Many do not understand just what Jesus has done for them and what it means that he will return to this earth a second time to get those who have accepted his death as a substitute in the place of their second death. Misunderstanding God’s plans for us can lead to bad decisions and wrong actions. How can we avoid this?
Sin, Evil, Death, Dying, and What Happens After We Die
This series addresses the concerns we all have: the concern for sin, evil, death, dying, and what happens after we die. Is there hope after death? When God created us humans, he intended for us to live forever in a loving, peaceful relationship with him. But this relationship has been broken by sin.
Here, we address the origin of sin and look more closely at death and dying.
But, instead of looking at death negatively, we look at it in the context of hope, the promised hope based on what Jesus did for us when he died and came back to life again.
From the Sabbath School Adult Bible Study Guide 2022 Quarter 4: Sabbath.School (See also Hope Sabbath School and 3ABN Sabbath School)
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Inviting God’s Presence
Dear God, as we diligently seek to know your word, help us to clearly understand the plan you have for us to prosper, and to give us hope and a future. In Jesus’ Name Amen
Even Jesus’ Disciples did not fully understand the purpose of his first visit to this earth. Notice how Jesus’ followers responded when he predicted his own suffering and death.
Matthew 16:21-23
21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:21-23)
Matthew 17:22-23
22 Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men,
23 and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful. (Matthew 17:22-23)
Luke 9:44-45
44 “Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”
45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying. (Luke 9:44-45)
Luke 18:31-34
31 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.
32 For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.
33 They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”
34 But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken. (Luke 18:31–34)
What are the implications here? What should their reactions to what to Jesus’ predictions tell us about the danger of misunderstanding what is said in God’s word, the Bible?
Jesus was born to die, and He lived to die. Every step that He took brought Him closer and closer to His great atoning sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.
Remember, in lesson 2; we talked about God’s proactive plan to save our world from the terrible emergency of sin. Central to that plan was Jesus’ death on the cross. It would be Jesus, the Lamb of God, who would die on the cross to take away the sins of the world. You can review Lesson 2 at SabbathSchooldaily.com.
Fully conscious of His mission, Jesus did not allow anyone or anything to distract Him from it. In reality, “His whole life was a preface to His death on the cross.”—Ellen G. White, Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 382.
Jesus’ whole life was an introduction to God’s plan for Him on the cross.
In the last year of Jesus’ work on earth, more and more He explicitly and openly explained to His followers that He was going to die. But His followers refused to hear and accept what he was telling them. For some reason, they seemed unable and unwilling to accept the reality that he was going to die.
They were filled with false notions and ideas about the true purpose of the Messiah.
Although they had observed the repeated demonstration of his death in the Jewish temple’s sacrificial offerings, they somehow failed to understand it. Thus, they had false ideas about the role of the Savior. What they least expected was that Jesus, their Messiah, would die. Their false ideas caused them pain and suffering. What it boiled down to is their false religious beliefs, causing them unnecessary pain and suffering.
In a night visit with Nicodemus, Jesus had already declared, in John 3:14, 15
“ ‘And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so, must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life’ ” (John 3:14, 15, NKJV).
While Jesus was in Caesarea Philippi, He told His followers, his disciples that he was about to “ ‘go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day’ ” (Matthew. 16:21, NKJV).
Later, Jesus walked in Galilee (Mark 9:30–32).
30 From there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it.
31 For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.”
32 But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him. ( Mark 9:30-32)
During that trip and on His final trip to Jerusalem it says in Luke 18:31–34,
31 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.
32 For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.
33 They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”
34 But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken. (Luke 18:31-34)
Jesus told His followers again about His death. His followers didn’t want to hear this. So, they didn’t listen.
It is said that:
When Jesus told [the disciples] that He was to be put to death and to rise again, He was trying to draw them into the conversation regarding the great test of their faith. Had they been ready to receive what He desired to make known to them, they would have been saved from bitter anguish and despair. His words would have brought consolation in the hour of bereavement and disappointment. But although He had spoken so plainly of what awaited Him, His mention of the fact that He was soon to go to Jerusalem again kindled their hope that the kingdom was about to be set up. This had led to questioning as to who should fill the highest offices. . . .
The Saviour gathered His disciples about Him and said to them, “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” There was in these words a solemnity and impressiveness which the disciples were far from comprehending. That which Christ discerned they could not see. They did not understand the nature of Christ’s kingdom, and this ignorance was the apparent cause of their contention. . . .
Very tenderly, yet with solemn emphasis, Jesus tried to correct the evil. He showed what is the principle that bears sway in the kingdom of heaven and in what true greatness consists, as estimated by the standard of the courts above. Those who were actuated by pride and love of distinction were thinking of themselves and the rewards they were to have rather than how they were to give God the gifts they had received. They would have no place in the kingdom of heaven, for they were identified with the ranks of Satan.—The Desire of Ages, pp. 435, 436. (Split)
It’s so easy for us not to pay attention to what God is saying to us, especially when self gets in the way. Even Jesus’ followers had false ideas about His first coming. This lets us know that we, too, can hold false beliefs about Jesus’ Second Coming. How can we avoid this?
By putting aside our selfish notions and allowing God’s word to tell us what his plans are for us. The plans he has for us are to prosper and not to harm us. His plans are to give us hope and a future. But this requires that we be open to obeying him, listening to him, and believing His plan for us is best. And most importantly, we must not be blinded by our selfish hopes, ideas, and motives.
On the cross, Jesus cried out, “it is Finished.” What was finished? What did Jesus mean by these words? Find out in Day 4: It is Finished
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