could adopt human form – “the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:” (Phil. 2:7) – and even submit to crucifixion, how much more should they submit to each other out of love?

We are reminded that there is much to learn from the Master Teacher, Jesus. We learn from the messages that He shares during His earthly ministry. We learn from the miracles that He performs and the way that He acts toward others. We may seek to model our own relationships with others after His great condescension and by dwelling on His willingness to exchange the glories of heaven for a manger (what a lesson for us!).

In contrast, the world all too often invites us to exalt ourselves, to boast of our accomplishments. At a manger in Bethlehem and from the Master Teacher we learn a different lesson – that God’s great work of education and salvation is accomplished not by exalting ourselves but by humbling ourselves before God and becoming servants to others.

What situation are you facing, even now, in which your humbling yourself could give you a powerful opportunity to reflect Christ to others?

Why would we not reflect Christ if we are fully surrendered? If we do not reflect Christ's character, then what must we do in order to reflect His character?
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

  • Servant
  • Posts: 44592
  • Grace, more than a word, it is transforming power
    • The Remnant Online
Wednesday       October 28

The Master Teacher and Reconciliation


Human relationships all too often break down. We become estranged from one another. The person who was once our close friend becomes, over time, someone we distrust. However, such a broken relationship can be mended. When that happens, we experience the wonder of reconciliation. Few human experiences are as sweet as this.

How does reconciliation lie at the heart of Christ’s incarnation and His role as Master Teacher? 2 Cor. 5:16-21.

If we feel blessed when a relationship with another human being is restored, how grand should we feel when we are reconciled to God? In 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Paul is clear about who is doing the reconciling – God the Father has taken the lead in mending our broken relationship with Him. And He has done this reconciling work “through Christ”

(2 Cor. 5:18, NRSV). “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Cor. 5:19, NKJV).

Again, though, we are not simply to be consumers of the joys of reconciliation. We are to learn from the Master Teacher. In His incarnation, Jesus participated in the work of reconciliation. And we, too, are invited to participate in it. God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ. And now we, with Paul, are given “the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18).

Colossians 1:15-20 is another of the great New Testament passages on Christ’s incarnation. Often thought to be a hymn, the first half of the passage discusses Christ’s role in creation (Col. 1:15-17), while the last half focuses on Christ’s role in redemption (Col. 1:18-20). Through Christ’s role as Creator-Redeemer, God reconciles all things to Himself. The work of reconciliation that God accomplishes through Christ is cosmic in scale, impacting “all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross” (Col. 1:20, NRSV).

While we could never match the cosmic scale of the Master Teacher’s work as reconciler, we are invited to participate in “the ministry of reconciliation” in our own sphere (2 Cor. 5:18). Could this be what was in Jesus’ mind when He prayed, “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (John 17:18, NKJV)?

What are practical ways we can reflect God’s role as reconciler? That is, in what situation right now (if any) can you help people be reconciled with each other?

If we will make a full heart surrender to Christ, then we will be witnesses of God's power to transform sinners into saints. It is then the heathen (the world) will know there is a God. (see Ezekiel 36:22-36).
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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  • Posts: 44592
  • Grace, more than a word, it is transforming power
    • The Remnant Online
Thursday         October 29

The Master Teacher’s First Pupils


One moment, they are a band of ordinary shepherds caring for an average flock of sheep outside a small town. In the next moment, they are the recipients of an amazing appearance of angels who bear startling, wondrous, world-shattering news. Motivated by that appearance, they seek out the child whom the angels announced.

Imagine standing with the shepherds and gazing into the manger. What would you see? Luke 2:8-20.

We must admire the first pupils of the Master Teacher – Joseph and Mary and the shepherds. The humble conditions of Jesus’ birth give no indication of the wonder of the incarnation – that, in the Person of this Infant, God has become One with humankind. However, with the aid of visions, dreams, and angels, those first students of His are able to look beyond the outward appearance of Jesus’ birth. The shepherds share with others the identity of this infant, that He is “a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11, NRSV; compare Luke 2:17).

How do the Wise Men respond to the news of the birth of Jesus? How does Herod respond? Matt. 2:1-12.

Before He has spoken His first parable or performed His first miracle, the Master Teacher is worthy of our worship because of who He is. To fully appreciate the later teaching ministry of Jesus, we must join these early pupils, the Wise Men, in their worship of the Master Teacher. The one whose teachings we admire is more than a wise educator. He is God come to dwell with humankind. Christian education is rooted in the worship of Christ.

With Wise Men, shepherds, and angels, we are called to worship Christ, the newborn King – and to see in the infant Jesus the reality of God Himself.

Think about what the incarnation of Jesus means regarding the character of God. The Creator of all the universe, which is so big that we cannot grasp it – this God “humbled himself” by coming into humanity, lived as Jesus lived, and then died on the cross, bearing in Himself the punishment for our sins. Why is this such good news?

It is the grace that transforms sinners into saints. And, it is the witness that will cause the unfallen worlds to love God for eternity. The heavens and the Earth will be secure for eternity!
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

  • Servant
  • Posts: 44592
  • Grace, more than a word, it is transforming power
    • The Remnant Online
Friday         October 30

Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Teacher Sent From God,” pp. 73-83, in Education.

“In the Teacher sent from God, all true educational work finds its center. Of this work today as verily as of the work He established eighteen hundred years ago, the Saviour speaks in the words –

‘I am the First and the Last, and the Living One.’

‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.’ Revelation 1:17, 18, R.V.; 21:6, R.V.

In the presence of such a Teacher, of such opportunity for divine education, what worse than folly is it to seek an education apart from Him – to seek to be wise apart from Wisdom; to be true while rejecting Truth; to seek illumination apart from the Light, and existence without the Life; to turn from the Fountain of living waters, and hew out broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

Behold, He is still inviting: ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said,’ out of him ‘shall flow rivers of living water.’ ‘The water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life.’ John 7:37, 38; 4:14, R.V.” — Ellen G. White, Education, p. 83.

Amen!! If we drink  not, then we will have nothing to give to others.



“Dear teacher, … As the highest preparation for your work, I point you to the words, the life, the methods, of the Prince of teachers. I bid you consider Him. Here is your true ideal. Behold it, dwell upon it, until the Spirit of the divine Teacher shall take possession of your heart and life.

‘Reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord,’ you will be ‘transformed into the same image.’ 2 Corinthians 3:18, R.V. This is the secret of power over your pupils. Reflect Him.” — Education, p. 282.


This is a well kept secret as to how we can be transformed into His image (character).  Let us look at the whole verse so we can really understand how it is that we are converted and reflect the very character of our God.  "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord."  It is not be reflecting His character that we are transformed into His image, it is by beholding His glory, His character, that we are transformed into His image (character). Then when we are transformed into His character we shall be reflecting His glory.



Discussion Questions:


    What values and actions would be important to Christian teachers and students who take seriously the idea of learning from the incarnation of the Master Teacher?

    Christian parents and teachers have a high standard – to reflect the character of God as revealed in the incarnation of Jesus. What should we do when we fall short of this high standard?

Nicodemus fell short of what God was asking of him. What did Jesus tell Nicodemus to do? Did he do it?


    In class, discuss the question at the end of Thursday’s study. What does the birth, life, and death of Jesus teach us about the character of God? Why should this be so comforting to us, especially during times of great trial?

Christ's life was a revelation of the character of God. God's truth and justice were clearly seen. Neither was undone, but were revealed in the life and death of our Savior. God so loved us while we were yet sinners that He sent His innocent Son into this wicked world at the risk of losing Him! Herein is love!!

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.