SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 03. October 4, 2009

            Who do you say that I am?
      "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life"
Theme Verse:       "Who do you say that I am?" Matthew 16:15
Readings: John 14:1-14; John 10:7-10
Memory Verse: "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me." (Pre-K to grade 3)
      If you have read and heard the Bible all your life you may never have stopped to think about what a strange way to talk -- as in "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life" or "I AM the Door" or " the Bread of Life" or "I AM the Resurrection and the Life." People in the Bible often talked about life and ideas in stories, metaphors and picture language, sometimes called parables. God in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament could talk about himself as a Good Shepherd. Everyone then had often seen shepherds and knew how they acted. They had all seen sheep and knew how they acted. Teachers used stories of historical events to speak about something new, yet similar, that was happening -- as in "Passover lamb." Their culture was one that emphasized oral tradition -- even though they had books (but only a few had them.) All Jewish children memorized a lot of Bible stories and verses so that Jesus' Jewish listeners would have recognized quickly a reference to an earlier event or Bible verse.
      Jesus wants us to know who he is. These days in our culture there is a lot of confusion about this. Today's lesson is one of the "I AM" statements. Several times when Jesus said them the authorities accused him of blasphemy because he "made himself equal with God." It is, in fact, a claim that he and the Father are one -- as John 1:1-2 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." In Exodus 3:13-14 God tells Moses his name. It is "I AM who I AM." When Jesus was arrested in the Garden and said "I AM he," (as translated) but he literally said, "I AM" and the soldiers drew back and fell to the ground in shock. (John 18:5-6)
      Words like "way" and "truth" were often used in the Old Testament. "Way" referred to a well trodden road and so was a picture of a journey, a way of living over time, a correct or incorrect route to take. "Truth" as we use it in court means the facts (not just opinions) and often means for us an idea. While that is there in the Bible, when the Old Testament talks about the God of Truth in Isaiah 65:16 ("swear by the God of Truth"), they had in mind mainly God's faithfulness over time, his reliability, steadiness and his covenant love and care like a parent. You could depend on him. When they meant he was the true God, the real God, and not an idol, they often called him the "Living God", or the "God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" -- meaning One who had a personal relationship with those people.
      In spite of this Jesus' disciples were sometimes pretty dense! When Jesus said "I AM the Way" he meant more than that they needed to follow him. (Think of being lost and alone on a country road and when you ask how to get to someone's house, the person says, "Follow me. I will lead you."). Jesus is the way to get to God the Father. The Way is a person and a relationship with him and following him. To know the Way is to know a person. Following Jesus is the route to follow. He is a bit like your personal GPS (but better); but you have to choose to keep on following him to get there. Truth is also a person, Jesus, who came to lead us to the Father.
      The reason is that Jesus is "in the Father and the Father in him" -- to see/know him is to "see" (and know) the Father. The Jewish authorities (verse 10) several times tried to kill Jesus for saying things like this because they recognized what he was saying but didn't believe that Jesus was one with God the Father (John 10:30, "I and the Father are one."
      Jesus calls us also to follow him on the road/journey of life and to know him personally. We can trust him. In the beginning Christianity was called "The Way". There are many other ways but only his way leads to God the Father's House (Heaven) and new life now and forever. It is possible to have correct ideas about Jesus but never know him as a person or follow him.
      Notice that Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit of God as the Spirit of Truth. He is faithful and trustworthy as well as revealing the reality of who God is and what he wants us to know. In John 17:17 Jesus prays "sanctify them (make them holy) by the truth, your word is truth," he is referring both to himself as the Truth and the message God gives. The Spirit of Truth always points to Jesus the Truth. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth to be with his disciples and us until he returns in Glory.
      We looked in the first two lessons about what Jesus as "the Life" meant. Jesus is Life and he want to give us life and give it abundantly! (John 10:10) Look at the Memory Verse. Word received: Notice the sequence: you start by being on the way with me. As you walk with me and talk with me, truth is gradually revealed. As you walk with me and as you enter into truth, new life springs forth in you.
      Now look at John 10:7-10 where Jesus call himself the "Door" -- the Door into life -- new life now and life with him in heaven later. What do you think of when you say a "door", it is a way to get in or out of somewhere. It is narrow -- not an open field and you have to choose whether to walk through, or try to climb over a wall or in a window (like a thief.) In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus talks about the way to life as a narrow way that leads to life in God. There is no other way around it. Think of a narrow mountain road with a cliff on one side and a chasm on the other and it is the only way through. But Psalm 119:96b talks about God's commands as "exceedingly broad." Once through the pass and the narrow road, we discover it is an amazingly spacious, broad valley of God's wisdom and fellowship.
      Another "door" all the Jewish listeners would know were the doors on the Israelite homes in Egypt on the night of Passover. Only the doors that had the blood of the lamb were saved. There was life inside and death outside.
      Now let's look at the John 10 verses where Jesus talks about being the Door and some verses in Revelation 3 where Jesus talks about doors. These are some words the Lord gave the teachers. What do they say to you? Are we listening to the Lord as we read the Scripture? What is he telling you?
      "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,'" (Revelation 3:7a) A word received: I want there to be brotherly love in my church. I want you each to care passionately for those who have not yet entered into new life with me.

