Sunday, March 25, 2012

On 4-1-12 John 18:28-37 or 18:28-38 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Jesus Testifies to the Truth.

Jesus Testifies to the Truth
John 18:28-37 or John 18:28-38
International Sunday School Lesson
April 1, 2012



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough



What is truth?  A philosophical question posed by Pilate in verse 38 in reply to Jesus after He said that He had testified through His life about truth and that “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”  For Pilate, an earthly ruler, truth sometimes carried weight but at other times such as the one we read of today other factors rule.

In the world we live in innocent people every day are convicted and sometimes even executed.  It is only from the Lord that man gets justice (Proverbs 29:26).  Jesus certainly didn’t receive justice from the High Priest, or the Sanhedrin nor did He receive it from Pilate.

Last week we read in John 3 that “Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”  And now this week we see it lived out.

In the dark of night Jesus was subjected to the questioning and false accusations of the Jewish leaders.  When Jesus spoke at all to them it was to acknowledge the truth and those who are not on the side of truth would of course not listen to Him just as Jesus said.

From God we are offered justice but to God’s son we gave injustice.  To his credit Pilate feebly tried but failed to set Jesus, the most innocent of men ever charged, free but through Christ’s great efforts we all have the opportunity to be set free though we are all worthy of being convicted.

Consider this question, what do you see happen when an innocent man or a seemingly innocent man is unjustly charged or even convicted and executed?  What usually happens is uproar for change so that this type of thing cannot ever happen again, but of course it does, especially once the energy has dissipated amongst the proponents.

So what results from this knowledge depends on you and me.  Our Jesus died once for all, He won’t be doing it again.  His proponents must stay energized and testify to the truth as He did.  We can keep it to ourselves locked away or out of appreciation for this sacrifice and our subsequent salvation we to can testify to the truth.  This is a story too good to hide away because it is a story of a God and His love such that no one would invent. 

Somewhere maybe every day there are men who are convicted of the crimes committed by others.  The crime that was committed is never therefore really accounted for.  Next week when we return we will read of the innocent Man of Sacrifice that was convicted for the sins that you committed and never were made to take account for; He did it willingly so that you wouldn’t have to.  Don’t you think you could take up the cause with an energy that never dissipates?


For Discussion:


1.      Read the corresponding scriptures found in Matthew 27, Mark 15 and Luke 23
2.      Ask in what scriptures Jesus had revealed the kind of death He would suffer.
3.      Had the Jews executed Jesus for blasphemy what would have been the method of execution as opposed to the Roman form?
4.      Discuss Pilate’s question, “What is truth?”
5.      Ask people to consider the following scenario.  They are being held prisoner for being Christian.  There are other prisoners and they are all Christian as well.  All violations of rules by prisoners are punishable by death.  They commit a violation but another prisoner claims responsibility to spare them and that prisoner is summarily executed by being shot in the head.  How would they feel, how would they react, if freed from this prison, how would they live as a result?  Consider Christ as this fellow prisoner who took their punishment for them.
6.      Ask if most of us are just going through some kind of ritualistic life of being Christian.  Do we truly live like people who not only have had someone die a substitutionary death for them but one that results in eternal life for them?
7.      Next week’s assignment does not include scripture on the crucifixion.  Remind those in your group to read those passages as well.

Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries


4-8-12:    The Living Word (Jesus Lives) John 20:1-10, 19-20
4-15-12:  Cleansing the Temple (Temple is Cleansed) John 2:13-22
4-22-12:  Woman of Samaria (Samaritan Woman Finds Living Water) John 4:7-15, 23-26, 28-30 or John 4:7-15, 21-30
4-29-12:  Healing the Blind Man (Blind Man Receives Sight) John 9:1-17





Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

Sunday, March 18, 2012

On 3-25-12 John 3:11-21 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as God’s Word Saves aka Nicodemus Learns of New Birth.

God’s Word Saves
Or
 Nicodemus Learns of New Birth
John 3:11-21
International Sunday School Lesson
March 25, 2012



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough


It is not illogical to think that I might write these lessons in a way that would do the most good for the greatest number of readers.  This day I am afraid is no exception as my goal is to grab you by the proverbial lapels and give a little, shall we say, shake!

If you are a student my goal would be to not have you turn into a teacher per say but rather that you teach by the Christian life you lead.  And if you are a teacher that God has indeed given the gift of teaching to that you one day not receive a Nicodemus-type dressing down from He who blessed you.

Nicodemus you see was a Pharisee, a member of the ruling Jewish council, a teacher of the people according to Jesus.  This man who the people would have respected did not approach Jesus with boldness.  He did not let his associates or the citizens know He was visiting Jesus but rather used the cover of darkness to hide his visit.

He and evidently some of his peers knew that Jesus was at least from God but the threat that Jesus posed to their order was too great.  They didn’t want this threat to grow and they did not want to lose their grip on power.

Jesus knew all this and it is part of what He alludes to in His short sermon to Nicodemus as He compares light to darkness and of how whoever lives by the truth comes into the light.  You must know that Nicodemus had to be struck immediately to the core as he had come in the cover of darkness so as to not be exposed.   Imagine the impact for the people had this teacher of the people come boldly forward with those that followed Jesus to inquire of Him instead.

