The Adult Sunday School

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

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

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

Nicodemus Learns of New Birth

John 3:11-21

International Sunday School Lesson

March 25, 2012

Commentary

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.