FOURTH QUARTER 2024
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #7
NOVEMBER 16, 2024
"BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVE."

 

The Journey from Doubt to Belief

Thomas, a fisherman and a skeptic, demanded tangible proof of Jesus's resurrection. He was a fisherman and the world, as he knew it, was hard and unyielding. Miracles and resurrection were concepts that required evidence for him to believe. “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands,” he said, “and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

  In these words, Thomas spoke for all humanity, embodying the universal struggle of faith without evidence. When Jesus reappeared, it was not with grandeur but in the quiet way of everyday miracles. Jesus invited Thomas to touch His wounds, saying, “Stop doubting and believe.” The tangible reality of Jesus's wounds transformed Thomas's doubt into faith. He proclaimed, “My Lord and my God!”—a profound acknowledgement of Jesus's divinity.

  This moment was significant, as Thomas was the first to explicitly call Jesus “God” among the disciples. Jesus's response, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed,” extended a blessing to all future believers. Faith demands trust without proof and belief without evidence of sensory perception. Faith, in itself, is the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

  Thomas's journey from doubt to belief mirrors the struggles of many believers. It highlights the gift of God’s grace—grace in the face of doubt and unbelief, and grace in the gift of belief. Jesus's words call us to a deeper faith, one that trusts in the unseen, hopes in the promise, and believes in the seemingly impossible. This story is an invitation to embrace a faith that transcends sensory evidence and rests in the profound depths of belief.

Harking Back to Abraham

  Jesus stood firm, declaring His identity with unwavering confidence. He called on Abraham, long gone but ever present, as a witness. “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56, NKJV). Abraham’s witness was more than mere testimony—it was a bridge spanning centuries, linking the promise of old to the fulfillment in Christ.

  Abraham’s significance in John’s gospel is profound. He was the father of the Jewish nation, the recipient of God’s promise: “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). This promise echoed through generations, finding its culmination in the Messiah born through Abraham’s lineage (Matthew 1:1). Abraham’s joy at seeing Christ’s day underscored his deep faith and the realization of God’s promise.                  

  In Genesis, God told Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars (Genesis 26:4). This promise was not just about physical offspring but about the spiritual lineage of those who live by faith. “Through type and promise God ‘preached before the gospel unto Abraham’” (Galatians 3:8). Abraham’s faith, evidenced by his willingness to sacrifice Isaac, was a window into the plan of salvation (Genesis 22).

  When Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58, NKJV), He was not merely invoking history; He was claiming divinity. This statement resonated with God’s words to Moses at the burning bush. The leaders understood their gravity, leading them to attempt to stone Him. Jesus’s claim was a bold declaration of His eternal existence and His fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham.

  Paul, in Romans 4:1–5, reveals the great truth of salvation by faith alone, using Abraham’s story. Abraham was justified by faith, not by deeds. This story underscores the principle that faith transcends both legalism and antinomianism (Romans 3:31), linking Abraham’s faith to the faith of all believers. Abraham’s witness, therefore, is foundational, illustrating that faith in God’s promise is the path of righteousness.

  In calling upon Abraham, Jesus connected the ancient promise to the present fulfillment, inviting believers to embrace a faith that transcends time and evidence. It is a call to trust in the unseen, to find assurance in the promise, and to see in Abraham’s faith a mirror of our own journey toward salvation.

The Witness of Mary

  Six days before Passover Jesus visited Mary, Martha, and Lazarus amid anticipation and tension. Simon, healed of leprosy, hosted a feast showcasing Jesus' power. Martha served diligently, while Lazarus, once dead, sat among the guests as a living miracle. But it was Mary who stole the moment. With a jar of expensive perfume worth a year’s wages, she approached Jesus, her heart full of gratitude. Her act was more than a gesture; it was a proclamation of faith and love. She anointed Jesus' feet, filling the house with fragrance—a silent witness to her devotion.

  Mary’s actions, profound in their simplicity, acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, preparing Him for His burial and recognizing His impending sacrifice. Judas rebuked her, seeing the act through practicality and missing its significance. Jesus, however, understood her heart. He defended Mary, saying, “Let her alone; the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” This revealed Mary’s deep understanding and the purity of her faith.

