Lesson 10 December 8 Identity (4): Focused Grasshoppers and ants

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1 1 Lesson 10 December 8 Identity (4): Focused Grasshoppers and ants Sabbath Afternoon Romans 6:22-23 (New King James Version) 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Luke 23:26-46 (Amplified Bible) 26And as they led Him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27And there accompanied [Jesus] a great multitude of the people, [including] women who bewailed and lamented Him. 28But Jesus, turning toward them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For behold, the days are coming during which they will say, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and [a] to be envied) are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the breasts that have never nursed [babies]! 30Then they will begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us! and to the hills, Cover (conceal, hide) us! 31For if they do these things when the timber is green, what will happen when it is dry? 32Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be executed with Him. 33And when they came to the place which is called The Skull [Latin: Calvary; Hebrew: Golgotha], there they crucified Him, and [along with] the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. 34And Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they divided His garments and distributed them by casting lots for them. 35Now the people stood by [calmly and leisurely] watching; but the rulers scoffed and sneered (turned up their noses) at Him, saying, He rescued others [from death]; let Him now rescue Himself, if He is the Christ (the Messiah) of God, His Chosen One! 36The soldiers also ridiculed and made sport of Him, coming up and offering Him vinegar (a sour wine mixed with water) 37And saying, If you are the King of the Jews, save (rescue) Yourself [ from death]. 38For there was also an inscription above Him ] in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew: This is the King of the Jews. 39One of the criminals who was suspended kept up a railing at Him, saying, Are You not the Christ (the Messiah)? Rescue Yourself and us [ from death]! 40But the other one reproved him, saying, Do you not even fear God,

2 2 seeing you yourself are under the same sentence of condemnation and suffering the same penalty? 41And we indeed suffer it justly, receiving the due reward of our actions; but this Man has done nothing out of the way [nothing strange or eccentric or perverse or unreasonable]. 42Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when You come in Your kingly glory! 43And He answered him, Truly I tell you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise. 44It was now about the sixth hour (midday), and darkness enveloped the whole land and earth until the ninth hour (about three o'clock in the afternoon), 45While the sun's light faded or was darkened; and the curtain [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two. 46And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit! And with these words, He expired. Grasshoppers and Ants Mark s mother was worried at first when she got a call from her son s teacher in the middle of the day. The teacher assured her that everything was all right, but she had called to report something a little unusual, Mark was in third grade, and it was a tradition for the teacher to tell a story of an ant and a grasshopper. The story is about an ant that works hard and labors throughout the summer to try to store up as much food as possible. The ant is characterized as a responsible, faithful creature. The grasshopper, on the other hand, plays around and fiddles away the summer and does absolutely nothing in the area of work. When winter arrives, the grasshopper starts to get hungry, but it is clear that it must die of starvation because it has nothing saved up for the cold season that is now upon it. The grasshopper begs the ant for food, saying, You have plenty of food stored up please let me have some too. At this point in the story the teacher stops and tells the students to finish the story by writing out an ending that they think would be best. The mother inquired of the teacher, What happened? The teacher said, Well, Mark raised his hand and asked if he could draw a picture as an ending to the story, I told him that he could draw a picture if he wanted to but he still had to write the ending of the story first. Apparently, the students in previous years had finished the story by saying that the ant shared the food and both the ant and the grasshopper lived throughout the winter. Others had the ant refusing the grasshopper food and leaving it to die. The teacher said to Mark s mom, Your son did something different from any other child I have ever had in my class before. Mark wrote, so the ant gave all of his food to the grasshopper, the grasshopper lived through the winter but the ant died. The teacher continued, But what is more interesting was that Mark s picture at the bottom of the page was a picture of three crosses. Somehow, the story of selfless, self-sacrificing love soaked into this third-grade boy in an unforgettable way.-adapted from Brad Walden, senior minister wit the Tate s Creek Christian Church, Lexington, Kentucky; True story told by Mark s grandfather at Westwood cheviot church of Christ, Cincinnati, Ohio.

