Friday: Further Thought - More Testimonies About Jesus

Daily Lesson for Friday 8th of November 2024

Read Ellen G. White, “The Crisis in Galilee,” Pages 383–394; “In the Outer Court,” Pages 621–626, in The Desire of Ages.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

“ ‘To whom shall we go?’ The teachers of Israel were slaves to formalism. The Pharisees and Sadducees were in constant contention. To leave Jesus was to fall among sticklers for rites and ceremonies, and ambitious men who sought their own glory. The disciples had found more peace and joy since they had accepted Christ than in all their previous lives. How could they go back to those who had scorned and persecuted the Friend of sinners? They had long been looking for the Messiah; now He had come, and they could not turn from His presence to those who were hunting His life, and had persecuted them for becoming His followers.

“ ‘To whom shall we go?’ Not from the teaching of Christ, His lessons of love and mercy, to the darkness of unbelief, the wickedness of the world. While the Saviour was forsaken by many who had witnessed His wonderful works, Peter expressed the faith of the disciples,—‘Thou art that Christ.’ The very thought of losing this anchor of their souls filled them with fear and pain. To be destitute of a Saviour was to be adrift on a dark and stormy sea.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 393.

Discussion Questions

In class, talk about the difficult question of why some people, when given evidence for Jesus as the Messiah and for the truth of Christianity, gladly accept it, and why others, when given that same evidence, reject it?
What more important truth could there be than that Jesus Christ died for our sins? Yet, how did we ever come to know this crucial truth? By science, natural law, natural theology, logic, and reason? While these things could, in fact, lead us to believe in a Creator God, a First Cause, an Unmoved Mover, or something else, none of these disciplines, either alone or even together, could teach us the most important truth that we need to know: Christ died for our sins. What should this fact—that all these disciplines, even in principle, could not lead us to the one thing that we really need to know—teach us about how crucial it is to make the Bible our final and ultimate authority on matters of faith?
Why is it so important for someone’s own faith to recount the things God has done in his or her life?

<–Thursday

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Sometimes it feels like we have to choose between two crowds: religious bigotry and self-exaltation or secular bigotry and self-exultation. This situation of finding oneself between 2 groups, 2 choices for leadership, is not new. It happened in Jesus' day too. The crowd of 5,000+ who gathered with Jesus that Passover weekend on the hillside were disillusioned with religion-as-usual and were looking for a new hero. To be a disciple of Jesus meant that you would be “put out of the synagogue,” according to John 9:22... so they were turning from their old party affiliations. However, they had the same goal of an earthly kingdom as the Pharisees, the only difference was that they saw themselves, instead of those priests and rulers educated in the law, in charge. They were the "party of the people". Jesus would be their perfect frontman for what THEY wanted to have happen.

“Seated upon the grassy plain, in the twilight of the spring evening, the people ate of the food that Christ had provided. The words they had heard that day had come to them as the voice of God. The works of healing they had witnessed were such as only divine power could perform. But the miracle of the loaves appealed to everyone in that vast multitude. All day the conviction has strengthened. That crowning act is assurance that the long-looked-for Deliverer is among them. . . . This is He who will make Judea an earthly paradise, a land flowing with milk and honey. He can satisfy every desire...

“In their enthusiasm the people are ready at once to crown Him king. . . . Consulting together, they agree to take Him by force, and proclaim Him the king of Israel. The disciples unite with the multitude . . . . Let the arrogant priests and rulers be forced to honor Him who comes clothed with the authority of God.” The Desire of Ages, pp. 377-378.

“When Christ forbade the people to declare Him king, He knew that a turning point in His history was reached. Multitudes who desired to exalt Him to the throne today would turn from Him tomorrow. The disappointment of their selfish ambition would turn their love to hatred, and their praise to curses. Yet knowing this, He took no measures to avert the crisis.” The Desire of Ages, p. 383

We certainly see this in the politics of today. Hero today, loser tomorrow. People follow who they think will give them what they want. The element of "force" is evident in both crowds.

Jesus rose above short-sighted earthly politics. He presented Himself as the ruler of the Kingdom of Heaven. He quickly shut down those who could get the wrong idea about Him.

"If men could have had the world with Christ, multitudes would have proffered Him their allegiance; but such service He could not accept. Of those now connected with Him there were many who had been attracted by the hope of a worldly kingdom. These must be undeceived." The Desire of Ages, p. 383.

It's not enough to quote a Scripture, to hold a Bible up in front of a church, to let people pray over you, to speak the right words...no no...Jesus said "Unless you eat and drink Me...unless taking Me into your mind and heart throughout the day, every day, is life and death to you, is as basic a need to you as basic bodily functions required for life....unless you partake of My nature and submit to a change of heart and passions....you have no part with Me. (John 6:53-56)"

"“He knew the character of those who claimed to be His disciples, and His words tested their faith. He declared that they were to believe and act upon His teaching. All who received Him would partake of His nature, and be conformed to His character. This involved the relinquishment of their cherished ambitions. It required the complete surrender of themselves to Jesus. They were called to become self-sacrificing, meek and lowly in heart. They must walk in the narrow path traveled by the Man of Calvary, if they would share in the gift of life and the glory of heaven.” The Desire of Ages, p. 391.

