Sunday School Lesson for October 1, 2023 - Inward and Outward: Printed Text: Romans 2:12-24,28-29 NLT, Background Scripture: Romans 2:12-29 NLT, Devotional Reading: Ezekiel 25-30 NLT

 

Unit 2: Faith Triumphs, Law Fails

Key Verse:

Romans 2:29 NLT

29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise[d] from God, not from people.

Prelude:

Acts 18:1-2 NLT

1 Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There, he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome.

. This week, we begin the new Unit: Faith Triumphs, Law Fails. Allow me to offer the following as a prelude to the lesson. The Lesson Standard informs us that Paul wrote to the churches at Rome as a result of conflict between the Jewish Christians and the Roman (Gentile) Christians. Paul wrote the letter to the Roman churches in 58 AD after the Jewish Christians returned to Rome. They had been expelled by Emperor, Claudius, nine years earlier, in 49 AD. Claudius, who reigned from 41 AD to 54 AD, expelled all of the Jews, both Christian and non-Christian, from Rome. He expelled them because of their continuing conflicts over Christianity. After the death of Claudius, many of the Jews returned. The Jewish Christians returned to find that their churches were now being led entirely by Gentile Christians. For a moment, imagine that you were forced to abandon your home for a number of years, then return only to find that another family had moved in some time ago. This was the position that the returning Christians of Jewish descent found themselves in. 

Let’s take a moment to investigate this conflict between the Jewish and Gentile Christians. One of the biggest conflicts was circumcision. The Jews continued the practice as a matter of national identity. The Romans and the Greeks regarded the practice as a form of barbaric mutilation. In 167 BC, the practice had been banned in Rome. The books of the 1st and 2nd Maccabees both record the seriousness of the conflict. According to the writers, the discovery that a Jewish woman had allowed her son to be circumcised oftentimes resulted in the death of the mother and the child. The writers also record that the Jews remained steadfast in their conviction to circumcise their sons. I offer all of this as a way of highlighting the depth of emotion that existed on both sides as a result of this issue. Add all of this to the fact that Gentiles were now in leading positions in the Roman churches and you can surmise the depth of the resulting animosity. It is against this backdrop that Paul is writing to the church at Rome. Selah.

The Lesson

 

Romans 2:12 NLT

12 When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it.

Romans 1:18 NLT

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

Romans 2:1 NLT

1 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.

In Chapter 1, after his opening greeting, Paul argues to his readers that all wickedness draws God’s ire. In Chapter 2, Verse 18, Paul declares to his audience that those who sin will suffer the consequences. In Chapter 1, his argument is aimed at the Gentiles. In Chapter 2, Paul turns his attention to the Jews. He warns that they have no special standing. The consequences of sin are the same for them. So then, whether they were raised within or without the Law of Moses, all were accountable to it.

Romans 2:13 NLT

13 For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. 

James 1:22 NLT

22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

In his continuing reprimand, Paul echoes the Apostle James admonition that it is not the hearers but the doers of God’s Word who are justified. He and James had corresponded about justification some years earlier. It seems that James’ words resonated with Paul. That’s a topic for another day.

Romans 2:14-15 NLT

14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.

Taken together with verse 13, Paul argues that doers of the Word are evidence of God’s presence in the fabric of all Creation, even in the Gentiles. Though they were not given the Law of Moses, their innate knowledge of right and wrong are one of the many proof’s of His (God’s) existence.

Romans 2:16 NLT

16 And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.

Here it comes. No one is without sin. The day will come when we all will have to have our darkest secrets revealed. The good news is, all who have accepted Christ will be judged by Him. Judged by He who gave Himself for us.

For a moment, let’s remind ourselves of Paul’s purpose in writing the letter: the animosity that had formed between the Christians; Jewish and Non-Jewish. Does any of this sound familiar? I’m reminded that it is commonly believed that in America, Sunday is thought of as the most segregated day of the week. How am I contributing to the schism? Before I ask you to examine yourself, I must examine myself. What can I do to ease the tension that exists between the factions in today’s church?

