Class Lesson April 11, 2021

 

Question 1:

What’s a memorable parade you’ve watched

or attended?

THE POINT

The Holy Spirit magnifies

the work of Jesus.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

New Orleans is known as a city of never-ending parties, but it’s also a city of parades. Lots of parades! For almost no money at all, you can rent a parade. Getting married? Have a parade. Celebrating Celebrating because it’s a Thursday? Have a parade.

When a parade comes down the street, it grabs everyone’s attention—whether they want their attention grabbed or not! Everyone sees the parade and certainly hears it (and often are inconvenienced by it). Parades aren’t meant to be subtle and quiet.

The people in the parade do what they can to draw attention to something they consider worth celebrating.

The Holy Spirit’s role is a lot like that parade, but for a far greater reason. He works tirelessly to magnify the work of Jesus. He works in and through our lives to draw attention to Someone worth celebrating. Since that’s the role of the Holy Spirit, why do we spend so little time talking about Him? Jesus gave us great insight into this too little-discussed member of the Trinity.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

John 15:26-27

26 “When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 You also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.”

Leaving is hard. When I was working toward my doctorate, I was also pastoring a church, which meant my life was extremely hectic for what seemed like decades. In addition to my regular duties at the church and preaching on Sundays, I was also taking weekly trips to and from school. This meant I was flying constantly—and leaving home constantly. It became routine, but it never got easy to drive away from my family toward the airport. And it was never easy for them to watch me go.

It wasn’t easy for Jesus’ disciples, either, to know Jesus was leaving. During Jesus’ last night with the disciples before His arrest, He explained why it was a good thing that He was going away (John 14). He explained it in terms of a gift—but this wasn’t just any gift! The gift was the Holy Spirit! God’s Spirit would do two things for them. The Holy Spirit would testify about Jesus and He would empower the disciples to testify about Jesus.

Just before He ascended into heaven, Jesus reminded His disciples of this gift as He said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The disciples might not have understood then how powerful these two statements were, but they would soon find out. Acts 2 records the first time they saw the power of the Holy Spirit in their own lives. In Jerusalem, the Festival of Pentecost was in full swing, and Jews from all over the world came to celebrate. On the day of Pentecost, the celebration turned to amazement. Without warning, the Holy Spirit came in a rush and made something unprecedented happen.

Question 2:

When have you experienced the Holy

Spirit helping you proclaim Jesus?

“They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:3-4).

Just as Jesus had said in John 15, the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to preach about Him so others could understand. Over and over in the Book of Acts, we see people doing amazing things through the Holy Spirit—and every time, the purpose was to proclaim the gospel of Jesus.

In the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20), Jesus called His disciples—and us!—to disciple others, but He never expected us to do that on our own. We are to rely on His Holy Spirit in our lives. We are never alone. We are never forgotten or left to fend for ourselves. Jesus gave us a commission, and then He gave us the power to carry it out. How the Holy Spirit works through us can vary, but it is always for the purpose of pointing to and testifying about Jesus.

John 16:7-11

7 “Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”

Oftentimes, we’re blind to our own shortcomings. We can be just as blind to sin in our lives. One role of the Holy Spirit is to make us aware of our sin—and He works through us to make others aware of the sin and the truth of the gospel. Note that Jesus said, “I will send him to you,” and “when he comes, he will convict the world.” We can infer that when the Holy Spirit comes to us, He will do His convicting work through us. As we share the gospel and witness for Christ, the Spirit will use our witness to convict unbelievers in three areas.

• Sin. The Holy Spirit convicts us of all sins, but the sin Jesus was referring to here is the sin of unbelief. As He clarified in verse 9: “About sin, because they do not believe in me.”                                                                                                                                                        
• Righteousness. Even unbelievers can have a notion of what righteousness is, but the Holy Spirit convicts them about the righteousness of Christ. He leads them to see the truth of who Jesus is: the righteous, holy Son of God. Jesus clarified this in verse 10: “About righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me.”                                                                                                  

• Judgment. The work of Satan and our sin was judged on the cross of Christ. Our sin was judged and dealt with through the death of Jesus, and salvation is complete. In verse 11, Jesus clarified: “About judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.” 

