30. September 2024

Lesson 11- The Father, the Son, and the Spirit

Read for This Week’s Study
John 14:10; John 14:24; Genesis 3:7-9; John 16:27-28; John 16:7-11; John 17:1-26.

Memory Text:
“ ‘The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you’ ” (John 14:26).

Sabbath Afternoon:

Key Points:

  1. The Nature of the Godhead: The Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is central to Christian theology, but its mystery transcends human comprehension (John 1:1-18).
  2. God's Revelation Through Jesus: Jesus revealed the Father’s character and nature (John 14:9).
  3. Role of the Holy Spirit: The Spirit teaches, reminds, and guides believers (John 14:26).
  4. Unity in the Godhead: The Gospel of John emphasizes the harmony and relational unity among the Father, Son, and Spirit (John 13–17).
  5. God’s Desire for Relationship: The Godhead seeks a loving relationship with humanity (John 17:20-23).

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is it important to accept the mystery of the Godhead?

    • Answer: Accepting this mystery reminds us of God’s infinite nature and our need for faith (Isaiah 55:8-9).

  2. How does Jesus reflect the Father?

    • Answer: Jesus’ words and works demonstrate the Father’s character and love (John 14:9-10).

  3. What role does the Holy Spirit play in understanding the Godhead?

    • Answer: The Spirit leads us into truth and deepens our connection with God (John 16:13).

 

 

Sunday: The Heavenly Father

Key Points:

  1. Creator of All: The Father, along with the Son and Spirit, is the Source of life (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-3).
  2. God’s Love: The Father gave His Son for humanity’s salvation (John 3:16).
  3. Judge and Life-Giver: The Father has given authority to the Son to judge and give life (John 5:22-30).
  4. Provider and Sustainer: God supplies spiritual and physical needs (John 6:32; John 14:10).
  5. God’s Desire for Salvation: He initiates contact with humanity to restore relationships (John 6:44-45).

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do John 3:16-17 and John 6:57 reveal about the Father’s role in salvation?

    • Answer: They highlight His selfless love and investment in humanity’s redemption.

  2. How does God sustain and provide for His creation?

    • Answer: He gives both physical nourishment and spiritual life through Christ (John 6:32-33).

  3. How should understanding the Father’s love shape our relationship with Him?

    • Answer: It inspires trust, gratitude, and a desire to obey Him (John 14:15).

 

 

Monday: Jesus and the Father

Key Points:

  1. Disrupted Relationship: Sin caused humanity to hide from God (Genesis 3:7-9).
  2. God Seeks Humanity: Despite sin, God actively seeks to restore the broken relationship (John 17:3).
  3. Jesus, the Revealer: Jesus’ incarnation made the Father known (John 1:14-18).
  4. Eternal Life Through Christ: Jesus offers original, unborrowed life (John 10:10; John 10:28).
  5. God’s Plan of Restoration: The Father and Son work together to heal humanity (John 6:39-40).

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does Genesis 3:7-9 reveal about God’s pursuit of humanity?

    • Answer: It shows that God seeks us even when we hide in guilt and shame.

  2. How does Jesus make the Father known?

    • Answer: By His life, teachings, and sacrifice (John 1:18; John 14:9).

  3. What does John 10:30 tell us about the unity of Jesus and the Father?

    • Answer: It reveals their perfect harmony in mission and nature.

 

 

Tuesday: Knowing the Son Is Knowing the Father

Key Points:

  1. Revealer of the Father: Jesus lived out the Father’s will on earth (John 5:30).
  2. Jesus’ Teachings and Works: These are direct revelations of the Father (John 14:10-11).
  3. Path to the Father: Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6).
  4. Unity of Purpose: Jesus and the Father are united in their goal of salvation (John 10:30).
  5. Eternal Life: Knowing Jesus is the essence of eternal life (John 17:3).

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does John 14:6 teach about Jesus’ role as the way to the Father?

    • Answer: Jesus is the only mediator who reconciles humanity to God.

  2. How does Jesus’ unity with the Father influence our faith?

    • Answer: It assures us of God’s consistent love and purpose for salvation.

  3. Why is knowing Jesus essential for eternal life?

    • Answer: Knowing Jesus connects us to the source of life and salvation (John 17:3).

