THE LORD OF THE SABBATH

“ ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath’ " (Mark 2:27, 28, NKJV).

The seventh-day Sabbath, in every way, points us to Jesus, our Creator and our Redeemer.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:1–13).

That is, Jesus as Creator and Jesus as Redeemer.

THE SABBATH IN GENESIS

Genesis 2: ¹ Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. ² By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

How many times the phrase “the seventh day” is repeated in Genesis 2:1–3. What possible significance does that repetition have?

The special blessing is for the seventh day and no other…With the creation of the seventh-day Sabbath, God ended His creative work. He took the seven days of time and crafted them into a week….Thus, God demonstrates His manifold power over not just space and the things of space but over time, as well.

How important, then, that we learn to trust the Lord with the little amount of time we have here on earth…How well do you use your time? What things occupy your time? How might you use your time, the little bit you have here, better? 

 

THE SABBATH IN EXODUS

Exodus 20: ⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

 

THE SABBATH IN DEUTERONOMY

Deuteronomy 5: ¹² “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. ¹³ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁴ but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. ¹⁵ Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

The Sabbath, on a purely practical level, offered servants some protection from the master who would work them nonstop—a protection built right into a commandment that had its origins in Creation itself.

Thus, as first conceived, the Sabbath was a symbol of Creation; after sin, it came to be a symbol of both Creation and Redemption, which is itself a type of re-creation…Both versions of the commandment show that the seventh-day Sabbath is the symbol of the work of Jesus, our Creator and our Redeemer.

^{John 1: 10} He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him…¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

 

JESUS AND HIS SABBATH 1

Matt.12: ⁷ If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’^[a] you would not have condemned the innocent.

Properly kept, the Sabbath allows us more opportunity to show kindness and mercy to those in need than would other days of the week when we are forced to earn a living…The Sabbath had become law without love, which is harsh legalism. This is what Jesus was fighting against by His Sabbath healing.

 

JESUS AND HIS SABBATH 2

Jesus, through His Sabbath miracles, demonstrated what the Sabbath is really about. It is a day for healing and restoration. Jesus intended for the Sabbath to call to mind God’s creative power. Thus, the Sabbath is the day when He frees the captives (Luke 4:31–37), makes the lame walk (Luke 13:10–17, John 5:1–9), and restores sight to the blind (John 9).

For Jesus, the Sabbath was more about people than about rules, which is no doubt partly why He made His famous statement about the Sabbath being made for humankind and not humankind for the Sabbath.

After He cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), that is, after His work of Redemption (prior to His heavenly intercession) was done, what does Jesus do? He rested on the seventh day. Sound familiar? Where have we already seen that? Of course, in Genesis 2:1–3. After God’s work of creation, He rested on the seventh day. Now, after His work of Redemption, He does the same thing.


FURTHER STUDY
“Should God forbid the sun to perform its office upon the Sabbath, cut off its genial rays from warming the earth and nourishing vegetation?… “In such a case, men would miss the fruits of the earth, and the blessings that make life desirable…He will not be held guiltless who neglects to relieve suffering on the Sabbath. God’s holy rest day was made for man, and acts of mercy are in perfect harmony with its intent. God does not desire His creatures to suffer an hour’s pain that may be relieved upon the Sabbath or any other day.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 206, 207
  
Examine more…this idea that God rested after His work of Creation and His work of Redemption. How are we to understand the significance of this amazing fact?

The Bible reveals the Lord as the Lord of the seventh-day Sabbath, the most basic sign of Him as Creator and Redeemer.

The Experiential version from the Collegiate Quarterly www.cqbiblestudy.org

INTRODUCTIION: WHY DO WE REMEMBER?

Ex.20: ⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

…this day, which is more than just another day of the week, holds God’s own holy imprint, and that it is a sign and a reminder of not only His creative and sanctifying power, but also of His Lordship and His goodness to humanity.

Afia Birago Donkor, Ontario, Canada

 

LOGOS: THE LORD OF THE SABBATH

Mark 2:23-28

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

Mark 2: ²³ One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. ²⁴ The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

 ²⁵ He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? ²⁶ In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”

 ²⁷ Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. ²⁸ So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Why was it permissible for David and his companions to eat the shewbread, when by God’s command only the priests were to eat it? Presumably, it was permissible because they were hungry, and eating the shewbread was their only option to satisfy that hunger. In such a case, human need was more important than religious form (the sacred­ness of the shewbread). In the same way, Jesus’ disciples were not at fault because they, too, were in need of food, and picking heads of grain from a field was lawful. The fact that they were doing it on the Sabbath didn’t make any difference.

With such laws, Jews must have constantly worried if even the simplest activities on the Sabbath were violations of the commandment. With such a mind-set, there must have been very little opportunity for enjoying the Sabbath.

