Ephesians 1

Use this to learn a point or a few, then build your lesson on that. You may not have to use everything in here. Take what is helpful (:

May the Lord of all grace give you wisdom and revelation to reveal the Scriptures to you, in the knowledge and understanding of Him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,

There is alignment with the will of God here, and it is clear that Paul knows and understands his place and role in the kingdom of God. Do you?

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

See here the unity of believers in that 1) God is our Father, and Jesus Christ is our Lord, and 2) God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, and Paul continues to use this collective pronoun (us, our, we), also showing us that, in this subject matter of the saints being “blessed with every spiritual blessing”, what is true for one believer, is true for every other.

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

The ultimate purpose and result of His choosing us in Christ, is that we be holy, and be able to stand before the Holy God of heaven Himself and be found blameless. (cf 2 Peter 1:2-4 “…that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature”.) Amazingly, He desires for us to be holy because He loves us.

5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself,

Only having been adopted as sons and given the right to be called children of God (John 1:12) that we may call and address God as our Father (v2) because we are in Christ who is the only begotten Son of God (v3) and are called co-heirs with Him.

according to the good pleasure of His will,

It pleased God to choose us and adopt us. See where the Father’s heart and soul lies – in love with us! This phrase is the first of several repetitions of the same type.

6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

This is the first of several repetitions of the phrase “to the praise of the (God’s) glory”. We shall see and understand more with each word. For this particular instance, it is the grace of God in Jesus Christ in making us “accepted in the Beloved” (see Matthew 3:17) that is revealed, seen and praised.

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

It might be interesting to note that the sufficiency of His grace toward us is directly linked to the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice, and because His sacrifice is perfect, His grace is always sufficient. Truly, how rich we are in Christ!

8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,

He made His grace abound to us. See Hebrews 2:16

9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,

10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.

Compare Ephesians 1 with Colossians 1, particularly verses 19-22.

See the fullness and vastness of the redemption of Christ. He reconciles “all things to Himself, whether things on earth, or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” The redemption plan of God seems to be much bigger than ourselves, than the individual’s salvation. Are we asking, “What is God’s will for my life,” or, “Which part of God’s will do I fit in?”

11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

Note, only children – legitimate children – have an inheritance. Compare v5.

We see how the Lord moves and works and reveals, predestines, redeems and makes known, in accordance to His good pleasure, His counsel, His will, in love (v3), in grace (v7), in power (v19). See that we can trust in the Lord, for He is utterly consistent with Himself; He always acts according to every one of His attributes, and therefore always acts in goodness, in righteousness, in justice, in mercy, in love, in kindness, in wisdom, in sovereignty. In short, He is holy. He is also immutable, and in this Rock we may put our faith and not be proven foolish.

12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

Not only that we should be found singing His praises, but that we ourselves are a testimony to His glory, such that others are caused to praise Him too.

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Faith comes by hearing, and having put your faith in Christ, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit.

4972 sphragízō (from 4973 /sphragís, "a seal") – properly, to seal (affix) with a signet ring or other instrument to stamp (a roller or seal), i.e. to attest ownership, authorizing (validating) what is sealed.

4972 /sphragízō ("to seal") signifies ownership and the full security carried by the backing (full authority) of the owner. "Sealing" in the ancient world served as a "legal signature" which guaranteed the promise (contents) of what was sealed.

URL: http://biblehub.com/greek/4972.htm

The presence of the Holy Spirit indicates those that are His.

The Spirit is called the Spirit of promise, presumably because Jesus promised the coming of the Spirit (John 14). It is therefore interesting that the Spirit, coming on the believer and therefore being the promise fulfilled, is then called “the guarantee of our inheritance.” It seems like a promise within a promise! It would certainly not be outside of God’s character and desire to reassure His people in this manner (compare Hebrews 6:13-18). Therefore, believer, do not doubt, but believe, for not a word of God will fall to the ground.

What is our inheritance? I think, at least in part, it is the “redemption of the purchased possession.”

Compare with Romans 8.

11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren

30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Colossians 1

27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Galatians 5

5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

We live not for what is temporary, but what is eternal. Knowing that there will come the day that we must all stand before God and give account for every word, thought and deed, we who are in the Spirit and who live according to the Spirit have the hope – the blessed assurance in the fulfilment of every one of God’s promises – that we shall be found righteous in Christ, glorified together with Him, our bodies redeemed, and the children of God revealed. This is the inheritance of the saints.

“And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. … Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6: 14, 19-20)

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this word, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)

Are you living your life with your eyes fixed on what is unseen and eternal, or are you still in your carnal mind? (2 Corinthians 4:13-18)

When Christ is revealed in us, God is glorified, both now and in that final day.