      'These things says he who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens:'" (Revelation 3:7b) A word received: I AM the way, the truth, and the life. You can only go into the kingdom through me.

      "'I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept my word, and have not denied my name.'" (Revelation 3:8 ) A word received: The open door is my invitation to you and everyone else to come in. Don't stand outside, come in. You will not succeed by your strength, but by my strength. Let my strength be made perfect in your weakness.

       (John 10:7) A word received: You are my sheep; enter in through the door; I AM the door.

      "'All who ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.'" (John 10:8 ) A word received: Listen to my voice, listen to me speaking by the Holy Spirit, listen to me speaking through Scripture.

      "'I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.'" (John 10:9) A word received: Look to me for direction.

      "'The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.'" (John 10:10) A word received: Come into my abundant life, receive all that I have for you -- hunger for it.

      "'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.'" (John 10:11) A word received: .Turn to me, I AM the good shepherd. I will not lead you astray. Trust me to lead you to good pasture

      Note: The Greeks used a different word for truth (the New Testament was written in Greek). It means the actual state of affairs, reality, facts. But in the NT the Old Testament idea of stability, faithfulness, trustworthiness is often combined with the Greek idea. So it can talk about truth as something that can be done (behavior) rather than something simply believed. There is often the contrast between God's truth and people's falseness or lies, sin. Also Satan's character is that he is a liar.
      Bonhoffer, the German pastor who was part of the "Confessing Church" (underground church) under Hitler, when they were totally surrounded by lies, wrote that they read the Bible every day because it told the truth about people.

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 02 September 27, 2009

Who do you say that I am?
"I AM the Resurrection and the Life"-Jesus raises the dead
Theme Verse: "Who do you say that I am?" Matthew 16:15
Readings: John 11:17-44 (or 11:1-44) Luke 7:11-17
Memory Verse: "I AM the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies." John 11:25 (Pre-K to grade 3)
      Last week we looked at Jesus' resurrection as "of first importance" in understanding who Jesus is and what difference that can make in our lives. He is (present tense) alive now and forever and wants to have a personal relationship with us now and give us new life, now in this life and the life to come. He was and is the Messiah/Christ, God's WORD taking on our humanity, to live and die for us to give us new life in him.
Jesus has power over life and death.
      In this lesson we see Jesus during his earthly ministry, not just healing people but restoring the dead to life! When Jesus says to Martha, "I AM the Resurrection and the Life" he means that like God the Father, he too has life in himself and can give life to others. In John 5:26, Jesus says, "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself." (Remember how he also said, "I and the Father are one!" John 10:30). Remember how Jesus said in John 10:15, 17-18 "I lay down my life for the sheep…The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." Here Jesus is also saying who he is since only God has this kind of power.
      Notice how Jesus waits till his friend, Lazarus, has already died before he goes to him so that his disciples and friends, including Mary and Martha, can learn more about who he is and that God the Father has sent him and is in him, so that God can be glorified and that they may believe. Jesus wanted to move them from where they are in their thinking to a new relationship with himself. Thomas is full of despair in vs.16, "Let us go die with him." But Jesus is about to show Thomas and the others that he himself is the source of Life and can give new life to others. Jesus moves Martha from saying "If you had been here my brother would not have died" (even as she believes in Jesus' power over death and in life after death). to saying, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who has come into the world." Jesus wants to move us from where we are to a life of hope in him, not hope in the abstract but hope in him.
      When Jesus raised the only son of the widow of Nain (her only support) and Jairus's daughter, they were newly dead (dead bodies were buried the same day) but Lazarus had been dead four days! (When I was in Pakistan they also buried bodies within 24 hours.) There are a few stories in the Old Testament of prophets raising the dead like Elijah raising the widow's son in 1 Kings 17 and Elisha raising a woman's son in 2 Kings 4. They raised the dead by the power of God but Jesus is himself the source of life because of who he is. Hebrews 11:19 tells us that Abraham believed that God could even raise his son from the dead when God asked him to sacrifice him and "figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death."
Eternal Life
      Those Jesus raised from the dead died later, but these miracles point to the eternal life that Jesus wants to give us. Eternal life is not just going to heaven after we die but it is also a new quality of life now, a new relationship with the One who is Life Itself. Jesus says in John 5:24 "Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me HAS eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." Jesus' cross and resurrection point to Jesus' victory over both sin and death-- the two biggest enemies people have. Jesus says again in John 17:3 "This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
      Now look at Jesus' love and compassion for those who grieve. Even though Jesus knew what he was going to do he "groaned in spirit and was troubled" when he saw Mary and the others weeping. Then he wept. (vs.33,35) Recall how he had compassion for the widow and the girl's parents. (In raising the daughter of Jairus, Jesus showed his love for children. He wanted the children to come to him so he could bless them.) Remember how Jesus wept over Jerusalem because of the disaster coming because they had refused to believe him. Remember how he had compassion on the crowds who followed him "because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd". (Matthew 9:36). Hebrews 4:15 tells us that in Jesus "we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses" Do we grieve over the things that grieve God? If you ever have seen a picture of a statue of Buddha, he looks serene and worked at being untouched by the pain of life. Jesus is involved in what is happening to his people and cares about us.