Romans 2:17-20 NLT

17 You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. 18 You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. 19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. 20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth.

The Jews returning to Rome, Both Christian and non-Christian absolutely believed that they had a special relationship with God. They were God’s chosen, weren’t they? Sons of Abraham. They claimed Jacob as their partriarch. Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah and so many more as national heroes. Of couse they considered themselves experts where the Law of Moses was concerned. Of course they thought that they were more qualified to lead the church than their Gentile counterparts. Paul may as well just say so.

Romans 2:21-23 NLT

21 Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? 22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples?[b] 23 You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it.

However, by the unction of the Holy Spirit, Paul declares that they too are guilty of a variety of sins. Self righteousness can buy you that. It can give you an air of, “Above it all” or, “I’m holier (better) than they are”. Pride goes before a fall. These Jewish Christians need to check themselves.

Romans 2:24 NLT

24 No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.”

Yes, the Jews failure to exemplify the character of Christ cause unbelievers to blaspheme the Name of God. That blasphemy could have had eternal consequences. The same is true today. Beloved, our own failure to exemplify Christ’s character can cause unbelievers around us to question anything we tell them about Christ. It is imperative that we walk in humility before the Lord, our God. Imperative.

Romans 2:28-29 NLT

28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. 29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise[d] from God, not from people.

Paul closes Chapter 2 with this thought. It is not obedience to the Law of Moses that puts us in right standing with God. Paul stated that true circumcision was of the heart. A heart that has been moved to contrition is the heart that is right before God. The heart that understands it’s need for a Savior is the heart that Christ savors. Beloved, stay humble.

Selah

wb

Sunday School Lesson for September 24, 2023 - Jesus Prevents Two Stonings: Printed Text: John 8:1-11,56-59 NLT, Background Scripture: John 8:1-11,39-59 NLT, Devotional Reading: Matthew 7:1-5 NLT

 

Unit 1: Love Completes, Law Falls Short

Key Verse:

John 8:10-11a NLT

10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

11 “No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I…

And there I was with a rock in my hand. On Sukkot  Suddenly, I had a new and humbling appreciation for the wilderness experience.

Prelude:

Recapping last week’s prelude, as this week’s lesson is a continuation of the same. Same lesson, next day:

Leviticus 23:42-43 NLT

42 For seven days you must live outside in little shelters. All native-born Israelites must live in shelters. 43 This will remind each new generation of Israelites that I made their ancestors live in shelters when I rescued them from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

John 7:2 NLT

2 But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters,...

Let me offer a short synopsis of the Feast of Shelters, also known as the Festival of Booths, or simply ‘Sukkot’ as a prelude to this week's lesson. In short, it is one of the seven major festivals and one of the three pilgrimage festivals in the Jewish Heritage. The pilgrimage festivals, Passover, Pentecost, and Sukkot required all of the meen of Israel to come to Jerusalem in observance of said Holy Day (Sabbath). Established by God through Moses, Sukkot was a fall festival that occurred after The Day of Atonement and after Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Sukkot was sort of a Jewish Thanksgiving. 

Occurring in early October, it combined a celebration of thankfulness for the fall harvest along with a solemn remembrance of Israel’s deliverance through the wilderness under God’s loving care. The sukkot (depicted above) is a simple three-sided booth made of branches with a thatch ceiling that allows the inhabitants to look into the heavens and be reminded that God is always watching them. The fact that there were only three sides to the (four-sided) structure left the inhabitants with the understanding and assurance that God’s Presence was with them, just as it had been in the wilderness.

Sukkot was a festival that commemorated the forty-year passage through the wilderness. More importantly, it foreshadowed the eventual return of the Messiah and His deliverance of His people into their Heaven Inheritance (The Promised Land). It is within the context of the Sukkot that we view today’s lesson.

