FOURTH QUARTER 2024
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #1
OCTOBER 5, 2024
"SIGNS THAT POINT THE WAY".

 

“Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed [are] those who have not seen and [yet] have believed.’ And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but 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 20:29-31).

“But He answered and said to them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.’” (Matt. 12:39, NKJV).

Wondering About Signs

The lesson this week focuses on the theme of the signs of Jesus that point out the way of salvation, through belief in Him. But implicit in the texts above is the question as to the purpose of miracles and signs. On the one hand, John says they are given so that we might believe. On the other hand, Jesus blesses those who believe without seeing a sign and castigates those who seek a sign as a prerequisite to believing.

The signs of Jesus include both His life choices in the fulfillment of prophecy as well as the miracles that were recorded for our benefit. The teacher’s quarterly points out that two words in the Greek are used to describe miracles: Dunamis, meaning power, and semeion, meaning a sign of authority. We appreciate the dunamis of God found in Romans 1:16, where Paul clearly articulates its purpose: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power [dunamis] of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

What we study this week are three signs, in all of which belief precedes the miracle that then occurs, and the last of which subsequently reveals the blindness and hardness of heart of those resisting the claims of Jesus to represent the Father’s heart to humanity.

Clearly, the power of God was revealed in healing the paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda. The fact that Christ was the one who spoke that miracle into existence manifested His obvious authority. But the stumbling block seemed to be preconceived ideas of the purpose of power, and the nature of authority. In Jesus their ideas were turned, as it were, upside down. We see this in Christ’s answer to the response of unbelief to that miracle, significantly done on the Sabbath:

"And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that [comes] from the only God?” (John 5:37-44).

Jesus here articulates the stark difference between the exaltation of self and the self-emptying love of God. The Jews seemingly could not believe that the Messiah would be so humble as to not take honor to Himself, that He would reveal such love for others as the love of God for sinners, or that eternal life would come in the form of an ordinary appearing human being, even though the prophetic testimony of the Scriptures testified of just such a manifestation. 

Humility in Action

Christ was so humble in His revelation of the love of God that He never used divine power for his own benefit. We often present the nature of Christ such that His divine nature is frequently flashing through, or that the miracles are done by His own personal power, but note these:

“It was not any part of the mission of Christ to exercise his divine power for his own benefit, to relieve himself of suffering. This he had volunteered to take upon himself. He had condescended to take man's nature, and he was to suffer the inconveniences, and ills, and afflictions, of the human family. He was not to perform miracles upon his own account. He came to save others. The object of his mission was to bring blessings, and hope, and life, to the afflicted and oppressed. He was to bear the burdens and griefs of suffering humanity. When Satan stirred up men to fury against him, so that they sought to kill him, angels were sent to rescue him, and preserve his life. His power was not called into exercise to save himself in a single instance.” —Ellen G. White, Redemption, Vol. 1, pp. 46, 47. 

“The angels of God are ever passing from earth to heaven, and from heaven to earth. The miracles of Christ for the afflicted and suffering were wrought by the power of God through the ministration of the angels. And it is through Christ, by the ministration of His heavenly messengers, that every blessing comes from God to us. In taking upon Himself humanity, our Saviour unites His interests with those of the fallen sons and daughters of Adam, while through His divinity He grasps the throne of God. And thus Christ is the medium of communication of men with God, and of God with men.” —Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 143.

"Occasionally divinity flashed through humanity, the glory escaped through the disguise of the flesh, and brought forth an expression of homage from his disciples. But it was not until Christ ascended to his Father, not until the descent of the Holy Spirit, that the disciples fully appreciated the character and the mission of Christ. After the baptism of the Holy Spirit they began to realize that they had been in the very presence of the Lord of life and glory. As the Holy Spirit brought the sayings of Christ to their remembrance, their understanding was opened to comprehend the prophecies, to understand the mighty miracles which he had wrought. The wonders of his life, in all its sacredness, greatness, and glory, passed before them, and they were as men wakened from a dream. They realized that ‘the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.' They seemed of much less importance in their own eyes, after their awakening to the fact that Christ had been among them, than they did before they realized this. They never wearied of rehearsing every item which had come under their notice in connection with his words and works. They were often filled with remorse at their stupidity and unbelief and misapprehension as they recalled his lessons of instruction which they had but dimly understood when he had spoken them in their presence, and which now came to them as a fresh revelation. The Scriptures became a new book to them.” —Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, April 23, 1895, par. 2. 

