SUNDAY
SCHOOL CLASSES FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2025
JULY 6, 2025
The
Boy Jesus in the Temple
Printed Text: Luke 2:41-52
Devotional Reading: Psalm 27
Background: Luke 2:41-52
JULY 13, 2025
Lord of the Sabbath
Printed Text: Matthew 12:1-8
Devotional Reading: Luke 13:10-17
Background: Matthew 12:1-14 (see Mark 2:23-28; Luke
6:1-11)
JULY 20, 2025
Cleansing
the Temple
Printed Text: John 2:13-25
Devotional Reading: Jeremiah 7:1-15
Background: John 2:13-25 (see Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19;
Luke 19:45-48)
JULY 27, 2025
Jesus Predicts the Temple’s Destruction
Printed Text: Matthew 24:1-14
Devotional Reading: Genesis 26:12-23
Bible Background: Matthew 23:37-24:35 (see Mark 13:1-23; Luke 21:5-24)
Zoom Sunday School Classes – 6 July 2025, 09:00 AM EST
Meeting ID: 848-9423-0612
Pass Code: 669872
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84894230612?pwd=Zk1ESitzbGZwTlJyV21UZXY5aTVPZz09
The Boy Jesus in
the Temple
Printed Text: Luke 2:41-52
Devotional Reading: Psalm 27
Background: Luke 2:41-52
Daily
Bible Readings |
|
LESSON
AIM:
EXAMINE the story of Jesus' time spent in the
temple;
UNDERSTAND the relationship between inquiry and spiritual growth; and
COMMIT to lifelong learning in the community of faith.
KEEP IN
MIND
"He
said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must
be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49, NRSV).
BACKGROUND:
Luke's
gospel emphasizes the uniqueness of Jesus in numerous ways. One notable way is
the contrast between Jesus and John the Baptist.
Today's
text also reveals that Jesus' development was uniquely superior as seen through
His activity in the temple and His response to His parents. John and Jesus have
important roles to play, but Luke's gospel helps us see the extraordinary
person that Jesus is by showing us an episode where He is no ordinary inquirer
in matters of God's Word. While Jesus is unique, His eagerness to inquire of
the teachers in the temple should stimulate us to be those who hunger after
wisdom and long to grow as God's people.
LESSON
COMMENTARY:
The Passover Journey (Luke 2:41-44, NRSV)
41Now every year his parents went to
Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover.
42And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the
festival.
43When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy
Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.
44Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's
journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends.
As
in the previous lesson, today's passage begins by indicating the faithfulness
and obedience of Joseph and Mary. Typical
of observant Jewish people, they made an annual trip to Jerusalem for the
Passover, where they would recall God's miraculous deliverance of the
Israelites from slavery in Egypt. This
observance was required by the law (Exodus 23:14-17).
Luke
2:40 states that Jesus grew in wisdom and with God's grace upon Him, and
indicates the 12 years that have passed leading up to this particular Passover
journey. Some scholars suggest that this
may have been the first time Jesus made the trip with His family, but there are
no clear indications as to whether this was His first time or not.
After
completing the Feast of Passover, Joseph and Mary made the return trip, only to
find after a day's travel that Jesus was not with them. The reason they may not have noticed initially
is that they were traveling with a large caravan that included other relatives.
In the midst of such a large group it
would have been easy for Jesus to go unnoticed as they made the trip back to
Jerusalem.
Large
caravans were typical for such trips, as the road to Jerusalem would have been
dangerous for a small family traveling alone. As it turns out, Jesus did not really get lost
on the journey but instead stayed in Jerusalem to be with the teachers in the
temple.
The Encounter in the Temple (Luke 2:45-50, NRSV)
45When they did not find him, they
returned to Jerusalem to search for him.
46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the
teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his
answers.
48When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said
to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I
have been searching for you in great anxiety."
49He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not
know that I must be in my Father's house?"
50But they did not understand what he said to them.
After
discovering that Jesus was not with any of their relatives, Joseph and Mary
went back to Jerusalem in search of their son. Three days later, they found Him in the
temple, listening attentively to the teachers of the Law and asking them
questions. In His interactions with the
teachers of the Law, Jesus demonstrated that He is not a typical 12-year-old
inquiring about the Law. His questions
and answers showed Him to be someone of such remarkable insight that He amazed
everyone.
While there is a clear difference between Jesus and the
rest of us, His eagerness for and pursuit of knowledge about God's revelation
serves as an important example. How many
of us who regard ourselves as followers of Christ actively seek to understand
the revelation that God has given us with the kind of passion Jesus exhibited
as a 12-year-old? Are we people who
truly seek understanding, or are we perhaps too content with the level of
knowledge we already have?