 

 

Wednesday: The Holy Spirit

Key Points:

  1. The Spirit’s Role in Conversion: The Spirit transforms and enables us to become children of God (John 1:12-13).
  2. Teacher and Guide: The Spirit leads us into truth and reminds us of Christ’s words (John 14:26).
  3. Comforter and Advocate: Jesus sent the Spirit to support believers after His ascension (John 16:7-8).
  4. Power for Overcoming Sin: The Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11).
  5. Indwelling Presence: The Spirit dwells in believers, empowering them to live out God’s will (John 14:17).

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does the Holy Spirit help us understand truth?

    • Answer: By enlightening our minds and revealing God’s Word (John 16:13).

  2. What does it mean to be born of the Spirit (John 3:5-8)?

    • Answer: It signifies spiritual transformation and a new life in Christ.

  3. How does the Spirit empower us to overcome sin?

    • Answer: By convicting us and enabling us to rely on God’s power (John 16:8-9).

 

Thursday: The Prayer of Jesus

Key Points

  1. Unity Through Christ:
    Jesus’ prayer focuses on unity—among His disciples, between the disciples and God, and between God and Jesus. He prays for this unity to reflect the love and harmony between the Father and Himself (John 17:11, 21-23).

  2. Eternal Life Through Knowing God:
    Jesus defines eternal life as knowing the Father, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom He sent (John 17:3). This relationship is rooted in truth and love.

  3. Sanctification Through Truth:
    Jesus prays for His disciples to be sanctified by the truth, which is God’s Word. Sanctification enables them to live holy lives while remaining in the world (John 17:17-19).

  4. Jesus’ Mission Accomplished:
    Jesus declares that He has completed the work the Father gave Him by revealing God’s character and bringing glory to His name (John 17:4-6).

  5. Love as a Testimony:
    Jesus prays that His disciples will demonstrate the same love that exists between Him and the Father. This love serves as evidence to the world of God’s presence (John 17:23, 26).

Supporting Texts

  • John 17:1-26
  • John 3:16; John 14:6; 1 John 4:8-9

Discussion Questions and Answers

  1. What does Jesus mean by "eternal life is to know God" (John 17:3)?

    • Answer: Eternal life is more than immortality; it’s about a deep, intimate relationship with God that transforms lives. It involves knowing His character through His Word and through Jesus Christ, who reveals the Father.

  2. How does sanctification through truth (John 17:17) impact daily life?

    • Answer: Sanctification through truth means aligning our actions, thoughts, and choices with God’s Word. It empowers believers to live distinct lives in the world but not of the world, reflecting God’s holiness.

  3. Why does Jesus focus on unity among His disciples in His prayer?

    • Answer: Unity is a testament to the power of God’s love. When believers are united in purpose and love, it reflects the unity of the Godhead and becomes a powerful witness to the world of God’s transforming grace.

 

Friday: Further Thought

Key Points

  1. Eternal Life and Relationship:
    Knowing God goes beyond factual knowledge—it’s a relationship rooted in love, faith, and obedience. This relationship transforms and restores believers to God’s original purpose for humanity (John 17:3).

  2. The Spirit of Truth:
    The Holy Spirit leads believers into all truth, exposing error and pointing to Christ. True peace and comfort come only through this Spirit (John 16:13; The Desire of Ages, p. 671).

  3. Christ’s Revelation of the Father:
    Jesus’ mission was to reveal the true nature of God, countering misconceptions and drawing people to Him (John 1:14-18; John 17:6).

  4. Unity Rooted in Truth:
    Unity among believers must be grounded in the truth of God’s Word. Love and truth are inseparable in God’s kingdom (John 17:17, 23).

  5. Victory Over the World:
    Jesus’ prayer for protection from the evil one reminds believers that their victory over sin and Satan depends on their trust in God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 17:15).

Discussion Questions and Answers

  1. What does it mean to know God personally, and how does Jesus help us in this?

    • Answer: Knowing God personally involves more than intellectual knowledge—it is a relationship of love, trust, and obedience. Jesus reveals the Father’s character and provides the path to reconciliation with Him (John 14:6-9).

  2. How does the phrase "Thy Word is truth" (John 17:17) guide our understanding of Scripture?

    • Answer: This phrase emphasizes the Bible as the ultimate standard of truth. It invites believers to rely on Scripture as their moral and spiritual foundation, shaping their worldview and decisions.

