Sunday School Lesson
December 13
Lesson 2 (KJV)
Called to Be Emmanuel
Devotional Reading: Isaiah 42:1–9
Background Scripture: Matthew 1:18–25
Matthew 1:18–25
18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25. And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.
Lesson Aims
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. List the choices Joseph faced in his dilemma.
2. Explain the meaning and significance of the name Emmanuel.
3. Write a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of Jesus.
HOW TO SAY IT
| Ahaz | Ay-haz. |
| Assyria | Uh-sear-ee uh. |
| Assyrians | Uh-sear-ee unz. |
| Babylonians | Bab-ih-low-nee-unz. |
| Emmanuel | E-man-you-el. |
| Galilee | Gal-uh-lee. |
| Herod | Hair-ud. |
| Isaiah | Eye-zay-uh. |
| Josephus | Jo-see-fus. |
| Judean | Joo-dee-un. |
| Nazareth | Naz-uh-reth |
| Sepphoris | Sef-uh-ris. |
| Tiglathpileser | Tig-lath-pih-lee-zer. |
Introduction
A. Not What Some People Would Think
Several years ago, the president of a small chain of savings and loans received a polite but firm letter from an account holder. The letter stated his desire to withdraw all funds immediately. A quick review of accounts revealed that this would be a significant loss: the investor in question had more than $5 million in assets. Alarmed, the president called the disgruntled man to see what was wrong.
The customer was an older gentleman who had retired as a multimillionaire by age 60, but very few people were aware of his true net worth. This was partly because the man continued to take care of his own farm, drove an older pick-up truck, and preferred boots and work overalls as clothing.
On a recent occasion, he had gone into a branch of the bank in another town to cash a check. Not knowing him and seeing his rough appearance and dirty hands, the tellers had treated him with disregard. He left feeling that he did not like the way that bank’s employees treated “average working people,” hence the reason for the letter’s stated intent to close out his accounts.
“I guess,” he said as he hung up the phone, “I’m just not what some people would think.”
It’s easy to conclude that someone who dresses or talks a certain way, works at a certain kind of job, or drives a certain type of vehicle must necessarily be a certain kind of person. Judging the Joseph of today’s text based on appearance might have led his contemporaries to conclude that he had no special place in God’s plans. How could he be the type of person who would be called to raise the promised Messiah?
B. Lesson Context
Today’s lesson focuses on the unlikely hero Joseph of Nazareth. Joseph’s background was unremarkable in a number of ways. First, his place of residence, Nazareth (Luke 2:4; 4:16, 22), was a tiny village well off the beaten path. In Joseph’s day the town was so insignificant that it is not mentioned in contemporary sources outside the Bible. Even the first-century Jewish historian Josephus didn’t include Nazareth in his list of Galilean villages subdued by the Romans during the great Jewish revolt of AD 66–72. The majority of the inhabitants of Nazareth would have worked as subsistence farmers or day laborers, living the peasant lifestyle typical of Rome’s occupied provinces (compare John 1:46).
Second, even within Nazareth, Joseph’s social standing would have been nothing special. In Matthew 13:55, its residents were dismissive of the adult Jesus, calling Him “the carpenter’s son”—a reference that reveals Joseph’s trade. The Greek word often translated “carpenter” could refer to a skilled woodworker, boutique craftsman, or construction worker.
In the first century AD, Galilean laborers like Joseph were employed on major construction projects funded by the Roman client-king Herod Antipas, where they worked with stone, wood, and other materials to build roads and public buildings. Joseph may have spent most of his life working on the new and elegant Roman colony at Sepphoris, a three-mile walk north from Nazareth.
Life was hard for poor laborers in that era, a fact that may explain why Joseph apparently did not live to see Jesus’ ministry. While he is mentioned as the father of the adult Jesus in John 6:42, he last appears in the Gospels in Luke 2:41–50, a story that took place when Jesus was 12 years old.
In ancient times, tradespeople like Joseph were not protected by labor laws or collective-bargaining contracts. As a result, they were subject to long workdays, dangerous conditions, and the typically high levels of taxation that Rome levied on its subjects. It is highly unlikely that Joseph had received any kind of formal education, and almost certain that he could not read or write with any level of proficiency. Were it not for his association with Jesus, Joseph would have been lost to the pages of history.
But despite his humble origins, Joseph stood out among his peers in at least two respects. First, Joseph was a descendant of King David (see Matthew 1:1–16; lesson 1), and thus a member of Israel’s royal line. This fact explains why Joseph took his pregnant wife from Galilee to Bethlehem (a Judean village about six miles from Jerusalem) to register for the Roman tax census (Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:1–4). Bethlehem was David’s hometown (1 Samuel 16:1). David was widely understood to be the ancestor of the coming Messiah, who would rule Israel on David’s restored throne (2 Samuel 7; Jeremiah 23:5–6).