As we share the truth of the gospel, the Spirit convicts the unbeliever of the reality of his sin, the truth of who Jesus is, and how his sin and judgment were dealt with on the cross. Once a person comes to Christ, the Holy Spirit that has come to dwell in Him continues to convict when he sins.

When Jesus was walking with His disciples, they had the best guide anybody could ask for: all they had to do was ask Jesus! They could look at Him and follow in His footsteps. But Jesus was just one man, and He could only be in one place at one time. The Holy Spirit dwells in all believers, and He does everything for us Jesus did for His disciples. Followers of Christ have the exact same Spirit that Jesus promised His disciples, and He dwells within us to empower and guide us in the ways that please the Lord. 

Question 3:

When have you seen the Holy Spirit bring

conviction on someone?

John 16:12-15

12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.”

Question 4:

How has the Holy Spirit guided

you into all truth?

The Holy Spirit seeks to glorify Christ. The Holy Spirit doesn’t call attention to Himself; rather He casts every eye on Jesus, the resurrected King. In verses 13-14, Jesus identified several things the Holy Spirit does:

• He guides us into all truth.
• He speaks Jesus’ words to us.
• He glorifies the Son.

These tasks are not separate from one another. In other words, by guiding us into all truth, the Holy Spirit is also glorifying Jesus. Bringing glory and honor to Jesus is a part of everything the Spirit does. We can see that in all the ways the Holy Spirit works. For example, the work of the Holy Spirit is a key theme in Romans 8.

• The Holy Spirit helps us put to death the deeds of the flesh (v. 13).
• The Holy Spirit leads us and directs our steps (v. 14).
• The Holy Spirit testifies that we belong to Christ (v. 16).

How the Spirit does these things directly impacts how we glorify our Savior. As the Spirit helps us put to death the deeds of the flesh, we no longer walk as children of darkness, but as children of the Light—and that brings glory to Jesus, the One who is the Light. The Spirit directs our steps toward actions that honor Christ. The Spirit’s affirmation that we belong to Christ gives us confidence to tell others about our relationship with Christ. At every turn, the Holy Spirit who dwells within believers gives you the tools to live a Christ-glorifying life. Learning to obey Him is a process, but it will be the most joyous journey of your life.

Question 5:

What are some ways the Holy

Spirit has used our group to

glorify Jesus?

THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT

Circle three of the following phrases that mean the most to you

regarding the Holy Spirit’s work. Then choose one of the three circled

phrases and describe how the Holy Spirit works this way in your life.

Testifies about Jesus

Comes from the Father

Warns me about judgment

Convicts me of sin

Counsels me

Guides me

Reveals truth

Convicts me of righteousness

Glorifies Jesus

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and

peace as you believe so that you may overflow

with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

ROMANS 15:13

LIVE IT OUT

As you learn to listen to the Holy Spirit, how will you respond? Choose one of the following applications:

• Confess. The Holy Spirit comes alongside us to convict us of sin. If He is convicting you of an unconfessed sin, take a few minutes on your knees to repent of that sin.
• Submit. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you and have control of your life. Lean on Him to guide your steps.
• Share. Allow the Holy Spirit to use you to talk about Jesus with another person. Trust Him to guide the conversation and give you words that bring honor to Christ.

The Holy Spirit comes into our lives to help us magnify the work of Jesus. The more time we spend listening to Him, the easier obeying His direction will become.

Teacher Notes:

The Work of the Holy Spirit

Video: Billy Graham – The Holy Spirit

 

The Point: The Holy Spirit magnifies the work of Jesus.