Upon finding Jesus in the temple, His parents expressed
their concern about His absence on the return trip home. In reply, Jesus gave an answer that revealed
His ultimate priorities and allegiance. When
Mary told Him, "Thy father and I have sought thee," Jesus responded
that they should not have been surprised that He has been in His true Father's
house. This answer should not be seen as
if Jesus was being disrespectful to Mary and Joseph, but rather as an indicator
of the kind of piety that Jesus possesses as well as a reminder of His mission.
While the trip to Jerusalem indicates
the faithfulness of Joseph and Mary, Jesus' decision to remain in the temple
and to inquire in the temple shows that His dedication is of a greater kind
than that of His parents. Remaining in
Jerusalem demonstrates a commitment to God's purpose that goes beyond familial
loyalty. Later in His ministry, Jesus
will express this commitment with statements such as "Anyone who loves his
father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or
daughter more than me is not worthy of me" (Matthew 10:37, NIV). Faithfulness to God requires a commitment that
trumps all other loyalties.
Joseph
and Mary did not understand the meaning of what had been said. Although they had been told about Jesus in
angelic visitations, they did not fully grasp who Jesus was. In a manner similar to the disciples who
walked with Jesus but were often surprised by events or sayings that indicated
the fullness of Jesus' identity, Mary and Joseph were as perplexed by the words
of Jesus as the teachers in the temple were by His questions and insightful
answers. The fact that it took time for
those who lived among Jesus to understand who He was should prompt us to
inquire as to how much we really know our Saviour. Are we really as familiar with Jesus as we
might assume?
1. What is significant about Jesus being found in the
temple? Would it have made any
difference if Joseph and Mary found Him in a marketplace? Why or why not?
2. When Jesus sits among the teachers, He is not content to
merely listen. What kind of example does
the young Jesus provide for us by His behavior in the temple?
Jesus Returns Home and Grows Up (Luke 2:51-52)
50But they did not understand what he said
to them.
51Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient
to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
52And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and
human favor.
Jesus
did not make the temple His new residence but returned to Nazareth with Mary
and Joseph and lived as an obedient son. The text goes on to tell us that Mary
treasured the things she learned about Jesus in her heart, just as she did when
He was born and visitors came from afar to worship Him (Matthew 2:1-12). While Mary may not have completely understood
everything about Jesus, her act of treasuring the truth she learned about Him
indicates a mind-set that serves as an example for us. Mary reminds us that the things we learn about
Jesus should be regarded as treasures we hold in the depths of our hearts. Even if we do not completely understand
everything about Jesus, we should reflect deeply on the magnificent things we
learn about Him, as well as the rest of God's revelation to us in the Bible.
The
final verse tells us that Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, and in favor with
God and others. For some it may seem
perplexing to think that Jesus needed to acquire wisdom, since He is both fully
divine as well as fully human. In the
Gospels we see that Jesus operates in submission to the Father—as One who has
come to do the Father's will, and who will only do what He is told to do.
In
the book of Luke, it will also become clear that Jesus operates as One guided
by the Holy Spirit. As a person under
submission to God, Jesus only expresses His divinity when directed to do so. Since Jesus took on this limitation, it should
be no surprise that He learns about the Law like other Jewish people, though
neither should we be surprised that He has greater insight than others.
DISCUSS
THE MEANING:
1. Today's text ends by telling us that Jesus' parents
didn't understand what He said and that He eventually grew up and increased in
wisdom. What does this seem to say about
Joseph and Mary?
2. Jesus was
serious about doing His heavenly Father's work. What does this tell us about working in God's
kingdom?
3. Mary and
Joseph looked frantically for Jesus. How
do you think they felt when they couldn't find Him? What is this passage of Scripture telling us
about seeking God?
4. When
Jesus returned with His parents to
LESSON IN
OUR SOCIETY:
Our
society is a communications and technological giant. Consumers can purchase products and services
a lot quicker today than we could in the past.
All we need is a personal computer, Internet access, and the touch of a
button, and within minutes we can order just about anything we want. This ease and convenience has created a
quick-fix mentality in the minds of many people. Unfortunately, this mind-set has also
infiltrated the lives of many Christians who have not learned the value of
delayed gratification. God desires to
meet our needs while developing a personal and intimate relationship with us.