Please do this work in me, Lord Jesus Christ, in us as your Church, and in all of our leaders and elected officials.

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Comments

Friday: Further Thought – More Testimonies About Jesus — 11 Comments

Maurice Ashton on November 7, 2024 at 2:24 pm said:

Proving the divine in a rational, secular world takes a lot more than a finely honed argument. Consistent, caring Christianity makes a powerful statement about our relationship with Jesus.

Before we open our mouths to spread the Gospel, we need our actions to show that we have been with Jesus. That is the divine miracle we need to pray for.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. Acts 4:13,14 KJV

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- Karen Bunch on November 8, 2024 at 9:43 am said:
  
  I wish there was a heart instead of just a thumbs up. What you have said is what we should be up to. I found the first question at the end of today, almost discouraging. In a nutshell, why do some believe in Jesus and why, when given “all the evidence “ some don’t believe. Our job as Christians is not to convince anyone to believe, but to live a life that draws them to Jesus. If they choose to not be drawn, that is between them and God.
  
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  - John Herscher on November 9, 2024 at 5:39 am said:
    
    ❤️ 💙 💜 💖 💗
    
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- Esther Pelletier on November 8, 2024 at 10:43 am said:
  
  Thank you, Maurice, and for saying it's "the divine miracle we need to pray for". Because as I see myself measured against a standard of "consistent, caring Christianity" and that "we need our actions to show that we have been with Jesus" I feel overwhelmed with repeated failure.
  
  The Teacher's comments on this topic of our own spiritual growth are also encouraging:
  
  "He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30,NKJV). The increasing of Christ and the decreasing of self are listed in the right order. We cannot truly be humble unless Jesus increases in our lives; He alone can crucify self and remove it from the throne of the heart. Of course, Satan tries to present John 3:30 in the reverse order: he encourages people to decrease first (works) and then watch Jesus’ grace increase in their lives. But such an attempt is a spiritual impossibility, for only the dominant power of Christ in the heart can subdue self. In other words, we must not put the proverbial cart before the horse.
  
  A story is told of a young boy who enjoyed singing songs about Jesus, whom he loved with all his heart. He often prayed for Jesus to come and live in his heart, and he literally believed that Jesus would do so. But he was curious as to how the great Jesus could fit into his small body. His dad could not adequately answer his question, but this little boy answered his own question. He told his dad that Jesus was so much bigger than he was that when he invited Him into his heart, He must always stick out of him!
  
  What a touching picture of our Christian witness! What bubbles out of us when we interact with people? Is it self or the Savior? The Savior longs to sit on the throne of our hearts, filling our lives with His saving grace like a sweet-smelling savor.
  
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Esther Pelletier on November 7, 2024 at 6:40 pm said:

Sometimes it feels like we have to choose between two crowds: religious bigotry and self-exaltation or secular bigotry and self-exultation. This situation of finding oneself between 2 groups, 2 choices for leadership, is not new. It happened in Jesus' day too. The crowd of 5,000+ who gathered with Jesus that Passover weekend on the hillside were disillusioned with religion-as-usual and were looking for a new hero. To be a disciple of Jesus meant that you would be “put out of the synagogue,” according to John 9:22... so they were turning from their old party affiliations. However, they had the same goal of an earthly kingdom as the Pharisees, the only difference was that they saw themselves, instead of those priests and rulers educated in the law, in charge. They were the "party of the people". Jesus would be their perfect frontman for what THEY wanted to have happen.

“Seated upon the grassy plain, in the twilight of the spring evening, the people ate of the food that Christ had provided. The words they had heard that day had come to them as the voice of God. The works of healing they had witnessed were such as only divine power could perform. But the miracle of the loaves appealed to everyone in that vast multitude. All day the conviction has strengthened. That crowning act is assurance that the long-looked-for Deliverer is among them. . . . This is He who will make Judea an earthly paradise, a land flowing with milk and honey. He can satisfy every desire...

“In their enthusiasm the people are ready at once to crown Him king. . . . Consulting together, they agree to take Him by force, and proclaim Him the king of Israel. The disciples unite with the multitude . . . . Let the arrogant priests and rulers be forced to honor Him who comes clothed with the authority of God.” The Desire of Ages, pp. 377-378.

“When Christ forbade the people to declare Him king, He knew that a turning point in His history was reached. Multitudes who desired to exalt Him to the throne today would turn from Him tomorrow. The disappointment of their selfish ambition would turn their love to hatred, and their praise to curses. Yet knowing this, He took no measures to avert the crisis.” The Desire of Ages, p. 383

We certainly see this in the politics of today. Hero today, loser tomorrow. People follow who they think will give them what they want. The element of "force" is evident in both crowds.