  John’s gospel highlights that Jesus knows what is in people. He discerned Judas’s self-serving nature. Mary’s act, in contrast, was selfless and pure—a testament to her faith and understanding, a witness to who Jesus truly was.

  Mary’s fragrant gift, intended for Jesus' burial, gladdened Him in life. As He faced His greatest trial, He carried the memory of her deed—a token of love and faith.

  Jesus knew Mary’s heart, just as He knew Judas’s. This truth underscores our need for Christ’s righteousness, to cover and transform us. It calls us to a faith transcending the tangible, to trust in His love and sacrifice. In Mary’s act, we find our own faith journey, a call to embrace the unseen, honor Christ, and trust in His righteousness to guide us. Her witness is a testament to the power of belief and sincere devotion.

The Unwitting Witness of Pilate

In John's gospel the attempts of religious leaders to seize Jesus are frequent, but His "hour" had not yet come. This hour, as Jesus often stated, referred to the time of His crucifixion. Now the hour had arrived. Arrested in Gethsemane, Jesus was brought before Annas, Caiaphas, and twice before Pilate. John calls upon Pilate, the Roman governor and judge, to testify to Jesus's identity.

  Pilate’s role is crucial. Unlike other witnesses Pilate was an outsider, not a Jew, and thus his testimony carries significant weight. When Jesus stood before him, His calm demeanor caught Pilate's attention. Jesus said, “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37, ESV). Despite finding no fault in Jesus, Pilate ultimately condemned Him to death, succumbing to the pressure of the mob.

  Pilate's verdict is intertwined with the theme of John's gospel. He declared Jesus innocent three times (John 18:38; John 19:4, 6), yet he still sentenced Him. This contradiction underscores a profound truth: the innocence of Christ and the fulfillment of His sacrificial purpose. The inscription Pilate placed on the cross, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews,” (John 19:19, ESV) inadvertently affirmed Jesus's true identity.

 Pilate's actions illustrate the peril of ignoring one's conscience under external pressure. He had the Truth before him but chose to appease the crowd. This narrative warns against allowing popular sentiment to overshadow moral conviction. It calls for integrity and courage in standing by what is right despite societal pressures.

 From Pilate’s example, we learn the importance of adhering to our convictions. It is a reminder that truth and righteousness must guide our decisions, even when faced with overwhelming opposition. Jesus’s trial and Pilate’s verdict reflect the enduring struggle between truth and societal pressure, urging us to choose integrity over convenience.

Our Witness of Jesus

John’s Gospel is a symphony of witnesses, each note bringing us to a powerful crescendo: “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31, NKJV). Imagine being there, seeing the miracles. We would believe, wouldn’t we? Yet, here we are, with even more reasons to believe than those who witnessed them firsthand.

  Why? We have not just the Gospel accounts but the fulfillment of prophecies that those in Jesus's time did not live to see. Jesus foretold the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24:2), the spread of the Gospel worldwide (Matthew 24:14), and the persistent turmoil in the world (Matthew 24:6-8). These events, realized across centuries, reinforce our faith in the truth of His words.

  During Jesus's life, His followers were a small, harassed group. By all human standards, they should have faded into obscurity. How could they have known, as we do, that Jesus’s prophecies would come to pass? Our faith today is not a relic of the past but a living testament to the fulfillment of those prophecies. The very existence of our faith, global and enduring, is proof of Jesus's words.

  More than two thousand years later, as followers of Jesus, we bear witness to His impact. It’s not by the reasoning of Nathanael, Nicodemus, or the woman of Samaria that we know Jesus. It’s through the Scriptures and the conviction of the Holy Spirit that we recognize Him as our Savior.

  Each of us has a story, unique and personal. It might not involve raising the dead or healing the blind, but it’s significant. We know Jesus for ourselves, and in our own way, bear witness to Him. Like those in John’s Gospel, our testimony is a powerful declaration of faith, transcending time and proof, rooted in a deep and personal conviction.

 

~Jerry Finneman