In
light of this, what kind of relationship do you have with God? How big or small is your perception of
Him? Do you see Him as someone who
provides a quick-fix solution to your problems?
Are you always looking for Him to provide you with an easy way out? Who is God to you?
NEXT WEEK LESSON: 13 July 2025
Lord of the
Sabbath
Printed Text: Matthew 12:1-8
Devotional Reading: Luke 13:10-17
Background: Matthew 12:1-14 (see Mark 2:23-28; Luke
6:1-11)
Zoom Sunday School
Classes – 13 July 2025, 09:00 AM EST
Meeting ID: 848-9423-0612
Pass Code: 669872
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84894230612?pwd=Zk1ESitzbGZwTlJyV21UZXY5aTVPZz09
Lord of the
Sabbath
Printed Text: Matthew 12:1-8
Devotional Reading: Luke 13:10-17
Background: Matthew 12:1-14 (see Mark 2:23-28; Luke
6:1-11)
Daily
Bible Readings |
|
KEEP IN MIND:
“I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.”
(Matthew 12:6, NRSV)
LESSON
AIM:
EXPLORE Jesus’ approach to questions of how
properly to observe the Sabbath;
AFFIRM the importance of responding to human
needs; and
IDENTIFY ways believers can prioritize
compassionate service over external religious obligations.
BACKGROUND:
In the chapters prior to this passage, Jesus has instructed the
twelve disciples about preaching the kingdom to the Jews. After outlining their method and message,
John’s disciples approached Jesus on whether He is the expected Messiah. Jesus responds and lets them know that His
works speak for themselves. He is the
Messiah and John was His forerunner.
Furthermore, Jesus announces that those who do not believe in Him will
face a worse judgment than the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah or Tyre and
Sidon. Jesus then says a prayer of
thanksgiving for God’s grace in revealing Himself to the disciples who are not
wise and clever. Next comes an
invitation to come to Jesus, and those who do will find rest for their souls.
This is significant because in the story that begins the next
chapter, Jesus shows us His yoke is easy and His burden is light. This is true especially in relation to the
traditions of the Pharisees. Their many
religious traditions were burdensome, especially in regard to the Sabbath. Many ordinary things were considered
violations of the Sabbath, including such things as lighting a lamp. Unfortunately, many of these extra laws often
got in the way of obeying the law of God and showing love to others. Jesus shows how backwards this wat of
thinking and living really is.
LESSON
COMMENTARY:
Law and
Temple (Matthew 12:1-4, NRSV)
Matthew 12:1-4 (NRSV)
1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; his
disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.
2When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your
disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath."
3He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he and
his companions were hungry?
4He entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence,
which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the
priests.
The scene is set as Jesus . . . and
his disciples pass through a field of grain. The Law of Moses allows a hungry traveler to
take a modest amount of grain from a farmer’s field to eat immediately
(Deuteronomy 23:24, 25), and that is what the disciples are doing. God gave
Israel such laws so that His people would be generous in response to God’s
generosity (15:12-14). So the plucking of grain is not a controversial matter
in and of itself. (Mark 2:23 and Luke 6:1 begin parallel accounts.)
The problem with the disciples’ action
is that it is being done upon the sabbath day. According to the interpretation
of the Pharisees, what the disciples are doing amounts to three kinds of work:
reaping (plucking the grain), threshing (rubbing the grain to separate kernel
from husk), and winnowing (blowing the husks away from the grain). It does not
matter that their actions are simple and easy, expending little energy. They
have transgressed the “fence” around the Sabbath law.
These Pharisees have no official
position from which to stop the disciples’ actions. They do not occupy any
governmental or religious office, but they do have powerful influence. They do
not confront Jesus’ disciples, but Jesus himself. They hold Him, as the
teacher, responsible for His followers’ actions. They perceive Jesus as a
rival, so they seek to discredit Him for not correcting His disciples’ mistake.
1. How do
you respond when the law of man conflicts with the Law of God? How should you respond?
Priests in the Temple ((Matthew 12:5, NRSV)
5Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the
priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless?
Jesus then appeals to another part of
Israel’s Scriptures. The Law of Moses
explicitly requires priests to offer sacrifices on the Sabbath, first in the
tabernacle and then in the temple that superseded it (Numbers 28:9, 10). Jesus sarcastically uses the deliberately
harsh expression profane to describe their action. By the Pharisees’ definition, this work would
reduce the holy Sabbath to an ordinary day. Yet the Law of Moses commands sacrifice on the
Sabbath, and so the priests who perform the sacrifice must be without guilt.