God created humans to need rest, to need spiritual rejuvenation, and He created the Sabbath to meet that need. It’s not as if God needed His Sabbath to be kept, and so created humans to meet that need.

Ellen White encouraged the church to read and to put into practice Isaiah 58, which reminds us that God is displeased when we put the forms of religion before people in need.

Yes, Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. This is great news. He alone deter­mines what the purpose of the Sabbath is, and He has determined that it should be a blessing and a delight to humans (Isa. 58:13).

Are you blessed by the Sabbath each week, or has it become a burden to you? If it is a blessing, how can you share that blessing with others?

Luke Self, Overland Park, Kansas, U.S.A.

 

TESTIMONY: DELIGHTING IN THE SABBATH

^{Gen.1: 31} God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

“There was joy at the institution of the Sabbath. God looked with satis­faction upon the work of His hands. All things that He had made He pro­nounced ‘very good.’ ”1 “Because He had rested upon the Sabbath, ‘God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it,’—set it apart to a holy use. He gave it to Adam as a day of rest.” The Desire of Ages, p. 281.

“Because the Sabbath was made for man, it is the Lord’s day. It be­longs to Christ.  For ‘all things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.’ John 1:3. Since He made all things, He made the Sabbath.  By Him it was set apart as a memorial of the work of creation. It points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier. . . .To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. . . . And every object in nature repeats His invitation, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.’ ” The Desire of Ages, pp. 288, 289.

Compiled by Kimi-Roux James, Westbury, New York, U.S.A.

 

EVIDENCE: THE SABBATH: TOUCHING THE FACE OF GOD

Genesis 2: ¹ Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. ² By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

During the French Revolution, Napoleon and his supporters wanted to abolish all vestiges of Christianity, which included the seven-day weekly cycle. So they created a new calendar named the French Revolutionary Calendar or the French Republican Calendar, which was used for about 12 years from late 1793. Eventually this “calendar was abolished because having a ten-day work week gave workers less rest (one day off every ten instead of one day off every seven).”

Nature testifies to an infinite, eternal, omnipotent, omni­scient, living, personal God, who cares so much for His human creation that He set aside an entire day so they could rest. Our need to rest is paramount to our survival, especially now because of the effects of sin. Without the rest God affords us on the Sabbath, we’d fall apart physically, psychologically, and spiritually. This is the work of the Master Designer who knew what we would need before He created us. Thus in the Sabbath we get a glimpse of a loving God who gave us a special time not only to rest, but to commune with Him in special ways and to commemorate His creation.

During the Sabbath, God invites us to touch Him.

Have you considered what it would be like for you to be on the go all the time?

Sammy R. Browne, Westbury, New York, U.S.A.

 

HOW TO:    HANDLING THE SABBATH WITH CARE

Make sure you know the Artist...If you don’t know the Maker of the Sabbath, it’s hard to treasure the gift of the Sabbath.

  

Be purposeful in how you keep the Sabbath…Choose activities that will reap rich spiritual dividends, such as in-depth Bible study, special prayer time, na­ture walks, or being of service to someone.

Plan for the Sabbath throughout the week…The Sabbath was made for humanity because God knew how much we would need time with Him. Handling the Sabbath with care may take thought and effort, but the rewards of a deepened relationship with God that the Sabbath gives us are endless.

Julie Cook, Altamonte Springs, Florida, U.S.A.

OPINION:    THE SON OF MAN IS IN CHARGE OF THE SABBATH

The Sabbath is a special day given to us as both a privilege and a command…It’s a day in which we can find rest both mentally and physi­cally, which helps us to be ready for the six days of work that will follow. Faithfully keeping the Sabbath helps us to appreciate being able to rest from all our toil and cares.

Whenever we as humans begin to focus on the actual Sabbath day more than on the Lord of the Sabbath, we are departing from the heart of His command.

They were more concerned about a law being bro­ken rather than the comfort and well-being of people…The Son of Man is in charge of the Sabbath; thus He focuses more on the hearts of His people rather than on rituals.

Michelle Bobb-Semple, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

 

EXPLORATION:    PRACTICING HIS PRESENCE

^{Isaiah 66: 23} From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the LORD.

Matt.12: ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

^{Mark 2: 27} Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

“It [the Sabbath] was designed to keep the living God ever before the minds of men as the source of being and the object of reverence and wor­ship.” Chris Blake, Searching for a God to Love, chap. 8, “I Got No Time for God.”

When the Sabbath is all God planned it to be, we’ll begin to sense His presence more fully and experience a relationship with Him that will continue throughout eternity.

Renee Coffee, Gobles, Michigan, U.S.A.

 

GOD THE LAWGIVER. “For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us" (Isaiah 33:22, NKJV).
God’s law is an inseparable part of the whole Bible, Old and New Testament. It is also an expression of His love. And so, when we love, we reveal the fullness and beauty of God’s law.

