Lesson Ten: THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE
This week, we are looking at Jesus Christ’s unique character, how He intimately knows the Father and the fact that there is no one like Him. In addition, He is the most profound representation of God. We are looking at a significant episode when with His diciples at the Passover and the “I AM” statements in Chapter 14.
Memory text: “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bossom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:18, NKJV)
SABBATH; Having looked at the Gospel of John as a Book that mainly talks about the beginning and the miracles performed by Jesus, it as well looks at the theme of Glory as displayed by Jesus Christ. The themes are connected by the famous “I AM” declarations by Jesus, being, the bread of life, light of the world, the door, the life, the good Shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way, the truth and the life and the true vine.
(READ John 1:19-12:50; 13:1-20:31)
SUNDAY; Moses’ farewell to the Israelites, Jacob’s blessings to his children, David’s instructions to Solomon and Jesus’ instruction to His disciples about the future, have a great similarity. After the last supper, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. He is referred to as Teacher and Lord, and upon indicating that fact as truth, despite these titles, Jesus’ act shows that power and authority are to be used for service of one to another in humility, and not to be used to make oneself powerful. Hence, this act prepares one for the Lord’s supper in the Adventist Church as an embrace of Jesus’ example.
(READ John 13:1-20)
MONDAY; Telling His disciples about His death, resurrection and ascension, Jesus’ disciples get confused. It is due to this confusion and fear that Jesus instructs them not to have troubled hearts. His words aim at a time when the whole tragedy of sin will be dealt with-at His second coming. This hope about the same that we hold is not based only on the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, but also expresses confidence in the Man of the Promise who is Jesus Christ.
(READ John 14:1-3; 13:33-38, Daniel 7:27)
TUESDAY; Thomas’ query of the way to the Father, brings to our attention the declaration of Jesus as the Way to the Father. Thus, Jesus is the link to the Father and He is the only One who can interpret the Father to the fallen world. Likewise, Phillip’s query to see the Father, is something that no sinful human can withstand, hence, more of the fact that Jesus Christ is the pathway to God, the Light that illuminates the way to God, and without Him, the path grows dark and uncertain.
(READ John 1:18,23; 14:5-11)
WEDNESDAY; Truth is connected to the God-head, as seen all through the gospel of John, and the idea of truth contains a moral aspect of faithfulness to God and His will. Jesus, being Truth, existed with the Father from the beginning, and He is the living Word, the One through whom all creation existed. He is not only the embodiment of Truth, but rather He is the Truth itself for Truth is a Person, and not a concept or construct. It is only by Jesus-the Truth that we are able to interpret the world around us.
(READ John 1:1-4,14,17; 8:32; 14:6; 15:26)
THURSDAY; All Scripture is key in revealing the truth, for it teaches us about who Jesus is and what He came to do on earth. The same Scripture validates His Messiahship. We see references used by Jesus Christ from the Book of Exodus and promises of God by the prophets as declared by Zacharias, and prophecy fulfilled as declared by Peter at Pentecost, all found in Scripture. Furthermore, Scripture makes us find meaning in our universe and without it, we would be in darkness about understanding the existence of God, His role in the universe, our own origin, the meaning of life and the future.
(READ John 5:38-40, Luke 24:27; Matthew 22:31; Acts 1:16 )
FRIDAY; When the lamps from the temple filled Jerusalem with light, the Jews talked about their hope in the coming Saviour. The people hoped the Saviour would come soon to fill Israel with His light. Jesus understood that the lamps also taught another important Bible truth: Jesus is the same as the lamps in the temple. Jesus gives us all spiriÂtual light or truth.
(READ “The Light of Life” pp 463-475 in the Desire of Ages by Ellen G White and “The Authority of the Bible and the Certainty of the Second Coming” pp 23-36 in The Certainty of the Second Coming by E.Edward Zinke)
CAPTIONS:
SUNDAY; “I have given you an example”
MONDAY; “I will certainly come again”
TUESDAY; “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”
WEDNESDAY; “I AM the Truth”
THURSDAY; “The Scriptures and the Truth”
FRIDAY; Further thought
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS;
- How does the certainty of Christ’s coming impact our present everyday life?
- Think about the fall of Lucifer, a perfect being with so much intellectual knowledge of God and of what God is like. And yet, even with all that, he rebelled against Him. What does this tell us about the reality of free will, the same free will that we have-and why, moment by moment, we need to choose to surrender that will to God?
