Class Lesson March 31, 2013

Hey Gang,


We conclude this Easter Sunday with our series on “Answering Key Questions.”


Jesus often made statements, told parables, and also used questions to teach spiritual truths and to challenge religious assumptions.This is why some of Jesus' questions angered religious leaders who refused to accept truth over tradition. This five-week study has explored questions Jesus asked and why the answers are essential to growing in discipleship.

Below is an outline of the lessons in this series:

1. March 3 God’s Word or Tradition? - Matthew 15:1-11, 17-20
2. March 10 Commitment or Lip Service? - Luke 9:20-26, 57-62
3. March 17 Compassionate Action or Indifference? - Luke 10:25-37
4. March 24 Serve or Expect to Be Served? - Luke 22:19-30
5. March 31 Recognize Christ or Worship Another? - John 20:1-18

 

Life Goal  

Recognize and live out the fact that Jesus changes everything.

I. WHAT DO YOU SEE? – JOHN 20:1-4

The Empty Tomb

20 On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!” 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.



How is Mary representative of those who see but do not recognize?

• Mary came to the tomb searching for some way to honor her dead Lord, but she panicked when she found the tomb empty. At this point, she represents people who are searching for the Lord but, because they cannot see Him, assume they have lost Him.
• Some people are searching for the Lord but feel they cannot find Him.
• Because some people can’t find the One they expect, they despair.
• Fortunately, sometimes people seek help from those closest to Jesus.

Why do you think Jesus’ followers had a hard time in the beginning believing He was resurrected?

• Sometimes people can view the same evidence and come to differing conclusions. A baseball player slides into home plate. The home crowd may have seen the event as an out, but the visiting crowd may have seen it as safe. They saw the same event, but they interpreted the evidence differently. Peter and John had to make a determination in their own hearts just as Mary did about what happened to the body of Jesus. Though they saw, at first they could not understand what was happening. Sometimes in a crisis, people are not quite sure what they’re looking for, but others can help them find what they need. The implications were huge when it came to the meaning of the empty tomb. The resurrection meant Christ was Lord of both life and death. Though seeing the empty tomb itself did not convince them, they investigated the facts further in an effort to understand what had happened to Jesus.

If you are a Christian, what has convinced you of the resurrection’s reality?



When Mary found the tomb empty, what did she assume? What other assumptions could she have made? Why didn’t she?

• In the wake of His execution, Jesus’ followers had reason to fear both the religious leaders and the Romans responsible for putting Him to death. Mary’s assumption was these enemies of Jesus had taken His body. It must have seemed like just another attempt by their opponents to squelch Jesus’ followers from spreading His message.
• Whether or not Mary was present when He said it, Jesus had specifically told His disciples He would die and rise again (Matt. 26:2-32; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22). Yet the possibility that Jesus might be alive didn’t seem real.
• How is Mary’s response like or unlike how some today respond to biblical accounts of Jesus’ resurrection? Why do people look for a reason other than resurrection for the empty tomb?
• From that day until now, many people still have difficulty accepting the fact that a supernatural event occurred. They try to explain the empty tomb by rationalizing that someone took Jesus’ body or He wasn’t actually dead when He was buried. A supernatural event, like resurrection, occurs outside laws of nature.

After Jesus’ death on Friday, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took Jesus’ body to Joseph’s tomb and began to prepare the body for burial (John 19:38-42; see this lesson’s background study on “Jewish Burial Customs in First-Century Israel”). John emphasized the haste with which this took place when he wrote, “since the tomb was nearby” (v. 42). Luke 23:55 emphasized that a group of women from Galilee traveled with Joseph to the tomb, presumably to assist in this process. The second Gospel noted that “Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses” were two of those women (Mark 15:47). Matthew also confirmed that these two women were with them (Matt. 27:61). The Sabbath began at sundown on Friday, and Jesus had only died about three hours before that. In the following three hours, Joseph had to travel to Pilate to request the body of Jesus and Nicodemus had to gather the spices. Apparently, they did not have time to finish the task of anointing the body for burial, so the women decided to return after the Sabbath and complete the job. Since the Sabbath ended at sundown on Saturday, the women naturally waited until sunrise on Sunday, the first day of the week, to return to the tomb. They came early, a time-frame which indicated somewhere between 3:00 and 6:00 in the morning.

John only mentioned Mary Magdalene, but this does not place him in opposition to the other Gospel writers since he did not state that she was the only one who came to the tomb. Indeed, when Mary explained what happened to the apostles, she used the plural, “We don’t know where they have put Him!” Certainly Mary was not the only woman who made her way to the tomb, but she was the central character mentioned by John. The only other place where John mentioned Mary was in John 19:25, where she was listed as one of those who stood beside Jesus at the cross. In another account of the resurrection, Mark mentioned that Mary Magdalene had had seven demons possessing her, and that Jesus had driven out those demons from her (Mark 16:9). Her background and the grace Jesus showed toward her probably helped her remain faithful throughout the remainder of His ministry and death.



