He Holds Our Future. Matthew 26:1-16. FAMILY THEME Omniscience. Lesson 1 December 6, 2009

Transcription

1 Matthew 26:1-16 Lesson 1 December 6, 2009 He Holds Our Future Option 1: Begin the lesson by asking your students to imagine the following scenario: You are taking a flight overseas to see a friend. The country you will be visiting is developed and industrialized, so you are surprised by what you hear during the flight. In polite conversation, you ask one of the flight attendants how the pilots and the air traffic controllers communicate to each other. Did they have to learn a different language? Are numbers in both languages the same? To your shock, she tells you they do not have air traffic towers or controllers where you will be landing. Then have the pilots steered the plane to this destination previously? She responds, These pilots have never flown there before, but they come highly recommended and are some of the best we have in the company! What do you do next? Ask for a flotation device, extra peanuts, a bottle of water, and have her repeat that little speech about the emergency exits. Trust that the airline is a major corporation and they must know what they are doing, so strike up a conversation with the guy next to you and enjoy the flight. Quick, do something religious! FAMILY THEME Omniscience LESSON OBJECTIVE To develop greater faith, trust, and confidence in Jesus Christ during these uncertain times CHECKLIST q FTE 1-1 (poster) q FTE 1-2 (teaching outline) q FTE 1-3 (student outline) q FTE 1-4 (handout) q FTE 1-5 (handout) q FTE 1-6 (talk sheet) q FTE 1-7 ("What's Up?") Display FUSION Teaching Essential 1-1 ( Jesus, Lord and Christ poster) somewhere in your classroom. This poster will help reiterate the overarching theme of this quarter. FTE 1-1 FTE 1-2 FUSION Teaching Essential 1-2 ( Lesson 1: Teaching Outline ) provides you with an outline that can be used as a guide for teaching this lesson. This outline is also available as a customizable Word document. For free download, go to com. (See Downloads.) 7

2 Discuss the scenario with the class, using questions such as these: Transition: Jesus was not a fortune-teller or psychic, but He was never taken by surprise during His earthly ministry. In this lesson, we will see how Christ s omniscience gives hope and confidence to His followers. FTE 1-3 Photocopy and distribute the student outline, FUSION Teaching Essential 1-3 ( He Holds Our Future ), along with a writing utensil, to each student. Some students will learn better as they follow along with notes prepared for the lesson. Why would knowing someone aboard is familiar with the flight plan and with the terrain be important to you as a passenger? Would you feel like the pilots inexperience should have been shared with you before you bought the ticket or boarded the plane? If so, why? Would it make a difference if you were a pilot? Would you feel better if you were flying the plane to a totally unfamiliar airport? Why or why not? Use the transition statement in the sidebar to segue to the Learn section. Option 2: Begin the lesson by discussing questions like these below. After a brief discussion, use the transition statement in the sidebar to segue to the Learn section. Have you seen ads for psychic hotlines on television or in magazines? Have you ever called a psychic or known someone who has? If so, tell us about it. (Do not be surprised professing Christians reportedly call psychics as much as any other demographic.) Did you feel the psychic was accurate? What is your opinion as to the trustworthiness of such fortune-tellers? Jesus and His disciples were anticipating the celebration of the Passover feast in Jerusalem. God gave the Passover to the Jewish people as a reminder of Israel s rescue from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 12). The ceremonial killing of a lamb was a reminder of the way each Israelite household in Egypt was rescued: an innocent lamb s blood had to be shed. In Matthew 26, Jesus, God s true Passover Lamb, 8