The Passage: John 15:26-27; 16:7-15

  

Scripture describes the Holy Spirit as our:

Jesus told His disciples 2 things about the Holy Spirit:

1.   The Counselor was coming so that they wouldn’t be alone or on their own

2.   The Counselor was coming so that they would still have access to God

 

John 15 & 16 give us additional work of the Holy Spirit.

 

John 15:26-27

26 “When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 You also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

 

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things and remind you of everything Jesus spoke about to the disciples (John 14:26).

1. The Holy Spirit empowers us. What are some ways the Holy Spirit empowers us?

 

It’s been said that God will never ask you to do anything that He will not empower and equip you to do. He does that through the work of the Holy Spirit. To empower someone can mean to give them the authority or power to do something. It can also mean to make someone stronger and more confident in the task they are called to do. One specific way the Holy Spirit empowers every believer is in the area of being a witness for Jesus. The Holy Spirit empowers us to proclaim Jesus to others.

 

• One work of the Spirit is to bear witness to the life, ministry, and teaching of Jesus.
• Our witness as believers is to be a declaration of what we have come to know out of our personal experience with Jesus as manifested through the Spirit of truth who has come from the Father.

 

• Just before He ascended into heaven, Jesus reminded His disciples of this gift as He said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The disciples might not have understood then how powerful these two statements were, but they would soon find out. Acts 2 records the first time they saw the power of the Holy Spirit in their own lives. In Jerusalem, the Festival of Pentecost was in full swing, and Jews from all over the world came to celebrate. On the day of Pentecost, the celebration turned to amazement. Without warning, the Holy Spirit came in a rush and made something unprecedented happen.

  

John 16:7-11

7 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

 

2.   The Holy Spirit convicts us. Why is it a positive thing to be convicted of your sin?

 

In addition to empowering us, the Holy Spirit convicts every believer of sin. While we may rationalize things and say we just naturally feel bad when we do something wrong, that is not the case. Just look at the willful disobedience of a toddler. Rarely will they feel bad until they are reprimanded. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin. This means He makes us aware of our sinful thoughts and actions. Feelings of remorse, guilt, and shame will often come along with this conviction. What’s the point? The point is to bring us back into right relationship with God. When we feel shame and guilt, we are led to confess our sin and ask God for His forgiveness. It’s as if the Holy Spirit turns on a light to reveal the darkness of our sinful thoughts and actions.

•   

John 16:12-15

12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.”

 

3.   The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus. According to these verses, what is the role of the Holy Spirit?

 

The Holy Spirit is called The Spirit of truth. Why? The nature of God is that He does not lie; He always tells the truth. Since the Holy Spirit reflects the nature of God, He also is always going to tell the truth. So, when the Holy Spirit empowers us, He empowers us through the truth of God’s Word and the truth of what God thinks about us. When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, He will reveal the truth of our sinful condition so that we may find a restored relationship with God. The Spirit of truth also glorifies Jesus by revealing in the life of a believer the truth of all Jesus taught. Truth itself is found in all the teachings of Jesus and the Holy Spirit reminds and teaches believers of those things. The Holy Spirit magnifies, or enlarges our perspective of Jesus. It is also interesting to see that all three persons of the Trinity are referenced in these four verses. Jesus is speaking in these verses, He talks about the Holy Spirit coming and teaching the things Jesus taught, and He references that everything that God the Father has is His.

• The Holy Spirit will teach, guide, illuminate, and enlighten our understanding of the marvelous truths of Jesus.
• The Holy Spirit continues to manifest and glorify Jesus; He does not call attention to Himself.

 

Conclusion: Most people approach life by relying on their own intelligence, abilities, and resources to navigate their day to day lives. But God never intended that we should live this way. We are meant to live our lives in daily relationship with Him—and He had given us the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us live as He intends. The Holy Spirit magnifies the work of Jesus in and through a believer. 

