SDA Sabbath School Lesson 13--3rd Quarter 2022--Christ in the Crucible

[Richard Myers]

Lesson 13 September 17-23

Christ in the Crucible

Commentary in Navy                  Inspiration in Maroon

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 2:7, 22-24; Matt. 2:1-18; John 8:58, 59; Luke 22:41-44; Matt. 27:51, 52; Rom. 6:23; Titus 1:2.

Memory Text: “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46

Whenever we look at the issue of suffering, the question comes: How did sin and suffering first arise? Through divine revelation we have good answers: They arose because free beings abused the freedom God had given them. This leads to another question: Did God know beforehand that these beings would fall? Yes, but obviously He thought it was, as C. S. Lewis wrote, “worth the risk.”

Why quote a man rather than God? And why give influence to those who did not accept present truth? They may enter heaven, but what has that to do with teaching the truth?

Worth the risk? For whom? For us, while God sits in heaven on His throne? Not exactly. The freedom of all His intelligent creatures was so sacred that, rather than deny us freedom, God chose to bear in Himself the brunt of the suffering caused by our abuse of that freedom. And we see this suffering in the life and death of Jesus, who, through suffering in our flesh, has created bonds between heaven and earth that will last throughout eternity.

Not only us, but God will establish the whole universe on a secure platform free from sin for eternity! Think about that since all of His creatures will still have free will!

The Week at a Glance: What did Christ suffer in our behalf? What can we learn from His suffering?

That suffering in Christ produces the same attributes in man as it did in Christ, but not to the same degree. All of the fruits of the Spirit are given to all who love the Lord our God with the whole heart. And, through suffering those fruits will increase, if we are abiding in Jesus. Miracle of all miracles! "The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ." Desire of Ages, pg 805.

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 24.

[Richard Myers]

Sunday          September 18
The Early Days

Scripture gives us little information about the early years of Jesus. A few verses, however, tell us something about those conditions and the kind of world the Savior entered.

Read Luke 2:7, 22-24 (see also Lev. 12:6-8) and Matthew 2:1-18. What do we see in these verses that gives us an indication of the kind of life Jesus faced from the start?

Of course, Jesus was not the first person to live in poverty or to face those who wanted to kill Him, even from an early age. There is, however, another element that helps us understand the uniqueness of what Christ suffered from the earliest times.

Read John 1:46.

And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 

What element does this add to help us understand what sufferings the young Jesus had faced?

With the exception of Adam and Eve before the Fall, Jesus was the only sinless person who ever lived on the earth. In His purity, in His sinlessness, He was immersed in a world of sin. What a torture it must have been, even as a child, for His pure soul constantly to be in contact with sin. Even in our hardness because of sin, we ourselves often shrink away from exposure to sins and evil that we find repulsive. Imagine what it must have been like for Christ, whose soul was pure, who wasn’t the least bit tainted by sin. Think of the sharp contrast between Himself and others around Him in that regard. It must have been exceedingly painful for Him.

Ask yourself, “How sensitive am I to the sins that exist all around us? Do they bother me, or am I hardened to them?” If you are hardened to them, could it be because of the things you read, watch, or even do? Think about it.

Why would we hate sin? When will we hate sin? Since Jesus promised He would put enmity between us and Satan and sin, why do we not hate Satan and sin? What must I so in order to obtain that promise? Are there conditions to receiving this enmity towards Satan and sin? If so what are the conditions? There must be some because the whole world does not hate Satan and sin. Share with your class Gen. 3:15 and point out the one condition seen there. And, then point out another condition that applies to humanity and explain why all do not and will not hate Satan and sin.

[Richard Myers]

Monday          September 19
Despised and Rejected of Men

Read the following verses, all the while keeping in mind the fact that Jesus was divine, the Creator of heaven and earth, and that He came to offer Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world (Matt. 12:22-24; Luke 4:21-30; John 8:58, 59). How do these verses help us understand the sufferings that Jesus faced here on earth?