Jesus rose above short-sighted earthly politics. He presented Himself as the ruler of the Kingdom of Heaven. He quickly shut down those who could get the wrong idea about Him.

"If men could have had the world with Christ, multitudes would have proffered Him their allegiance; but such service He could not accept. Of those now connected with Him there were many who had been attracted by the hope of a worldly kingdom. These must be undeceived." The Desire of Ages, p. 383.

It's not enough to quote a Scripture, to hold a Bible up in front of a church, to let people pray over you, to speak the right words...no no...Jesus said "Unless you eat and drink Me...unless taking Me into your mind and heart throughout the day, every day, is life and death to you, is as basic a need to you as basic bodily functions required for life....unless you partake of My nature and submit to a change of heart and passions....you have no part with Me. (John 6:53-56)"

"“He knew the character of those who claimed to be His disciples, and His words tested their faith. He declared that they were to believe and act upon His teaching. All who received Him would partake of His nature, and be conformed to His character. This involved the relinquishment of their cherished ambitions. It required the complete surrender of themselves to Jesus. They were called to become self-sacrificing, meek and lowly in heart. They must walk in the narrow path traveled by the Man of Calvary, if they would share in the gift of life and the glory of heaven.” The Desire of Ages, p. 391.

Please do this work in me, Lord Jesus Christ, in us as your Church, and in all of our leaders and elected officials.

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John Herscher on November 7, 2024 at 7:59 pm said:

Question #1.
I do believe people are influenced by their upbringing. They are influenced by their peers, and their spouses. These have a lot of weight with their decision to reject or surender to the pleadings of the Holy Spirit.

The key is who will we let guide us.

‭Psalm 48:14 ESV‬
[14] that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.

Many years ago the captain of an ocean liner went down to the guests cabin. For there was residing a retired captain who had been through many a storm. The captain took the advice of the old sea captain and the ocean liner safely road out the storm. Good advice is well heeded.

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Octavian Nicolae Lupu on November 8, 2024 at 3:13 am said:

"They had long been looking for the Messiah; now He had come, and they could not turn from His presence to those who were hunting His life, and had persecuted them for becoming His followers."

Every human being desires to live in the presence of Christ. To become conscious of this is a matter of faith in God's promises, trust in His faithfulness, and openness toward the way His providence is guiding you.

Now, in those times, the experience is similar. We have nowhere to go from Christ. We expect everything from Him, and here, normally, we include our whole desire, thinking, and will force. And to be with Him means to be where He is dwelling now, in His special elected church for the present time, that proclaims the coming of His kingdom now and keeps His commandments.

We are living testimonies of His presence these days, and by our lives, we endorse His message of salvation launched explicitely 2000 years ago.

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Elsie _Rongo on November 8, 2024 at 11:09 am said:

Happy Sabbath

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Brigitte Humphery on November 8, 2024 at 11:19 am said:

“To whom shall we go”? is the crucial question of all who seek after righteousness; Jesus told them to come to Him! The person feeling comfortable and ‘at home’ in a world filled with acrimony does not ask this question. But the ones who are tossed around, lost in the back and forth of the ever changing tide of what is considered right or wrong, look for stability and protection.

Who or what can overcome the powers of these waring forces? Teachers offering solutions abound in this world filled with turmoil and strife. How does one know which is the right teacher to follow? What leads one to accept Jesus Christ as their teacher, Lord and Savior? It is ones HUNGER for righteousness, and the THIRST for wisdom. Feeling lost and broken-hearted in this world of strife is the 'call', the evidence, that God invites us to join the faithful in Christ – 1 Cor.1:9.

This spiritual disappointment and resulting hunger and thirst for righteousness cannot be quenched by material goods; it is a hunger and thirst for that which this world cannot give – peace in heart and mind. This world is in dire need of its Savior. God reached out and placed us on the path to everlasting peace. No question that we will share it with others! Will we overcome prejudice and pride to walk with our fellow man as brother and sister? Yes, we will!

Those whose hunger and thirst is truly satisfied by what is given by the Holy Spirit do not seek anyone else’s food. Their heart and mind is at rest in Jesus Christ. He came to tell us that the Father longs for the fellowship of His children through His Spirit and Truth. All cries, burrried deep within the heart of the seeker of 'righteousness', are heared by our heavenly Father calling out – Abba, I want to come home! And He opens heaven to all who love Him and seek His presence - Isaiah 30:15.

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Sharon Loomis on November 8, 2024 at 5:50 pm said:

Thank you everyone for your comments. Happy Sabbath. My prayer is for all of us to more fully reflect Christ and his love. Especially to those around us.

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Maria Banwarie on November 9, 2024 at 8:08 am said:

Others when given the same evidence reject it because there are so many counterfeits that it is hard to distinguish truth from counterfeit. This becomes especially hard when a person's family, friends and loved ones have followed a different path all along.

The fruits of the spirt and kindness can break barriers and help to shine a new pathway for others.

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