When we understand God’s law as a hedge, a protection, something created for us, for our own good, then we come to understand more about what God is like.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

A LOVE AS TOUGH AS THE DESERT. Ex.16: ²⁹ Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” ³⁰ So the people rested on the seventh day.

Similarly, what kind of God would we have if, after creating us and claim­ing to love us, gave us no guidelines on how to live our lives?

Thus God, being the loving God that He is, provided a law by which we are to live…It is a law given to us because of His great love for us; and because of that, we regard our keeping of it as being based on our love for Him and for humanity (Luke 18:18–22).

Trufosa Mochache, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

THE LAW AT SINAI. Ex.19: ¹⁸La montagne de Sinaï était tout en fumée, parce que l'Éternel y était descendu au milieu du feu; cette fumée s'élevait comme la fumée d'une fournaise, et toute la montagne tremblait avec violence. ¹⁹Le son de la trompette retentissait de plus en plus fortement. Moïse parlait, et Dieu lui répondait à haute voix.

Hébreux 12: ²¹Et ce spectacle était si terrible que Moïse dit: Je suis épouvanté et tout tremblant!

“For as God’s great rule of right was presented before them, they realized as never before the offensive character of sin, and their own guilt in the sight of a holy God. They shrank away from the mountain in fear and awe.”—Ellen G. White
It was right after the giving of the law that they were given instructions to build the sanctuary, which revealed to them the plan of salvation. The law was to point people to the Cross, to their need of atonement and Redemption. No wonder, then, that they trembled before the law, because the law showed them just how sinful and fallen they were.

Psalm 119: ⁶ Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.

The problem is not with God’s law; the problem is with sinners who have violated the law, as we all have done. Paul is showing how the law is inseparably tied to the gospel, that the law is what shows us just how sinful and fallen we are.

THE DAY A MOUNTAIN DANCED. Ex.19: ⁹ The LORD said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said.

^{Ex.19: 18} Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain^[a] trembled violently.

Prior to descending to meet with His people, God instructed Moses to have them sanctify themselves for two days, and on the third day He would visit them.

“Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever.”

Like the Sinai experience, Christ’s coming will be glorious, literal, visible, audible, and dramatic.

“God’s law is given for two basic reasons—for our joy and protection. The Ten Commandments were not written to restrict our happiness; they free us to enjoy life to the fullest. Obedience is the doorway to happiness.”* The psalmist also discovered that “great peace have those who love Your law, / and nothing causes them to stumble” (Ps. 119:165, NKJV).

T. Makini Mogere, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

THE HOLINESS OF GOD. “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy" (Psalm 99:9).

Scripture gives much attention to God’s holiness. What does this holiness tell us about what God is like and what it means to the plan of salvation?

…we find within the 66 biblical books an extensive recounting of what God is like and how He relates to us as fallen beings whom He longs to redeem.

God s love, Yes. And Yes, God bids us call Him “Father.” And Yes, God is patient, forgiving, and  caring… God’s holiness undergirds His revelation of Himself.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org


HIS HOLY NAME.  “God’s house should be free of corruption, worldliness, politics, pride, ostentation, respect of persons, hate and hypocrisy.”

God’s holiness should prevail in our minds and in our hearts. Psalm 99:5 says, “Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.”

But how can we recognize God’s holiness if our thoughts are on ourselves rather than on Him?



IT IS WRITTEN. Voltaire quipped: “God made man in His image, and man has returned the compliment.” We may not even realize that we have an incomplete or even false understanding of God.

Thus, we must return to Scripture and compare our thinking about God with what is taught there.

^{Jer.7: 3} This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place.

…the phrase “thus says the Lord”… This should remind us that the prophet is not merely speaking for God but that God is speaking for Himself through the prophet.

The whole New Testament corpus finds its theological foundation in the Old. There’s no justification for any radical division between them. All Scripture—both Testaments—is inspired by the Lord (2 Tim. 3:16).

Matthew 4: 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 11: 10 For this is he of whom it is written: ‘ Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’

Mark 7: 6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘ This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

John 12: 14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 15 “ Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
Romans 3: 10 As it is written: “ There is none righteous, no, not one;

1 Peter 1: 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Corinthians 5: 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

2 Timothy 3: 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

GOD’S HOLINESS  DEMONSTRATED. Job 42: ⁵ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. ⁶ Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

He meant for the Sabbath to be holy throughout all of time and eternity. The holiness of the Sabbath points to the holiness of its Creator.

One thing we can admire about Job was his submission to God even after multiple disasters struck him down. After his time of great suffering, he concluded that he needed God to cleanse him from the many sins he had committed unintentionally.