The second way Joseph stood out among his peers is part of today’s lesson.
I. Facing the News
(Matthew 1:18–19)
A. Unexpected Pregnancy (v. 18)
18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
This verse summarizes a great deal of information that is discussed in detail in Luke 1:26–38. Following the Jewish custom of that day, Joseph was probably considerably older than his bride-to-be, perhaps in his mid to late 20s while she was in her mid to late teens. Before their wedding, Mary was told by the angel Gabriel that she would soon bear a child—a human impossibility in view of the fact that she was still a virgin (Luke 1:34).
Matthew 1:18 picks up Mary’s story after her return to Nazareth from a three-month visit with Elisabeth (Luke 1:39–40, 56). One can only imagine how Joseph felt upon discovering that his fiancée was with child. Any explanation from her that this was the result not of unfaithfulness but of the power of the Holy Ghost must have been mind-boggling, to say the least.
| What Do You Think? How can you help your church do a better job of extending grace to those experiencing out-of-wedlock pregnancies? Digging Deeper |
Private Planning (v. 19)19. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
Mary and Joseph her husband were not yet married, in the sense that they were not living together in the same household. But ancient Jewish custom considered betrothed couples to be legally bound to one another once their engagement had been announced and the dowry paid.
Joseph’s presumed anger over the situation could have inclined him to demand the justice that the Law of Moses clearly prescribes. Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22 both state that those convicted of adultery are to be executed (see also John 8:5). At the very least, Joseph could have publicly terminated the engagement and kept the dowry. That also would have brought disgrace to Mary and her family. Such a move would have been completely justified, given what Joseph knew at this point.
| What Do You Think? Under what circumstances, if any, would you support the public shaming of someone? Why? Digging Deeper |
Yet in this case, compassion won the day. Realizing that the child was not his, Joseph decided to call off the engagement quietly. His attitude was reflected in the description of Joseph as a just man. His faithfulness to the law was appropriately matched by his desire to be merciful.
| What Do You Think? How can you help your church do a better job of ministering to those who are divorced or are going through a divorce? Digging Deeper |
Though many men would have qualified to be Jesus’ adoptive father based on being part of David’s lineage, Joseph’s faith was of utmost importance for raising the Son of God. Joseph was clearly a man of remarkable faith and compassion. These traits come to the forefront of today’s passage and are critical to Matthew’s larger account of the circumstances of Jesus’ birth and early childhood.
II. Seeing the Big Picture
(Matthew 1:20–23)
A. Through Dreams (vv. 20–21)
20a. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream.
Matthew’s account of the events leading to Jesus’ birth is filled with dreams. No fewer than five times, characters received divine revelation through dreams that significantly impacted the course of events. One of these dreams was given to the wise men to warn them not to return to the treacherous King Herod (Matthew 2:12), advice that may have saved the wise men from imprisonment or death at the tyrant’s hands. The other four dreams were all communications to Joseph, calculated to empower him to protect Mary and Jesus from harm (2:13, 19–20, 22).
While anyone would be awed by even one such experience, Joseph in particular must have been surprised by these revelatory dreams. In the Old Testament, very few people learned about God’s plans in dreams; they include Abraham (Genesis 15:12–16), Jacob (28:10–15), Joseph (37:5–9), Solomon (1 Kings 3:5), and Daniel (Daniel 7:1–27). Undoubtedly, there had been nothing in Joseph’s life to this point to suggest that he would be numbered with this select group.
20b. Saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
What Joseph shared with most others who experienced revelatory dreams in the Bible was faithfulness to God. And what he learned from his first dream was more significant than anything God had ever revealed to anyone before. Mary’s pregnancy was supernatural in origin, not the result of sin. Joseph was called to partner with God in caring for both her and her baby in order for God’s eternal purposes to be fulfilled.
The phrase of the Holy Ghost parallels the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary in Luke 1:35. Luke underscores the implication of the virgin birth by noting that Jesus, having no biological father, would be “Son of the Highest” (Luke 1:32). This title has less to do with the manner of His conception and more to do with Christ’s rights and authorities as the sole heir of everything that belongs to His divine Father (see John 1:14–18).
| What Do You Think? What procedure should Christians use to determine the Lord’s will when faced with a decision having lifelong impact? Digging Deeper |
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Ancient names were often symbolic, associating a person with an event or identifying an important attribute (examples: Genesis 17:5, 15–16; John 1:42). Following a similar pattern, Jesus is the Greek version of the common Hebrew name Joshua, which means “God saves.”
Joseph perhaps thought of the biblical hero Joshua, whom God used to lead Israel into the promised land. Joseph’s adopted son, Jesus, would not save … his people from political oppression (as many Jews in that time expected of the Messiah), but instead would save them from their sins. In His death, Jesus saved the world from sin by becoming the ultimate sacrifice (Romans 5:8–11). But in order for Jesus to save people later, Joseph needed to protect Jesus right then by caring for Mary.