15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

Your faith in Jesus should be practically worked out and seen in your love for the saints – the first and second commandments. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.” (Galatians 5:6)

16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

Compare with v3. See whence all blessings flow, even the throne room of God Most High, Jesus Christ in the heavenly places.

21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

Compare Romans 8:38-39. There is no stopping God, nor His love, nor His power, nor His blessings, for they come directly from heaven above, and because Christ lives evermore and intercedes for us with the wounds upon His hands and feet.

22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,

The negative expression of the previous verse; Christ is above, and all things are under. Heaven is His throne, and the earth is His footstool (Matthew 5:34-35). Compare Psalm 8 and Genesis 3:15.

23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Compare Ephesians 3:19, 4:8-10.

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” (Colossians 2:8-10)

Done by: Elvira Tan

Intro into Ephesians

Intro of Ephesians

Written for believers who are rich beyond measure in Jesus Christ but are living as beggars as they are ignorant of their spiritual wealth as they are yet to accept and understand it

What does the scripture teach us about the wealth that God has given to us and how do we learn to lay hold of that? It can all be found in the book of Ephesians.

The huge usage of “In Christ” statements throughout the book shows Paul emphasizing the richness of Christ in this book.

Chap 1-3: Position in the Heavenly places (Doctrine)

Adopted into the family of God/ Accepted in Him/ Redeemed us/ Fully forgiven us of our sins/ Wisdom in Christ/ Inheritance in Christ/ Sealed w the Holy Spirit of Promise/ Recipients of God’s Glory and grace/ Heavenly citizenship. These are Spiritual Blessings

Spiritual Blessings that we have received à Resources we need for living à God’s desire for us is that we display and manifest the Glory of God and that we walk in the resources that He has given to us. Chap1:3

Chap 4-6: Our practice in this earth (Application)

Spiritual Walk that is rooted by spiritual wealth. We are His workmanship. We have been created in Christ Jesus for good works.

The application can only be done if we are rooted by the doctrine in Chap 1-3

Background of the epistle

Prison epistle: Paul’s Roman’s imprisonment.

Preventive epistle: Not written to correct the church (as compared to other epistles) but to prevent problems in the church by encouraging the body of Christ to mature in Him.

Make believers more aware of the position in Christ.

Purpose of Ephesians: Primary purpose: Motivate believers to draw upon that spiritual source in their daily living.

Connection between the 2 parts (Doctrine and Application). Ephesians 4:1

Chap 1-3: No imperatives/ commands in the first 3 chapters. Why? Because these are God’s gifts given to us and there is nothing we can do to make those things happen.

Chap 4-6: There are 35 imperatives/commands. The principles are timeless and are relevant to our lives then and now.

4) Quick run through of the book of Ephesians

DISCUSSION: Split the small group into 6 different groups and allocate 1 chapter for them to summarize and then present their summary to the whole group.

The summary I have below is just a general guide so feel free to add on any points if they missed out any.

Ephesians Chap 1

Ephesians 1:3-14 à ‘Hymn’ to God’s Grace.

Trinitarian approach:

- Praises the Father for choosing us (v3-6) à Work of the Son in redeeming us (v7-12) à Work of the Holy Spirit in applying the redemption in sealing us (v13-14)

- Praise of his glorious Grace [The Father (v6), The Son (v12), The Spirit (v14)]

V15-23: Prayer of Revelation. Prayer of Spiritual illumination

Ephesians Chap 2

The Power of God’s Grace: Former position of separation from God vs Present spiritual life in Christ. Salvation by divine grace (v1-10)

Jews and Gentiles are now together in the body of Christ (v11-22). Mystery of the church

Ephesians Chap 3

Revelation of this mystery to God’s holy apostles and prophets (v1-13)

Prayer – v16 (v14-21)

Ephesians Chap 4

Behavior does not determine blessing but blessing should determine behavior (Romans).

V16- Growth and maturity comes from the effective working of every part doing its share. The unity in the Body of Christ

Emphasizes the exercise of spiritual gifts and to do them in love

Put off the old man and the new man (v22-24)

Ephesians Chap 5

Maintain the Walk of holiness as a children of light be it Husband, wife, slave etc. Every relationship must be transformed by the new love and their new life in Christ.

Ephesians Chap 6

Spiritual Warfare and putting on the Armor of God

Interesting and good to apply:

2 out of 4 Life changing prayers of Paul: These prayers can be transformative on our inside. Not prayers for head knowledge but prayers for heart/relational knowledge. Moving from the head to the heart requires the Grace of the Spirit of God.