Whether by leaders, or even by the common people, Jesus’ life, acts, and teachings were constantly misunderstood, leading to rejection and hatred by people He came to save. In a certain sense it must be like a parent who sees a wayward child in need of help, and though the parent is willing to give everything for that child, the child spurns the parent, heaping scorn and rejection upon perhaps the only person who can spare that child from utter ruin. That’s what Jesus faced while here on earth. How painful it must have been for Him.

Read Matthew 23:37. What does it tell us about how Christ felt about the rejection? As you read, ask yourself, too, “Was He feeling bad for Himself (as we often do when facing rejection), or was it for another reason?” If for another reason, what was it?

We’ve all felt the sting of rejection, and maybe our pain was similar to Christ’s in that it was unselfish: We were pained, not because we were rejected, but because of what the rejection would mean for the one who was rejecting us (perhaps someone we care about who refuses to accept salvation in Christ). Imagine, though, how it must have felt to Jesus, who was fully aware of what He was to face in order to save them, and at the same time fully aware of what the consequences of their rejection would be. “It was because of His innocence that He [Christ] felt so keenly the assaults of Satan.” — Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 3, p. 129.

What can you learn from Christ that can help you better cope with the pain of rejection? What does His example show you? How can you apply it to your own life?

Why did Jesus have to suffer? It was the price to be paid for our sins. Why are we to glory in our suffering? When Stephen rejected the message and person of Stephen, how did Stephen feel about it? What were his last words? Why could he cope with this rejection? How did he come to the point of accepting rejection.....and even to the point where he brought forth the rejection by reproving Saul. Will you do that when you know what will happen? Is rejection why so many will not reprove sin? How can we come to gain the character that Stephen had when he rebuked the Jews and then manifested grace towards his killers? Quote the rebuke and the last Words of Stephen to your Sabbath School class and the verses that tell us we ought to glory in the tribulation we bring upon ourselves and all other tribulation.

[Richard Myers]

Tuesday          September 20
Jesus in Gethsemane

“And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch” (Mark 14:34).

Whatever Jesus suffered throughout His 33 years here on earth, nothing compared to what He started to face in the last hours before the cross. From the eternal ages (Eph. 1:1-4; 2 Tim. 1:8, 9; Titus 1:1, 2) the sacrifice of Jesus as the offering for the world’s sin was planned, and now it was all coming to pass.

What do the following verses tell us about Christ’s suffering in Gethsemane? Matt. 26:39, Mark 14:33-36, Luke 22:41-44.

“He went a little distance from them — not so far but that they could both see and hear Him — and fell prostrate upon the ground. He felt that by sin He was being separated from His Father. The gulf was so broad, so black, so deep, that His spirit shuddered before it. This agony He must not exert His divine power to escape. As man He must suffer the consequences of man’s sin. As man He must endure the wrath of God against transgression.

Christ was now standing in a different attitude from that in which He had ever stood before. His suffering can best be described in the words of the prophet, ’Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of hosts.’ Zech. 13:7. As the substitute and surety for sinful man, Christ was suffering under divine justice. He saw what justice meant. Hitherto He had been as an intercessor for others; now He longed to have an intercessor for Himself.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 686.

And the disciples were not praying for Him, but were sleeping. There was no human sympathy for the King of sufferers.

Dwell upon what was happening to Jesus in Gethsemane. Already the sins of the world were starting to fall upon Him. Try to imagine what that must have been like. No human being has ever been called to go through anything like this before or since. What does this tell us about God’s love for us? What hope can you draw from this for yourself?

God loves us beyond measure!!  Is there anywhere in Scripture that tells us how Jesus prepared for this great trial? How did He develop such character? (look in Hebrews, chap 5) So it is with us. In our suffering God is strengthening our character. 

[Richard Myers]

Wednesday          September 21
The Crucified God

Death by crucifixion was one of the harshest punishments the Romans meted out to anyone. It was considered the worst way to die. Thus, how horrific for anyone to be killed that way, in particular the Son of God! Jesus, we must always remember, came in human flesh like ours. Between the beatings, the scourgings, the nails hammered into His hands and feet, the harrowing weight of His own body tearing at the wounds, the physical pain must have been unbearable. This was harsh, even for the worst of criminals; how unfair, then, that Jesus, innocent of everything, should face such a fate.