As Mary arrived at the tomb, she saw that the stone had been removed from the front of the tomb. Though she saw the stone removed, she did not recognize what had happened. She was puzzled by the sight of the empty tomb. Though the verses don’t mention that she looked inside the tomb, the message she revealed to the disciples makes it clear that she did. She ran to Simon Peter, the one who had denied the Lord, and the one Jesus loved, John’s own self-designation found throughout his Gospel (John 13:23-25; 19:26-27; 21:7, 20-25). Her explanation for the empty tomb revealed that even though she had seen, she did not understand what was happening. She bewilderedly said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb.” Obviously she believed the authorities who were responsible for Jesus’ death, whether Jewish or Roman had removed the body, though she did not indicate what their motive might have been. Some in modern society have suggested that the disciples created a “resurrection hoax,” but the disciples clearly had no aspirations that a resurrection would take place despite Jesus’ earlier predictions that He would die and rise again (Mark 8:31; 9:30-32; Matt. 20:17-19). Mary certainly had seen the empty tomb, but she didn’t recognize what was happening.



Peter and John decided they would go to the tomb and see for themselves what happened. John outran Peter to the tomb. They did not merely take Mary’s word that something had happened. They left what they were doing and ran to the tomb to see if it was empty. Mary’s job as a witness was not to believe for them but to announce the news of the empty tomb. Each person had to come to a realization in his own heart of what had happened on that Sunday morning and why the body of Jesus was nowhere to be found.

II. WHAT WILL CONVINCE YOU? – JOHN 20:5-10

5 Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, yet he did not go in. 6 Then, following him, Simon Peter came also. 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 entered the tomb, saw, and believed. 9 For they still did not understand the Scripture that He must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went home again.


What is the significance of the grave clothes and how they saw them?

• The exact look of these linen clothes is not clear.
• The Bible tells us only that the clothes were lying there. Wrapped (folded up) and placed away from the other clothes was the napkin (the wrapping) that had covered His head.
• One view is that the clothes were still in the shape of Jesus’ body.
• One clear conclusion is that the clothes left behind showed that Jesus’ body was not stolen.
• Thieves would not have taken time to fold the head covering, and they probably would have taken the clothed corpse with them. The clothes left in the tomb show that the exit of the body was not a rushed thing.

In what way did John believe?

• John said that he believed. John is the only one of Jesus’ disciples who believed based on the empty tomb before the appearances of the risen Lord. What was the extent and basis of his belief? Some think it was a full-blown faith that Jesus had been raised from the dead. Other’s think it only meant that he believed Mary’s report to be true. It says that they still did not understand the Scripture that He must rise from the dead. The clothes may have been a factor in his faith since he wrote that he saw and then believed.

How did Peter respond?

• Peter does not seem to have believed at the same time John did. Luke 24:12 tells us that Peter “departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.” Later that day, Jesus appeared to Simon Peter (vv. 33-34). We are not told any details of this meeting, but it must have been wonderful.

How is John representative of those who believe but do not understand?

• John is representative of all who believe but who lack an understanding of what they believe. He believed, but he did not yet understand the scriptural meaning of the resurrection.
• Many people get excited when they hear that something unusual has happened and they want to check it out for themselves.
• When some people learn that Jesus is alive, they merely return to their homes.
• Learning that Jesus is alive should lead to faith and a new life.
• Some people who believe have little understanding of the Bible.

Why do you think Jesus’ disciples were not expecting His resurrection?




Why do some people think they have to understand everything before they will believe?

• Like the disciples, we do not have to understand everything about Jesus before we can believe in Him. We might not be able to explain everything that happened at the resurrection, but we can believe He is alive. The most important evidence we have for the resurrection is the Bible itself. The resurrection was part of the plan of God for His Son. Jesus’ life fulfilled so many prophecies of His birth, His life, His death, and His resurrection. What will convince you of the resurrection? Study the Scriptures and look at the evidence. Did Jesus rise from the dead, and if not, what other explanation would you give for the empty tomb? The disciples didn’t steal the body; they weren’t even expecting a resurrection. The authorities didn’t steal the body, or they would have brought it out to squash the spreading of Christianity. The best explanation is that Jesus rose to fulfill the Scriptures!

What pieces of evidence did John (“the other disciple”) put together to arrive at the belief that Jesus had been resurrected? Would this have been enough to convince you? Explain?

• The way the grave clothes were left behind provided evidence Jesus’ body wasn’t stolen. The linens were left neatly, still shaped as they would have been around His head and torso. The evidence did not suggest a grave robber had hastily snatched His body.

What questions might John still have had about what had happened at the tomb prior to his arrival? What questions do you have about Jesus’ resurrection? How is it possible to believe while you still have questions?

• Just as John may have wondered things like “Where is Jesus now?” or “How could a man who was dead for three days come to life again?” we may struggle with questions. We don’t have to bury our questions or brains.
• Faith trusts before having all answers (Heb. 11:1).