Isaiah was called by God, and when the call came, Isaiah realized how sinful he really was and how unworthy he was to do God’s bidding.

We have no righteousness of our own, and therefore should never boast about our good works; and only God’s righteousness can lead us to see Him clearly. When God calls us to do something for Him, He will help us do what He has asked of us.

John the Baptist was the one who would prepare the way for His coming. Preparing for something special is special in and of itself. It involves total commitment, and in the case of John, it involved total surrender to a holy God and the holy mission God had for him to perform.

“This demon inside the man knew two facts—that Jesus had indeed come to destroy them (and their power) and that Jesus was the Holy One sent from God. All demons, and Satan himself, knew that Jesus was the Messiah. While the people in the synagogue were astounded at Jesus’ teaching and wondered who this man could be, the demon knew.”

Upon Peter there now dawned, perhaps for the first time, a profound sense of his own spirtual need.” And we could well add, a profound sense of the holiness of Jesus.

Job G. Minasalvas, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org



TO BE SET APART. How significant is the fact that the first thing deemed holy in the Bible is time?  

Genesis 2: 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

The seventh day itself is no different from any other 24-hour, sunset-to-sunset period; what makes it different, “holy,” is that God declared it that way. He set it apart from the rest of the week.

The Hebrew word there for “sanctified” means to “make holy” or to “declare holy.” Holiness then implies that something is special about whatever is “holy,” something that sets it apart from what isn’t holy.

God is set apart from anything else in creation. He is transcendently separate, so far above and beyond anything that we can truly grasp. To be holy is to be “other,” to be different in a special way, as with the seventh-day Sabbath.

Exodus 15: 11 “Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Psalm 86: 8 Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord, Nor are there any works like Your works. 9 All nations whom You have made Shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name. 10 For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.

Psalm 99: 1 The LORD reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved! 2 The LORD is great in Zion, And He is high above all the peoples. 3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name—He is holy.
I
saiah 40: 25 “ To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.

God is separate from us, not only because He is the Creator and we are the created but because we are fallen beings. All this should, ideally, help us better understand what Christ has done for us.

Though we are made in the image of God, what are the ways that we differ radically from Him? How do these differences help us understand our need of a Savior?

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org



REALIZING GOD’S HOLY PRESENCE. Moses..(Exod. 3:1–5)… “saw a bush in flames, branches, foliage, and trunk, all burning, yet seeming not to be consumed. He drew near to view the wonderful sight, when a voice from out of the flame called him by name. With trembling lips he answered, ‘Here am I.’..: ‘Put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. . . . I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ It was He who, as the Angel of the covenant, had revealed Himself to the fathers in ages past. ‘And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.’

…all who truly realize His presence will bow in humility before Him, and, like Jacob beholding the vision of God, they will cry out, ‘How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’ ”*

Ellen G. White cited by Connie DeVries, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org



TO REPENT IN DUST AND ASHES. “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5, 6).

^{Ez.1: 28} Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

^{Gen 28: 16} When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

Ex.34:  ⁸ Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.

^{Dan.10: 5} I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. ⁶ His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. ⁸ So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless.

In their own way, these passages hint at the need of a Savior, a Substitute, Someone to bridge the gap between a Holy God and fallen sinful creatures like ourselves. Thanks to the Lord, we have that bridge in Jesus.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org 

THE MESSENGER OF YESTERDAY AND TODAY. Matthieu 11: ¹⁰Car c'est celui dont il est écrit: Voici, j'envoie mon messager devant ta face, Pour préparer ton chemin devant toi.

John did not allow the world to influence him. He wore simple clothes, walked barefoot, and ate only wild food (locust pods and honey). He had no desire for wealth, self-exaltation, or power. Because he was clearly a holy man, many Jewish people in Israel paid attention to what he had to say.

John’s work was a fulfillment of prophecy. As such, he was sent by God specifically to pave the way for Jesus’ ministry and His kingdom. John showed the people the path that leads to the Savior.

As God’s holy people, we also should live a life of simplicity. Our main objective is to show people the path to Jesus Christ and His holiness. We are to help people focus on the Savior, rather than on ourselves. As John said, “He [Jesus Christ] must increase, but I [John] must decrease” (John 3:30).

Justice Love C. Francisco-Diaz, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org



 DEPART FROM ME. Luke 5: ⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” ⁹ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰ and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Peter’s response, though…was much like those of the Old Testament characters who encountered the Lord.

The presence of divinity revealed his own unholiness. Love for his Master, shame for his own unbelief, gratitude for the condescension of Christ, above all, the sense of his uncleanness in the presence of infinite purity, overwhelmed him. While his companions were securing the contents of the net, Peter fell at the Saviour’s feet, exclaiming, ‘Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ ” Ellen G. White

Whenever a human being truly encounters the living God, there is the initial horror of finally seeing the true depth of one’s own sinfulness.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org 



WHOLLY HOLY. In Le­viticus 11:44, God says to the Israelites, “ ‘I am the Lord your God; con­secrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy’ ” (NIV).