Yet, as we know, Christ’s physical sufferings were mild in contrast to what was really happening. This was more than just the killing of an innocent man.

What events surrounding the death of Jesus showed that more was going on than most people there understood at the time? What significance can we find in each of these events that can help reveal what happened there?

Matt. 27:45

Matt. 27:51, 52

Mark 15:38

Clearly, something much more was happening here than just the death, however unfair, of an innocent man. According to Scripture, God’s wrath against sin, our sin, was poured out upon Jesus. Jesus on the cross suffered a righteous God’s righteous indignation against sin, the sins of the whole world. As such, Jesus suffered something deeper, darker, and more painful than any human being could ever know or experience.

Jesus suffered for every sin of every person who would ever live. Yes, it is more than a short three day sleep. And when He was in excruciating pain from the separation from His Father, my sins were placed on top of all the others. 

As you go through whatever struggles you are facing, what hope and comfort can you draw from the reality of Christ suffering for you on the cross?

God loves me and you! Has He not proved it over and over!  And did the mother of Jesus suffer also? The Bible tells and it told her: "(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." Luke 2:35.

[Richard Myers]

Thursday          September 22
The Suffering God

We might as well get used to it: as long as we are here, in this world, we are going to suffer.

Amen! And since it will glorify God and is for good (if we abide in Jesus), we ought to glory in our tribulation. It is the highest honor and most weighty trust that God can bestow upon us, that we partake in the sufferings of our Savior

 As fallen creatures, it is our fate. Nothing in the Bible promises us anything different. On the contrary …

What do the following verses have to tell us about the topic at hand? Acts 14:22, Phil. 1:29, 2 Tim. 3:12.

Yet, in the midst of our suffering, two things we should keep in mind.

First, Christ, our Lord, has suffered worse than any of us ever could. At the cross, He “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isa. 53:4, NKJV); what we know only as individuals, He suffered corporately, for us all. He who was sinless became “sin for us” (2 Cor. 5:21), suffering in a way that we, as sinful creatures, couldn’t begin to imagine.

But second, as we suffer, we should remember the results of Christ’s suffering, that is, what we have been promised through what Christ has done for us.

Read John 10:28, Romans 6:23, Titus 1:2, and 1 John 2:25. What are we promised?

Our suffering is a testimony to the power of God's love (grace) to transform sinners into saints. The world will know there is a God when we are sanctified before their eyes in the middle of the storm (Eze. 36:23).

Whatever our sufferings here, thanks to Jesus, thanks to His bearing in Himself the punishment of our sin, thanks to the great provision of the gospel — that through faith we can stand perfect in Jesus right now — we have the promise of eternal life. We have the promise that because of what Christ has done, because of the fullness and completeness of His perfect life and perfect sacrifice, our existence here, full of pain, disappointment, and loss, is no more than an instant, a flash, here and gone, in contrast to the eternity that awaits us, an eternity in a new heaven and a new earth, one without sin, suffering, and death. And all this is promised to us and made certain for us only because of Christ and the crucible He went into so that one day, coming soon, He would see “the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied” (Isa. 53:11).

Amen!! Did not God promise Israel the same? Then why will so few of them enter heaven? Then we ought to learn from their sins that there are conditions we have to meet even though Christ has done His part. Many, ever so many in the church today will not enter heaven. Why? For the very same reason why Israel put their Messiah and Savior on a cross. They were deceived by their leaders. So it is today. I hear over and over, read over and over a multitude of false gospels. Why is it tha Paul says "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:8,9. Why such strong words? Because he understood what happened to Israel and knew it would do the same in the churches he raised up and those that would follow. As an example, in 1888, the leadership of God's church rejected the gospel message and had led many in the church to be deceived also. So it is today.