Implications for the Loud Cry and the Latter Rain

In the first miracle John recounts we should see lessons for the Latter Rain message, in which the Holy Spirit brought cleansing of sin (water) and the indwelling of the life of Christ (wine) into these earthen vessels so the marriage supper of the Lamb can be consummated. In the second miracle, the unbelief of the father, a “spiritual sickness” as the lesson author puts it, was preventing the raising of his son to health. Certainly both of these signs have lessons for the history of Minneapolis and onward. 

But in the third miracle, with the stubborn resistance to the obvious revelation of the power and authority of God in raising up a helpless paralytic (read Laodicea), what can we say!

Read that last quote about the disciples again. “They were often filled with remorse at their stupidity and unbelief and misapprehension as they recalled his lessons of instruction which they had but dimly understood when he had spoken them in their presence, and which now came to them as a fresh revelation. The Scriptures became a new book to them.” —Ibid.

If we had as a people taken the attitude of the disciples at the revelation of Christ crucified in the 1888 Message, what might have been! But:

“Christ was wounded in the house of His friends.” —Ellen G. White, 1888  Materials, p. 296. 

On many occasions the Holy Spirit did work; but those who resisted the Spirit of God at Minneapolis were waiting for a chance to travel over the same ground again, because their spirit was the same. Afterward, when they had evidence heaped upon evidence, some were convicted; but those who were not softened and subdued by the Holy Spirit's working, put their own interpretation upon every manifestation of the grace of God, and they have lost much. They declared in their heart and soul and words that this manifestation of the Holy Spirit was fanaticism and delusion. They stood like a rock; the waves of mercy were flowing upon and around them, but were beaten back by their hard and wicked hearts, which resisted the Holy Spirit's working. Had this been received, it would have made them wise unto salvation,-- holier men, prepared to do the work of God with sanctified ability. But all the universe of heaven witnessed the disgraceful treatment of Jesus Christ, represented by the Holy Spirit. Had Christ been before them, they would have treated him in a manner similar to that in which the Jews treated Christ.  —Ellen G. White, Special Testimonies for Ministers and Workers, 1896, p. 19.

“The Lord has been calling his people. In a most marked manner he has revealed his divine presence. But the message and the messengers have not been received but despised. I longed that those who have greatly needed the message of divine love would hear Christ's knock at the door of the heart, and let the heavenly guest enter. But at the hearts of some Jesus has knocked in vain. In rejecting the message given at Minneapolis, men committed sin. They have committed far greater sin by retaining for years the same hatred against God's messengers, by rejecting the truth that the Holy Spirit has been urging home. By making light of the message given, they are making light of the word of God. Every appeal rejected, every entreaty unheeded, furthers the work of heart-hardening, and places them in the seat of the scornful. —Ellen G. White, 1888 Materials, p. 913.

And there are many more such statements from the pen of inspiration. But here we are today, able and hopefully willing to repent, set a new course, buy what the True Witness is providing, and believe that the Word will do what He says. The love of the Father can dwell in us today.

Bring it Home

“House-to-house work will be done by men and women who realize that they can labor for the Lord because he has put his Spirit upon them. As they go forth in humble faith, Christ will impart to them grace, which they will impart to others. The Lord will give them the same love for perishing souls that he gave to the disciples of old. Christ will be with these workers; angels of heaven will respond to the self-sacrificing efforts they put forth. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus will move upon hearts. God will work miracles in the conversion of sinners, and the workers will be filled with joy as they see souls converted.” —Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, June 27, 1912, par. 11.

“We are sometimes asked, Why does not God work miracles through the church today, as He did in the days of the apostles?--Because the church refuses to be guided and controlled by Him. Christ's love in the heart, revealing through the life its wondrous power,--this is the greatest miracle that can be performed before a fallen, quarreling world. Let us make it possible for God to work this miracle. Let us put on Christ, and the miracle-working power of His grace will be so plainly revealed, in the transformation of character, that the world will be convinced that God has sent His Son to make men as angels in life and character.” —Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, November 26, 1902, par. 8.

The greatest sign, the greatest miracle, is the transformation of character that God gives through this message. We need it ourselves before we can expect God to move upon the hearts of those around us. 

Do you want to be made well?

Take up your bed and walk.

 

~Todd Guthrie