The Lesson

 

John 8:1 NLT

1 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives,

Note to self. Follow Jesus’ example. After a day full of contention and stress (Chapter 7; Last week’s lesson), Jesus sought solitude, rest and communion with His Father. There is always time for prayer. 

John 8:2 NLT

2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them.

This week’s lesson is a carryover from last week. From chapter 7 to chapter 8 is just a few hours. Jesus is back at the Temple teaching, just as He had the previous day. Accordingly, a crowd soon began to gather. Because it was Succot, people had traveled from hundreds, if not thousands (Rome) of miles away. They wanted to hear this young Rabbi whom they had heard so much about. Jesus was happy to accommodate. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Today, they would witness the majesty of grace.

John 8:3 NLT

3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

Looking back at last week’s lesson, we find that, with all of the contentiousness Jesus had encountered the previous day, none had been based on direct contact with the Pharisees. Instead, he had been confronted by regular folk. Unbelievers. The Pharisees had simply ordered the Temple guards to arrest Jesus on sight. Because the guards had failed to arrest Him, the Pharisees decided to take the matter into their own hands. Their plan was to publicly discredit Him in the eyes of the people and then to arrest Him. He, who had been a friend of publicans and sinners, would now be challenged to judge such a one.

John 8:4 NLT

4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 

Obviously, this scenario was well planned. In front of the huge crowd, the Pharisees drag forward a woman that they said was caught in adultery. How did they know? Where had they been hiding? What had they seen? And all of this on Succot. Thanksgiving.

John 8:5 NLT

5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

The Pharisees had planned well. They wanted to goad Jesus into contradicting the law of Moses. For Him to do so would contradict the message of love that Jesus had preached from the inception of His ministry on earth. 

John 8:6 NLT

6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.

However, Jesus knew their hearts. And yet, ignoring the Pharisees, Jesus continued to teach, writing in the dust of the ground. He fully intended to refute their foolishness by ignoring them.

John 8:7-8 NLT

7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

But the Pharisees were persistent. After all, they had gone to a great deal of trouble to lay this trap. Most certainly, they intended to see Jesus caught in it. However, what we discover is that the Pharisees were caught in a trap of their own making. Jesus challenged the Pharisees to see their fiendish plan through but with a caveat. He challenged them to examine themselves first. To find, among themselves, those who were so pure that they had the right to lift up stones against the woman. After that, Jesus returned to the lesson.

John 8:9 NLT

9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.

Confronted with a glaring truth, the Pharisees suddenly began to see themselves as God saw them: sinners in need of a Savior. Suddenly, the true meaning of Succot became uncomfortably real. They WERE transparent before their Heavenly Father. He could see right through them. The Elders got it first. Rightfully so. They were the experts concerning the law of Moses. The depth of their guilt was clear, especially during such a Holy Week.

John 8:10-11 NLT

10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

11 “No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

You can almost see the smirk appear on Christ’s face as He looks around to find only Himself and the accused woman standing in the middle of the crowd. That was too easy. He hadn’t even worked up a sweat. You can hear the sarcasm in His voice as He and this now-free woman celebrate her victory over her accusers by Jesus’ hand. Just moments before, she had been at death’s door. Now, she was free. Imagine her delight as Jesus sent her on her way, a free woman. Now listen. Listen to the buzz in the crowd. They are most certainly astounded by the ease with which Jesus dispatched His opponents. They had slunk away in shame, the very shame they had hoped to bring to bear on Jesus in their attempt to discredit Him. Surely, the crowd was amazed by the great grace they had just seen imparted to the accused woman. Certainly, they had been given a great testimony to take back home. In a single sentence, Jesus silenced His opponents and delivered a foretaste of the Gospel of Grace that He would eventually offer to all through His upcoming passion.

Romans 8:1-4 NLT

8 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power[a] of the life-giving Spirit has freed you[b] from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.[c] So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

_________________________________________________________________________

John 8:56 NLT

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.”