3 3 1. What do the story of The Ant and the Grasshopper and Jesus Dying on the Cross have in common? 2. What was Jesus life like before he came to this earth as a baby? 3. Was Jesus humiliated? Explain. 4. Was Jesus taunted and called unkind names? 5. Was Jesus in pain physically and emotionally? 6. As we study Jesus suffering and death what can we learn that will help us in our walk with God? 7. Why did Jesus suffer and die? Sunday It is purity of heart, singleness of purpose, that constitutes the true value of human beings. Review and Herald, Oct. 6, He uses his gifts best who seeks by earnest endeavor to carry out the Lord s great plan for the uplifting of humanity, remembering always that he must be a learner as well as a teacher. Youth s Instructor, Dec.11,1902 From Jesus earliest years he was possessed of one purpose. He lived to bless others. Desire of Ages, p. 70 You may cultivate your powers to do the very best of service, and then you will find yourself in demand anywhere. You will be appreciated for what you are worth. Special Testimony HERE S WHAT I THINK Julio is in grade 8. He is a tremendous athlete. Julio participates in all the sports programs he can because it seems as if the only thing he is really good at is sports. As a Christian, however, he wants to be about more.

4 4 It s difficult to figure out a different purpose for his life, because everyone expects him to play ball. He is very confused about what his life should be about. If you were his friend, what questions would you ask him? How could you encourage him in his search for something that would bring real joy and purpose into his life? The Real Time Faith Forum is temporarily closed but you can still log on to There you will find links to sites you might enjoy and other information. It is important to know what you think and feel about your religious experience. Therefore you are encouraged to take the lines below and write you re your response to today s Here s what I think question. Writing as you may know will help you clarify your thoughts. You may wish to share your thoughts you re your class later. Monday Please take the time to read the account of Jesus time in the Garden of Gethsemane. Prayerfully consider all that happened in the garden, when you have finished, please answer the thought questions at the end. Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he told His disciples, Sit down here while I go over yonder and pray. And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to show grief and distress of mind and was deeply depressed. Then He said to them, My soul is very sad and deeply grieved, so that I am almost dying of sorrow. Stay here and keep awake and keep watch with Me. And going a little farther, He threw Himself upon the ground on His face and prayed saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I will {not what I desire}, but as You will and desire. And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, What! Are you so utterly unable to stay awake and keep watch with Me for one hour? All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Again a second time He went away and prayed, My Father, if this cannot pass by unless I drink it, your will be done.

5 5 And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were weighted down with sleep. So, leaving them again, He went away and prayed for the third time, using the same words. Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed no the hands of especially wicked sinners [whose way or nature it is to act in opposition to God]. Get up, let us be going! See, My betrayer is at hand! As He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve [apostles], came up, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, The One I shall kiss is the Man; seize him. And he came up to Jesus at once and said, Hail (greetings, good health to You. long life to you), Master! And he embraced Him and Kissed Him with [pretended] warmth and devotion. Jesus said to him friend, for what are you here? Then they cam up and laid hands on Jesus and arrested Him. And behold one of those who were with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword and, striking the body servant of the high priest, cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, put your sword back into its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you suppose that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will immediately provide Me with more than twelve legions [more than 80,000] of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, that it must come about this way? At that moment Jesus said to the crowds, Have you come out with swords and clubs as [you would] against a robber to capture Me? Day after day I was accustomed to sit in the porches and courts of the temple teaching, and you did not arrest Me> But all this has taken place in order that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples deserted Him and, fleeing escaped. Matthew 26:36-56 Amplified bible. Behold Him contemplating the price to be paid for the human soul. In His agony He clings to the cold ground, as if to prevent Himself from being drawn farther from God. The chilling dew of night falls upon His prostrate form, but He heeds it not. From His pale lips comes the bitter cry, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet even now He adds, Nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt. Desire of Ages p. 687 Again the Son of God was seized with super human agony, and fainting and exhausted, He staggered back to the place of His former struggle. His suffering was even greater than before. As the agony of soul came upon Him, His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. The cypress and palm tress were the silent witnesses of His anguish. From their leafy branches

6 6 dropped heavy dew upon His stricken form, as if nature wept over its Author wrestling alone with the powers of darkness. Desire of Ages p.689 No traces of His recent agony were visible as Jesus stepped forth to meet His betrayer. Standing in advance of His disciples He said, Whom seek ye? They answered, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus replied, I am He. Desire of Ages p Was Jesus suffering physically before he was arrested to be crucified? 2. Why did Jesus suffer? 3. List from the reading above, the phrases that show signs of his suffering. 4. What reactions did the disciples have toward Jesus suffering and his arrest? 5. Did Jesus suffer as part of humanity? If so how did he withstand the trial of accepting all the sins of humanity? Tuesday Mark 14:32-50 The human heart longs for sympathy in suffering. This longing Christ felt to the very depths of His being. IN the supreme agony of His soul He came to His disciples with a yearning desire to hear some words of comfort from those whom He had so often blessed and comforted, and shielded in sorrow and distress The One who had always had words of sympathy for them was now suffering superhuman agony, and He longed to know that they were praying for Him and for themselves. (Desire of Ages p.687) Just before He bent His footsteps to the garden, Jesus had said to the disciples, All ye shall be offended because of Me this night. They had given Him the strongest assurance that they would go with Him to prison and to death. And poor, self-sufficient Peter had added, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. Mark 14:27, 29. But the disciples trusted to themselves. They did not look to