Be distinct from the world (1 Peter 2:9). In 1 Peter 2:9, the word peculiar (KJV) means “ ‘a people that belongs to God.’ ”

Be morally pure (Ps. 24:3, 4). Habakkuk 1:13 describes God as having eyes too pure to look upon evil and as being unable to tolerate that which is wrong. Psalm 24:3, 4 explains it well: “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”

Spend quality time with God every day. Holiness comes as the result of our continued day-to-day relationship with God and having faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

Michael John J. Diaz, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org




WHEN DEMONS SPEAK. Luke 4: ³³ In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴ “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”  ³⁵ “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. ³⁶ All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!”

It must be that, so full of sin, even demons fear before the presence of God’s holiness, somewhat in the same manner that sinful humans do.

^{Rev.1: 16} In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. ¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.

Isaih 6: ¹ In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

^{Rev. 4: 8} Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:  “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’^[a] who was, and is, and is to come.”

Though all heaven is involved in the ministry of God’s love and salvation to this world, heavenly beings around the throne of God day and night praise the holiness of God. As sinless beings, they are awed by His holiness, but they don’t hide in fear of it, as do fallen beings.

In all the human encounters of the divine as depicted in Scripture… human beings finally see themselves for who they really are. And that is scary. In Scripture, when people truly encounter the God of heaven…there is abject personal repentance… How different our words, our lives, and our actions would be were we all to live with the constant sense, not only of God’s presence but of His holiness, as well.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

ARE WE DOING THE WILL OF GOD ? Lev.19: ² “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

Being holy is to completely surrender to God’s will. It is walking by faith rather than by sight. It is relying on God with confidence and resting in His love. Living with Him helps us to be holy. “Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14, NKJV).

There are two aspects to holiness: (1) accepting Christ as our personal Savior, and (2) following His example of self-denial. We are His spiritual children, born again and renewed in righ­teousness and true holiness.

Glee-Zeal Regua, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

FURTHER STUDY. As Christ stands before the trafficking crowd in the temple, “the confusion is hushed. The sound of traffic and bargaining has ceased. The silence becomes painful. A sense of awe overpowers the assembly. It is as if they were arraigned before the tribunal of God to answer for their deeds. Looking upon Christ, they behold divinity flash through the garb of humanity. The Majesty of heaven stands as the Judge will stand at the last day . . . with the same power to read the soul. His eye sweeps over the multitude, taking in every individual. His form seems to rise above them in commanding dignity, and a divine light illuminates His countenance. He speaks, and His clear, ringing voice—the same that upon Mount Sinai proclaimed the law that priests and rulers are transgressing—is heard echoing through the arches of the temple: ‘Take these things hence; make not My Father’s house an house of merchandise.’

“Slowly descending the steps, and raising the scourge of cords gathered up on entering the enclosure, He bids the bargaining company depart from the precincts of the temple. With a zeal and severity He has never before manifested, He overthrows the tables of the money-changers. . . . None presume to question His authority. . . . Jesus does not smite them with the whip of cords, but in His hand that simple scourge seems terrible as a flaming sword. Officers of the temple, speculating priests, brokers and cattle traders, with their sheep and oxen, rush from the place, with the one thought of escaping from the condemnation of His presence.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 158.

Given what we have looked at this week, why is it so much easier to see why self-righteousness and self-satisfaction, especially about one’s own spiritual state, is a very dangerous deception?


HOLY, HOLY, HOLY… we must never lose sight of the fact that He is our Creator and we are His creatures.
Céleste Perrino-Walker, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

SUMMARY. It might be much nicer to focus only on God’s love instead of His holiness, but that would be to distort the truth. We need to encounter God's searing holiness until we tremble before Him. Understanding God’s holiness, and our sinfulness in contrast, is crucial to helping us to understand what the atonement is all about, why it is so desperately needed, and why it had to cost so much.  

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

THE GOD OF GRACE AND JUDGMENT. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

God’s judgment is as pervasive in the Bible as is the theme of salvation; in fact, the two teachings are intricately entwined.

^{GOD’S DIVINE COURT. Rom.5: 17} For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

As Christians, it is God’s law that condemns us. We are saved by God’s grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). “Yet being under grace does not give believers the license to ‘continue in sin that grace may abound’ (Rom. 6:1). Rather, grace supplies the power that makes obedi­ence and victory over sin possible.”

“Christ’s death magnified the law, upholding its universal authority. If the Decalogue could have been changed, He would not have had to die. But because this law is absolute and immutable, a death was required to pay the penalty it imposed. This requirement Christ fully satisfied by His death on the cross, making eternal life available to all who accept His magnificent sacrifice.”