First prayer: Ephesians 1: 17-19

- Wisdom and Revelation

- Eyes of your heart be enlightened

- His inheritance, His power, His calling

Second prayer: Ephesians 3:14-21

- Knowledge that goes beyond our intellect and moves into a deeper spiritual knowledge

The other 2 prayers are in Philippians 1:9, Colossians 1:9-12.

Done by: Rayner
If you are interested, I got the material from this link https://bible.org/seriespage/ephesians

Summary ETOT2 2/3/14

Hi all, sorry for the late posting, as you all know we will be starting on ETOT next week. Following Esther's advice we will basically give a rough overview of what we will cover in the next 7 weeks. I have not seen the book personally as I have not received it yet. But according to Esther's email, it is not a book by book study of the historical books (Joshua to Esther) but 7 topical sessions on how to step out in faith.

9th march - Aim : Be willing to take the first step of faith in obedience to what God has told you to do. (Step of faith, Moses and Promiseland)

16th March - Aim : Discover that God does not call people to holy war until sin reaches its full measure. (Holy War - Sin, Holiness of God)

23rd March - Aim : Identify signs of spiritual degeneration in your life and ask God to use you for his purposes in the world. (Complacency/ compromise of Sin, Deborah, Barak, Samson)

30th March - Aim : Seek help from God and your Small Group members to overcome spiritual entropy or degeneration. (Gideon, Repentance)

6th April - Aim : To recognise God's voice and promptings in your life, you need to stay close to Him through prayer. (Prayer, Discerning God, Samuel and Eli, Hannah)

13th April - Aim : Place your confidence more in God and less in your own abilities. (Faith, obedience, trust, Saul, Samuel)

27th April - Aim : Grow in your hunger and passion for Jesus. (Jesus in OT, Names of Jesus)

Prayer

Spend time sharing what is one or two things they hope to learn from ETOT 2. Take time to pray for one another that God will answer the desire of their hearts. If there is still time, please encourage them to pray for the following items:

1. Pray for the more than 160 small groups (adult & youths) comprising 1,600 persons as they prepare to embark on another exploration of the Old Testament.

2. Pray for God’s protection against distractions, worries, problems, and concerns – to enable everyone involved to focus completely on what God has for them.

3. Pray that each person will encounter the God of the Bible and be challenged to live the transformed life as
they learn about God's powerful presence throughout biblical history and His unyielding commitment to show His children how to follow Him in good times and bad times.

4. Pray that God will empower every small group leader to lead their members and be edified, encouraged and exhorted so as to experience transformation.

5. Pray for God’s wisdom and strength on the preachers as they prepare to preach God’s Word to God’s people.

Lastly, Sharing about the week, new school environment etc.

That's all folks.

Some admin issues, Kevin and Joyce will be calling out the youths posted to poly at ard 1215 to share with them abt yfc stuff. It'll take ard 15mins. Also regarding youths bringing the ETOT book, a FINE system sounds good. Use the money to buy snacks for your individual grp. haha. And pls get back to me on the names for the y4-6 retreat (Check ur whatsapp). Thanks.

ps sorry if there are spelling errors..my laptop keyboard is spoilt so im using on-screen keyboard. click each key until finger cram.

John 21

Miraculous catch of fish
V1-3
- The bible says that they caught nothing; it was to show that whatever their reason was for returning to their fishing boats, by their own efforts it is futile.

V4-8
- The disciples did not realize that it was Jesus because he was quite far away from where the disciples were. (About 100 yards)
- Verse 5 talks about Jesus calling them “Children” or “Friends”. It shows the relationship with the disciples being full of affection. Or perhaps He was referring to their newly acquired relationship with God after receiving the Holy Spirit. Either way, we can be sure that Jesus was not yet through with these men, and had no intention of allowing them to return to their fishing business.

- Verse 7: Who shouted, “It is the Lord”?
John, the author of the book did. He also references himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved”.
- How do you think John knew that it was Jesus?
We can refer it back to Luke 5:4-10, when Jesus first asked them to be his disciples.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.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. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”

They were out fishing all night and yet were not able to catch any fish, until Jesus came to them and allowed them to catch an overwhelming amount of fish.

- Verse 7 shows Peter’s quick reaction when he heard it was Jesus. He was the first to jump into the water to swim towards Jesus.

