Lesson 11 Review: What More Could I Have Done?

Introduction

Memory Text: “Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice’ ” (John 18:37, NKJV).

Many people view God somewhat the way Denis viewed the king. This king separated Denis from his parents for his good, but Denis did not know it was for his good casing Denis to develop hatred for the king. God can be trusted and everything He does is for our good. When we look to Jesus on the cross, we can see that God can be trusted, even with all the questions that remain unanswered for now.

What does the Bible say about the battle between Jesus and Satan?

Jesus is the victor over Satan in every way:

1.       Jesus came into “ ‘into the world, to testify to the truth’ ” (John 18:37, NASB);

2.       Through the cross, Jesus supremely demonstrated God’s perfect righteousness and love (Romans 3:25, 26; Rom. 5:8); thereby disproving the devil’s slanderous allegations (Rev. 12:10, 11); and

3.       Jesus will finally destroy the kingdom of the devil, who “ ‘knows that his time is short’ ” (Rev. 12:12, ESV) and Christ “ ‘will reign forever and ever’ ” (Rev. 11:15, NLT).

Who is the devil?

The devil is:

1.       The deceiver of the whole world from the beginning (Rev. 12:9, Matt. 4:3)

2.       The Slanderer and accuser of God and His people in heaven (Rev.12:10; Job 1,2); and

3.       The usurping ruler of this world (John 12:31, John 14:30, Acts 26:18).

What is the key for us in the cosmic conflict?

The key for us is to claim Christ’s victory for ourselves, because Satan is already a defeated foe.

What are the stages of the total defeat of the enemy’s rulership?

First, through the work of the Cross, Christ disproves Satan’s slanderous allegations. And, later, Satan and his kingdom will be destroyed.

How does Christ defeat the allegations of the devil?

God provides the ultimate manifestation of God’s righteousness and love, and He did so through the Cross. At the Cross, the greatest manifestation of the love of God for humanity was shown. On the contrary, Satan revealed himself before the heavenly universe as a murderer and uprooted himself from the sympathies of the heavenly beings.

What lesson can we draw from the Scripture about God?

The God of Scripture always does what is good and preferable, given the avenues available for Him in the great controversy. Revelation 12:10-12 tells us of the victory God has won for us.

Who is speaking in Isaiah 5:1-4?

Isaiah sings a song.

Whom is Isaiah speaking about?

Isaiah sings a song about His beloved’s vineyard.

Whom do the vineyard owner and vineyard represent?

The vineyard owner is God Himself and the vineyard represents God’s people.

What is the implication of the vineyard owner on behalf of the vineyard?

The implication of the vineyard owner on behalf of the vineyard is that the vineyard, despite everything the vineyard owner did for it, bore “worthless fruits.” The implications can be expanded to a broader work in the world. God did everything that could be done for the flourishing of His vineyard (people) but they produced “wild grapes.” To the point that God asks us to judge between Him and His vineyard and He said, “ ‘What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it?’ ”

What is the significance of Christ’s parable of the vineyard?

The first part of Christ’s parable quotes directly from the song of Isaiah 5 about the vineyard owner and His vineyard. Then, Jesus adds that the vineyard owner leased “His vineyard” to vinedressers and went into a far country (Matt. 21:33, NKJV). The vineyard owner sent two of His servants (the prophets) and the vinedressers killed them. Finally, the vineyard owner sent His Son (Jesus), saying, “ ‘They will respect my son’ ” (Matt. 21:37, NKJV), but they murdered His Son. God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son. What more could He have done?

What does the Bible teach about God Himself being vindicated in the cosmic conflict?

In the end, when all “books” are opened, we will see the evidence that God is perfectly just and righteous. There was nothing more He could have done that He had not done.

When would God be vindicated before the onlooking universe and the redeemed?

In the end, God is vindicated at the cross and through the entire plan of salvation. In the pre-advent Judgement, God is vindicated before the onlooking universe. Then, in the post-advent judgment, during which the redeemed will even “judge angels” (1 Cor. 6:2, 3), God is vindicated, as the redeemed have the opportunity to review the records and see for themselves that God is just. Finally, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil. 2:10, 11).

In Conclusion,

Jesus has won the victory over Satan. He has done everything that could have been done to save us, the choice to not be saved rests on our individual choices. Although, we may have questions that may perplex us, we can be sure that in the end, we will find that God was faithful. In the end, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. May God help us to be on God’s side, in Jesus’ name.