…our Father…sends us the Holy Spirit to keep us from sinning and to transform our character.

Seventh-day Adventists Believe, 2nd ed.  Cited by Fernando Ayala, San Miguel, www.ssnet.org

JUDGMENT DAY…judgment is not contrary to salvation or to the gospel. Indeed, both themes are woven together in Scripture from Genesis through Revelation.

Judgment and salvation reflect twin aspects of God’s character: His justice and grace…the New Testament talks more about judgment than does the Old.

Ecc.12:  13Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.

^{Heb.10: 30} For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[a] and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

^{Matt.16: 27} For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

Rev.22: ¹² “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.

^{Matt.12: 36} But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. ³⁷ For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

1 Peter 4: ¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Rev.14: ⁶ Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. ⁷ He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

These are just a small sample of the texts that clearly teach judgment. As noted above, many of the most explicit judgment texts, texts that clearly reveal the reality of divine judgment, or judgments, appear in the New Testament. This fact certainly works against the notion that judgment is somehow contrary to the new-covenant concept of God’s grace, which is also clearly taught in the New Testament. What this should teach us is that however we understand judgment, and however we understand grace, we must understand them as divine truths that work together with each other. To pit one against the other is to misunderstand the fullness of the gospel, which we looked at last week.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

JUDGMENT AND GRACE WORKING TOGETHER. John 3: ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

we see a pattern:  1. Someone commits a sin.  2. God pronounces judgment upon the sinner. 3. God offers grace to the sinner.

“This call is not to be perceived as condemnation but as an invitation to turn back to God and away from Satan and the bondage to sin he has brought into the world. [Here] the Creator presents Himself as Saviour with a call that offers grace.”

If we truly accept His grace, the Holy Spirit will live in our hearts and transform our lives (Gal. 5:16–23). First John 4:17 assures us that “we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world” (NASB).

How awesome it is to believe in a God who provides for our needs even before the need occurs. ..We are sharing His grace when we tell others about His salvation just as we received His grace when we first believed.

Heber David Morán Zeledón, www.ssnet.org

JUDGMENT AND GRACE IN EDEN. Gen.3: ⁹ But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”

Immediately, though, the Lord entered, calling out “Where are you?” This question doesn’t have to be seen as condemnatory; it was more an invitation to come to Him, the One who created and loved them. It was a call to turn away from their deceiver and to return to their Maker.

^{Gen.3: 15} And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring^[a] and hers; he will crush^[b] your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Verse 15 is the first gospel promise. As soon as He declares His judgment against the serpent, He then immediately gives the first message of grace, of redemption, of salvation for humanity. And only then, only after that gospel promise, does He start declaring His judgments against the woman and the man.

Though God must judge and condemn sin, the promise of grace is always there, always present, always available for those who will claim it for themselves.

In what ways might the Lord be saying to you, “Where are you?” What are you doing that, perhaps, is causing you to hide from Him?

Jo Ann Davidson,  Professor of Theology, Andrews University

HE KNOWS YOU BY YOUR NAME. Exo.34: ⁶ And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

“Then those who pierced Him will call on the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath has come, and who shall be able to stand? ‘The wrath of the Lamb’—One who ever showed Himself full of infinite tenderness, patience, and long-suffering, who having given Himself up as the sacrificial victim, was led as a lamb to the slaughter to save sinners from the doom now falling upon them because they would not allow Him to take away their guilt.”

“While Jesus is pleading for the subjects of His grace, Satan accuses them before God as transgressors…

“Jesus does not excuse their sins, but shows their penitence and faith, and, claiming for them forgiveness, He lifts His wounded hands before the Father and the holy angels, saying: I know them by name. I have graven them on the palms of My hands

Ruth Jenniffer Paz Herrera, www.cqbiblestudy.org

GOD AS REDEEMER. ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!’ " Revelation 5:12

The Triune God is not only our Creator, He’s our Redeemer, as well.

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13

Not through works, not through anything we could ever do, but through His grace, manifest at the Cross, can we as sinners be redeemed by the Lord and be “brought near” to Him.

“the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” 1 Cor. 1:18,

AT THE CROSS. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Rom. 5:8

Love, justice and compassion fuse in a singular dynamic act. God forgives sinners by paying in Himself the price of sin and absorbing into His own suffering Self the penalty of that sin.

Modern religious sentimentality often minimizes repugnance toward sin. And because sin doesn’t make us angry anymore, perhaps it becomes harder to realize that sin arouses the wrath of a Holy God.