3 turned His face to Jerusalem to fulfill the purpose for which He was born (John 12:27). Jesus Knows the Immediate Future (Matthew 26:1-5) Matthew s account transitions from Jesus discussion of faraway end times (Matthew 25) to a time when Jesus revealed His knowledge of events in the near future (Matthew 26), telling His disciples of His impending death to occur during the upcoming Passover feast in Jerusalem. Matthew was a witness to the words of Jesus, which were given plainly and authoritatively to the disciples (verses 1-2). Though it is unlikely the disciples understood the prediction, Jesus nevertheless revealed His death to those closest to Him. Jesus spoke of His arrest and crucifixion confidently because He knew what was secretly transpiring in the capital city. Caiaphas was the current high priest of the temple, ruling from A.D He gathered elders from the temple and discussed how they might arrest Jesus quietly. This would avoid a riot by the common people, who considered Christ to be a man sent from God (verses 3-5). John s gospel gives more insight, indicating the Sanhedrin members, led by Caiaphas, were afraid of losing their power, and maybe even their nation, due to this upstart carpenter from Nazareth (John 11:47-53). Matthew 26:3 says Caiaphas was the high priest of the temple. Luke 3:2, however, says both Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. Acts 4:6 lists Annas alone as the high priest. Do these discrepancies prove there are mistakes in the Bible? Hardly. Annas was Caiaphas father-in-law and held the position of high priest until the Romans deposed him, appointing Caiaphas as the official high priest. Because this succession was not according to the Law and was imposed by the occupying Roman army, the people still recognized Annas as their high priest. Both were wicked men, and they worked together to destroy Jesus. Jesus clearly knew what was about to occur. Ask the class: What does that tell us about Jesus? What does it say about the soon-to-come events? Jesus Knows the Distant Future (Matthew 26:6-13) Jesus was the guest of Simon the leper, a man He probably healed of leprosy since the meal was hosted in Simon's home (verse 6). Regardless, Jesus was once again in the presence of friends and enjoyed their hospitality. A 9

4 This act of worship involved more than is revealed by a quick glance. The oil she poured was a valuable oil that could have cost as much as a year s wages! She obviously did not make the decision to give it to Jesus rashly; her heart had been prepared to give such a large gift far in advance of that day in Bethany. A similar event is recorded in john 12:1-8. Some consider these to be the same event, however, there are details that differ which suggest the possibility of two different events: Matthew 26 (Mark 14) appears to be two days before the Passover, while John 12 is identified as being six days before the Passover. Matthew 26 takes place in the home of Simon the Leper, but John 12 seems to be in the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. woman suddenly began to pour costly oil on Jesus as He sat eating. The response of His disciples was immediate (verses 8-9). With great indignation, they criticized Mary for the way she wasted the costly oil, complaining that it could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. The Greek word translated waste in verse 8 is apoliea, meaning destruction, utterly destroyed. In other words, it gives the idea that the wealth poured on Jesus was a once-for-all failed opportunity, never to be recovered. Judas did not actually care for the poor but was secretly dipping into the disciples treasury (John 12:6). Sometimes our attitude concerning money spent by a ministry can be like that of Judas hypocritical. When we are tempted to complain, perhaps we should first stop and ask ourselves the following questions: How much is my concern a reflection of my personal finances? How much of my concern is for selfish reasons? (Examples: impressing others with my holiness, furthering my preferences, funding a grudge, etc.) How much does worshiping Jesus really motivate what I say and do? We may be tempted to think Jesus was not at first aware of what the disciples were thinking (verse 10), but the Greek text indicates He was not struggling to understand their thoughts or words. Rather, He was listening to them throughout the conversation, understanding as He went. Then He responded. What an interesting response it was (verses 10-13)! Did she know what everyone else in the room did not know concerning the death of Jesus? Opinions vary, but one thing is for sure: she decided to grasp an opportunity to shower Christ with gratitude, worship, and love. The point was not to bring attention to her; it was 10

