First Quarter 2004 Adult Sabbath School Lessons:
"The Gospel Of John"

Insights to Lesson 9
A Devoted Soul and an Impending Cross
February 21-26, 2004

(Produced by the Editorial Board of the 1888 Message Study Committee)

The text for this week’s lesson study is one that has brought me great comfort in my years in ministry. As a new pastor just several weeks in my new district, fresh from the Seminary, I was confronted with the sudden death of my father. My parents lived near the area where I pastored, so I insisted upon doing the funeral service for my dad. You see, just two weeks before his death he attended a church service for the first time in his adult life. How thankful I was to God that day that I had the chance to share the “most precious message” with my father, who I loved dearly. But to be doing his funeral roughly two weeks later left me feeling as though God had looked away for a minute —as though he had forgotten poor dad, with whom I was planning to share much more. It was a grief-filled, perplexing time in my life as a young, inexperienced pastor. What to say at a time like this when I myself was confused at the providence of God. In answer to prayer, the Lord led me to John 11, and the story of Lazarus, seemingly ignored, but dearly beloved nonetheless. And so I count it joy this week to freely give what I have freely received from God.

THE GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT: JOHN 11:1-44

The story of Lazarus brings to view people who are waiting for Jesus to come, but He tarries and does not come when they think He will. But when He does come, there is a resurrection. Though I would not want to imply that this passage is prophetic, yet there is an interesting resemblance to 1844 in principle. In 1844, those who were looking for Christ’s appearing were convinced that He would come and that they would not taste death. Likewise Mary, Martha, and no doubt Lazarus, fully expected that Jesus would come, and that Lazarus would not taste death. When Jesus did not appear in the clouds on October 22, 1844, it was the greatest disappointment many had faced in their entire lives. Likewise in John 11, when Jesus did not come and Lazarus died, there was a great disappointment, evidenced by the words of both sisters—“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Following the 1844 movement the Lord revealed the meaning of the disappointment and comforted those who had been so sorely tried. In John 11, Jesus both explains and comforts. Finally, the disappointment of 1844 will one day culminate in the resurrection of the righteous, just as did the story of Lazarus.

CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS: JOHN 12:1-8

Having said this, it also appears that the anointing of Christ’s feet by Mary in John 12:1-8 bears resemblance to the 1888 era of the Advent movement. Mary’s selfless act illustrates the message of Christ’s righteousness. In these verses we see:

* Something very costly inside something breakable—A fit representation of Christ Himself, the I AM, taking upon Himself our very breakable fallen humanity, in which He became subject to the outworking of the great law of heredity. This is the foundation for the 1888 message!

* The breakable thing being broken—Indeed, Christ’s humanity was broken throughout His life. He always chose His natural tendencies to be broken and crushed by the Spirit of God. The Bible presents to us a Christ who was righteous by faith, not by virtue of some exemption from the law of heredity. This concept was clearly taught by Waggoner, Jones, and Ellen White.

* The very costly thing poured out on feet, which in the Eastern mind is possibly the most revolting part of the human body—Christ came to save the lost race, fallen and degraded. In His giving of His life on Calvary, He made an abundant atonement for the sins of the entire world. No sin can be committed for which satisfaction was not met upon Calvary. This was also one of the distinctive features of the 1888 message—that Jesus did more than just make an offer--He gave the gift of His own righteousness to all mankind, and that the only reason all mankind would not be made righteous by that gift was because so many would refuse to partake of the gift freely given.

* The very costly thing giving off a sweet aroma that filled the house—Jesus’ life in humanity revealed the character of God. The sweet aroma is a fit representation of the character of Christ revealed to the world—“the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil” (John 12:3). But the metaphor does not stop here. By Christ’s redemption of the lost race also comes the restoration of the image of God in man—also known as sanctification. A. T. Jones says it plainly in this quotation from The Consecrated Way:

“Therefore, since the will of God is the sanctification and the perfection of the worshippers; since the will of God is that His worshippers shall be so cleansed that they shall have no more conscience of sin; and since the service and the offerings in the earthly sanctuary could not do this; He took it all away that He may establish the will of God. ‘By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.’” [Heb. 10:10.] (Page 60; pp. 85, 86 new ed.)

And again:

“In His coming in the flesh—having been made in all things like unto us, and having been tempted in all points like as we are—He has identified Himself with every human soul just where that soul is. And from the place where every human soul is, He has consecrated for that soul a new and living way through all the vicissitudes and experiences of a whole lifetime, and even through death and the tomb, into the holiest of all, and the right hand of God for evermore.” (Page 61; pp. 87, 88 new ed.)

It is interesting to note that the reaction to the message of Christ our Righteousness by the majority of our brethren in the 1888 era is not dissimilar to that of those who stood by and watched Mary’s visual proclamation of the gospel. “A waste!” said Judas—“how could she use this expensive stuff so freely?!” Many respond this way when they are presented with the matchless charms of Christ. “To human reasoning the whole plan of salvation is a waste of mercies and resources” (Ellen G. White, SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1101). Many walk away from the gospel determined that its influence must be removed. All such who pursue this course to its finish in these last days will find themselves in the position of Judas the betrayer, for it was after this event that he sealed his deal with the Sanhedrin.

“WE WISH TO SEE JESUS”

Today, many are looking to our movement and saying with the Greeks—“We wish to see Jesus” (John 12:21). It is my sincere prayer that soon the hour will “come that the Son of Man should be glorified” (John 12:23). “Of all professed Christians, Seventh-day Adventists should be foremost in uplifting Christ before the world” (Ellen G. White, The Voice in Speech and Song, p. 313). Let the message of Christ’s righteousness drive self out our hearts O Lord! God’s blessing on your Sabbath School class this week!

Read the study notes for Lesson 10