What then do you as a teacher actually gifted by God use as your cover of darkness?  Is it the church?  Don’t get me wrong, the church is a good place to be but this isn’t the only place you are to teach.  If you are to truly give freely of the gift you are teaching, if you are really going to come into the light “so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God”, then you must teach outside of the church also so that your people, your world will benefit, something Nicodemus hadn’t been willing to do.

Things are tougher for the teacher there is no denying that.  But the student who doesn’t share the gospel will have to answer for that as well.  Jesus said, “whoever lives by the truth comes into the light”, not whoever teaches.

Whoever, it isn’t normally a very powerful word but in today’s context it is.  Whoever believes may have eternal life, whoever believes is not condemned, whoever doesn’t is.  And again whoever does live because of this belief will come into the light so that they are plainly seen.  Don’t hide in the darkness whatever your darkness may be but rather shine.

Matthew 5:14-16

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”


 



For Discussion:

1.      Discuss the fact that as Christians though we may still live in mortal bodies we are to live more and more like the Spirit that we have within us.
2.      Discuss the need to live our lives as Christians more boldly for all to see not just those where we worship.
3.      Discuss the issue of whether we have grown too comfortable worshiping in our churches.  Consider Mark 2:15-17 “While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.  When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the “sinners” and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”  On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
4.      One must not forget when talking of Nicodemus to remember his speaking up before his peers in Matthew 7:50 and his presence with Joseph of Arimathea with Jesus’ body in John 19:38-42.
5.      There are deep questions to be discussed in today’s scripture if you care to go there.  For example:
a.       Is John 3:16, perhaps the most well-known verse in the Bible also the most dangerous?
b.      What does it mean to believe?  Look up the word believe in an exhaustive concordance such as Strongs.
c.       Can we say someone truly believes if there is no evidence of that belief?
d.      Can someone believe and still be in the darkness?

You know the people that make up your class, using that fact find the many other deeper questions to ask for their benefit.


Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries



4-1-12:    Jesus Testifies to the Truth John 18:28-37 or John 18:28-38
4-8-12:    The Living Word (Jesus Lives) John 20:1-10, 19-20
4-15-12:  Cleansing the Temple (Temple is Cleansed) John 2:13-22
4-22-12:  Woman of Samaria (Samaritan Woman Finds Living Water) John 4:7-15, 23-26, 28-30 or John 4:7-15, 21-30





Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved


Sunday, March 11, 2012

On 3-18-12 John 2:1-12 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as The Wedding at Cana or Water Turned to Wine.

The Wedding at Cana
Or
 Water Turned to Wine
John 2:1-12
International Sunday School Lesson
March 18, 2012



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough




Jewish Mother's Answering Machine:

If you want chicken soup, press 1;
If you want matzoh balls with the soup, press 2;
If you want varnishkas, dial 3;
If you want knishes press 4;
If you want to know how am I feeling, you are calling the wrong number since nobody ever asks me how I am feeling.

How about this one?

A young Jewish man excitedly tells his mother he's fallen in love and that he is going to get married.
He says, "Just for fun, Ma, I'm going
to bring over 3 women and you try and guess which one I'm going to
marry."
The mother agrees.
The next day, he brings three beautiful women into the house and sits them down on the couch and they chat for a while.
He then says, "Okay, Ma, guess which one I'm going to marry."
She immediately replies, "The one on the right."
"That's amazing, Ma. You're right. How did you
know?
The Jewish mother replies, "I don't like her."



I hope you don’t mind my taking a bit of time for some fun, I often think about the mother and son relationship between Mary and Jesus.  Think about the pain that Mary experiences in her heart at the end of her son’s life and this day at the beginning of John’s account brings more appreciation.  This was a happy day, a wedding day and all the accompanying festivities and joys of family and friends that a day like this would have brought together.

When you consider the miracle itself you can go ahead and try and make an allegory out of it or we can perhaps feel that for a miracle it seems a bit minor when we consider Christ’s power.  Regardless, I think that what John was doing was simply conveying his eyewitness account of his experience with Jesus.

He knew Jesus very well and it would seem John had a closer relationship with Him.  We know that Jesus gave the care of His mother over to John at his crucifixion.  The full events of how that happened we don’t know but I would hope that John came to know Mary well and perhaps they had some conversations that included Mary’s reminisces.  That would have been fascinating to hear of Jesus’s boyhood, would it not?

We see from this account that Jesus knew His timetable.  He didn’t want to draw attention to Himself.  He knew how the people would react as His ministry grew and people would be drawn to the spectacular, a natural but sad human tendency to gravitate towards the flash or signs instead of the substance.  John, as you will see as you go through the book, emphasizes this idea of the timetable.

We also see from this account that Mary was well aware of Jesus abilities.  Again, fascinating is it not to think of His boyhood and what events made her, I don’t want to say blasé about those abilities, but matter of fact about them?

This idea of the stereotypical Jewish mother is a fairly recent invention by all accounts but good Moms know their sons and good Moms think their sons are all that but this Mom was right!