What role did Old Testament Scripture play in corroborating accounts of the resurrection for first-century believers? What role do Old and New Testament passages play in corroborating the truth of the resurrection for us today?

• Although the disciples did not understand initially that the Scriptures pointed to the truth of Jesus’ resurrection, they would in time. In fact, they would use the Scriptures to convince others of the resurrection (Acts 13:35-36).

The evidence for a resurrection began to mount. In addition to an empty tomb, John saw linen cloths lying in the tomb. Those who prepared the body for burial had wrapped these cloths around Jesus’ body as a preparation for the burial. Now not only were these cloths not around His body, but His body was nowhere to be found. For some reason, John did not continue into the tomb. Was he afraid or uncertain? Did he do so in deference to Peter who was older and the acknowledged spokesperson for the group? We’re not told. Using the same word that described Mary, John saw something that he did not fully understand at that moment. He needed more convincing.



Simon Peter took the lead and investigated more closely. He entered the tomb and noticed the same linen cloths that John had seen. He also saw the wrapping that had covered Jesus’ head. In the process of preparation, the face was covered with a napkin-like material that was different from the linen that surrounded the body. The wrapping was not hastily thrown to the side as if a robber had taken the body. Rather, it was folded up in a separate place by itself. None of the evidence of the empty tomb pointed to someone having stolen the body.


As John entered the tomb with Peter, he saw the same evidence. He saw, and believed. This time the Greek word for saw is different. It literally meant to stare at, implying to see with understanding. Both he and Mary Magdalene had seen the empty tomb, but the sight did not yet lead them to believe. As the evidence began to mount for the resurrection, John saw in a way that made him believe. Some have debated to what extent the disciples believed at this point. Throughout Jesus’ ministry many saw the signs of His Lordship but failed to believe (John 6:30; 9:38-41). But John seemed to believe without seeing the resurrected Lord, a quality that Jesus would commend in those who later would believe in Him (20:29). The Scriptures interpreted with the aid of the Holy Spirit have the power to witness to Christ in a way that will inspire faith in the reader. Obviously at this point John did not understand everything about Jesus, but he understood enough to know that the tomb was empty, and he believed. God gave him fuller revelation as he studied the Scriptures and discovered that Jesus would rise from the dead.



The disciples at this point did not yet understand the Scripture that said Jesus must rise from the dead. What Scriptures taught the resurrection of Jesus in the Old Testament? Certainly Isaiah 53:10 is a good starting place. Isaiah said, “Yet the Lord was pleased to crush Him severely. When You make Him a restitution offering, He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, and by His hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished.” Or maybe John intended a verse like Psalm 16:10, “For You will not abandon me to Sheol; You will not allow Your Faithful One to see decay.” Though the disciples may not have seen these texts as describing Jesus’ resurrection in advance, once they encountered the empty tomb and risen Lord, they understood the fullness of meaning in these Old Testament verses.



The Bible provides ample evidence that Jesus was victorious over death and rose from the grave. Most of the disciples questioned until the resurrected Lord appeared to them, but John saw enough he believed in Jesus’ resurrection when he saw the emptiness of the tomb. The text clearly emphasizes that the disciples were not expecting a resurrection, giving further evidence that they did not fabricate the story based upon a misunderstanding of what happened to the body. They believed based upon what they saw that morning and later that night, then understood Old Testament Scriptures more fully.




III. HOW WILL YOU RESPOND TO JESUS? – JOHN 20:11-18

Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord

11 But Mary stood outside facing the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where Jesus’ body had been lying. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them, “and I don’t know where they’ve put Him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not know it was Jesus. 15 “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Supposing He was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you’ve removed Him, tell me where you’ve put Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus said, “Mary.” Turning around, she said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!”—which means “Teacher.” 17 “Don’t cling to Me,” Jesus told her, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brothers and tell them that I am ascending to My Father and your Father—to My God and your God.” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what He had said to her.



Why did Mary return to the tomb? Why was she weeping?

• She went back hoping that someone could tell her where Jesus was. The tomb was the last place she knew Him to have been. She still had no idea that He was alive and that He would soon appear to her.
• She was weeping because her heart was broken by the perceived loss of the One she loved so dearly. She probably grieved also because she would have no last chance to do something for Him.

What convinced Mary that Jesus had been resurrected (as opposed to how John was convinced)? What are different things God uses to convince people today? Why does He use different things with different people?

• Mary believed when she saw Jesus face to face and heard Him speak her name. John believed after seeing the empty tomb and grave clothes.
• Some people respond in faith to the intellectual arguments of apologetics, others to a compelling personal testimony of how God changed another person’s life, and still others to God’s revealing Himself through music, art, or nature. Name even more ways God speaks to us where we are and draws us to Himself.

How did Mary’s response to her situation change multiple times throughout this passage? What made it change? How did Jesus redirect her response in verse 17 and why?