The last time Peter was the focus of Jesus' attention, this is what had happened:

"Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance. Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.” But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So Peter went out and wept bitterly." (Luke 22:54-62)

Given how he had failed, one would expect Peter to keep to himself and shy away from even raising his eyes toward Jesus. Instead, he couldn't wait to come before his Lord, and that holds a valuable lesson for Christians when we fail and sin. Our pride and the enemy will try to tempt us to hide from God as Adam and Eve did after sinning. Instead, we must heed Peter's example and come before the Lord yet again, confess our sins to Him, believing "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) and seek His help to repent from those sin.

This scene connected the post-resurrected Jesus with the one they associated with for the last three years. He ate fish. He knew them in and out. Jesus not only arose but was meeting with them as before. But more than proof of a physical resurrection, we see Jesus’ commitment to fellowship with this group of faithless disciples and His desire to continue to work with them.

Public Restoration of Peter; Jesus Reinstates Peter

- Why was Peter called, “Simon, Son of Jonah”?
What had made Simon into Peter, the rock, was his relationship with Jesus. Since that relationship had been compromised by Peter's denial of Jesus, Simon was being called Simon until that relationship could be re-established, which is what Jesus is doing in this passage.

Feeding My Sheep

Jesus asked Peter the question 3 times.
Because Peter had denied Jesus 3 times previously. And Jesus wasn't asking because He didn't know the answer. Peter was correct in saying, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." (John 21:17) Jesus was doing it to have Peter confront his sins, which had to be addressed and removed before he could be commissioned to tend to the Lord's sheep.

Although Peter answers Jesus' question "do you love me" in the positive, three consecutive times, Jesus wanted answers that represented his true feelings and motives.

"Do you love me more than these:" The word for love here in Greek is: agape: a volitional, self-sacrificial love. Are you now willing to forsake all theses and go and preach my gospel to the nations of the earth? Jesus was referring to the statement Peter had made before His death, "Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended" (Matt 26:33) KJV.

"you know that I love you:" Peter is no longer making claims to a love superior to his brethren. Still he knew to appeal to Jesus, the 'Searcher of the heart and say that He knew that he loved Him.

Although they read the same in English, they are actually different in the original Greek. While English has only one word for “love”, there are quite a few in Greek. There is eros for erotic love (none of the Greek words in the New Testament translated "love" in English is eros), philos for friendship, storge for affection from familiarity among family members or others brought together not my their choice, philostorgos, which combines philos and storge, and philadelphia for brotherly love. And then there’s agape, the self-sacrificing, unconditional love.

Jesus uses the verb form of agape in the first two of His three questions and the verb form of philos in the third, while Peter responds with the verb form of philos all three times. What’s happening is this. Jesus firstly asks Peter if he loves Him self-sacrificially "more than these." (John 21:15) Instead of addressing the comparison, Peter answers by claiming his love for Jesus as a friend.

After having betrayed Jesus, there was no way that he could claim anything more than that. Jesus then drops the comparison and asks Peter if he simply loves Him self-sacrificially. Peter sticks to his claim of friendly love. With His third question, Jesus drops the level of love down to Peter’s and there’s a match. Jesus will start working on us with whatever level of love we have for Him, but He does demand humility, which is what Peter displayed in John 21:15-17 in contrast to his prideful declaration in Matthew 26:31-33.
31 Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:”’ I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

In verse 17, what grieved Peter was the three-time repetition, because it was a plain reminder of his previous three-time denial.
What we can learn from this is:

- Jesus restores us by causing us to face squarely our point of failure, then challenging us to set our eyes on the work ahead.
- Jesus doesn't ask "are you sorry?" nor "will you promise never to do that again?" "Jesus Christ asks each one of us, not for obedience primarily, not for repentance, not for vows, not for conduct, but for a heart; and that being given, all the rest will follow. "

Verse 18-19: Peter was told that he was going to die for the Lord. It’s truly a wonderful piece of prophecy. Jesus was telling Peter that he was going to have great faith to be the kind of men he thought himself to be.
Matt 26:35 - But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

He didn’t die with Jesus, but he knew that he was going to have another chance to LIVE for him and eventually die FOR Jesus.

As we all know, He became one of the greatest apostles and servants of Christ that has ever lived. He was given the “keys to the kingdom” (Matt. 16:18-19) and allowed to preach the first gospel sermon to both the Jews (Acts 2) and the Gentiles (Acts 10).

What does this mean for you and me? It means that, even though we may have failed the Lord miserably, it is not too late. We may have failed the Lord in the past, but we have another chance to prove to the Lord, and to ourselves, what kind of Christians we really are.

Done by: Alicia

John 20

Hi all, the lesson this week is kinda lengthy so do give it a read and summarize some points. Hopefully we can try to finish the chapt in 1 lesson! if not do let me know if you all didn't finish it.