At the end of this chapter, non-believers in the crowd argued that Abraham was their Father. They were the generation God promised to Abraham, but Jesus countered their argument by revealing a great mystery: Abraham rejoiced at the appearing of Christ. On Mount Moriah, just before he was to offer up his son as a sacrifice to God, the Angel of the Lord stopped Him and pointed out that God had provided a Ram, caught in a thicket by His horns, a foreshadowing of the eventual sacrifice Christ would make for us at Calvary. Yes, Abraham rejoiced. And if Abraham rejoiced, so should those who called themselves Abraham’s children.

John 8:57 NLT

57 The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?”

Of course, they didn’t get it. But with His next words, Jesus would make it plain.

John 8:58 NLT

58 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am!” 

In this statement, Jesus identifies Himself as God. The eternal and everlasting God. God almighty. God! The Jews, both those who believed and those who refused to believe knew exactly what He meant.

John 8:59 NLT

59 At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.

And to further demonstrate their spiritual blindness, Jesus’ opponents sought to stone Him. However, it was not yet His time. He hid Himself and departed the Temple grounds unscathed. Even the things He didn’t do bore witness to God’s soveriegn power in His life. They just couldn’t see it.

Selah,

wb

Sunday School Lesson for September 17, 2023 - Jesus Glorifies God: Printed Text: John 7:14-24 NLT, Background Scripture: John 7:14-24 NLT, Devotional Reading: Psalm 119:113-1128 NLT

 

Unit 1: Love Completes, Law Falls Short

Key Verse:

John 7:18 NLT

18 Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies.

Lord, may I always be thankful for your great grace. For, it is by grace that we have life.

Prelude:

Leviticus 23:42-43 NLT

42 For seven days you must live outside in little shelters. All native-born Israelites must live in shelters. 43 This will remind each new generation of Israelites that I made their ancestors live in shelters when I rescued them from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

John 7:2 NLT

2 But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters,...

Let me offer a short synopsis of the Feast of Shelters, also known as the Festival of Booths, or simply ‘Sukkot’ as a prelude to this week's lesson. In short, it is one of the seven major festivals and one of the three pilgrimage festivals in the Jewish Heritage. The pilgrimage festivals, Passover, Pentecost, and Sukkot required all of the meen of Israel to come to Jerusalem in observance of said Holy Day (Sabbath). Established by God through Moses, Sukkot was a fall festival that occurred after The Day of Atonement and after Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Sukkot was sort of a Jewish Thanksgiving. 

Occurring in early October, it combined a celebration of thankfulness for the fall harvest along with a solemn remembrance of Israel’s deliverance through the wilderness under God’s loving care. The sukkot (depicted above) is a simple three-sided booth made of branches with a thatch ceiling that allows the inhabitants to look into the heavens and be reminded that God is always watching them. The fact that there were only three sides to the (four-sided) structure left the inhabitants with the understanding and assurance that God’s Presence was with them, just as it had been in the wilderness.

Sukkot was a festival that commemorated the forty-year passage through the wilderness. More importantly, it foreshadowed the eventual return of the Messiah and His deliverance of His people into their Heaven Inheritance (The Promised Land). It is within the context of the Sukkot that we view today’s lesson.

The Lesson

 

John 7:14 NLT

14 Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach.

Jesus had refused to join His stepbrothers on the pilgrimage to observe Sukkot, but how could He stay away? The celebration of Sukkot reminded Him that the children of Israel had been forged during their time in the desert, transforming them from slaves to God’s Holy nation. Certainly, at the height of His earthly ministry, Jesus saw the need to be with His people, just as He had been with them in the wilderness.

John 7:15 NLT

15 The people were surprised when they heard him. “How does he know so much when he hasn’t been trained?” they asked.

John 7:52 NLT

52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comes[a] from Galilee!”