5 to let Jesus know how much He meant to her before her chance was gone. And He did know. He made a prophecy that night that is still being fulfilled, even as you read this: her extravagant, pure, appropriate act of worship would be preached for generations wherever the gospel spread around the world. She could not have known it, but Jesus would use her willing heart to help reach thousands of people throughout the centuries. In other words, Jesus knew not only the effects of people s actions during His time on earth, but He also foresaw the results of our service for Him and our worship to Him in the distant future and even eternally! Wherever we may be serving our Lord, we can be comforted and encouraged knowing Jesus rewards all our obedient acts of worship and service. Jesus Foreknowledge Does Not Invalidate Our Free Will (Matthew 26:14-16) The time arrived to make preparations for the Passover meal. Between the dinner at Simon s house and the Last Supper, Judas took the opportunity to offer Jesus to the Sanhedrin (verse 14-16). Of course they obliged this was the answer to their dilemma! A person from within Jesus inner circle would be perfect. The chief priests paid him 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave in Exodus 21:32. The obvious question here is this: Since Jesus knew all along that it was Judas who would betray Him, was the betrayal an act of free will on Judas part? There is no doubt Jesus knew. All four gospels allude to the fact that Jesus singled out Judas as His betrayer on the night of the Passover (Matthew 26:23-26; Mark 14:18-21; Luke 22:21-23; John 13:21-27). Make no mistake, Jesus was neither surprised nor blindsided. (Theologians call it foreknowledge.) However, while Christ knew Judas would betray Him, He also held Judas responsible for his actions (Luke D6 Family Teen Link In Matthew 25:40, Christ made it clear that when we serve the least of all people, we actually serve Him. Unfortunately, many people have a difficult time putting acts of service into action. Serving other people does not necessarily require great sacrifices. Sometimes it only requires a little bit of time, love, and care. With the Christmas season in full swing, consider some ways you and your teen can serve your neighbors. Possible ideas include baking Christmas cookies for the community, taking hot chocolate door-to-door on a cold night, shoveling snow from others driveways, or even helping a neighbor put up Christmas lights. Whatever you do, be sure to take time as a family to show Christ s love to others during this holiday season. A little bit of effort can go a long way! 11

6 D6 Family Link The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines omniscient as having infinite awareness, understanding, and insight. Another source says the term is typically attributed to God because He is the only being with the ability to know all. God has a plan for us, and He always knows what is happening in our lives. He has planned out the happy times, and He is aware of the sad times and is able to use them for good. Talk to your family about problems or suffering that you or someone you know has encountered. Tell how God helped you through those times and used them to make you a better person. Pray with your family and ask God for guidance and help in the future. First Samuel 23:1-13 illustrates how God's foreknowledge does not cancel man's free will. God provided David with the knowledge of what would happen if David stayed in the city. David left the city, which resulted in a (continued on page 13) 22:21-22). Although Jesus knew what Judas would do, His foreknowledge did not invalidate Judas free choice. While our omniscient God knows what will occur in the immediate and distant future, we still have free will to choose our response to Him. Thus, salvation is granted to all who recognize their lost condition and heed the gospel call (John 3:16; Luke 19:10; Romans 1:16). What wonderful news! If a person is convicted of his sinful state, then he is able to turn and follow Christ at any moment! Discussion questions: Who is the gospel intended for? Who is disqualified from responding to the gospel? Did Judas act as Jesus wanted him to? Elaborate. Read Matthew 26:36-42, then ask: Did Jesus ask to be crucified? Explain your answer. Our culture naturally expects everyone to fret over the future. In this information age, we are constantly fed more and more reasons to be filled with anxiety and worry. As Christ-followers we must understand that the anxiety we face every day over the future is unreasonable. Jesus told us not to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34). Paul told us to be anxious for nothing, but rather to take our concerns and needs to God in prayer (Philippians 4:6-7). We can do these things if we do not lose sight of the fact that Jesus knows what tomorrow holds and He is leading His followers safely into the future. How is He leading? We get a clue when we look in Acts 2 as Peter is preaching to the crowd shortly after the Holy Spirit had arrived, just as Jesus had promised (Acts 1:8). Peter declared that God knew of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ 12

7 many years before it actually occurred (verse 23). Peter then quoted Old Testament prophecies pointing to the death and resurrection of Jesus that explained the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus followers (verses 16-21, 24-36). Notice the means by which the disciples understood where this power was coming from: fulfilled prophecies, including those of Jesus. They were quite obviously students of the Word. We, too, must be people of the Word. When we understand the value of fulfilled prophecy in the Old and New Testaments, we can see the omniscience of Jesus Christ clearly and learn to trust Him more. This confident trust becomes apparent in several different parts of our worship: corporate worship services, our personal prayer life, our involvement in ministry, and yes, even in how we love our neighbors as Jesus commanded us. Knowing Jesus is divinely omniscient encourages us to trust Him with every bit of our future, invigorates our prayer life, and invites us to choose to take up our cross daily to follow Him because He knows where He s taking us! Use one or more of the following options to help your students apply this lesson. Application 1: Discuss how this lesson can be relevant to our daily lives by asking the questions below. (For your convenience, these questions also appear on FUSION Teaching Essential 1-4 ( Omniscience and You ). When you hear the word omniscience, which story of Jesus comes to mind? Give a personal example of when you believed your life was spinning out of control, only to realize later that Jesus was leading you through. Do you sometimes struggle to believe every promise God has given you concerning His presence in your life? Why or why not? different outcome. God even knows all the possibilities of the results of our actions. There is no limit to His omniscience, but His knowledge is not causative. FUSION devotional magazine can help your class members develop the habits that lead to lasting spiritual growth. FUSION provides a daily Bible reading schedule, devotional thoughts, and insightful questions designed to help adults apply and respond throughout the week to the lesson learned on Sunday. Be sure to give each class member a copy of the new issue of FUSION and explain its use. To order FUSION call or an affiliate bookstore. FUSION is also available for yearly subscription at FTE