• Mary went from crying, to clinging, to telling about Jesus’ resurrection.
• Jesus redirected her action to going and telling. His message to her seems to indicate there would be a new way of relating to Him now. No longer would His followers relate to Him through the physical senses because His ascension would make that no longer possible.

Mary perhaps arrived back after the two disciples had come and gone from the tomb. She stood outside the tomb crying, translated from a Greek word that indicated tormented wailing often connected with grief. However, her grief was not only over the death of Jesus but the fact that His body was missing. This violated Jewish burial laws and common decency in their society. Like John had done earlier, Mary stooped to look into the tomb. This time she saw more than a missing body and linen cloths. She saw two angels in white. All the Gospels contain the presence of angelic beings at the tomb, though they each have their own distinct memories about those angels. Angels appear in pairs in other places throughout the Bible, and they often appear dressed in white clothing (Acts 1:10). One angel appeared where the head of Jesus had been, and the other appeared where His feet had been. The angels asked a thought-provoking question, “Woman, why are you crying?” If only Mary understood what was happening, she would have had no cause for grief. She grieved because she lacked understanding of the truth. Many people lack the full understanding of the truth that gives them a proper perspective about what God is doing on the earth. How often do we grieve because we cannot see things from God’s perspective?


Mary responded that she wept because “they’ve taken away my Lord … and I don’t know where they’ve put Him.” This response mirrored her earlier explanation to the disciples (John 20:2). She still believed the authorities had taken Jesus’ body. As Mary turned, she saw Jesus standing there, though she did not recognize Him. People have given various explanations of why she did not recognize Jesus. Were her eyes so filled with tears she could not see? Was Jesus so different from the last time she had seen Him after His death on the cross that she didn’t recognize Him? Did Jesus prevent her from seeing and recognizing Him as were the men on the Emmaus road (Luke 24:16)? Did the trauma of the day leave her in shock? In the end, the Bible does not say why she did not recognize Him, but it does indicate she needed clearer understanding of Jesus’ resurrection.


The figure Mary did not recognize asked the same question as the angels, “Why are you crying?” However, He asked a deeper question, “Who is it you are looking for?” The implication is that if she understood who Jesus really was, she would not be looking for Him in the grave. Looking for a living Savior in a cemetery is a contradiction. She wasn’t looking for a living Savior but a body. She wanted to revere Jesus by remaining near the corpse and completing the burial process, just as many today make a pilgrimage to the cemetery to grieve for those they love. The events about to happen would change her worldview. She was about to experience the resurrected Christ.


Mary supposed Jesus was the gardener. Tombs were often in gardens or places of beauty, and caretakers often tended gardens in the early hours. She assumed this unrecognizable figure was there to tend the grounds. Daring to hope this man had removed the body, Mary requested to know where He had placed the body. She offered to take Him away. No doubt she merely wanted to give the body a proper burial and put an end to this situation that grieved her. All it took for her eyes to be opened was one word from Jesus. He revealed His identity by calling her name, “Mary.” As Mary turned and looked at Jesus, she recognized Him, saying, “Rabbouni!” [ra BOO nigh], the word for teacher that had an endearing quality to it. Literally it might be rendered, my dear Rabbi. Finally, Mary began to realize what was happening. Not everyone comes to faith the first time hearing the gospel. We can’t respond appropriately to Jesus until we recognize who He is.



Jesus told Mary not to cling to Him because He had not yet ascended to His Father. The KJV translated these words, “touch me not,” but a simple touch was not what Jesus was prohibiting in the passage. Certainly later Jesus would invite Thomas to touch His hands and His side so that he could believe it was Jesus (John 20:27). Jesus was not preventing actual touch but was asking her not to stay there and cling to Him. She had a job to do before Jesus ascended to His Father. She had to go and tell the disciples that she had seen the risen Lord. A woman became the first person to encounter the risen Lord and to share personally the good news of Jesus with others. The verbs tell the urgency of Jesus for Mary to share the news: don’t cling…go…tell. We too are urged not to keep the joy to ourselves, as we have been given a similar commission as the one Mary received (Matt. 28:19-20). We have to go and tell that we have had an encounter with the risen Jesus. Mary fulfilled her commission well, telling the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!”


What caused your eyes to be opened to who Jesus is?



What do you cling to that keeps you from sharing Christ with others?



The resurrection appearances of Jesus in the New Testament show that just seeing Jesus does not always lead to real faith. Many – like Mary Magdalene – at first see Jesus, but do not have faith until they recognize Him for who He really is. Once this happens, they have the assurance that they have encountered the risen Lord. This in turn leads them to experience joy and to tell the good news to others.



Biblical Truths of This Lesson in Focus

• We must recognize and believe in the risen Lord for our lives to be transformed.
• People may see the same evidence for the resurrection and come to different conclusions, leading one to believe and one to question.
• Not everyone knows what they are looking for; believers can help lost people find what they need.
• The Scriptures powerfully testify that Jesus would die and rise again, and it is our best evidence to the resurrection.
• The events surrounding the resurrection demand that a person respond to Jesus in some way, whether believing or rejecting. One cannot remain neutral.

