Sabbath School Lesson for November 16-22, 2024
Overview and Introduction of Lesson 8, Fulfilling Old Testament Prophecies
Memory Text: ” ‘But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish–the very works that I do–bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.’ ” John 5:36 NKJV
Christianity today has spread globally further than was ever thought possible. And yet, we are amazed that during His earthly existence, Jesus was not recognized as the Messiah by most of the Jews. Despite the fact that His own people had been gifted with many Messianic prophecies in the Scriptures, most did not recognize His divine nature and mission.
As the memory text points out, the greatest testimony of who Jesus was came directly from His Father through Old Testament prophecies. Jesus often pointed out those references to His own life and ministry. But, their preconceived ideas and hardened hearts made it difficult to recognize that the Messiah had finally arrived and was standing in their midst, preaching and performing miracles.
The odds of one man fulfilling hundreds of Old Testament predictions of the Messiah are astronomical. And yet, Jesus was the embodiment of them all, and was not hesitant to point this out when given the opportunity.
Looking at Old Testament prophecies, we examine…
- Sunday: Signs, Works, and Wonders–Why weren’t they enough?
- Monday: The Authoritative Role of Scriptures–How important are the Scriptures for us today?
- Tuesday: Old Testament Prophecies of Jesus, Part 1–Why were the prophecies not believed?
- Wednesday: Old Testament Prophecies of Jess, Part 2–Why don’t we believe them?
- Thursday: From Beneath–What kind of spiritual forces are we up against?
Sunday: Signs, Works, and Wonders
A mere declaration of someone saying they are the Savior of the world would not be enough to convince most people. Jesus had to include signs, works, and wonders, in order to substantiate His claims of divinity. And yet, many still questioned His authority and refused to believe who He was.
Turning water into wine (Exodus 7:17), cleansing the temple (Psalm 69:9), and being anointed by Mary’s fragrant gift (Daniel 9:24) were just a few of the many signs that p0inted to who He was.
His earthly mission was full of good works–making the blind to see and the deaf to hear, cleansing lepers and making the lame walk. These physical conditions were symbolic of the spiritual sicknesses so rampant at the time. He did these things, of course, to improve the lives of poor, marginalized people, but also to remind us of our weak spiritual condition.
Two of His most incredible signs and wonders are thought to be when He fed the multitude and raised the dead–especially, Lazarus, who had been dead several days. These events were beyond anything done by any prophet, true or false, before or since.
Bible Verses:
John 5:17, 20, 36
- How were the Father and the Son working together to save mankind?
John 5:37-38
- Why didn’t more people accept Him as the Messiah?
- What would it take for them to believe?
Monday: The Authoritative Role of Scripture
John, in his Gospel, makes a concerted effort to draw our attention to the prophetic Scriptures that we know as the Old Testament. Early in Christ’s ministry, Philip found his friend Nathanael, saying to him: “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets wrote” (John 1:45).
Many episodes in the Old Testament story might seem a bit confusing to us today, but John helps us understand their deeper meaning. For instance, Jesus spoke to Nicodemus one night and pointed out that ” ‘As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up’ ” (John 3:14), indicating the saving, healing nature of the cross of Christ being lifted up at Mount Calvary. See this story about Moses in Numbers 21:5-9.
John wasn’t hesitant to allude to the Old Testament in the closing scenes of Christ’s life either–the betrayal of Judas and all the details of His trial and execution, such as thirsting while on the cross, and not having His bones broken. It seems ludicrous for us to ignore so many fulfillments of prophecy and deny that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah.
Bible Verses:
John 5:39-40, 46-47
- How did Jesus feel about the authority of Scriptures?
John 13:18, 17:12, and 19:24, 28, 36
- What do these verses tell us about how important the Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are for our faith even today?
Tuesday: Old Testament Prophecies of Jesus, Part 1
The Jews were well-established in the Scriptures. The authoritative nature of God’s word was never questioned. But, as they endeavored to follow its teachings, adding rules and rituals of their own, it had lost its ability to bring love and conviction into the heart. The meaning of its types and symbols were lost, causing many to deny the Messiah and even to call for His death.