      What are some of the ways that the Lord wants us to apply this lesson to our lives?
Have you experienced some of these? Can you share it?
"Now Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.'" (John 11:21) A word received: I AM always with you in your joys and in your sorrows.

"'But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.'" (John 11:22) A word received: I want you to know that as well: whatever I ask of my father, he will give me.

"Martha said to him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.'" (John 11:24) A word received: I want you to live with hope -- hope in the resurrection at the last day.

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live.'" (John 11:25) A word received: I am the resurrection and the life. Turn to me for new life and for the life to come. I want you to know me right now as your risen and ascended Lord.

"'And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?'" (John 11:26) A word received: Do you believe this? I want you to believe this. I want you to know in your heart and in your mind that I AM risen and that I AM life.

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 01 September 20, 2009

      Who do you say that I am?
      The Resurrection of Jesus
Theme Verse: "Who do you say that I am?" Matthew 16:15
Readings: Luke 24: 1-12 and John 20: 19-31
Optional: Matthew 16:13-16
Memory Verse: "Why do you look for the living among the dead. He is not here, he is risen! Remember how he told you while he was still with you." (Pre-K to grade 3) Luke 24:5b-6
      This year we are starting off by looking at the answer to Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus had just asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" There were many answers, even among God's people the Jews. There is so much confusion these days about this, even in the church, so we need to be clear about the foundations stones of our faith.
      We are going to start with Jesus' resurrection. Why that? Because it is basic. Paul calls it "of first importance"! Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 & 12-20. "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins, according to the scripture, that he was buried, that he was raised on the 3rd day according to the scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter and then to the 12. After that he appeared to more than 500 of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living….and last of all he appeared to me also… (vs.3-7)"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith…"(vs.17) "you are still in your sins."
      Jesus compared himself to the cornerstone (or keystone) (Mark 12:10-11) mentioned in Psalm 118:22-23. The whole building rests on a cornerstone and the whole arch is held together by the keystone. The resurrection of Jesus is a necessary foundation for our faith in him and our salvation. The resurrection shows who Jesus is. It demonstrates that "through the Spirit of Holiness (Holy Spirit) he was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 1:3-4) (He received his human nature as a descendent of King David.) The resurrection demonstrates who Jesus is and proves the meaning of his cross and death. This was all promised long before in the Hebrew scriptures. (Old Testament).. Remember how we say week by week: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. The tombs of the founders of other religions are still full. Jesus' tomb is empty!