Christians don’t always know how to deal with the Holy Spirit. Confusion over the nature, Person, presence, and work of the Holy Spirit has been a point of contention and misunderstanding in the church even going back to the Corinthian church, some of whom claimed superiority because of the spiritual gifts they possessed. No system of theology that elevates a person or the Holy Spirit over Jesus is biblical. Exercise caution in responding to any teaching that doesn’t lift up Jesus. The Spirit glorifies Jesus and magnifies His name. That is our mission too!

NO CLASS LESSON for April 4, 2021

 

Question 1:

What are some things once thought impossible that

have become a reality?

THE POINT

New life is possible when

we trust in the risen Christ.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

The idea that people could communicate without being in the same room seemed impossible—until Morse showed what a telegraph could do in 1837.

The idea that those telegraph messages could be transmitted without a wire seemed impossible—until Marconi demonstrated wireless telegraphy in 1895.

The idea that voices, not just dots and dashes, could be transmitted without wires seemed impossible—until Fessenden did it in 1901.

I could go on about how people have taken these inventions to a seemingly impossible level. Today we are using smart phones—tiny computers that fit in our hands—that will instantly transmit our voice and data all the way around the world.

While we might marvel at science and the things we once considered impossible, one thing remains impossible for us: to raise a man to life who has been dead for days. But what’s impossible for us is not impossible for God. God performed this “impossible” miracle, and with it, He gave us something far greater than the most advanced smartphone!

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

John 20:3-9

3 At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. 5 Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then, following him, Simon Peter also came. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. 7 The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. 8 The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and believed. 9 For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead. 

John 20 is about facts. One fact in particular: Jesus was dead, and then, three days later, He wasn’t dead anymore. This is the most important fact in all of human history.

Probably no empire on earth has been better at executing people than the Roman Empire during the first century. The Romans didn’t invent crucifixion, but they perfected it. A criminal, usually already bleeding, was hung on the cross with his arms extended out until he ran out of strength in his limbs; he typically suffocated under the weight of his upper body. The soldiers were charged with ensuring the victim was dead, and they did their job in making sure Jesus was dead (John 19:33-34).

Jesus’ death is rarely contested. It’s what came next that is incredible. Jesus died on Friday afternoon. On Sunday morning, several women came to the tomb to finish preparing Jesus’ body for burial, but much to their surprise, the tomb was open and completely empty. The other Gospel writers describe a group of women, but John focused on the words and actions of Mary Magdalene. The other Gospel writers also tell us Mary ran to tell the disciples, but John focused on Peter and himself. Mary told them she thought that Jesus’ body had been stolen (John 20:1-2).

Question 2:

What evidence have you found

particularly compelling when considering Jesus’ resurrection?

Both Peter and John were surprised by Mary’s announcement and went to the tomb to investigate. When John, the beloved disciple, entered the empty tomb, he saw and believed. Although Jesus had repeatedly told them He would rise again and pointed to prophecy in Scripture, “they did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead” (v. 9). John had to stand in the empty tomb and see with his own eyes before he could believe. 

That Jesus died is not a question, but if He had stayed dead, we would have no reason to continue talking about Him today. The empty tomb proves Jesus is alive.

John 20:19-23

19 When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” 22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

From 1949 to 1957, Clayton Moore played The Lone Ranger on TV. As the masked man who helped people in need, Moore had a voice that brought the character to life. One day as I was flipping channels, I stumbled on an episode of The Lone Ranger. But when I heard the character speak, I knew Clayton Moore was not underneath that mask; an imposter was playing the Lone Ranger! 

Some skeptics think an imposter was playing the resurrected Jesus. This man was a lookalike—someone meant to trick the disciples into thinking Jesus had come back from the dead. 

It’s true the disciples didn’t fully know what to do with the reports that Jesus was alive. They saw the empty tomb, but something was still missing. On the evening of the resurrection, they all had gathered behind a locked door.