Easter: Defeating Doubt (John 20:1-10, 19-20, 24-31)

Every thinking person sometimes wrestles with doubt. That’s true not only for thinking Christians, but also for atheists and agnostics. They sometimes wonder, “What if I’m wrong and there really is a God?” And every thinking Christian sometimes wonders, “What if I’m wrong and Christianity is not true?” For some, the bouts with doubt are short and relatively minor. For others, the doubts are deep and disturbing. But wherever you’re at on the spectrum, if you’ve been a Christian for very long, you have gone through battles with doubt.

While there are different biblical answers to all of these sources of doubt, there is one answer that undergirds them all. I usually come back to it when I’m struggling with doubt. The apostle Paul said that the entire Christian faith rests on one foundation, the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Cor. 15:13-19). If that fact of history is true, then our faith has a solid footing in spite of matters of doubt which we cannot, perhaps ever in this life, fully resolve. On the other hand, if Jesus Christ is not risen from the dead, then the strongest faith in the world is useless, because it rests on a faulty object.

The evidence of Jesus Christ’s resurrection gives us a solid footing in times of doubt. What if we doubt, then? Does it mean we do not have faith, and we cannot be saved? Does it sometimes feel natural to you, to doubt?

There are 2 kinds of doubters. The first use their doubts as a smoke screen to hide behind their sin, which is the real issue. If one area of doubt is cleared up, they will quickly duck behind another, because they don’t want to submit to the Lord. These people do not need more evidence to believe; they need to repent of their sin.

And then there is the doubter like Doubting Thomas, who was an example of a sincere doubter. The sincere doubter is truly a believer in Christ. He doesn’t want to doubt, but he’s plagued by honest questions. He is in submission to God and wants to please Him, but he can’t just close his eyes and take a leap of faith. He needs evidence to clear up the doubts.

All thinking people go through times of sincere doubt.

Some Reasons For Thomas’ Doubts:

A. PERSONAL FAILURE COUPLED WITH THOMAS’ PERSONALITY TRIGGERED HIS DOUBTS.

All of the disciples had failed Jesus on the night of His arrest and trial. Most notorious was Peter, who denied the Lord three times. All of the eleven had promised Jesus their loyalty, but they all deserted Him when He was arrested.

Thomas had been outspoken in his loyalty to Jesus before the crucifixion.

In John 11:16, when Jesus wanted to go to Bethany, near Jerusalem, to raise Lazarus from the dead, the disciples objected that it was too dangerous. But Thomas said, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

He may have been a pessimist, but at least he was loyal to the point of challenging the others to be committed to the point of death. But then he had joined the others in running away when Jesus was arrested. That failure led Thomas into depression and doubt.

It wasn’t just Thomas’ failure, but failure coupled with his personality, that led him into deep doubts. Peter had failed in a big way, too. But Peter was a buoyant, optimistic sort who felt badly about his mistakes, but who could shrug it off and bounce back more quickly. But Thomas was a conscientious, loyal, but gloomy type who did not commit himself to something lightly. To commit himself to Jesus and then go back on his word affected Thomas much more deeply than Peter’s failure affected him.

We’re all wired differently and so it’s important to know yourself so that you can be on guard against your areas of weakness. Usually our areas of greatest strength are also our areas of greatest weakness. A man like Thomas, who is loyal and conscientious, who takes commitments seriously, is also more prone to depression and doubt when he fails.

B. A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING LED TO HIS DOUBTS.

Thomas lacked understanding with regard to the Lord’s departure.

On the night before the crucifixion, Jesus told the disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them and that He would come again to take them to be with Him. He told them that they knew the way where He was going. But Thomas didn’t understand, so he blurted out (John 14:5), “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?”

It was a good thing he asked because Jesus’ reply was (14:6), “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” But if you put yourself back into that situation, with all of the confused emotions of that night, and with the disciples’ still limited insight into Jesus’ death and resurrection, you can see how Thomas would still be confused about what Jesus had meant. He lacked understanding, which led to doubt.

There are many hard teachings in Scripture, some of which we won’t resolve until we’re with the Lord. We have to trust God, even when we don’t understand.

In John 6:60, many of those who had followed Jesus turned away when He taught some hard things. Jesus even asked the twelve if they would turn away also. Peter gave the great answer (John 6:68-69), “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”

I’ve come back to that answer many times when I’ve struggled with doubt due to a lack of understanding. Jesus is the truth. Where else can I go?