The resurrection changes everything! What has it changed in your life?

Prayer of Commitment

Lord, help me to see You and truly believe and trust in you as my risen Savior. Make a difference in my life. Totally transform it for Your glory. Amen.

We close out this series on Sunday with our Easter lesson - be in prayer this weekend as you prepare for Easter morning and what it will mean to you.

He's Alive!

See you on Easter!

In His Love,

David & Susan

 

Class Lesson March 24, 2013

Hey Gang,


We continue this week in our new series on “Answering Key Questions.”


Jesus often made statements, told parables, and also used questions to teach spiritual truths and to challenge religious assumptions.This is why some of Jesus' questions angered religious leaders who refused to accept truth over tradition. The next five-week study will explore questions Jesus asked and why getting the answers right is essential to growing in discipleship.

Below is an outline of the lessons in this series:

1. March 3 God’s Word or Tradition? - Matthew 15:1-11, 17-20
2. March 10 Commitment or Lip Service? - Luke 9:20-26, 57-62
3. March 17 Compassionate Action or Indifference? - Luke 10:25-37
4. March 24 Serve or Expect to Be Served? - Luke 22:19-30
5. March 31 Recognize Christ or Worship Another? - John 20:1-18 

What moves you the most about this video?

Who are “the greatest” people you know? How great do others consider you? Is your “greatness” based on the ways of the world or on the amount of service you do for others? How could you become even greater by serving more? 

Life Goal

Live by Jesus’ definition of greatness.

What is Greatness?

Background Passages: Luke 22:1-30

Focal Passages: Luke 22:19-30


What This Lesson Is About:
We live in a culture that defines greatness in terms of possessions and position. It is assumed that a person being served has arrived at some level of importance or greatness. Jesus defined greatness differently – in terms of serving others. A follower of Jesus needs to live by His values; he or she should exemplify a servant’s heart.

True greatness requires humility and a servant’s spirit. Remembering what Jesus did for us should promote these qualities. This lesson focuses on the question, “For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving?” (Luke 22:27).


How This Lesson Can Impact Your Life: This lesson can help you achieve true greatness by living a life of humble service.


Spiritual Preparation through Personal Bible Study

Our society has an upside down picture of greatness. People often judge true greatness by how much money or power a person possesses. As models of greatness, we often choose athletes who have both power and money, but whose lives often are either selfish or immoral. Others point to actors or actresses who have reached the pinnacle of their profession yet are many times consumed with their own little world. Some Christians emphasize humility and teach others that greatness is the opposite of humility. True greatness is not the opposite of humility; pride is the opposite of humility. True greatness is found in serving others and living a life that will last beyond this life.


Luke 22 unfolds Judas’s plot to kill Jesus (vv. 1-6). While Judas plotted to betray Jesus, Jesus prepared His disciples for His death by observing a special Passover meal to celebrate with His disciples (vv. 7-13). When the hour came for the Passover meal to occur, Jesus gathered with the disciples in an upper room and assumed the role of host in the Passover ceremony with His disciples. He explained that He would not drink the wine of this ceremony again until the kingdom of God comes (vv. 14-18). In order for us to redefine greatness, we should begin with the example Jesus gave during the last supper to determine if it is found in serving or being served.

I. TRUE GREATNESS SERVES – LUKE 22:19-23 

19 And He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 In the same way He also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood; it is shed for you. 21 But look, the hand of the one betraying Me is at the table with Me! 22 For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” 23 So they began to argue among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do this thing.



Why do some people think that the only way to please God is to be a doormat – one who rarely stands up for what he believes is right?

• “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” 
• 22 For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” 
• Actively serve people at home, at church, at work. See service as a privilege, not a demotion. Be creative in the ways they choose to serve. Genuinely meet needs while they serve. Stand for convictions but do so with humility. 

Is this what it means to serve?

How was Jesus’ death more than an example to follow? In what ways can you live your life “in remembrance of” Jesus?


What new meaning did Jesus assign to the bread and the wine of the Passover meal? How did this change the Passover thereafter?

• Passover began as an annual celebration to commemorate God’s delivering the Israelites from Egypt during the time of Moses. When the angel of death (tenth plague) killed the firstborn son in every household, he passed over the homes of the Israelites that were marked with the blood of a lamb. God gave instructions for the first Passover meal to be eaten on the night of their deliverance. People ate unleavened bread because they had to leave Egypt quickly; there was no time to wait for yeast to make the dough rise.
• Jesus became the one who delivers. We celebrate and serve in His honor.

The Passover was a regular observance in Jewish life. Why would Jesus establish a regularly recurring event as a means for them to remember His death and resurrection?