8 Do your students want more depth in their daily devotions? Going Deeper is a new supplement for FUSION devotions that helps students dig deeper into each day s Bible reading, provides more intensive Sunday preparation, and contains thoughtful questions requiring written responses. Not a replacement for FUSION devotions, Going Deeper is an additional resource for the person who enjoys journal-type study. Going Deeper is available for a single free download for each purchase of FUSION magazine. Go to www. D6curriculum.com/fusion. FTE 1-5 FTE 1-7 FUSION Teaching Essential 1-7 ("What's Up?") is a newsletter for the parents of teens. Photocopy and distribute it to your class members who have teens in their name. What can we do to increase our confidence in God and His promises? Application 2: Death teaches us in a way few other methods can. Jesus foretold His own death, and used those discussions to teach a foundational truth. Paul told the church in Thessalonica he did not want them to be ignorant concerning death and the resurrection of Christians, nor did he want them to sorrow as those without hope. Have your students answer the following questions about funerals and how knowing Jesus makes a difference in the event. These questions appear on FUSION Teaching Essential 1-5 ( When It Comes to an End ). Have you either participated in or attended a funeral or memorial service in which the person was unashamedly non-religious? What was the overall sense of the service? Did you notice anything that unnerved or concerned you about the topic of life-afterdeath? Did the family appear content with the circumstances? Did the people attending the service seem uneasy or relaxed? Contrast that funeral or memorial service with that of an outspoken Christian. What immediately jumps out at you about this service? Were the people more at ease with the knowledge of the promises of Jesus concerning life-after-death (such as John 14:1-6)? What was the feel of the room at that service? How does confidence in God s omniscience impact the way we mourn? 14

9 Below are some ways the class can respond to this lesson about trusting the divinely omniscient Jesus more. This section highlights what you want your students to take from the class and apply to their lives this week. Option 1: Encourage your class to choose and implement at least one of the following baby steps to move closer to understanding the truth behind this statement: I can trust Jesus with my daily life. Slow down to pray over three decisions this week you might not normally pray about. Record the results. Invite an unbelieving friend or neighbor over for coffee or tea who is struggling with a major decision. Volunteer to pray with him or her about the decision. Do one spiritual thing that normally makes you nervous (praying aloud, giving above your tithe, talking about your faith, etc.) with the attitude that Jesus goes ahead of you to prepare the way. Something different be creative! If possible, report to the class next week the outcome of your experience. Option 2: Divide the class into two groups. Ask each group to create a list of worries they are willing to give over to Jesus this week in deliberate prayer. Encourage the list to be short and manageable; long lists start with good intentions but too often end with mixed results. Instruct each group to designate a classmate to report to the class next week and share how that particular worry was handled by our Savior. Finish the exercise by praying aloud, asking Jesus to show Himself mighty enough to deliver from the particular worry. Because God has given us a free will to accept or reject Jesus as Lord, be aware of unsaved students in the class who may want to make a commitment to Christ, but who do not know how. For tips on leading an adult to salvation, see page 6. Informal discussion is a great way to reinforce your in-class teaching. FUSION Teaching Essential 1-6 ( Let s Talk About Omniscience ) is a tool designed to facilitate such discussion. It can be used in class as part of this lesson or you can have some friends and class members over to discuss the topic and enjoy some refreshments. FTE 1-6 Encourage your class members to complete this week's daily devotions in FUSION devotional magazine. 15