FOURTH QUARTER 2024
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #11
DECEMBER 14, 2024
"THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE SPIRIT".

This week’s lesson is an important one as it deals with a topic mentioned in the gospel of John several times. Sabbath afternoon’s lesson says that, “All three members of the Godhead are mentioned in John 1 (John 1:1-4, 14, 18, 32-34). For centuries humans have tried fully to understand the nature of the Godhead, but because we can’t, many reject the idea.” John 1:1-4 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Further, verses 14 and 18 say, “And the Word became 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. …No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” Careful study of these verses reveals a God who is about to fulfill His covenant promises to His people. These are the facts of a covenant keeping God who keeps His promises to mankind who rebelled against Him. 

The Apostle Paul prepared us for controversy beforehand saying, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. …For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men…. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are” (1 Corinthians 1:18, 21-25, 27-28). The Bible is written according to the Hebrew mindset to answer questions related to the Lord God, Yahweh, the covenant keeping God, and His faithfulness to His covenant promises to His people. So by faith we go only as far as Inspiration takes us.

The themes for this week’s study are, “The Heavenly Father,” “Jesus and the Father,” “Knowing the Son Is Knowing the Father,” “The Holy Spirit,” and “The Prayer of Jesus.” Many excellent texts from the book of John have been provided a presentation of the Triune God, and here are some of them. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16,17). “For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, 'My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.’ Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:16-18). “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works” (John 14:10). “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me” (John 15:26).

How do we deal with all of these and many more texts in the quarterly? One of the major elements of the 1888 Message is the idea of the covenants. This is huge. A clear understanding of the everlasting covenant is vital to understanding the whole Bible. 1 John 4:8 tells us that “God is Love” - agape. This cannot be the case with one individual, since by definition, “agape” is other-centered and self-giving. Hence we understand that the Triune God lives for each other. This is what we see in John 1:1-3 and Genesis 1:1. We also see in Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.’” We were made in Their image. That was soon marred by the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve. The love that prompted God to create us in the first place now says in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” 

This was the promise that the Godhead would come to our rescue in the person of Jesus Christ at any cost to Themselves and Himself. The everlasting covenant was preached to us in Genesis 3:15 highlighting God’s faithfulness to the human race despite our unfaithfulness. The author of The Sabbath School Study Guide on Sunday’s lesson says, “Unfortunately Lucifer brought sin into this world. Sin is among other things a disruption or our relation with God. It misrepresents who God is. Thus Jesus took upon Himself our human nature in order to restore knowledge of God and to bring salvation to humanity.” In Monday’s lesson, the author also writes, “The intention of the Godhead was to offer healing to all humanity for that breach caused by sin, even if all humanity would not accept what They offered. To accomplish the restoration of this relationship, one Member of the Godhead became human. Thus, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, manifesting the glory of God. As a result, humanity has received His fulness and grace. This is what Jesus came to share, to declare the glory of God so that the relationship broken by sin might be restored.” 

Because God is love, God promised in Genesis 3:15 to enter into solidarity with His Covenant-breaking humanity. “Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6,7).  “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Hebrews 2:14-18). “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15,16). One of the members of the Trinity came to this world as the Son of God, and stood in Adam’s place! God faithfully kept His promise by entering the world as our second Adam, and He lived out the terms of the covenant.

The covenant defines the character of God. It explains why God made the world. It also defines how we were to relate to each other and how God intended to restore humanity to a right relationship with Him. We can see that like creation, the plan of salvation was between the three members of the Godhead and it was a covenant between them to remain faithful to humanity even in the face of humanity’s unfaithfulness to Them in order to seek reconciliation. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly….But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us…. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Romans 5:6, 8, 10). “That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19). In these verses we see Father and Son working. The point of John’s gospel, as we have studied this quarter, is to show us that the Son of God is indeed the Messiah, the Saviour of the world.

“The angels of glory find their joy in giving,—giving love and tireless watchcare to souls that are fallen and unholy….But turning from all lesser representations, we behold God in Jesus. Looking unto Jesus we see that it is the glory of our God to give. ‘I do nothing of Myself,’ said Christ; ‘the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father.’ 'I seek not Mine own glory, but the glory of Him that sent Me’ John 8:28; 6:57; 8:50; 7:18. In these words is set forth the great principle which is the law of life for the universe. All things Christ received from God, but He took to give. So in the heavenly courts, in His ministry for all created beings: through the beloved Son, the Father's life flows out to all; through the Son it returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love, to the great Source of all. And thus through Christ the circuit of beneficence is complete, representing the character of the great Giver, the law of life.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 21.

So what of the work of the Holy Spirit?

“The Comforter is called ‘the Spirit of truth.’ His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood. It is through false theories and traditions that Satan gains his power over the mind. By directing men to false standards, he misshapes the character. Through the Scriptures the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind and impresses truth upon the heart. Thus, He exposes error, and expels it from the soul. It is by the Spirit of truth, working through the word of God, that Christ subdues His chosen people to Himself.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 671. We see this working of the Holy Spirit during the preparation time prior to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

“The Spirit came upon the waiting, praying disciples with a fullness that reached every heart. The Infinite One revealed Himself in power to His church. It was as if for ages this influence had been held in restraint, and now Heaven rejoiced in being able to pour out upon the church the riches of the Spirit's grace. And under the influence of the Spirit, words of penitence and confession mingled with songs of praise for sins forgiven. Words of thanksgiving and of prophecy were heard. All heaven bent low to behold and to adore the wisdom of matchless, incomprehensible love. Lost in wonder, the apostles exclaimed, ‘Herein is love.’ They grasped the imparted gift. And what followed? The sword of the Spirit, newly edged with power and bathed in the lightnings of heaven, cut its way through unbelief. Thousands were converted in a day.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of The Apostles, p. 38. This will happen again, but in much larger measure.

“Christ has promised the gift of the Holy Spirit to His church, and the promise belongs to us as much as to the first disciples. But like every other promise, it is given on conditions. There are many who believe and profess to claim the Lord's promise; they talk about Christ and about the Holy Spirit yet receive no benefit. They do not surrender the soul to be guided and controlled by the divine agencies. We cannot use the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is to use us. Through the Spirit God works in His people ‘to will and to do of His good pleasure.’ Philippians 2:13. But many will not submit to this. They want to manage themselves. This is why they do not receive the heavenly gift. Only to those who wait humbly upon God, who watch for His guidance and grace, is the Spirit given. The power of God awaits their demand and reception. This promised blessing, claimed by faith, brings all other blessings in its train. It is given according to the riches of the grace of Christ, and He is ready to supply every soul according to the capacity to receive.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 672. 

May God grant us understanding and personal application.

~Lyndi Schwartz.