C. DEEP DISAPPOINTMENT AND SHOCK OVER SUFFERING CONTRIBUTED TO HIS DOUBTS.

Even though Jesus repeatedly had told the disciples in advance that He would be crucified, it didn’t sink in. The disciples had expected the Messiah to be a conquering King. A crucified Messiah wasn’t their expectation. When Thomas saw the badly mangled body of Jesus on the cross, it sent him into shock. His emphasis on the wounds of Jesus (John 20:25) shows how deeply it affected him. The bloody holes in Jesus’ hands and feet, the gory spear wound in His side, and Jesus’ disfigurement from the scourging and the crown of thorns, haunted Thomas after the crucifixion and fed his doubts.

In the same way, whenever we face deep disappointment and shock because of some tragedy or something that doesn’t go as we had expected, we’re vulnerable to doubts. Perhaps you’ve lost a loved one or faced a personal tragedy, or maybe just have things pan out in an unexpected way. It’s a short step from there to being right where Thomas was, to doubting the Lord: “If God really exists and is a God of love, then why is this happening?”

D. ISOLATION FROM FELLOW BELIEVERS FUELED HIS DOUBTS.

A fourth reason for Thomas’ doubts was his isolation from other believers. A likely reason for his absence from the other disciples that first Sunday when Jesus appeared to them was his morose disposition. The last thing he wanted at a time like that was to be around other people. So he wandered off by himself to brood over the horrible events of the previous few days.

Then to add to his misery, when he finally did see the others, they told him that they had seen the risen Lord! Even though we’re often bugged by other believers, the fact is, we need them. Whenever we separate ourselves from the fellowship, we make ourselves vulnerable to doubt. (which is why it’s good to continue pestering your friends who have been absent from church!)

Whatever the source of your doubts, the solution is the same: to come back to the foundational fact of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. If that is true, then even though you may not understand everything, you still, with Thomas, must bow and acknowledge Jesus to be your Lord and God.

The evidence for the bodily resurrection of Jesus is solid. (Present the evidences, ask them to pretend to be a non-believer and refute them)

A. THE EMPTY TOMB VERIFIES JESUS’ RESURRECTION.

(go through if asked)

There are several ways to account for the empty tomb. Jesus’ enemies could have stolen the body. But they had no motive for taking His body. It was to their advantage to leave it right where it was, which is why they had Pilate put the Roman guard and seal on the tomb. If they knew where the body was, they could have produced it and silenced the disciples’ preaching.

Another possibility is that the Roman guards stole the body. But again, they had no motive to do so. They weren’t concerned about this Jewish religious trial. The Jewish leaders, who were scrambling for ways to explain away the resurrection, didn’t accuse the soldiers of taking the body or of allowing it to be stolen.

A third possibility is that the disciples stole the body. This was the theory the Jewish leaders tried to promote by bribing the Roman soldiers (Matt. 28:11-15). But there are many reasons the disciples could not have moved Jesus’ body. The tomb was as secure as the Roman guard could make it. The soldiers wouldn’t have fallen asleep on their watch, because the penalty was death. The stone at the tomb was large and heavy. Even if the soldiers had been sleeping, the noise of a group of men moving the stone would have awakened them. Besides, the disciples were too depressed and confused to try anything like grave robbery in front of a Roman guard. Even if, through bribery, they had managed to remove Jesus’ body, later they would not have risked their lives to preach the resurrection if they knew it to be false.

Nor would they have suffered beatings and threats if it had been confirmed that someone else had taken Jesus’ body, which was the first thought of the women who visited the tomb early that morning (John 20:2, 15). All we know of the character of the witnesses as well as the fact that they did not yet understand the Scripture that Jesus must rise again from the dead (John 20:9) militates against them knowingly promoting a hoax. The empty tomb is solid evidence that God raised Jesus bodily from the dead.

B. THE GRAVE CLOTHES VERIFY JESUS’ RESURRECTION.

The presence of the grave clothes proves that the body was not stolen.

(go through if asked):

Mary Magdalene didn’t look carefully when she first came to the tomb. She saw the stone removed and assumed that Jesus was gone. So she ran to tell Peter and John, who ran to the tomb. John got there first and stood at the entrance looking in. Peter, in his usual blustery manner, went right in and saw (20:6, Greek = “to gaze upon”) the grave clothes. Then John entered, saw (Greek = “to see with understanding”) and believed (20:8).

In their haste, grave robbers would have taken the body, grave clothes and all. If for some reason they had wanted to strip the body, they would have left the clothes strewn all over the tomb. But Peter and John saw them left in an orderly fashion, as if Jesus had passed right through them. Remember, these weren’t men who wished so much for a resurrection that they perhaps saw what they wanted to see. These were men who did not understand or believe at first (20:9). The evidence convinced them, and their testimony of the evidence should convince us.