For all they knew, the Jewish leaders would come for them as they had come for Jesus, but the real topic of conversation was the reports of Jesus’ resurrection (Luke 24:34-35). And then, without warning, Jesus was there—inside the locked room. To calm their fears, Jesus spoke a simple but profound phrase: “Peace be with you.” The disciples heard His familiar voice, saw His hands and feet, and they knew—this was no imposter. The disciples knew Jesus’ voice. They saw His wounds. He was physically in front of them! Jesus’ very presence was definite proof that He is alive.

ON MISSION FOR GOD

In the first column, list the different places you typically go in a month. In the

second column list some people you see in these places. Circle two to three

people in the second column with whom you can discuss Jesus’ resurrection.

Places You Go               People You See

“Jesus Christ did not come into this world

to make bad people good; he came into this

world to make dead people live.”

LEE STROBEL

Jesus gave His disciples a commission: “As the Father has sent me, I also send you” (v. 21). Jesus was sending them to spread the word, to tell people they had seen the risen Christ. These apostles used their various skills to do just that—some wrote it down, some stood and preached—but all of them understood that this extraordinary resurrection would demand something extraordinary of them. It was their turn to be the proof of Jesus’ resurrection to a world that was becoming increasingly hostile toward Him.

Question 3:

How would you describe the

responsibility Jesus gives us in this passage?

John 20:27-29

27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.” 28 Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” 

I’m sure many people could fill in the blank: “Oh, don’t be such a doubting ______ ____ .” Thomas is well known as the doubting disciple—the one who didn’t believe. But this story is different than that. Instead of seeing a “doubting Thomas” when we see him interacting with Jesus, we should see a man grieving over the loss of his friend. Here was Jesus actively seeking out Thomas so He could remove his unbelief.

Let’s go back just a little bit. The first time we really get to know Thomas is in John 11, when Jesus was getting ready to raise Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus told the disciples His plan, they all reminded Him that might not be the best idea; after all, the last time they were in Judea the religious leaders tried to kill Him. Thomas likely shared their opinion, yet he was willing to follow Jesus even into a bad situation. He said, “Let’s go too so that we may die with him” (John 11:16). Thomas was courageously committed to Christ.

Question 4:

What do you appreciate

about Thomas?

Then on the night of Jesus’ arrest, Jesus told His disciples He was going away to prepare a place for them. When Jesus said, “You know the way to where I am going” (14:4), the disciples sat in stunned silence. Thomas spoke up on behalf of the group. “‘Lord,’ Thomas said, ‘we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”’ (v. 5). It was an honest question, aimed at seeking and understanding truth. When everyone else sat dumbfounded, Thomas stepped up.

These two instances paint Thomas in a particular light. He was contemplative and sensitive; he wrestled with facts and thought through the implications of what it meant to follow Jesus. Thomas wasn’t a man full of doubt, but a man who was sold out for Jesus.

We don’t know why Thomas was not with the other disciples at the first encounter with the risen Jesus. I can only speculate, but I think Thomas may have been too heartbroken over Jesus’ death. A week later, Jesus provided the exact, specific proof Thomas needed to believe. The words Jesus spoke to Thomas speak to us too. “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (v. 29).

We have not seen Jesus in the flesh, but He is the same Jesus who walked this earth two thousand years ago. He is yearning for us to believe in Him just as Thomas believed. When we choose to believe the truth about Jesus’ resurrection, we will be blessed—both now and for eternity.

Question 5:

Why is the resurrection of Jesus

an essential element of the gospel?

LIVE IT OUT

What will you do with the truth that new life is possible because Jesus is alive? Choose one of the following applications: 

Trust. If you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, give your life to Him now. Talk to your Bible study leader or read the inside cover of this book.

Prepare. Write out your testimony of how you came to trust in Christ. As you write, take note of how Christ has given you a new life.

Proclaim. Identify someone in your life who has not trusted Christ. Invite the person for coffee or lunch and have an intentional gospel conversation with him or her.

Salvation is only the starting line of your Christian life. The abundance of the Christian life is just beginning for you—and it is all because Jesus rose from the dead.