1. Where do you draw the line regarding what you will and won’t do on a day
of rest? Why? (In terms of physical
activity; In terms of mental activity; Considering Proverbs 6:10, 11; Matthew
11:28; 26:45; Mark 6:31; John 9:4; Hebrews 4:9, 10; 6:11, 12; 10:25)
Sabbath
and Messiah (Matthew 12:6-7,
NRSV)
6I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
7But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not
sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.
As Jesus’ authority is greater than
that of David, so He is greater than the temple. This statement, like many others that Jesus
makes, no doubt shocks the religious leaders and others. To be allowed to have a temple is a gift from
God. The temple was built according to
His design for sacrifices and rituals instituted by God. To claim standing greater than the temple’s
standing is to claim the authority of God himself.
The regulations that allow plucking
grain in order to satisfy hunger are expressions of God’s mercy (see
comments on verse 1, above). This
practice is an expression of God’s loving generosity. His people live in the
land He has given them because of that generosity. So, they are obliged to be similarly generous
to one another.
Jesus quotes from Hosea 6:6 to make
this point. The prophet Hosea had warned
God’s people centuries before that their love for God was weak and
erratic. They relied on sacrifice in the
temple to express their devotion to God, but they practiced violence and theft
day by day. True devotion to God must be
expressed with His degree of mercy.
These Pharisees, however, are using the Sabbath to enforce a devotion to
God that has no place for mercy.
The Pharisees may not acknowledge it,
but Jesus stands before them as the ultimate expression of God’s mercy. He is God as a human being, living among
sinful humans, eventually to die as the innocent one in place of the
guilty. When the Pharisees ignore Him
while enforcing their view of the Law of Moses, they are ignoring the mercy of
God in its greatest demonstration.
1. How can you help your church improve its extensions of mercy? (In physical, material terms; In spiritual
terms; As the material needs interrelate with the spiritual)
Greater Authority (Matthew 12:8, NRSV)
8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Jesus’ divine authority is summed up in
this statement. The phrase Son of man
echoes Daniel 7:1-14. In the prophet’s
vision, “beasts” representing kingdoms opposed to God’s people are overcome by
“one like the Son of man.” To Him God
gives authority to rule forever. Jesus claims to be that very figure, having
come into the world with authority that belongs only to God. (By contrast, the dozens of references to the
prophet Ezekiel as “Son of man” highlight his mortality.)
The Sabbath was a gift of God’s mercy
for people who needed rest. Jesus declares himself Lord of that
gift. As God’s divine Son, He exercises
full authority over God’s Sabbath. The
rest that He gives accomplishes what Sabbath promises.
DISCUSS
THE MEANING:
1. Jesus
placed more of a priority on meeting human needs than on satisfying rules. Have you ever challenged a human rule to help
someone in need?
2. What are the hotly debated issues in the
church today?
3. What religious traditions can be burdensome
for us in the 21st century?
4. Why would God put meeting human needs above
keeping rules?
5. How have
you seen something that was designed to liberate people twisted to oppress
people?
6. In this
lesson we are confronted with the fact that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. How do we make Him Lord of the Sabbath and
every other aspect of our lives?
7. How can we
meet human needs in our daily lives? Are
there any rules that keep us from loving others and showing mercy?
8. In what
way have you seen a church corporately display God’s love and compassion?
LESSON
IN OUR SOCIETY:
Many times, in the Black church, we can get caught up in
going from church activity to church activity and forget the purpose behind
what we’re doing. In the quick pace of a
church calendar, we must remember the reason why we were created: to love God
and to love people. This is a higher
priority than Bile studies, choir practices, or church anniversaries. If our church activities keep us from seeking
justice for the oppressed and loving our fellow man, then we have lost sight of
God’s higher purpose.
Jesus’ words in this passage highlight the attitude we
should have toward any of our religious traditions. The concern for human life is more important
that the external trappings of religion.
While the various aspects of worship are important, they are negated if
we do not love our neighbor as ourselves.
God desires relentless love and abounding compassion more that religious
sacrifice.
NEXT WEEK’S LESSON: JULY 20, 2025
Cleansing
the Temple
Printed Text: John 2:13-25
Devotional Reading: Jeremiah 7:1-15
Background: John 2:13-25 (see Matthew 21:12-17; Mark
11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48)
Zoom
Sunday School Classes – 20 July 2025, 09:00 AM EST
Meeting ID: 848-9423-0612
Pass Code: 669872
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84894230612?pwd=Zk1ESitzbGZwTlJyV21UZXY5aTVPZz09
Cleansing the Temple
Printed Text: John 2:13-25
Devotional Reading: Psalm 122
Background: John 2:13-25
(see Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48)
Daily
Bible Readings |
|
KEEP IN MIND:
“He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these
things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!’” (John 2:16,
NRSV).