C. THE POST-RESURRECTION APPEARANCES OF JESUS VERIFY HIS RESURRECTION.

John lists four post-resurrection appearances of Jesus: To Mary Magdalene (20:11-18); to the disciples except Thomas (20:19-23); to the disciples, including Thomas (20:24-31); and, to seven of the disciples, by the Sea of Galilee (21:1-25). Paul mentions several other appearances, including one to over 500 at one time (1 Cor. 15:6-8).

The most drastic way of dismissing the evidence would be to say that these stories were mere fabrications, that they were pure lies. But, so far as I know, not a single critic today would take such an attitude. In fact, it would really be an impossible position. Think of the number of witnesses, over 500. Think of the character of the witnesses, men and women who gave the world the highest ethical teaching it has ever known, and who even on the testimony of their enemies lived it out in their lives. Think of the psychological absurdity of picturing a little band of defeated cowards cowering in an upper room one day and a few days later transformed into a company that no persecution could silence—and then attempting to attribute this dramatic change to nothing more convincing than a miserable fabrication they were trying to foist upon the world. That simply wouldn’t make sense.

The varied circumstances of the appearances and the different personalities of the witnesses militate against hallucinations or visions. Whether Thomas actually put his hand in Jesus’ wounds is not stated, but Jesus made the offer and Thomas was convinced (John 20:27). The post-resurrection appearances of Jesus are a strong evidence of His bodily resurrection.

D. THE CHANGED LIVES OF THE WITNESSES VERIFY JESUS’ RESURRECTION.

As I already said, John calls attention to the fact that none of the witnesses was expecting a resurrection. Mary Magdalene thought that someone had taken Jesus’ body (20:2, 15). The disciples were fearful and confused. Thomas was depressed and doubting. But all were transformed into the bold witnesses of the Book of Acts because they became convinced that Jesus rose bodily from the dead. They were so convinced that the resurrection was true that many of them went on to martyrs’ deaths.

E. THE UNIQUE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST VERIFIES HIS RESURRECTION.

Study the Gospel accounts of who Jesus was, of what He taught, of the miracles He performed, of the prophecies He fulfilled. On more than one occasion He predicted His own death and resurrection (John 2:19-22; Luke 9:22). His encounter with doubting Thomas shows that His purpose was to bring Thomas into a place of full faith in His deity (20:27).

When Thomas answered, “My Lord and my God,” Jesus did not rebuke or correct him for overstating things. Rather, Jesus commended Thomas’ correct perception and faith (20:28-29). A merely good teacher, especially a devout Jewish rabbi, would never accept such worship from a follower. Everything in the Gospel accounts about Jesus’ person and teaching militates against His being a charlatan or lunatic. The only sensible option is that He is who He claimed to be, the Lord God in human flesh, the Christ of Israel, the eternal Son of God.

He offered Himself for our sins and God raised Him bodily from the dead. He wants those of us who have not seen Him to believe in Him (20:29).

Conclusion

Does the evidence about Jesus’ resurrection clear up all our doubts about God and the Bible? No, nothing this side of heaven will do that. But it does provide a solid basis for intelligent faith in those times when we struggle with doubt. To whom else will you go? Jesus alone is the risen Savior. His desire for each of us who have not seen Him is that, like Thomas, we would “not be unbelieving, but believing” (20:27). He wants each of us to recognize that He, our Lord and God, died in our place, taking the penalty we deserved for our sin. He wants us to join Thomas in believing worship, proclaiming, “My Lord and my God!”

If you wait to trust in Christ until all of your doubts are cleared up, you’re not an honest doubter. Rather, you’re using your doubts as an excuse so that you can hold onto your sin. Would you choose repentance or alienation from God and death? Will you trust in Jesus as your Savior and Lord?

Application Questions

How can a person know whether his doubts are sincere or whether they are just an excuse? Are sincere doubts sin?
Is biblical faith a “blind leap”? If not, how does it differ?
Is it possible to live without faith in something? Are materialistic humanists purely rational? How can we witness to them?
Why is it crucial to base our faith in the fact of Christ’s resurrection rather than on our personal religious experience?

Done by: Gail

John 19:17-27

Hello all, please start the lesson early and end early because at approx 12pm, the youths have to gather in 1 classroom for a sharing by Ivan Lim (FaithActs) regarding youths serving as tutors for primary school students. This sharing will end ard 1230pm.

Previous lesson – Learnt about the conflict and decisions Pilate made:

· Succumbed to societal pressure

· Based his decision not on conscience, but rather on his own security

· How are we like that? – Will we be like that?

