Christianity Cove

Perhaps the most famous Bible passage for Bible study lessons is John 3:16 because it so nicely sums up the entire meaning of the gospels.  God provided us salvation through His Son because He loved us deeply.

John 3:16-17, 36
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.

Whoever believes that Jesus is Lord and seeks His forgiveness is saved from sin and eternal death and will join Him in heaven at the end of time.  John goes on to say that God did not send Jesus down to punish people for their wrong-doings but to save the people from them with His heroic sacrifice.

John goes on to say that salvation is incredibly simple: either you believe in Jesus and His power to save, or you not.  There is no in between.  There is believe, hope, and faith, or there is doubt, disbelief, and denial.  For Christians, there is only one way to salvation, though our Lord and Savior Jesus.

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Sin is a theme that enters the Bible with Adam and Eve and does not end.  This concept is called “original sin” and means that because they first sinned, we are all born needing redemption.  These adult Sunday school Bible lessons show us how God provided our redemption by sending us his son, Jesus.

Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born…and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Ever-lasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punish-ment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah, though he lived hundreds of years before Jesus, was able to predict what would happen to Him with surprising accuracy.  He begins his prophesy by recognizing that someday, a child would be born that would be holy.  He calls the child “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  These are all names that were given to Jesus during His life.

Isaiah knew a savior would be coming, and he told the Israelites what to expect.  He also knew how and why He would die, saying later that He would take the transgressions of the world on His head and that He would be “pierced” as Jesus was by the sword and the nails in the cross.

Finally, Isaiah tells us that the punishment that the Savior would suffer would bring us peace, because we would be healed by His wounds.  His accuracy is astounding, seeing as how he could never have known that Jesus would come without the inspiration from God.  These passages in the Old Testament clearly point to a Savior who was to come through David’s line and redeem the world.  When Jesus arrived on earth, His description fit that of the prophesies and His death brought us the redemption we have been looking for since Adam and Even first sinned.

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These ideas for adult Sunday school focus on the gospels of the New Testament.  One of the main themes that flow through the gospels is Jesus’ message to love your neighbor.  This message is illustrated   in the following verse from John.

John 4:7-11
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God…God is love…This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

The gospels are books of love, as is most of the New Testament.  Jesus said over and over to His followers, “love one another.”  Because of this theme, repeated throughout the entire New Testament, love is the first great theme we explore.

Jesus showed His love for His people in every word and action He performed.  Choosing to come down to earth and walk among men was only done out of tremendous love and a desire that we should not suffer the consequences of our constant sinning.  Out of love, He accepted an unjust death so that we might find a way to salvation through Him.  Out of love, He taught His people during His life on earth, and now, through love, He accepts new Christians into His kingdom.

If God is love, what more important message is there for us to know and understand?  Above all, we must love God, each other, and ourselves.

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Here are some adult Sunday school ideas for your class that are salient for the world turmoil today.  Talk with your Sunday school class about the Just War Theory.  Do your students believe in the “Just War Theory?” What are their feelings toward the armed conflicts happening throughout the world today?

Matthew 5:43-45
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. In another message to the crowds around Him, Jesus turns the accepted notion of action and consequence on its head.  He tells His people that the rule cannot be “an eye for an eye,” but instead, a misdeed must be met with forgiveness and peace.  He even goes so far as to tell the people to treat their enemies the way they would treat their friends and equates that behavior with peacefulness.

The Just War Theory
Is there such thing as a just war?  Do some circumstances make war an acceptable action?  Most people would say yes, including many Christians.  The “Just War Theory” was developed to help people of faith determine whether or not a conflict is just or unjust.  It consists of several tests to determine whether entrance into a war is justified and it also includes measurements to ensure that the conduct of the war is just.

Before entering a war, a Christian people must determine that there is just cause, such as punishing a group for a crime committed against one people or reclaiming something stolen.  There must also be comparative justice, that is to say that one side must be grossly harmed by the other side, even if they themselves have done some harm as well.  Only legitimately recognized public authorities may make the decision to go to war.

Another criterion a war must meet is “right intention.”  The reason for going to war must be something grave, such as righting a wrong or helping a people, not expanding power or increasing wealth.  Before a war can be just, the cause must have a significant probability of success.  It is not just to enter a war that cannot be won.  Finally, a war is only justifiable if it is the last means possible and that all other means of conflict resolution have been worn out.

Based on these criteria, few wars are truly justifiable, but it would be impossible to say that none are.  Unfortunately, the Just War Theory is not Biblical truth or Scriptural teaching—it is a code, made by man, to determine when to go to war and when to avoid it.  It is up to each Christian to decide whether they believe the severity of the crime can only be answered with war and how they believe God will react to that war.  Regardless of one’s conscience, it is safe to say that war should be entered into sparingly, only as retaliation and never a preemptive move, and only if all other options for peaceful resolution have failed.

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The message of Jesus’ lesson from the Sermon on the Mount is ideal for an international Sunday school lesson.  Jesus is usually seen as bringing the message of love to the world.  The gospels about Him are often called the Gospels of Peace.  The moral of this lesson is as vital to the world today as it was in the Biblical days of Jesus.

Bible Passage
Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

In the Sermon on the Mount, we have one of Jesus’ greatest examples of love and peace.   Jesus repeatedly refused to take up arms against anyone who accused Him, insulted Him, or tortured Him.  Instead, He taught peaceful dealings and love for all mankind.

In this passage, we see that the peacemakers, not the warriors, will inherit the most from God, because they will become His sons and daughters.  Though it appears that once God favored violence but He now favors peace.

In another message to the crowds around Him, Jesus turns the accepted notion of action and consequence on its head.  He tells His people that the rule cannot be “an eye for an eye,” but instead, a misdeed must be met with forgiveness and peace.  He even goes so far as to tell the people to treat their enemies the way they would treat their friends and equates that behavior with peacefulness.

As Jesus has just said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God,” so He tells the people to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”  Loving your enemy and being a peacemaker are the same thing to Jesus, as they should be to us.

Technorati Tags: Sermon on the Mount, international Sunday school lesson, love and peace, forgiveness and peace