Lesson 2 - March 13, 2016
Focus Text: John 12:20-36
Central Truth: Christ willingly gave His life for our sake.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to explain why Christ had to die in order that we might live.
Lesson Outline:
In "Doctrinal Discussion" Randy Bland asks the question, "What motivates God?" Why does God love us so much? He then writes:
Yet, for love to be real, there must always be the possibility of pain and rejection. God made Himself vulnerable in order to live in loving community with other beings, and He was rejected, first by many of the angels, and then by humanity. He continues to feel the pain of rejection up to this very moment. Most of us would run from that level of pain, but God embraced the pain through love and found a way to win many people back to Himself. That way, of course, is the cross.
Discussion: What motivates us? How does this compare to what motivates God?
Source: Jesus, The Son of God: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 7.
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. (Colossians 2:14)
In "Biblical Perspective", Dr. Gayle Woods writes:
Paul was comparing the practice of one who forgives a large debt by wiping his ledger sheet clean with what God does for us. ...The ordinances (God’s law) had been broken many times by each of us. Each time we broke His law, another mark was put on our ledger sheet. Jesus came to this world to provide salvation, full and free. ...Jesus not only erased all the transgressions that had been listed against us on our ledger of life, but He then nailed the blank document to His cross as a public testimony that we were totally forgiven of all our actions against Him and His law.
Discussion: Since we are totally forgiven by Christ, how should we feel? How should we think? How should we act?
Source: Miracles of Jesus: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 12.