7 7 the mighty Helper as Christ had counseled them to do. Thus when the Savior was most in need of their sympathy and prayers, they were found asleep. Even Peter was sleeping. And John, the loving disciple who had leaned upon the breast of Jesus, was asleep. Surely, the love of John for his Master should have kept him awake. His earnest prayers should have mingled with those of his loved Savior in the time of His supreme sorrow. The Redeemer had spent entire nights praying for His disciples, that their faith might not fail. Should Jesus now put to James and John the question He had once asked them, Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? they would not have ventured to answer, We are able. Matthew 20:22 SO WHAT? What s remarkable about Jesus is not only what He did for us but what He didn t do. He didn t compromise. He didn t flounder. He didn t get confused. He didn t cave in to peer pressure. He didn t love himself more than us. He stayed the course the course that had been set even before the world began. Even as God the Father knew that Adam and Eve would fail, He trusted that His only Son would not. This was the only way to restore God s kingdom again in the universe. One was. One Jesus. How He stayed focused on the goal is a mystery. One of the most treasured qualities of Christ is His preoccupation with people. Even when believers worship Him on Sabbath and forget Him on Sunday, He still keeps urging us to grow a better relationship wit Him. Even when we can t keep our attention on Him when we are praying. He doesn t forget a word we say. Is there any chance we might someday be able to see with the same kind of focus He sees with? Maybe not the same, but similar. We might be able to see clearly enough. Clearly enough to make Him first in our lives. Clearly enough to put others before ourselves. Clearly enough to know what should come first, best, and most in our lives. Maybe we will not focus with 20/20 clarity, but his grace we can love Him back with a deliberated focused faith that mirrors to the world what a great Father we have in heaven. Wednesday Match the text with the phrase 1. John 10: John 3: Peter 3:18 4. Romans 5:6-8

8 8 5. Mark 14: Luke18:31-34 A. You see at the right time... B. Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them... C. They went to a place called Gethsemane and Jesus said... D. I am the good shepherd... E. This is how we know what love is... F. For Christ died for sins once for all... Thursday 1 John 3:16 (New International Version) 16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. God s love has been expressed in His justice no less than in His mercy. Justice is the foundation of His throne, and the fruit of His love. It had been Satan s purpose to divorce mercy from truth and justice He sought to prove that the righteousness of God s law is an enemy to peace. But Christ shows that in God s plan they are indissolubly joined together; the one cannot exist without the other. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Ps.85:10 By His life and His death, Christ proved that God s justice did not destroy His mercy, but that sin could be forgiven, and that the law is righteous, and can be perfectly obeyed. Satan s charges were refuted. God had given man unmistakable evidence of His love. (Desire of Ages p.762) What does this have to do with me? Daydreamers. A million things can be taking place before their wide-open eyes and still they live in la-la land. You know who I m talking about people who check out of reality for as long as time permits. You just might be a daydreamer. They see something no one else can see. I can imagine Jesus as a certain kind of daydreamer. Maybe when He had a few quiet moments His mind would drift and imagine what this world might one day be like when His kingdom of grace fully reigned over the whole planet. Maybe He thought about a day when death would be no more and God s children would worship Him with songs of adoration. Maybe He just saw you. Maybe your face flooded His mind like a picture album full of memories flashing befor His eyes. Who knows? You can bet that when He knelt down in the Garden of Gethsemane, it wasn t the law, or a scroll, or some

9 9 binding legal formula that bolstered His courage to go forward toward His death. It was His thought of you that drove Him to say to His Father. Your will be done. You can t go wrong with a King who is willing to give up everything just for the chance that you might one day want to be in His family. Maybe He was just daydreaming, but it says something about what, or rather who, is always on His mind. Friday How does it work? In the following figure of a crosshair (the device that enables a shooter to shot with precision), write what you want to be in the very central focus of your life. Then on the outside, write some of the things that tend to distract you and challenge your focus. Pray this week that you can find tangible ways to remind yourself of who you are and what you want to be focused on.