Be a noble Berean and after listening to another, go to your Bible and see if it is truth. Often it is not. Study for yourselves that you be not deceived. God sends teachers, but the true teacher points you to Jesus and His Word.

[Richard Myers]

Friday          September 23

Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Gethsemane,” pp. 685-697, and “Calvary,” pp. 741-757, in The Desire of Ages.

“Three times has He uttered that prayer. Three times has humanity shrunk from the last, crowning sacrifice. But now the history of the human race comes up before the world’s Redeemer. He sees that the transgressors of the law, if left to themselves, must perish. He sees the helplessness of man. He sees the power of sin. The woes and lamentations of a doomed world rise before Him. He beholds its impending fate, and His decision is made. He will save man at any cost to Himself. He accepts His baptism of blood, that through Him perishing millions may gain everlasting life. He has left the courts of heaven, where all is purity, happiness, and glory, to save the one lost sheep, the one world that has fallen by transgression. And He will not turn from His mission. He will become the propitiation of a race that has willed to sin. His prayer now breathes only submission: ’If this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 690, 693.

How was it that Jesus was able to carry the sins of the world?  It was through power given by His Father. It was His Father's love that carried Him. It was also the strong character that He formed through obedience with the power from His Father. "Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered."  Heb. 5:8. He was always obedient, then why does the verse say He learned obedience? For the very same reason why we glory in our tribulation.

 5:3   And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 
 5:4   And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 
 5:5   And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

The only ones who will glory in tribulation are those who are in a converted state abiding in Christ. They will not be tempted beyond what they can bear, but they will be tempted. The verse says that tribulation worketh patience. Yes, like sufferings for Jesus worked obedience. Do you see the same principle in both? If you are in a converted state, you are already patient. All who are converted reveal all of the fruits, not one missing. So, you are already patient. Love, joy, peace, "long suffering."  Tribulation strengthens our character so that we can be tempted at a higher level and be more patient. So it was with Jesus. He was always obedient, but through His tribulation, He could be more obedient, suffer greater tribulation and still obey. He could not carry the sins of the world at age 10, nor 12, nor 20.

Discussion Questions:

    How does it help us in our own sufferings, this knowledge that God Himself, in the person of Christ, suffered more than any of us ever could? What should the sufferings of Christ in our behalf mean to us? What comfort can we draw from this amazing truth? As you think about your answer, keep in mind the following statement from Ellen G. White: “All the suffering which is the result of sin was poured into the bosom of the sinless Son of God.” — Selected Messages, book 3, p. 129.
    As a class, go over the sufferings of Christ looked at in this week’s lesson. What were the crucibles that Christ faced? In what ways are they like our own, and in what ways are they different? What can we learn from how He handled these challenges that can help us amid our own crucibles?
    What are some of your favorite Bible promises, promises that you can cling to amid sorrow and pain?

When in great trials, remember that if you love the Lord our God with all of the heart, then He has promised you power to bear the trial. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. In your trial, you are a witness to others that there is a difference between those who love God and those who do not. Read again Ezekiel 36:23. "And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I [am] the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes."

Write them out, claim them for yourself, and share them in class.
    Write out a summary paragraph, highlighting whatever few main points you got from this quarter’s lessons. What questions were resolved for you? What issues still remain unanswered? How can we help each other work through those things that still greatly perplex and trouble us?

What a great subject for our study this quarter! We pray that after our studies you will better understand why it is that God allows bad things to happen to "good" people. None are good but God. But, He is turning sinners into saints who reflect the character of our loving and just God. One last thing to share on this subject that will be an encouragement to all who are seeking truth to glorify God.

We have delayed the coming of Jesus. We have not done that which He has entrusted to us. Jesus cannot come until He finishes His work in the Most Holy Place. What is keeping Him from completing His work? We are. As long as there are sins and one who can be saved, then the sanctuary continues in need of cleansing. When Christ has a people who have ceased to sin then Jesus will say

 22:10   And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 
 22:11   He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 
 22:12   And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 
 22:13   I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 
 22:14   Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 

Let us hasten that day!!  Have a blessed Sabbath my dear friends!