• Explore in what sense we might forget. For example, it’s more than losing track of the historical details surrounding Jesus’ death. We can become preoccupied with life’s details and forget that we owe Him our total lives. We can forget how to serve and give our lives.
• 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20 reminds us, “You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.” We belong to Jesus based on the sacrifice He made to purchase our freedom. So every day of our lives should be about seeking to honor Him with our activities and decisions. Whether we’re working, worshiping, interacting with friends and family, relaxing, shopping, driving, eating, or exercising—everything we do should aim at pleasing Him.

We want to be served well. We complain when those assigned to serve us don’t give us the kind of service we expect. But how well do we serve others? Life is not about being powerful enough to command excellent service; it’s about being humble enough to give loving service (Luke 22:1-30).


Lasting lessons:

1. Christians are to observe the Lord’s Supper as the Lord Jesus commanded.
2. The Supper is a church ordinance, not a saving sacrament.
3. The Lord’s Supper reminds believers of Jesus’ suffering and death for their sins.
4. Sometimes believers are shocked by the actions they are capable of committing as believers. Sometimes believers deny they could be capable of such actions.

Jesus embodied true greatness. He exhibited humility and a servant’s spirit throughout His earthly lifetime, continuing those qualities during the final week as He prepared to go to the cross. As Jesus gathered with His disciples to celebrate the Passover, He reinterpreted the great Jewish feast in light of His impending death. Originally, Passover represented the remembrance of how God had led His people out of slavery in Egypt and spared them when they applied blood to the doorposts of their home to prevent each family’s eldest son from dying in the final plague (Ex. 12:1-20). After the event, the Lord commanded the Israelites to celebrate the Passover feast to ensure that future generations would remember the event (Ex. 12:12-28; Lev. 23:5-8).

One of the focal points of the Passover celebration was the breaking of bread. The Israelites had eaten unleavened bread because of their rapid departure from Egypt. They could not wait for the bread to rise because of the haste in leaving Egypt. Throughout the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was the entire week following the Passover celebration, the people were to eat only unleavened bread in remembrance of how God delivered them from slavery. Those who did not were subject to either banishment or the death penalty.


Jesus reinterpreted the bread as He gave thanks and broke it. During the Passover ceremony, He declared of the bread, “This is My body.” Throughout Christian history the interpretation of these words has created much controversy. The Roman Catholic Church interpreted these words literally, meaning that the bread literally became the body of Jesus through a mystical transformation during the ceremony. The Protestant church interpreted the words as metaphorical, meaning that it was symbolic of Jesus’ body. This type of saying was not without precedent in Jesus’ teaching ministry. He had said, “I am the door” (John 10:9), and He used it metaphorically instead of literally. Jesus emphasized that His body was “given for you,” a reference that anticipates Calvary, when Jesus would give His life on a cross as a vicarious sacrifice. Jesus’ death was more than an example, but it certainly demonstrated a servant’s heart to all who would follow Him.


The Passover celebration included four cups of wine. Two of the cups came after the meal. Jesus used one of the cups to continue explaining His death. He called the cup “the new covenant established by My blood.” If Passover reminded the people of the covenant God had made with Moses and the Israelites in Egypt, then Jesus’ death established the new covenant predicted by Jeremiah (Jer. 31:31-34). People would no longer have to recall Egypt and Sinai for examples of redemption. They would no longer have a Day of Atonement and His followers would no longer celebrate Passover in the same way. All eyes would be on His death on the cross, and His blood became the blood of the ultimate Passover Lamb.


Jesus proclaimed His blood was “shed for you.” Again, this emphasized Jesus’ substitutionary death on behalf of sinners. He died their death and spilled His blood to cover their sin. Jesus’ death not only made salvation possible for the sinner, but it set an example to those who had trusted Him. His self-giving approach to life was the attitude He expected in His followers (Matt. 16:25). Jesus modeled greatness by humbling Himself and serving others. Without His sacrifice, they would have had no hope for eternal life, yet Jesus made it possible through His death on the cross. Whoever believed and trusted in Him would have eternal life (John 3:16). Certainly His death was more than a positive example, it was necessary to provide atonement for sin. However, in doing so Jesus provided the ultimate example of selflessness and humility.

Unfortunately, not all of Jesus’ disciples had the same attitude of humility. Jesus announced that “the hand of the one betraying Me” was seated with them “at the table.” Since He had not identified the betrayer yet, the disciples began to argue among themselves about who could do such a deed. Certainly Judas’s attitude was far from humble. He betrayed Jesus because he was greedy. John said Judas stole money from the treasury that he kept for Jesus (John 12:6). Jesus previously had called Judas “the Devil,” indicating he had a heart filled with pride and self-interest, just as Satan did when he rebelled against God (6:70). But Judas, even though his heart was filled with pride and selfishness, was not running the show. Jesus had to die. God had determined Jesus would go away, referring to His death. Jesus’ death fulfilled a God’s plan and purpose, and Judas’ greed led the disciple to betray Him. Because of Judas’s role in the plot, Jesus pronounced a woe on the one who betrayed Him.