The people thought they knew everything they needed to know about Jesus. By now, all the available questions had been broached. They thought He was from Galilee. Certainly, no prophet had ever hailed from there. Additionally, He had not attended a noted madrassa (school of the prophets). Based on their (mis) understanding, Jesus was not qualified to instruct the people in the mysteries of God. Yet, the people were awestruck at His wisdom and His knowledge of the wonders of the Kingdom of God.

John 7:16-17 NLT

16 So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. 17 Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.

Jesus didn’t provide an easy answer. He didn’t try to correct any errors or assumptions about Himself. Instead, He added to their confusion by declaring the truth; that His knowledge came directly from God. His teaching, His miracles confirmed that truth,  revealing the love and grace from Heaven that caused those who were humbly awaiting His appearance, the appearance of the Good Shepherd, to rejoice. Sukkot. Thanksgiving.

John 7:18-19 NLT

18 Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies. 19 Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me.”

It was during this interruption that Jesus called out His detractors. The three major Sabbath festivals, Passover, Pentecost, and Sukkot were all meant to be times of corporate humility before God. Yet, the religious leaders in Jerusalem sought to kill Jesus, to extinguish the very Word of God because He did not align with their purposes. At what should have been a time of peace, murder filled their hearts. Jesus did not divide Jerusalem. Rather, he exposed the dark hearts of the religious leaders who opposed Him. Who plans to murder during so sacred an occasion as Sukkot?

John 7:20-21 NLT

20 The crowd replied, “You’re demon-possessed! Who’s trying to kill you?” 21 Jesus replied, “I did one miracle on the Sabbath, and you were amazed. 

The crowd retorted by accusing Jesus of being possessed by demons. This was an obvious attempt to scare the people who had heard His teaching and were being drawn to Him by His message of love. Most certainly, religion seeks to control the masses through fear and intimidation. Jesus offered relationship, a direct connection to Heaven by the Spirit of God and by His preaching the Word of God, preaching full of mercy and grace. Jesus reminded the crowd that they had witnessed such a miracle of grace; He had healed on the Sabbath. Should not the Messiah do exactly that? Bring deliverance on the Sabbath? Had not God promised Sabbath Rest for His people? Wasn’t that what Sukkot promised?

John 7:22-23 NLT

22 But you work on the Sabbath, too, when you obey Moses’ law of circumcision. (Actually, this tradition of circumcision began with the patriarchs, long before the law of Moses.) 23 For if the correct time for circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it so as not to break the law of Moses. So why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath?

But religion sought to turn the Word upside down. The religious leaders forbade ‘work’ on the Sabbath. That included any ‘work’ that might result in anyone’s physical or spiritual benefit. Jesus called out their hypocrisy, by pointing out that if the appointed day for the circumcision of a baby boy fell on the Sabbath, tradition demanded that they make provision for the ceremony even though it was to occur on the Sabbath. Sadly, it was only in circumstances like these that the religious leaders came near to the heart of God, eschewing the tradition of men for the true intent of the law; to bring God’s people into their inheritance. To usher God’s people into His Presence.

Wait. Is that not the mission of all of God’s appointed messengers? To lead God’s people into His Presence? Into divine and everlasting freedom? Should not our message be one of …. liberation? Should not we, ministers of the Lord, declare that God has emancipated His Church through the shed blood of the Lamb of God? Whom the Lord has set free is free indeed! Sukkot!

John 7:24 NLT

24 Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”

Lord, help us, by your Holy Spirit, to discern your heart’s desire so that your wonderful message of grace might be rightly communicated by us, your servants, liberating your people from sin and preparing them for an eternity of freedom and glory in your Presence that we can only barely imagine. Help us to remember and walk in the grace promised in Sukkot!

Selah,

wb

1 Timothy 2:5-7 NLT

5 For,

There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.

This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. 7 And I have been chosen as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith and truth. I’m not exaggerating—just telling the truth.