Who Was Jesus?

Sabbath School Class—Life as Discovery and Hope
April 5, 2008
Larry R Evans

Due to travel and various appointments there will be no additional class notes this week. See Reflective Review below.

Quiz for Reflection

1. The disciples, as students of Scripture, recognized that Elijah was to return. [Mt 16:13-15; 1 Ki 18:16-46; Mal 4:5,6] True or False?

2. Prophetically speaking, Christ was Elijah. [Mal 4:5,6; Jn 1:19-23; Mk 1:2-8] True or False?

3. The Bible teaches supernaturalism—a foundational presupposition of biblical faith. [Mt 1:20,21; 1 Cor 15:13; 1 Thess 4:13-18] True or False?

4. Emphasizing the historical aspects of one’s faith is a 20th century phenomena. [Deut 6:4-12; 1 Cor 11:23-26] True or False?

5. Coming to Jesus is a personal decision and not a theological one. [Mt 11:28; 16:13-20] True or False?

6. It is more difficult to accept Jesus today as the Messiah than it was in His own day? True or False?

Reflective Review

Who is this Jesus whose death has marked history with a universal calendar? Who is He to claim to be the long-awaited Messiah? Who is this Person whose ministry was introduced by an itinerant preacher “crying in the wilderness?” Do we dare accept His invitation to “come” knowing that many have been martyred throughout history for daring to show their allegiance to the One who died like a criminal on “an old rugged cross?” Just “Who Was Jesus?”

In short, the answer to all of the above can be found in a single word, “Immanuel,” meaning “God with us.” The full meaning of that word will not be fully uncovered in this quarter’s studies nor in our lifetime. It will be the study throughout eternity. Until then, our growing understanding will not only hint at answers to many of life’s perplexing problems, but it will also change who we are—if we will but let it. No less daunting is the question, “Why does this Jesus love me?”

The love of God expressed in and through Jesus reaches out to us in ways that overwhelm the most stubborn. “Hardened hearts” when grasping who this Jesus is will become, if they dare, soft once again. Hope will once again emerge. Perhaps, it is the personal sacrifice for us that humbles the most rigid opponent of God’s love. One description, which many of us have heard for years, is no less profound:

Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. “With His stripes we are healed.” – Ellen White in The Desire of Ages ,p. 25.

Perhaps, just perhaps, we need at least a full quarter to think about nothing else than, “Who Was and Who Is This Jesus?”

Comments

Nsubuga Daniel said…
Thanks for the blog, and I have liked the notice. This will help me in the Adult sabbath school Bible study. I am writing from Uganda East Africa. God bless your efforts and travels for the ministry
Sunday, April 06, 2008 6:31:00 AM
LRE said…
We are pleased that this is helpful. Your response is an answer to prayer. We want it to be helpful and at times educational and inspirational. We have a growing international "class" and we trust that it will be one more way to so that God's love will unite us across oceans and cultural differences in ways which will exalt His will and His Word. This blog and those who read it are always in our prayers. -- Larry R Evans
Sunday, April 06, 2008 10:34:00 AM
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