The victory of Christ over Satan and his evil powers was secured on the cross and confirmed by the empty tomb. “When Jesus was laid in the grave, Satan triumphed. He dared to hope that the Saviour would not take up His life again. He claimed the Lord’s body, and set his guard about the … Continue reading –>
Christ’s mission seemed to have ended (and even failed) with His death on the cross. Satan succeeded in instigating Judas to betray the Saviour (Luke 22:3-4; John 13:26-27) and the chief priests and elders to demand His death (Matthew 26:59, Matthew 27:20). After Jesus was arrested, “all the disciples forsook Him and fled” (Matthew 26:56, NKJV), and Peter denied Him three … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Matthew 27:62-66; John 10:17-18; Matthew 27:51-53; John 20:11-29; 1 Corinthians 15:5-8. Memory Text: “When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. He put his right hand on me and said, ’Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the One who lives; I was dead, … Continue reading –>
Turning the Other Cheek By Rick McEdward Omar, a university student in the Middle East, desperately needed a job, but he wasn’t ready to do anything to get hired. During a job interview, he openly told the company representative that he could not work on Saturdays because that was his holy day. The company representative … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Gethsemane,” Pages 685-697; “Calvary,” Pages 741-758, in The Desire of Ages; “Repentance,” p.27, in Steps to Christ. “I saw that all heaven is interested in our salvation; and shall we be indifferent? Shall we be careless, as though it were a small matter whether we are saved or lost? Shall we slight the sacrifice … Continue reading –>
Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-24. What is Paul saying about the cross, and how does he contrast it with the “wisdom of the world”? Why, even today, when “materialism” (the idea that all reality is only material, which means there is no God or supernatural realm of existence) dominates “the wisdom of the world,” is the message … Continue reading –>
Read John 3:14-18 and Romans 6:23. What do these verses teach that Christ’s death has accomplished for us? When Jesus arrived at the Jordan River to be baptized, John the Baptist had exclaimed, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, NKJV). This statement acknowledged Christ as the antitypical Lamb of God … Continue reading –>
Read John 19:1-30. What is the crucial message to us in Jesus’ statement, “It is finished”? Finally, the crucial moments for Christ, for humankind, and for the whole universe had arrived. With deep agony, He struggled against the powers of darkness. Slowly He made His way through the Garden of Gethsemane, through His unfair trials, and … Continue reading –>
What were the reactions of the disciples to Jesus’ predictions of His own sufferings and death, and what should their reactions teach us about the dangers of misunderstanding Scripture? Matthew 16:21-23 Matthew 17:22-23; Mark 9:30-32; Luke 9:44-45, Luke 18:31-34 Jesus was born to die, and He lived to die. Every step that He took brought Him closer to … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 13:8, Acts 2:23, and 1 Peter 1:19-20. How could Christ be considered as “slain from the foundation of the world” (NKJV)? “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8, NKJV). What’s crucial here … Continue reading –>
