Sunday School Lesson for April 4, 2010: The Community Faces Pain and Joy (John 16:16-24; 20:11-16)

Psalm 30:5b (King James Version)



“…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”



Matthew 21:9 (King James Version)



9And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.





John 1:29 (King James Version)



29The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.





Allow me to frame the occasion. This is Passover and Jesus has gathered his disciples for the observance. This is when the Jews celebrated The Hebrews Nation’s deliverance from Egypt.. Celebrated…But, this occasion turns out to be a somber one for the disciples. Nothing is going the way they would have thought. A week earlier, Jesus had entered Jerusalem on a pavement of palm leaves and to shouts of ‘Hosanna!’. He’d driven the money changers from the Temple and then held a healing service right there on the Temple Mount! (Matthew 21:14) He seemed to be finally taking his place as… Messiah! The King of the Jews. A scant week later there very lives were in danger. How could that be? What had gone so wrong? Nothing! Nothing at all. You see, The disciples were looking for a king, but what they needed was … a lamb. Jesus healing the lame and blind on the Temple Mount… That was a foreshadowing of Glory to come. Jesus on his way to Calvary… That was the fulfillment of many ancient, ancient prophecies. Jesus’ time had come. The most pivotal event of all ages was about to occur. And the disciples were about to be witnesses to it. They were looking for a conquering King, but what they needed was a ‘stand-in’. Some one to endure the wrath of God for them because of the eternal punishment due them… and us. The Gospel, the Good News could not have been without the death and the resurrection of our Lord. Just forty or so days later, the Disciples would receive the power and the joy of the Holy Spirit and spread the Good News to the nations. Have a Blessed Resurrection Sunday. Enjoy the lesson.