¹⁸ The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

^{Rom.3: 20} Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

It is precisely because God is love that He opposes sin and evil, for these realities corrupt and destroy His beloved children. The death that God endured on the cross is the price His love pays for taking sin seriously while still loving sinners.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews university, www.ssnet.org

^{RIGHTHEOUSNESS AND LOVE. SAVIOR OF ALL. 1 Peter 1: 18} For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

His Son would die for these first two humans and all who would follow. He would come to earth so we could go to heaven. He would take on a mortal body, so we could be immortal again; and He would walk with sinners, so we could once again walk with angels. He would be hurt, so we could be healed (Isa. 53:5); and He would receive God’s wrath against sin so we could know God’s love. Christ would die so we could live.

At the Cross—between righteousness and love—God, through Christ, chose both so we could be redeemed.

^{Rom.1: 18} The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

^{Rom.16: 20} The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Jesus’ command is to “ ‘make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you’ ” (Matt. 28:19, 20, NIV).

^{Eph.2: 8} For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Saving faith is evi­dent by the good deeds we do for others. A person who is truly saved helps others. Our faith and actions work together.

Jesus was punished for our sins when He died on the cross. Our part is to grasp His sacrifice by faith.

Jesus’ sacrifice is for all people, even the worst of sinners. When we do not preach and live the message of the Cross, we basically invalidate all that Jesus did and is doing for us as our High Priest in heaven.

We must not be afraid to tell anyone and everyone about Jesus and to help all who need help, just as He did. After all, Jesus associated with the rich, the poor, harlots and hypocrites, and Gentiles and Samaritans. He was known as the Friend of sinners because He went where sinners were. He was totally involved.

How are you preparing your heart and mind to bring people to Jesus, the Redeemer who longs to save us all?

Clayton Ferreira, Fernando Monteiro, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

THE GOSPEL IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. Gen.3: ¹⁵ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring^[a] and hers; he will crush^[b] your head, and you will strike his heel.”

We are also assured that this major conflict will not be eternal, for the head of the enemy will one day be crushed. In these verses, not only is the great controversy first revealed, but we also are told how it is going to end.

^{Gen.22: 9} When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”  “Here I am,” he replied.  ¹² “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

What a powerful representation of the sacrificial death of Christ on our behalf.

There, on Mount Moriah, the world has been presented a very powerful picture (but still only a picture) of the plan of salvation and what it cost to redeem fallen humanity from the ruin of sin.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

THE GIFT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING. Eph.1: ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

‘The chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.’ Isaiah 53:5.

God permitted His beloved Son, full of grace and truth, to come from a world of indescribable glory, to a world marred and blighted with sin, darkened with the shadow of death and the curse.

He who had been one with God, felt in His soul the awful separation that sin makes between God and man. . . .Ellen G. White

‘God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son.’ John 3:16.

‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.’ 2 Corinthians 5:19.

God suffered with His Son. In the agony of Gethsemane, the death of Calvary, the heart of Infinite Love paid the price of our redemption. . . . Ellen G. White

“The price paid for our redemption, the infinite sacrifice of our heavenly Father in giving His Son to die for us, should give us exalted conceptions of what we may become through Christ. . . .

‘Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.’ 1 John 3:1.

By assuming human nature, Christ elevates humanity. Fallen men are placed where, through connection with Christ, they may indeed become worthy of the name ‘sons of God.’ Ellen G. White, compiled by Elyssa Nascimento, www.cqbiblestudy.org

SALVATION IN ISAIAH. Isaiah 53 ¹ Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?  ² He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
³ He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. ⁴ Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Though so much exists in this chapter, one point stands out more than anything else, and that is the substitutionary role of the Suffering Servant. Notice all the times that He is paying the price for the sins of others.

The only way to save us was for Jesus to pay the penalty in our stead and then offer us His perfect righteousness, which we claim by faith.

The fact that He did, that it took nothing less than His death in order to make atonement, should be all the proof we need that we cannot earn our salvation. It is, instead, wholly a gift of grace.

^{1 Peter 2: 21} To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ²² “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”^{[a] 23} When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ²⁴ “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” ²⁵ For “you were like sheep going astray,”^[b] but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Using Isaiah 53 as your text, think about the final scenes of Christ’s life. As you do, keep in mind that the person depicted there is our God, our Creator, one part of the Godhead Himself. How do we get our minds around this amazing truth?

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

THE CROSS. He suffered for us so we can one day live without pain.

“The death of the cross was something so cruel that for the ancient Latin people the word crucio became synonymous with suffering. According to historical data, there were four types of crosses: the comissa (T-shaped), decussata (X-shaped), the Greek (+-shaped) and timissa (†-shaped). The last one refers to that which we know traditionally by the various paintings of Christ’s death. Only timissa and the Greek cross allowed the placement of any sign above the head of the condemned, and the Bible says that happened with Jesus (Matt. 27:37). Timissa, being extremely high (4.80 meters), fits well with the characteristics presented in the Gospels.