We also see in this account the “end” of the son and mother relationship.  Being the good son Jesus didn’t embarrass His mother.  He did as she asked and though it wasn’t His time she couldn’t know that this day was about the last normal one He would spend with her.





For Discussion:

1.      Have those that believe there is an allegory with Jesus changing the water to wine share those with you.
2.      Discuss the relationship of Jesus and His mother.
3.      Discuss what Jesus said to His mother and what Mary said after that.
4.      Research and discuss what is known of hospitality and wedding feasts back in Jesus’ time.
5.      See where else Jesus discussed this issue of time.
6.      Research and discuss what some have theorized as to why Mary and Jesus would have been at this wedding.
7.      How many disciples do you think Jesus had at this time?
8.      An observation, not counting the weight of the stone containers the wine alone in each would weigh from 165 to 250 pounds.

Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries


3-25-12:  God’s Word Saves (Nicodemus Learns of New Birth) John 3:11-21
4-1-12:    Jesus Testifies to the Truth John 18:28-37 or John 18:28-38
4-8-12:    The Living Word (Jesus Lives) John 20:1-10, 19-20
4-15-12:  Cleansing the Temple (Temple is Cleansed) John 2:13-22




Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

Sunday, March 4, 2012

On 3-11-12 John 1:1-14 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as The Word Became Flesh.

The Word Became Flesh
John 1:1-14
International Sunday School Lesson
March 11, 2012



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough


1   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
1   En el principio ya existía el *Verbo,
      y el Verbo estaba con Dios,
      y el Verbo era Dios.

1   
1  Hapo mwanzo, kabla ya kuwapo kitu kingine cho chote, aliku wapo Neno. Huyo Neno alikuwa pamoja na Mungu, naye alikuwa Mungu.

No matter the language, the words of this, my most favorite verse in the Bible are the same.  These are words that stir the soul of those that love Him and those that He is calling.  This book is the one I’d recommend to first send the inquisitive or those that are skeptical about God.  The book that was “written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:31
If I were forced to choose 2 books from the Bible I would choose Romans written by Paul and this one written by the one that Jesus loved, the Apostle John.  For me, it is in these two books that I most hear the voice of God. 
As you read through the New Testament you can see John change from his Sons of Thunder days as he matures into a complete Christian.  We can use John’s writings as eye witness testimony, as motivator, as mentor, as proof, as history, as prophecy, as promises, as warnings.
Of all the writings of John I agree with those that date this writing as his first.  If you consider nothing scholarly then the thought that this Apostle would be inspired to share his eyewitness testimony early it seems logical.
As we read this book these beginning first fourteen verses alone we learn from John under inspiration that Jesus and the Father are one and the same and yet different and that like God He always has been.  We are told that nothing has ever been created that He did not create including life.  In fact He is life and light.  We further learn that Christ’s life was the light for men and that this light is available not hidden for it shines in the darkness where man in his unrighteous state lives but for the most part those in darkness do not understand.
Remember back to Christmas to the lesson that included the birth of John the baptist from Luke?  Some did not include those verses in their lessons that day but I said God knew better because man would play a part and as in that instance John the Baptist is our example.  The Apostle John again under inspiration includes him as well and I am growing in my appreciation for this part of these scriptures.  John the Baptist we are told here was a witness for Christ as we should be.  John the Baptist’s role was to testify about Him so that men like us even all these centuries later would come to believe.  We further can learn by example that it wasn’t about John the Baptist but rather note the word “only”.  He was only to witness; it was about Christ, that He was coming.
Christ came into the world in a form that was fully man just like everyone else and we know in hindsight that was not what the world was looking for.  Those who were the same, his own, the Jews for the most part did not accept Him in fact they rejected Him and crucified Him.
But some did accept Him and to these first fruits and to us today who believe in Him He gave new life.  Not as children of men any longer but children of God a gift of grace that God revealed by becoming man and allowing His glory to be among men.  Jesus made known the truth; He revealed the truth of his plan for us and the true picture of who He is.

 “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.” John 1:18

For Discussion:

1.     As a name for Christ, discuss the title Word.
2.     In different translations the word in verse 5 is translated not “understood” but “overcome”.   Discuss both interpretations.
3.     Discuss verse 7’s “all men” and verse 9’s “every man”.
4.     Discuss how verse 8 reminds us that the message of Christ and not the messenger even today is what counts.  In general terms talk of where this isn’t happening.
5.     Discuss why the world did not recognize Christ.
6.     Read Romans 9:30-11:32.
7.     Research what the Jewish people say today as to why Jesus wasn’t the Messiah.
8.     If you haven’t been sharing the gospel as you should, simply directing people to the book of John is an easy way to begin.


Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries



3-18-12:  The Wedding at Cana (Water Turned to Wine) John 2:1-12
3-25-12:  God’s Word Saves (Nicodemus Learns of New Birth) John 3:11-21
4-1-12:    Jesus Testifies to the Truth John 18:28-37 or John 18:28-38
4-8-12:    The Living Word (Jesus Lives) John 20:1-10, 19-20







Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved