Lesson Eleven: THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE SPIRIT
The triune God, also known as the Godhead consists of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This week, we are looking at how Jesus, the Second Person of the Godhead, is interconnected with its other two Members and how this close relationship helps us understand the disclosure of John’s Gospel in chapters 13-17.
Memory text: ” ‘The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your rememberance all the things that I said to you’ “(John 14:26, NKJV)
SABBATH; Right through the beginning of the Gospel of John, we see the Godhead mentioned in Chapter One. We cannot base on human understanding to fully comprehend the fact of the Godhead, however, one must look unto Jesus and what has been revealed in the Word of God so as to understand God.
(READ John 1:1-4,14,18,32-34 )
SUNDAY; As highlighted in John, the Godhead created this whole universe and had humanity as its most special creation with the purpose of living in harmony with Him and within humanity itself. However, sin distorted the picture that we have about God. And it is due to this that Jesus Christ took up human nature that our knowledge of God is restored and salvation attained by humanity.
(READ Genesis 1:1, John 3:16&17; 6:57; 5:22,30; 6:32,45; 14:10,24; 15:16; 16:23)
MONDAY; Upon the disruption of the relationship between humanity and God brought by sin, the Godhead intended to offer healing. It is because of this intention, that Jesus Christ became flesh and dwelt among us and humanity has received His fullness and grace, in that all who are willing to accept this gift by faith can have it through believing in Him and taking Him at His word. Jesus Christ was sent by God that we may know Him through His Son.
(READ John )
TUESDAY; The farewell discourse is one of the prime locations where Jesus explains who God the Father is and His relationship to the world. Jesus proclaims Himself as the Father’s representative and as the only one through whom humanity may come to the Father and be saved. Jesus’ works are all of the Father and they are united in loving and working out the Salvation of humanity, therefore, believing in Jesus Christ is the same as believing in God Himself.
(READ John 1:18; 7:16; 8:38; 14:10; 16:27&28; 17:3)
WEDNESDAY; Jesus potrays the Holy Spirit as a gift from God. Sin, which has been present all these ages can only be overcome by the help of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts one of sin, of righteousness and of judgement. Therefore, knowing what is right, true and good springs from ultimate submission and surrender of our reasoning and life experiences to the Word of God by the conviction power of the Holy Spirit.
(READ John 1:10-13; 3:5-8; 6:63; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-11 )
THURSDAY; John 17 is one of the most impacting chapters in the New Testament for it is about the intercessory prayer of Jesus. Jesus Christ came to reveal the Father and He wants us to have our relationship with the Godhead restored. He rightly represented Truth in word and actions by the life that He lived. He wanted us to know God as the true God, because of the various misconceptions that people had about Him. He shows us the love for saving humanity that the Godhead had.
(READ John 17:1-26 )
FRIDAY: Jesus’ opponents resorted to judging Jesus by flesh without the compelling control of the Holy Spirit. Regarding Christ with such limited criteria is weighing Him from a worldly viewpoint. The Holy Spirit dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth and thereby becomes the Comforter. He works to define and maintain truth, impresses it upon the heart, exposes error and expels it from the soul.
(READ “Let Not Your Heart be Troubled” pp 662-680 in the Desire of Ages by Ellen G White and “Additional Note on [John] Chapter 1”, vol 5, pp 911-919 in the SDA Bible Commentary)
CAPTIONS:
SUNDAY; The Heavenly Father
MONDAY; Jesus and the Father
TUESDAY; Knowing the Son is knowing the Father
WEDNESDAY; The Holy Spirit
THURSDAY; The prayer of Jesus
FRIDAY; Further thought
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS;
- Have you come to the realisation that the Father is like the Son, and the Son is like the Father? If yes, how so? How does your realisation help you to be more intimate with God the Father?
- Jesus prayed, ” ‘I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one’ “(John 17:15, NKJV). How do our own choices impact how well this prayer can be answered in our own lives?