On the timissa, the convict’s arms were nailed in a V shape, and the victim had to put weight on his nailed feet to breathe better. This caused terrible suffering. The crucified could struggle with death for days. That’s why in Mark 15:44 Pilate marveled that Jesus was already dead.”  Rodrigo Silva, A arqueologia e Jesus, 2007, pp. 260, 264.

While dying on the cross, Jesus’ heart was oppressed by anguish and wounded by sadness. The cause of His suffering was not the fear of death, but the overwhelming weight of the sin of a cruel world that separated Him from the love of His Father. All of this caused Him to experience an earlier than normal death. Only the spotless Son of God could be our Substitute.

João Brito et Estela Pint, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

THE GOSPELS AND THE CROSS. As miraculous as His birth and ministry were, the great mission of Christ’s life was His death.

“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, ³⁴ who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

In fact, in the four Gospel accounts of the Messiah’s life, the events surrounding and including the crucifixion carry the major emphasis.

All four Gospel writers, however, determinedly emphasize the last week of Christ’s life and, of course, His death. Glance through them and notice this pointed focus on just a few days of Christ's life. The last week of Jesus’ life, leading up to and including His death, takes up from one-third to almost a half of all gospel accounts. Each reader is “forced” to rivet attention on the great redeeming act of God.

Look at your life, your past, your mistakes, your sins. Do you honestly think anything you have done, or could do, could ever atone for them? Why, then, should the death of Jesus on your behalf be the central focus of your life? What hope would you have without it? 

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

OUR HERO SAVIOR. Eph.2: ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

^{Marc 10: 33} “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, ³⁴ who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

^{Matt.28: 16} Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

^{Gal;.5: 22} But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

First of all, believe God’s promise that Christ atones for your past sins and that only He can make you holy. Then confess your sins and commit your life to serving God.

^{Eze. 36: 26} I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

^{Matt.9 6} But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” ⁷ Then the man got up and went home.

^{Isaiah 55: 1} “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

“Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you believe the promise—believe that you are forgiven and cleansed—God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed. It is so if you believe it.”

Denis Silveira et Saulo Vieira, Artur Nogueira, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

THE CRY ON THE CROSS. ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ Matt. 27:46,

 …an “example of selfless love.” It was certainly that, but considering our situation as sinners, it would take more than “an example of selfless love” to redeem us. It would take, instead, our God bearing in Himself the full brunt of His own wrath against sin.

…The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb. . . . He feared that sin was so offensive to God that Their separation was to be eternal. . . . It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father’s wrath upon Him as man’s substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 752, 753.

Jesus addresses this prayer to “God” instead of to the “Father,” as He always had done…this is God giving Himself over to death so that our destiny would not be determined by death. This is God Himself dying the death that we can be spared from, the death that sin would otherwise bring us all.

There is no statement in all the Gospels to rival this one of Jesus from the cross, and in that cry we get a glimpse of what the Lord Himself was willing to go through in order to bring us salvation.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

HERO-LAMB. Rev.5: 5“Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof ”

Rev.5: 9“Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood”

By being at the same time God and man, Christ became our Redeemer, our closest Relative, so to speak, shedding His pure blood to redeem our life from Satan’s grip. Thus, He who was slain became the Hero, rather than the hunter. Thus, He redeems us as His own.

In what ways can Jesus be your Hero on a daily basis?

Ricardo Coelho and Ana Carolina, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

FURTHER STUDY. “The infinite mercy and love of Jesus, the sacrifice made in our behalf, call for the most serious and solemn reflection. We should dwell upon the character of our dear Redeemer and Intercessor. . . . As we thus contemplate heavenly themes, our faith and love will grow stronger, and our prayers will be more and more acceptable to God, because they will be more and more mixed with faith and love. They will be intelligent and fervent. There will be more constant confidence in Jesus, and a daily, living experience in His power to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him.”—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 89

SUMMARY. From the earliest pages of Genesis, the Bible points us to the death of Christ on the cross, where He would die a sinner’s death in order to redeem us, as sinners, from the eternal destruction that sin brings. Though the Bible uses different symbols and metaphors to explain Christ’s death, at the center of it all is His substitution, so graphically expressed in Isaiah 53. If we ever needed proof that works couldn’t save us, we have it with the death of God Himself on the cross. After all, what could fallen beings ever add to that?

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR. CONCLUDE. The overwhelming weight of sin separating Jesus from the Father ended Jesus’ life that day on the cross. There, the fear the human race has felt ever since God came looking for Adam and Eve in Eden was dealt with. Jesus’ death made it possible for everyone to know God as the loving Father that He is. And it is our privilege to tell them about Him.

Gill Bahnsen, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org