Memory Text: “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, NKJV).
John’s gospel
contains testimonies of Jesus from people of different backgrounds, beliefs and
experiences. This week’s lesson should answer the question why some of these
people testified to the identity of Jesus.
Why was Abraham’s witness so important that it was included in John’s
gospel?
Abraham’s witness was so important because he was the father
of the Jewish nation, through him all the families of the earth were to be blessed
and this blessing came through the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Abraham was also the father
of those who respond in faith, he was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac, the son
of promise, was not only evidence of faith but a window into the plan of
salvation. Jesus indeed used language that was reminiscent with what God said
to Moses in the burning bush. This was a claim to be God and the leaders understood
the implication of what Jesus said because “they then took up stones to throw
at Him” (John 8:59, NKJV).
What was the significance of Mary’s actions of anointing Jesus with the
very costly oil of spikenard?
Mary probably brought this gift of very costly oil of
spikenard, worth about a year’s wages for the common laborer, as an expression
of gratitude to the Savior for the forgiveness of her sins and for the resurrection
of her brother. She intended it to be used someday for the burial of Jesus. She
heard that He would soon be anointed King and she would be the first to bring Him
honor. Jesus knew what was in the heart of Mary and what was in the heart of
Judas, He knew that Mary came to anoint Him and He knew that Judas is a
self-serving thief, He knew what was in their hearts, He is God.
How is Pilate’s verdict connected to the theme of the gospel of John?
After Pilate questioned Jesus and heard from His lips, “ ‘For
this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world¾to bear witness of the
truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice’ ” (John 18:37, NKJV).
Although the governor, Pilate, ultimately condemned Jesus to death, he
testified three times that Jesus was innocent (John 18:38, John 19:4, 6) and in
completing his witness he wrote the words “ ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the
Jews’ ” (John 19:19, ESV).
What can we learn from Thomas about the story of faith and doubt?
Our faith should not be based on demonstration but on
evidence. The theme of the gospel of John has always countered this. Through
the Word of God, through Creation, and through personal experience, we have
been given an incredible amount of evidence for our faith in Jesus.
What are some of the things we have today that those living in Jesus’ time
didn’t have that can help us believe in Jesus?
We not only have the powerful accounts of John’s Gospel, but
also the great advantage of seeing so much of what Jesus and other Bible
writers predicted would come true, such as the destruction of the temple (Matthew
24:2), the spread of the gospel around the world (Matthew 24:14), the great
falling away (2 Thessalonians 2:3), and the world continuing to be a fallen and
an evil place (Matthew 24:6-8). Even now, as Christians we have the privilege
of bearing witness of Jesus. Reading the scriptures under the convicting power
of the Holy Spirit leads us to accept Jesus as the Savior of the world. The
story we can tell about Jesus may not be as dramatic as raising one from the
dead, but what matters is that we know Jesus for ourselves and in our way bear
witness to Him, as did those in John’s Gospel.
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