  3. How do personal choices affect God’s ability to keep us from the evil one (John 17:15)?

    • Answer: God offers protection, but believers must choose to stay close to Him, resist temptation, and follow His Word. Our choices to trust and obey enhance God’s ability to shield us from Satan’s attacks (James 4:7-8).

 

 

Write a comment

Comments: 10
  • #1

    Eric (Friday, 06 December 2024 21:47)

    I need the summary please

  • #2

    Atim Ambrose (Saturday, 07 December 2024 07:42)

    I need a summary please

  • #3

    Ambrose (Saturday, 07 December 2024 13:37)

    Hello, please help me send lesson 11 this early as I prepare prepare for the coming sabbath

  • #4

    Shem (Saturday, 07 December 2024 13:57)

    Thank-you for the pointers for Lesson 10. I appreciate the it so much.I understand you may be encountering work loads and so I kindly ask if you would send the pointers for lesson 11 a bit earlier before Sabbath?

  • #5

    Lafayette kerkula (Sunday, 08 December 2024 03:39)

    Thanks God for giving you the strength every week to write this teacher pointers. Please send the download section every week. Lesson 10 didn't have download section. Please send those pointers soon, I know it's not an easy work that you under go every week.

  • #6

    Craig (Monday, 09 December 2024 06:35)

    The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery. Men cannot explain it, because the Lord has not revealed it to them. Men having fanciful views may bring together passages of Scripture and put a human construction on them, but the acceptance of these views will not strengthen the church. Regarding such mysteries, which are too deep for human understanding, silence is golden.
    The office of the Holy Spirit is distinctly specified in the words of Christ: “When He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” John 16:8. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts of sin. If the sinner responds to the quickening in­fluence of the Spirit, he will be brought to repentance and aroused to the importance of obeying the divine requirements.
    To the repentant sinner, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, the Holy Spirit reveals the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. “He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you,” Christ said. “He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 16:14; 14:26.—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 52.

    The word of God—the truth—is the channel through which the Lord manifests His Spirit and power. Obedience to the word produces fruit of the required quality—“unfeigned love of the brethren.” This love is heaven-born and leads to high motives and unselfish actions.
    When truth becomes an abiding principle in the life, the soul is “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” This new birth is the result of receiving Christ as the Word of God. When by the Holy Spirit divine truths are impressed upon the heart, new conceptions are awakened, and the energies hitherto dormant are aroused to co-operate with God.—The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 519, 520.

    I was carried down to the time when Jesus was to take upon Himself man’s nature, humble Himself as a man, and suffer the temptations of Satan.
    His birth was without worldly grandeur. He was born in a stable and cradled in a manger; yet His birth was honored far above that of any of the sons of men. Angels from heaven informed the shepherds of the advent of Jesus, and light and glory from God accompanied their testimony. The heavenly host touched their harps and glorified God. They triumphantly heralded the advent of the Son of God to a fallen world to accomplish the work of redemption, and by His death to bring peace, happiness, and everlasting life to man. God honored the advent of His Son. Angels worshiped Him.
    Angels of God hovered over the scene of His baptism; the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove and lighted upon Him, and as the people stood greatly amazed, with their eyes fastened upon Him, the Father’s voice was heard from heaven, saying, Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased.—Early Writings, p. 153.

  • #7

    Craig (Monday, 09 December 2024 06:36)

    The Father can not be described by the things of earth. The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight. The Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested. The word of God declares Him to be “the express image of His person.” “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Here is shown the personality of the Father.
    The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour. There are three living persons of the heavenly trio. In the name of these three powers,—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will cooperate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ.—Bible Training School, March 1, 1906, par. 1, 2.

    Let the soul be drawn out and upward, that God may grant us a breath of the heavenly atmosphere. We may keep so near to God that in every unexpected trial our thoughts will turn to Him as naturally as the flower turns to the sun.
    Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head is not indifferent to the wants of His children. “The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” James 5:11. His heart of love is touched by our sorrows and even by our utterances of them. Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harass the soul, no joy cheer, no sincere prayer escape the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest. “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3. The relations between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the earth to share His watchcare, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved Son.
    Jesus said, “Ye shall ask in My name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father Himself loveth you.” “I have chosen you: . . . that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you.” John 16:26, 27; 15:16.—Steps to Christ, pp. 99, 100.