LESSON AIM:
DESCRIBE how Jesus’ cleansing the Temple represents restoration in
our lives;
DESIRE
a fresh revelation of God in the church; and
CREATE
a list of ways that we see God’s power in our daily lives.
BACKGROUND:
The apostle John, the son of
Zebedee and brother of James, is the author of the Gospel of John. He and his brother were called “Sons of
Thunder.” John wrote to prove that Jesus
Christ is not just a man but is indeed the eternal Son of the Living God, and
all who believe on Him will have everlasting life (reign with Him forever and
ever in His kingdom). In other words,
Jesus is fully God and fully man. In
addition, because Jesus offers the gift of eternal life to all who believe on
Him, He is also the Light of the world.
He is the Word—the long-awaited Messiah.
John not only reveals Jesus to us in both power and magnificence, he
also shows us Jesus’ power over everything created as well as His love for all
humanity.
LESSON COMMENTARY:
Jesus Shows That the Temple
Is Sacred (John 2:13-18)
13The
Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves,
and the money changers seated at their tables.
15Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple,
both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money
changers and overturned their tables.
16He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things
out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!"
17His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your
house will consume me."
18The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for
doing this?"
Today’s lesson deals with
Jesus cleansing the Temple of everything that was not of God— everything that
hindered true worship of the Living God.
Like with the Temple, sometimes God has to help us clean up our lives as
He brings restoration.
In the outer courts of the
Temple— the Court of the Gentiles—the animal merchants and moneychangers were
allowed to set up booths to do business.
Since there were thousands of out-of-town visitors who came to celebrate
the Passover, business was booming. The
religious leaders gave these merchants and moneychangers permission to carry
out their trades so that the leaders could make money for the Temple’s upkeep. However, they did not consider the fact that
because there were so many people doing business, it interfered with the
worship of the true and living God—the main purpose for visiting the
Temple. This is one of the reasons that
Jesus was angry.
In addition, because the
Temple’s tax had to be paid in the local currency, many of the foreigners who
came to the Passover celebration had to have their money converted. The moneychangers, however, cheated or exploited
the people by charging exorbitant exchange rates. Therefore, their business interfered with
worship, and they were cheating the people at the place of worship. Adding to these infractions was the fact that
after the cattle, sheep, oxen, and doves that foreigners brought for the
sacrifices were rejected for imperfections, the animal merchants sold new ones
at inflated prices.
This was also big
business. Thus, Jesus was angry at the
exploitation and greedy practices of these merchants and moneychangers. When He saw their blatant disrespect for the
Temple and for those worshiping there, Jesus drove out the sheep and oxen, and
“scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor and turned over their
tables” (verse 1). He even told the
people selling the doves to get their merchandise out of the Temple and
admonished them not to turn His “Father’s house into a marketplace!” (verse
16).
Jesus knew that turning the
area into a marketplace was misusing God’s Temple; they had insulted Almighty
God—His Father. When the disciples saw
how Jesus responded to such disrespect, they remembered the prophecy from the
Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house burns within me (Jesus)” (verse 17,
NLT). Of course, the Jewish leaders’
beliefs were in fundamental conflict with Jesus, and they demanded to know by
what authority He carried out these acts.
They insisted that Jesus show them a miraculous sign to prove that His
authority was from God (verse 18).
1. Why was
Jesus so angry with the merchants and moneychangers (John 2:15-16)?
Jesus Reveals Another Meaning
of the Temple (John2:19-22, NRSV)
19Jesus
answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it
up."
20The Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction
for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?"
21But he was speaking of the temple of his body.
22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that
he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had
spoken.
Again, the religious leaders
were not on the same page as Jesus.
Here, Jesus speaks of His body as a temple, and the leaders thought He
was still talking about the Temple where He had disrupted business— where He had
driven out the merchants and moneychangers.
They thought He was speaking of the Temple that Zerubbabel had built
over 500 years earlier and Herod the Great had begun enlarging and enhancing. Herod’s efforts with the Temple were still
under way, even though the remodeling project had started 46 years prior. Therefore, the religious leaders thought that
Jesus was telling them this earthly temple could be torn down and rebuilt in
three days.