The disciples showed little humility as well, not following the example of their Savior who was about to die on the cross for their sin. They argued about which one of them could do such a deed. Deep down, they surely had to know the potential for betrayal rested in each one of them. In fact, the only disciple mentioned at the cross was John (19:25-27). King David had experienced this kind of tragic betrayal from his own family, and he wrote, “Even my friend in whom I trusted, one who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me” (Ps. 41:9). Apparently the disciples began to look at each other with suspicion, as if they would never have it in them to betray Jesus. They should have looked at the humility of Christ who served them the supper.










II. JESUS SHOWS HOW TO SERVE – LUKE 22:24-27 
The Dispute over Greatness

24 Then a dispute also arose among them about who should be considered the greatest. 25 But He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles dominate them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ 26 But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you must become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving. 27 For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn’t it the one at the table? But I am among you as the One who serves. 

In what ways are you seeking humble service rather than greatness and recognition in your life?



What do you suppose were the roots of the disciples’ dispute? Where do we get our ideas of greatness? Which ideas really work? Why?

• Explore what makes a person great in our culture versus what makes a person great in the kingdom of God. Include that God knows real greatness; others are just counterfeits.
• OPTION: Take this question further by discussing whether it is wrong to achieve notoriety, acclaim, and influence. When and how might these enable us to be salt and light in a world that needs the love of Christ?

What comparisons did Jesus make to show how kingdom values differ from worldly values? What’s the paradox (seeming contradiction) in kingdom values?

• Kings of the Gentiles dominate them to help. In Christ’s kingdom, the great ones are not those who dominate and relate from a position of superiority.
• Key Word, like the youngest to explain the difference in the way youth was viewed.
• Additional comparisons can be seen in leader versus servant (v. 26b) and one being served a meal versus the one serving (v. 27).
• The paradox of Jesus’ teaching is the one who seems inferior—the youngest or the one serving—is actually the greatest. Explore why.

In what situations does it make you feel great to serve? When is it hard to be the servant?

• It’s easy to serve those we know will reciprocate.
• It becomes more difficult to humble ourselves and serve those with what we perceive as lower status, those who seem undeserving, those who won’t reciprocate, and those who hate us.
• Jesus didn’t say we could pick when to serve.

Lasting Lessons:

1. By earthly standards the greatest people are those with power and prestige.
2. God sent Jesus to live and die humble, self-giving love.
3. Christ’s followers are tempted to adopt the world’s definition of greatness.
4. Christ calls us to follow His example of humble service.
5. Following the world’s way leads to envy and strife.

 


III. STAND BY THE LOVELY – LUKE 22:28-30 
28 You are the ones who stood by Me in My trials. 29 I bestow on you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one on Me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom. And you will sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

 

What challenges are testing your faithfulness to God at this time?




How did Jesus demonstrate He was “among you as the One who serves”? What character choices does it take to be a great servant?

• Look at 13:3-17, but also think of other ways Jesus served during His three-year ministry. Consider how He might have conducted His ministry differently if He had been seeking greatness for Himself.
• Think about character that serves by referencing Galatians 5:13-18; Philippians 2:1-4. What does this passage say to Christ followers who serve faithfully and humbly with little recognition or reward throughout their lives and sometimes wonder, “Is it worth it?” How does James 4:10 and Philippians 2:5-11 help?
• We can either humble ourselves and serve as God commands or remain proud and let God humble us. Explore why service matters.

Lasting Lessons:

1. Jesus has a kingdom, the future of which will be wonderful.
2. Faithfulness in service to Jesus does not go unrewarded; Jesus rewards those who are faithful to Him.
3. All believers need to submit to Christ’s rule in all areas of their lives.
4. All believers need to adopt a kingdom perspective.

On His last night with the 12 disciples, Jesus focused attention on the word greatest. His reason for doing so was because the disciples had misused the word to describe the ambition of each of them to be the greatest of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus totally redefined this word to make it fit who and what God considers great and greatest. True greatness is measured by humble service to others.



LIVE IT OUT


What does it take for us to become persons who, like Jesus, live to serve? What’s your next step to become a servant for the kingdom of God?

• It may begin with recognizing we’ve been living to serve ourselves or choosing humility (being teachable). It may involve looking outside our own affairs to see the needs of others and actually help. It may mean starting every day with, “Lord, show me how I can serve someone today in your name.”

Biblical Truths of This Lesson in Focus

• The world has a different definition of greatness than Jesus taught.
• The world values power and authority; Jesus values service.
• The Lord’s Supper retells the story of Jesus’ humility and service, when He gave His life for our sin.
• People in our world value recognition and honor, but Jesus desires humble service.
• Jesus will reward those who have a kingdom perspective instead of a worldly perspective.

Ask God to teach you to live a life of true greatness in humble service.