It was much the same for the disciples. Only after their Master’s death and resurrection were they able to see the many prophetic fulfillments His life embodied (John 2:22 and 20:9). Despite all the times Jesus pointed out Scriptural references that spoke about who He was and what would happen to Him, they appeared almost clueless about what appeared to be His untimely death.
Of course, looking back, we have the advantage of pondering how Jesus’ life matched the Old Testament prophecies. John the Baptist was truly “a voice crying in the wilderness” (Isaiah 40:3), the cleansing of the sanctuary was an expression of zeal for His house (Psalm 69:9), and the many details of His crucifixion are much clearer for us to see today, as we match them with Old Testament verses.
Bible Verses:
John 1:23 and Isaiah 40:3
- How did John the Baptist fit this description?
John 2:16-17 and Psalm 69:9
- Why did Jesus turn over the tables in the sanctuary? How was He offended by the moneychangers’ presence there, and why were His actions appropriate?
John 7:38 and Jeremiah 2:13
- How can we become fountains of living water?
John 19:36 and Numbers 9:12
- How was this another prediction about the Messiah that came true?
Wednesday: Old Testament Prophecies of Jesus, Part 2
The odds are against one man fulfilling even a few of the hundreds of Old Testament prophecies. And yet, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection encompassed them all.
Therefore, we need the Old Testament to have a robust understanding of who Jesus Christ was. Jesus Himself told us that the Scriptures told of Him (John 5:39). The only Scriptures available back then were those of the Old Testament, so we must include the writings of Moses and the prophets in our Bible study, if we are going to feel confident in our search for salvation and not miss anything about His character and mission.
The triumphal entry of Christ on a donkey with crowds waving palm branches (Psalm 118:26 and Zechariah 9:9), eating bread at the Passover meal with His betrayer (Psalm 41:9), and the people looking at Him as He was pierced on the cross (Zechariah 12:10 and 13:6) were all mentioned in Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. How fortunate we are to have them available to us today.
Bible Verses:
John 5:39
- Why is it important to know the Old Testament?
John 12:13-15, Psalm 118:25-26, and Zechariah 9:9
- Why were people shouting His praises on this occasion?
- Why was a donkey the chosen animal for His entry into Jerusalem?
John 13:18 and Psalm 41:9
- What is significant about His betrayer being present at this meal?
John 19:37 and Zechariah 12:10, 13:6
- Why do you think John mentioned this detail about Jesus’ death?
Thursday: From Beneath
There were many in the Jewish nation who, not only did not believe Jesus was the Messiah, but worked actively as His enemies during His ministry. He repeatedly tried to point out their errors, when they tried to bring Him down.
Jesus even went so far as to say they were “from beneath” (John 8:23). In other words, they were honoring God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him (Isaiah 29:13). They were following their own commandments, making their worship of the Creator all in vain (Mark 7:7). They were, in fact, pleasing the powers of darkness from below rather than God.
Jesus’ patient, persevering efforts to warn them did not go unheeded by all the Jews, however. Thankfully, we are told that many did turn their lives around and began to believe in the Lord, despite the bad example of their leaders (John 8:30).
Bible Verses:
John 8:12-30
- Why does knowing the Father make it easier to recognize His Son (v. 19)?
- How can we be sure we are following God in the way we should–not just with our words?
Friday: Final Thoughts
Things often looked mighty hopeless during Christ’s time on earth. Jesus struggled to get the message of salvation out to people who were in desperate need of hope and love. He was constantly questioned and denounced by those who had the most reason not to do so–the religious leaders.
Especially after His crucifixion, one can’t blame the disciples for feeling downcast and forsaken by their Master who was no longer with them. But we can find solace in knowing that there were many who did believe in who He was (John 8:30).
After His resurrection, those believers did not remain silent, even though they also received persecution and resistance, along with the disciples. This should encourage us now and give us strength to follow their example, and carry the truth to every corner of the globe.
We are not alone in our struggles. His Holy Spirit is promised to us. Let’s not let any success we may have, however, cause us to trust in our human plans and methods. “Like the disciples, we are in danger of losing sight of our dependence on God, and seeking to make a savior of our activity.” Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 362
Next Week: The Source of Life
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