Knowing how long it took to
build the Temple, they were startled.
However, Jesus was telling them that His body, God’s temple, would be
crucified and resurrected in three days.
Jesus’ words would, of course, mean more to the disciples after Jesus’
resurrection. These words would prove
that indeed He is the Messiah—the Son of the Living God!
1. What did
Jesus mean when He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise
it up” (verse 19)?
Superficial Faith (John
2:23-25, NRSV)
23When
he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name
because they saw the signs that he was doing.
24But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because
he knew all people
25and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew
what was in everyone.
A superficial
faith in Christ is based on the spectacular or on what He can do to relieve
your problems, not on Jesus as Savior and Lord.
These “believers” (in 2:23) were impressed with Jesus. They had seen Him clear out the merchants and
money-changers from the temple. During
the visit to Jerusalem, He had performed some other signs that John doesn’t
specify. Maybe some of them had been
healed or knew those who had been healed.
They were ready to sign on with Jesus.
But they really
didn’t understand the truth about who Jesus is and what He came to do. Like Nicodemus, they probably thought, “We’re
good Jews. We’re God’s chosen people. We keep the Law of Moses. We just observed Passover.” They didn’t understand that they were sinners
who needed a Savior. They didn’t know
that Jesus is the Lord and that He commands His followers to take up their
cross and follow Him. They were amazed
at His signs, but they weren’t committing themselves to Him as Savior and Lord,
so He didn’t commit Himself to them.
DISCUSS THE MEANING:
1. Does Jesus wielding a whip fit your image of Him? Why is it crucial to know Jesus as the Bible
reveals Him, not necessarily as we might want Him to be?
2. Does Jesus’ knowledge of what is in your heart make you
uncomfortable? How can you change your feelings on this?
3. Some people
have interpreted John 2:13-22 to mean that there is to be no selling of any
kind in the church. Is this the principle that you drew from the text? Why? Why
not?
4. Did you originally come to Christ because of “a sign” (something
spectacular that He could do for you)? What helped your faith to mature and
grow?
5. Have you ever thought about Jesus trusting in you? Why is trust at the heart of all
relationships?
6. Discuss: Since genuine faith must be tested, is it wise to try to
give assurance of salvation to someone who has just believed?
LESSON IN OUR SOCIETY:
God’s House is for worshiping
the true and living God. It is never to
be taken for anything other than that.
It is a sacred place where congregants assemble to praise, lift up the
name of Jesus, and hear from His unerring Word.
However, sometimes congregants do not respect the sanctuary and forget
that they are entering the Holy God’s presence.
Some may even throw paper on the floor and leave their bulletins on the
seats after the service. You take the
lead in respecting God’s House!
NEXT WEEK’S LESSON: JULY
27, 2025
Jesus Predicts the Temple’s Destruction
Printed Text: Matthew 24:1-14
Devotional Reading: Genesis 26:12-23
Bible Background: Matthew 23:37-24:35
(see Mark 13:1-23; Luke 21:5-24)
SOURCES:
Achtemeier, Paul J. Harper's Bible Dictionary. 1st ed. San
Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985.
Brown, Raymond E., S. S., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S. J.; Roland E. Murphy,
O Carm. The Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall,
Inc., 1968.
Dummelow, J. R., M.A. Rev. The One Volume Bible Commentary. New
York: The Macmillan Company Publishers, 1961.
Gaebelein, Frank E., The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Volume 8:
Matthew, Mark, Luke, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishers, 1984.
James Orr, M.A., D.D., International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,
Electronic Edition, Parsons Technology, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa 1998.
Keck, Leander E., The New Interpreter's Bible Commentary, Volume
VIII: Luke, John, New York: Abingdon Press, 2015.
Morris, William, ed., Dictionary of the English Language,
Houghton Mifflin Company, 1981.
Nolland, John, Word Biblical Commentary, Luke 1:1-9:20, Volume 35a.,
Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1989.
Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Hrsg.): The Pulpit Commentary: Luke.
Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2004
Spence-Jones,
H. D. M. (Hrsg.): The Pulpit Commentary: St. Matthew Vol. I. Bellingham,
WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2004
Stein, Robert H., New American Commentary: Luke, An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of
Holy Scripture, Volume 24. Nashville:
Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993.
Strong, James, Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, Electronic
Edition STEP Files, QuickVerse, a division of Findex.com, Inc., Omaha,
Nebraska. 2003.
Vine, W.E. Vines Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New
Testament Words. Edited by Merrill F. Unger and William White Jr.,
Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996.