Concept Study: Jesus as “the One Who Serves” (v. 27)

Paul encouraged Christians to have the same attitude of Jesus in Philippians 2:5-11. This included a life that put others’ interests ahead of one’s own interests. Jesus did not hold to His place in heaven but came to earth, humbling Himself as a servant. He took on human form and obeyed the Father, even to death on a cross. Because He lived a life of humility, God exalted Him by giving Him a name above every name that all people would one day revere.



As we live our lives, serving is more important than being served. God sees every act of humble service, and He will certainly reward those who have lived lives like Jesus.



Jesus promised to give the apostles rights and privileges as leaders in His kingdom. They had adopted kingdom perspectives to order their lives. Jesus would build His kingdom of such people. He called His disciples “the ones who stood by Me in My trials.” The disciples had remained with Jesus in spite of plots by religious leaders against His life. They had seen the fickleness of the crowds yet remained with Him. Jesus had no place to call His home (Luke 9:58), and He certainly endured temptations from Satan both in the wilderness and throughout His earthly ministry. The disciples had adopted kingdom perspectives instead of worldly ones. They invested in His kingdom rather than trying to build their own. Those who want to be served are more interested in their own kingdoms. Those who serve are more interested in His kingdom.



Because the disciples stood by Jesus in His trials, He said He would bestow on them a kingdom. To bestow something meant to make a covenant with someone. These words reminded the disciples of Jesus’ words in Luke 22:20, where Jesus spoke of the cup in terms of “the new covenant established by My blood.” The idea (with a different Greek word) appears in Luke 12:32 for the Father making covenant with His people to give them the kingdom. In this case, Jesus makes the covenant and confers the kingdom. Jesus offered to us the same kingdom that the Father had given to Him.



As the disciples embraced kingdom perspectives, Jesus allowed them to participate in the kingdom of God, which had present and future implications. At certain points, the kingdom of God seemed to be present. In John the Baptist’s preaching, the prophet said, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” (Matt. 3:2). Jesus repeated the phrase in His preaching ministry (4:17). When Jesus drove out demons, He explained His actions with the words, “If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you” (Luke 11:20). When asked when the kingdom would come, Jesus answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable; no one will say ‘Look here!’ or ‘There!’ For you see, the kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:20-21). Certainly the kingdom had present aspects.



The kingdom also had elements that awaited the future. In Acts 1:6-8, His disciples asked the risen Lord when He would restore the kingdom of Israel. He answered that they did not need “to know the times or periods that the Father has set” (Acts 1:7). Paul encouraged the churches in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch that they had “to pass through many troubles” before entering the kingdom of God (14:22). Obviously they had experienced salvation and saw the kingdom of God breaking into their world, but something of the kingdom awaited a future fulfillment.



Theologians have labeled the tension between the present and future aspects of the kingdom of God as already but not yet. We begin to experience the kingdom of God when we begin to follow Jesus, but some aspects of salvation await a future fulfillment. Every time we see a lost person receive Christ, we witness the coming of the kingdom. Every time we see a prayer answered or a sick person healed, we see elements of God’s kingdom at work. However, we do not see it in full like we will in the day when there are no lost people or sick people. In heaven, we will experience the fullness of God’s kingdom without an environment inclined toward sin and trial.



Jesus described two future rewards for living with kingdom perspectives on earth. First, He mentioned that the faithful would eat and drink at His table in His kingdom. Jesus had promised that He would not eat the bread and drink the cup again until He did so in the kingdom of God (Luke 22:16-18). Obviously Jesus believed that an interval of time would pass between His impending death and the future establishment of the fullness of His kingdom. Jesus referred to banquets in His parables (Matt. 22:1-14; Luke 14:7-24). This led to the proclamation, “The one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God is blessed!” (Luke 14:15). John used the same imagery to describe his heavenly vision of the end in Revelation 19:6-10 to describe the marriage feast between Jesus and His bride—the church. Faithfulness in service on earth would not go unrewarded in heaven, and the marriage banquet was part of that reward.



A second reward for living with kingdom perspectives involved a responsibility in heaven. Jesus said that those who belong to His kingdom would sit on thrones. In 2 Timothy 2:11-13, Paul quoted a saying that included the words, “For if we have died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him.” In Revelation 5:10, John heard the song of the 24 elders that said of the redeemed, “You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.” In Matthew 19:28, Jesus had previously taught the disciples that in the “Messianic Age” they would “sit on 12 thrones” representing the new Israel by ruling over the “12 tribes of Israel.” They had endured opposition and proven themselves faithful, and they had a work to do in Jesus’ kingdom. He reiterated these points again in Luke 22:30.



Identify areas in your life that you need to submit to Christ’s rule at this time.

Prayer of Commitment

Lord, help me to be great by Your standards. Help me to be more of a servant. Amen.

Be in prayer this week for how God might be changing the way you see service and greatness played out in your life.

See you on Sunday!

God Bless,

David & Susan