  • #8

    Craig (Monday, 09 December 2024 06:36)

    And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Genesis 1:26.
    The life of Christ is to be revealed in humanity. Man was the crowning act of the creation of God, made in the image of God, and designed to be a counterpart of God; but Satan has labored to obliterate the image of God in man, and to imprint upon him his own image. Man is very dear to God, because he was formed in His own image. This fact should impress us with the importance of teaching by precept and example the sin of defiling, by the indulgence of appetite, or by any other sinful practice, the body which is designed to represent God to the world.—Lift Him Up, p. 48.

    Instead of destroying the world, God sent His Son to save it. Though corruption and defiance might be seen in every part of the alien province, a way for its recovery was provided. At the very crisis, when Satan seemed about to triumph, the Son of God came with the embassage of divine grace. Through every age, through every hour, the love of God had been exercised toward the fallen race. Notwithstanding the perversity of men, the signals of mercy had been continually exhibited. And when the fullness of the time had come, the Deity was glorified by pouring upon the world a flood of healing grace that was never to be obstructed or withdrawn till the plan of salvation should be fulfilled.
    Satan was exulting that he had succeeded in debasing the image of God in humanity. Then Jesus came to restore in man the image of his Maker. None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. He came to lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after the pattern of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His own glory.—The Desire of Ages, p. 37.

    The paralytic found in Christ healing for both the soul and the body. The spiritual healing was followed by physical restoration. This lesson should not be overlooked. There are today thousands suffering from physical disease, who, like the paralytic, are longing for the message, “Thy sins are forgiven.” The burden of sin, with its unrest and unsatisfied desires, is the foundation of their maladies. They can find no relief until they come to the Healer of the soul. The peace which He alone can give, would impart vigor to the mind, and health to the body.
    Jesus came to “destroy the works of the devil.” “In Him was life,” and He says, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” He is “a quickening spirit.” 1 John 3:8; John 1:4; 10:10; 1 Corinthians 15:45. And He still has the same life-giving power as when on earth He healed the sick, and spoke forgiveness to the sinner. He “forgiveth all thine iniquities,” He “healeth all thy diseases.” Psalm 103:3.—The Desire of Ages, p. 270.

  • #9

    Craig (Monday, 09 December 2024 06:37)

    God bids us fill the mind with great thoughts, pure thoughts. He desires us to meditate upon His love and mercy, to study His wonderful work in the great plan of redemption. Then clearer and still clearer will be our perception of truth, higher, holier, our desire for purity of heart and clearness of thought. The soul dwelling in the pure atmosphere of holy thought will be transformed by communion with God through the study of Scriptures. . . .
    Those who, having heard the word, keep it, will bring forth fruit in obedience. The word of God, received into the soul, will be manifest in good works. Its results will be seen in a Christlike character and life. Christ said of Himself, “I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart.” Psalm 40:8. “I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.” John 5:30. And the Scripture says, “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” 1 John 2:6.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 60.

    The acceptance of Christ gives value to the human being. His sacrifice carries life and light to all who take Christ as their personal Saviour. The love of God through Jesus Christ is shed abroad in the heart of every member of His body, carrying with it the vitality of the law of God the Father. . . .
    God loves those who are redeemed through Christ, even as He loves His Son. What a thought! Can God love the sinner as He loves His own Son?—Yes; Christ has said it, and He means just what He says. He will honor all our drafts if we will grasp His promise by living faith, and put our trust in Him. Look to Him, and live. All who obey God are embraced in the prayer which Christ offered to His Father, “I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26). Wonderful truth, too difficult for humanity to comprehend!—Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 299, 300.

    To redeem man, Christ became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. It is the golden linked chain which binds our souls to Christ and through Christ to God. This is to be our study. Christ was a real man, and He gave proof of His humility in becoming a man. And He was God in the flesh. . . .
    Christ’s position with His Father is one of equality. This enabled Him to become a sin-offering for transgressors. He was fully sufficient to magnify the law and make it honorable.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, pp. 904, 905.

  • #10

    Samuel chibende (Friday, 13 December 2024 22:59)

    Thanks

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