First Quarter 2005 Adult Sabbath School Lessons:
"His Wondrous Cross"
The Story of Our Redemption

Insights to Lesson 6:
The Passion Week
January 29 - February 4

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

Every action of our Savior in the final week leading up to Calvary demonstrated the character of the kingdom of God. With ancient Israel and “the church in the wilderness,” God was to have been their leader and Head of the church. Never were they to have been like the nations around them. The oppressive tyrants of those kingdoms wrought havoc upon their inhabitants through their self-exaltation. But the benevolent, loving God of Heaven would be the Leader of His people.

However Israel wanted to be like the others and demanded a visible leader and king. In so doing, they rejected God. They thought their king would protect and provide for them, but their lack of faith in God eventually brought upon them the curse of the covenant and exile.

Jesus came proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God. He sought to teach His disciples and the people the true nature of God’s kingdom. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the Sunday before His crucifixion was meant to fulfill the Scriptures and draw the public’s attention to the events leading up to the final self-sacrifice of the Son of God. The city was full to overflowing at the time of the Passover. People from all over the world came and, by one estimate in Nero’s time, a census showed the number to be 2,700,000.

The immediate followers of Jesus read this as a signal that finally He would take His rightful place as the visible King of Israel and deliver them from all their enemies. But it was an infinitely greater deliverance than from the Roman yoke that He was about to make sure for them, even “from the power of darkness.” And though Scripture was about to be fulfilled, “and the Lord shall give unto Him the throne of His father David,” yet that throne was in the New Jerusalem above, and not in old Jerusalem below. And they did not understand that the way to the throne was by the cross of Calvary.

The people were ecstatic with Jesus’ triumphal march into the city. They spread out their garments for His heretofore unridden foal which bore Him. His entry was in the manner of princes about to be crowned king. Voices were raised in honor of “the Son of David.” Who were in this “very great multitude”?

Traditionally victorious men of war were given parades in which they were followed by their captives. In the Lord’s case He was followed by those whom He had healed of all their diseases and sins including Lazarus, one raised from the dead. It was the mission of Jesus to this world “to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound,” and to wrest this world from the hands of the enemy by His death on the cross. No such victory as this had ever been gained by force of arms. Infinite love had gained the victory and it was Love’s triumph. The show of real earthly pomp and kingly power did not attend this strange triumphal procession. He had, as yet, no kingdom to share with His disciples; but He brought those of infinitely greater value, salvation. Not freedom from the Roman yoke, but from Satan’s bondage. Not release from taxes and tribute, but from sin and death.

This triumphal entry into old Jerusalem is but typical of that triumphal entry into the New Jerusalem which was then so near. It was when He ascended up on high, after His resurrection, that He “led a multitude of captives” (Eph. 4:8, margin) who had been raised from the dead at His crucifixion and resurrection (Matt. 27:52, 53), and then as He neared the gates of the heavenly city, the cry was raised, “Who is this King of glory?” And the answer was given, “The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” This was the same Jesus who rode into Jerusalem “meek, and sitting upon an ass.” His meekness was a genuine meekness of true greatness.

Jesus retired that night to Bethany just outside Jerusalem, but He returned the next day to cleanse the temple of the moneychangers. The purpose of this action was that it might make room for the halt and the lame and sinners to receive restoration and healing.

The natural heart of man is satisfied with outward pomp, rites and ceremonies, and magnificent architecture in its worship of God. The carnal mind craves “the form of godliness, but denies the power thereof.” So long had the temple been used to satisfy and make rich the religious leaders of the day.

The ancient tabernacle in the wilderness was a concession on the part of God for Israel’s unbelief at Sinai. When they would not have Him to dwell in their minds by faith, they caused Him to take up residence in a “motel room” as a witness against their hardness of heart. But God used the tabernacle as an object lesson of what might be if they would let Him come into their lives.

Likewise, Jesus’ symbolic action of cleansing the temple of man’s merchandise and trafficking was to teach that all those humble in heart, such as those sinners who sought Him out afterward within its precincts, might receive of Him forgiveness of sins, healing, and restoration.

God’s sanctuary’ message for us today is Jesus’ ministry of cleansing from sin to prepare a people for His second coming. It is not our job to clear away the sin and clutter of our lives. It is His gift to us. His invitation is to “Come unto Me.” This is the message of justification by faith brought out more prominently at the Minneapolis Conference of 1888 in our Seventh-day Adventist history. Jones and Waggoner presented justification by faith in its unique connection with the sanctuary message. This message would lighten the world with a knowledge of the true character of God.

Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the cleansing of the temple provoked the envy of the Jewish leaders. They plotted all the more His demise. The irony is Jesus’ ministry of love and compassion was a stimulant for their jealousy and hatred because they said, “Behold, the world is gone after Him” (John 12:19).

Again Jesus demonstrated the nature of His kingdom to His disciples in the upper room. It is commonly supposed that in ancient society the host washed the feet of his guests because they wore low sandals which gathered dust. But there are no examples of such hospitality on record. The host would provide a basin of water for his guests to wash their own feet.

Jesus waited until after they had sat down to eat rather than when they immediately entered the room to wash His disciples’ feet. What kind of a host would He have been to be so neglectful had this been the custom of the day? No! Jesus did that which was uncommon even among servants. He humbled Himself and did that which was completely unexpected by washing their feet. Thus He demonstrated that the nature of His kingdom was service. They were utterly taken aback at His actions.

Jesus said: “Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:25-28). On this very occasion He said: “Whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? but I am among you as He that serveth” (Luke 22:27). Jesus was greatest of all, because He did the humblest service.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:5-7). “Notice that it was the form, not the character, of a servant, that Jesus took on Himself. Why did He not, in coming to earth, take the character of a servant?—Because He already had that. He came to earth to let the world see and know just what He was, but He had to come in a form that they could appreciate. Men’s ideas were so perverted that if Jesus had come to earth in royal state and heavenly glory, they could never have associated Him with service, and so could not have learned the lessons of service that they ought. So He changed His form, and let His life show who He was.^[1] Those who recognize Him as Lord, and acknowledge Him as such, even while He bears the form of a servant, will one day have the privilege of seeing Him serve, and of being served by Him, when He is arrayed as King of kings, and Lord of lords; for He says to us: “Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching; verily I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself and make them sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them” (Luke 12:37).

Never was the kingdom of God in such jeopardy as at Gethsemane. The weight of the world’s sins was upon the Son of man. As the representative Man He went into the winepress to be crushed by the wrath of God against sin. He was sorely tempted of the devil to escape the “cup” of wrath. Had He done so, He would have conceded to the principle of self-will and not God’s will and thus have joined with the kingdom of Satan. All would have been lost for humanity and God’s glorious kingdom.

All of His life He had been Intercessor for the sins of the people. Now He wished for an intercessor on His own behalf, but He found none. He called upon His disciples to “Watch and pray” with Him. He longed for some human sympathy and heart-appreciation for what He was going through that might sustain Him in the hour of temptation.

Peter had just proclaimed his undying loyalty to Jesus in the upper room. “Though all others forsake Thee, never will I forsake Thee.” But this boastful claim was made out of a heart filled with self-sufficiency. The disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane were unconverted men. They trusted in themselves that they would not abandon the Savior in the crisis. But they did not know their own hearts. They did not heed the invitation of the Master to “Watch and pray” with Him. Because the kingdom of God was not within them, the crisis proved which side they were on when they all forsook Him.

We cannot wait until the Sunday-law and yet-future prophetic events and then expect to get our house in order for the time of trouble. Now is the time to learn lessons of self-surrender and utter confidence in Jesus. Soon we will live in the time when there will be no Intercessor. We shall “feel” utterly abandoned as we see the terrible events occurring all around. And Satan will accuse our conscience that we are not worthy candidates for salvation. There will be much soul-searching as the sealed of God after the close of probation wonder if they have confessed every sin. Then they will not take upon their lips the boastful claim, “I am saved.”

Then we shall learn even more precious lessons during that time of Jacob’s trouble as we are drawn closer and closer to Jesus’ cross. The more we see Jesus’ love the more we will utterly abhor ourselves and cast our helpless souls upon him. Thus every vestige of sin will be purified from the soul. Every selfish desire in the heart will be eliminated.

“The just one shall live by faith”—i.e., the faith of Jesus. His faith in us will bridge the darkness of temptation and the atonement—harmony with God—will be complete. It will be the final demonstration of the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation for all those who believe.

—Paul Penno

E. J. Waggoner, “Studies from the Gospel of John. Jesus Teaching Humility. John 13:1-17,” The Present Truth, April 6, 1899, p. 211.

Read the study notes for lesson 7