John 19:17-27 – The crucifixion of Jesus.

Main point

Satan can SEEM to win, but ultimately, God holds victory.

Lesson

V17-20: Jesus crucified on Golgotha

· Why Golgotha?

o It was a prominent location OUTSIDE the city at a major junction

§ This meant that everyone walking in and out of the city would see the crucifixion – a political method of instilling fear to keep order

§ It humiliated those put to death – another way of keeping order in society.

o It was a place of high elevation

§ It made it all the more obvious

· What’s the significance?

o From the POV of the disciples and those close to Jesus, it seemed that Satan had won – The death and humiliation of Jesus would have no doubt left them believing that God had somehow lost.

§ Matt 27:42 – The choice not to save himself despite the taunts

§ Matt 27:43 – That God didn’t save Him from death

§ That He died.

o On the surface, it was all in God’s disfavour – that Evil had won, and God chose not to intervene.

V20-22: Pilate subtly declares his real opinion of Jesus (God controls the NOW)

· Notice Pilate writes “King of the Jews”, rather than “He claims to be the King of the Jews”.

o We know from last week that Pilate subconsciously knew that Jesus was more than He seemed to be – His attempts to free Jesus show that

o We also know that Pilate was a coward – He eventually gave in to the pressure of the Sanhedrin.

o But he makes a stand here –that Jesus is indeed a King.

§ One can argue that Pilate did so out of respect and a subconscious knowledge of who Jesus really was

§ But one can also argue that it was an insult to the Jews, and a show of political dominance over them.

§ But both are possible at the same time – He could have used this opportunity to both show his respect, as well as serve his own agendas – not unlikely for someone like him.

o Notice God’s hand in the situation – He did not allow the authorities of the world to change the title He bestowed on His Son.

§ To be the King of the Jews => King of God’s chosen people => King of the Earth.

§ Subtle as it may be, the fact that Jesus was crucified as the King of the Jews, made, by extension, the declaration that He was King of the Earth.

§ Notice how the proclamation counters Satan’s plan of humiliation.

· Satan would have wanted to use the public spectacle of the crucifixion, to destroy the faith of those following Him, to declare that he had won.

· But this ended up working against him – Jesus declared to be the King of the world instead.

o Ultimately, God was still in control – and Satan fell right into the trap.

V23-24: Fulfilment of scriptural prophecies (God controls the PAST)

· The significance of the fulfilment of scripture

o The robe Jesus wore wasn’t typical – a normal criminal would have 4 articles of clothing (headgear, shirt, pants and sandals).

o The probability of 4 RANDOM ROMAN soldiers fulfilling a thousand-year old prophecy is ridiculously low.

§ The soldiers were acting completely out of impulse and the norm of the day (I.e. they weren’t knowledgeable about the prophecy and probably hadn’t even heard of it)

o The significance of the robe – It was seamless, a representation of His role as a High priest (Exodus 28)

V25-27: Jesus cares about our future (God controls the FUTURE)

· Even as He was dying, what does Jesus do? – He makes arrangements for His disciple and His mother, to take care of each other!

o Jesus was more concerned about their well-being, rather than the pain and suffering He was going through.

o He knew the needs of those around Him, and He attended to their needs all the way till He “died”

o He knows the future. He cares for each one of us, regardless of how hurt, how devastated and how desperate things are.

The disciples would have thought, by all human reasoning, that God had lost. Sometimes we feel the same way too. That nothing ever goes right. That I’m just a loser – born to fail at everything I attempt (something like the inverse midas touch?) But I hope this lesson helps us all to remember – God still cares and is ultimately still in control. Sometimes He speaks and does things in subtle, soft ways and we don’t see them. I pray that if ever anyone of us goes through such dark times, that we’ll just keep holding on. Pray for eyes to see the things He is doing, but trust nonetheless even if you cannot see.

As the kids enter into poly/jc, even sec 5, change is going to happen. For good or for evil, it is easy to be swept away by the whirlwind of change. I pray that as we teach this lesson, that all of us (yes leaders included), will remember that God is faithful. Has been, is, and always will be. It is my prayer that in all things, we can declare that we have done all things, in (and for) Christ alone.

In Christ alone, I place my trust.

And find my glory in the power of the cross

In every victory, let it be said of me

My source of strength, my source of hope

Is Christ alone.

In Christ alone, my hope is found

He is my light my strength, my song

This cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

Done by: Joshua Tang

Jesus Blog (Year 5 Leaders)

Ephesians 1

Intro into Ephesians

Summary ETOT2 2/3/14

John 21

John 20

John 19:17-27

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