      Now read Luke 24:1-12. In spite of Jesus telling the disciples several times about his coming death and resurrection--they couldn't hear it. They all had difficulty believing it even when they saw angels, or an empty tomb and Jesus himself! Look at the Memory Verse. What did the angel say? The women had come to prepare the body of their friend for burial (no undertakers). (Remember that the women were the last ones at the cross and the first at the tomb although they were not qualified by law to be legal witnesses.)
      When the women went and told the disciples what had happened they didn't believe them and thought the women were imagining things. (Don't worry about slight differences in the four accounts. There are many experiments and examples of people reporting on a major surprise event and reporting slightly different details about what they experienced.)
      When Jesus appeared to the disciples that night, (Luke 24:33f) and in spite of telling others that Jesus was risen, when he appeared they thought he was a ghost! Jesus asks them to touch him, see his hands and feet and even ate a piece of fish to show them he was real (even though he also came through locked doors!)
      The religious leaders went to Pilate and asked for a guard of soldiers to make the tomb secure because they remembered that Jesus had said he would rise again after three days---even though the disciples didn't remember! Pilate gave them the guard of soldiers. (Matthew 27:62-66) When the angel rolled away the stone and there was an earthquake the soldiers fainted. Later when the women had seen and heard the angel and left to tell the disciples, some of the guards went and told the chief priests and elders what had happened. The authorities paid the soldiers and promised to protect the soldiers and told them to say the disciples had stolen the body at night while they were asleep. There was a death penalty for that! (Matthew 28:11-15). You can be sure that if they could have produced Jesus' body they would have!!! (Note at end about other evidences.)
      Jesus wants us to know for sure he is risen and alive for us now. Word received: I want the children and the adults to know that I am alive and I live forever. Word received: You can turn to me now, whatever your need or trouble. ("Knowing" in a Biblical sense is both about knowing a fact in your mind and also experiencing it, as in knowing a person.)

      Now read John 20: 19-31 and reflect on some of the ways Jesus' resurrection can make a difference in our lives now. How can we personally experience the risen Jesus, who wants to be your Savior and King and who is one God with the Father and Holy Spirit? He wants us to follow him, just as his first disciples and Paul did. We begin by believing in him and asking him into our hearts, but there is more. (NOTE about grave clothes of Jesus'; and Lazarus.)

"Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'" (John 20:19) A word received: I can give you my peace now because I am alive now.

"When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord." (John 20:20) A word received: I will show myself to you by giving you my Holy Spirit. I will give you joy through my Spirit.

"So Jesus said to them again, 'Peace to you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you.'" (John 20:21) A word received: I want you to go forth with my joy and peace.

"And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (John 20:22) A word received: I want you to receive my Holy Spirit.

"'If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'" (John 20:23) A word received: I want my life, my resurrection life, to be displayed in your life.

"Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came." (John 20:24) A word received: You were not there when I first spoke to my disciples, neither was Thomas. Just as I met him later, I can meet you now.

"The other disciples therefore said to him, 'We have seen the Lord.' So he said to them, 'Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.'" (John 20:25) A word received: Bring your unbelief to me. Don't be afraid to tell me.

"And after eight days his disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, 'Peace to you!'" (John 20:26) A word received: I say that to you as well: Peace to you!

"Then he said to Thomas, 'Reach your finger here, and look at my hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.'" (John 20:27) A word received: Do not harden your hearts when I come to meet you; let your heart be ready to believe.

"And Thomas answered and said to him, 'My Lord and my God!'" (John 20:28 ) A word received: I want you to join with Thomas in saying, "My Lord and my God."

"Jesus said to him, 'Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'" (John 20:29) A word received: You have believed because of the witness of my Holy Spirit and the witness of faithful people. I want you to be a faithful witness as well.

"And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:30-31) A word received: I want you to receive my word. It is written so that you may believe.

NOTE- Evidence of the grave clothes: Luke 24:12 reports that Peter ran to the tomb and "saw the strips of linen lying by themselves". John 20: 5-7 reports that Peter and John saw the strips of linen lying there as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Jesus' grave cloths were not tossed around. They had just collapsed in place. Compare what Lazarus needed when Jesus raised him from the dead (John 11:44). He was all wrapped up and had to be helped out of his grave clothes even though he was alive!

      "he was buried" The point of this is that Jesus was really dead. The Roman soldiers saw to that! The idea that Jesus didn't really die is nonsense.

      The doors were locked in the upper room where the disciples were because of fear. (John 20:19) Jesus could appear and disappear from sight yet he could be touched and ate food! He also knew what Thomas had said the week before he came and spoke to Thomas. Jesus' resurrection body was the same yet different.