B. Through Scripture (vv. 22–23)22. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet,
saying.Matthew pauses the story to remind his readers of a second way in which the significance of Christ’s birth and mission was revealed to the world: the ancient and public testimony of the Hebrew Scriptures. The prophet in view here is Isaiah (see Matthew 1:23 below).
Matthew quotes or makes reference to prophetic texts several other times in his account of Jesus’ birth (Matthew 1:23; 2:6, 15, 18, 23). These citations, combined with Jesus’ genealogy (1:1–17; see lesson 1), work together to demonstrate that the circumstances of the Messiah’s birth, although not what most Jews anticipated, were nevertheless consistent with what God had promised. Put another way, while many Jews and pagan religious experts like the wise men (2:1–2) would have expected the king of the Jews to be born in a royal palace, Matthew shows from Scripture that Jesus’ humble origins are actually proofs of His messianic identity.
23. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.This prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 was delivered during a particularly dark period in Israel’s history. Isaiah lived in the eighth century BC, about 200 years after the split between the northern and southern tribes following the death of Solomon (1 Kings 11:41–12:24). Sometime in the 740s BC, the northern kingdom, Israel, allied with Syria and invaded the southern kingdom, Judah (2 Kings 16:5). During the ensuing siege of Jerusalem, Isaiah met with the Judean King Ahaz to encourage him, promising that God would overthrow his enemies. Isaiah even invited him to ask for a divine sign that victory would come (Isaiah 7:1–11).
Feigning piety, King Ahaz refused, saying that he did not want to test God (Isaiah 7:12). In fact, he had already decided to seek protection from an earthly ally: he had sent ambassadors to negotiate with the Assyria’s King Tiglathpileser, padding the offer with a large quantity of gold and silver taken from the Jerusalem temple. Assyria responded by attacking and subjugating Israel. As a gesture of thanks, the king of Judah built an altar in the temple, patterned after one he had seen in the Assyrian capital, Damascus (2 Kings 16:10–18).
While these actions seemed politically expedient at the time, Isaiah recognized the faithlessness of this strategy. He responded by offering the king of Judah a sign quite different from one the wicked king might have requested: as evidence that God himself would deliver Judah from its enemies, a child named “Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14) was to be born. Before a certain child reached age 12 or 13 (Isaiah 10:16), the nations of which the king was so terrified would cease to exist. After the Assyrian defeated those nations, they would “get theirs” at the hands of the Babylonians, who destroyed tiny Judah in 586 BC.
It’s unclear whether Isaiah himself saw this prophecy about “Immanuel” partially fulfilled through the birth of his own son the following year (Isaiah 8:1–10). Matthew definitely saw the fullest significance of Isaiah’s words in the birth of Jesus. But in the long term, this sign referred to the coming of the Christ, the ultimate “Emmanuel … God with us” (Matthew 1:23). The Bible emphasizes the importance of God being “with” his people (examples: Genesis 26:3; 31:3; Exodus 3:12; Isaiah 43:2; John 14:3; Revelation 3:20). This is more than a figure of speech. In Jesus it has become a fact: “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
Isaiah’s more detailed promises in Isaiah 9 were also fulfilled—see Matthew 4:12–16. Through Jesus’ ministry, God would indeed be with His people in an unprecedented way.Following “God with Us”
“You’re bringing a baby here?!” The aid worker’s eyes were wide with disbelief. We were about to land in an African refugee camp in a politically and militarily volatile region. Malaria, typhoid, and yellow fever were active in the area. Far away from any urban amenities, we would start by building a mud hut to live in. What in the world were we thinking, going there with a child?
We were trying to follow Jesus’ example. He was Emmanuel, God with us. The Word became flesh. He talked face-to-face with people from all kinds of backgrounds, and He loved them.
Our son took his first steps in that camp. He played with children while we visited with their parents. We lived our lives side by side with the refugees, whose language had never been written down and most of whom did not know Christ. How can you follow the one who is “God with us” in your circumstances?
—D. G.
III. Accepting the Call
(Matthew 1:24–25)A. A Marriage (v. 24)
24. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife.
Any doubts Joseph may have had were settled by his remarkable dream. Consistent with his faithful character, he did not question what God showed him or hesitate to act (contrast Luke 1:18). Instead, he immediately proceeded with the marriage. It’s not difficult to imagine that Joseph moved the date of the wedding to ensure that Mary would be cared for during her pregnancy.
I Could Never Do That!As a college student, I was painfully shy. I dreaded walking between classes, not knowing how to interact with people I passed. I sat alone in the cafeteria. On Sunday morning, I would leave the service the moment it ended. Sometimes I’d even start trembling if a lot of people were around.
Yet, I felt called to ministry. I talked to my professors about my dilemma. I continued studying. While pursuing a graduate degree, I heard about Bible translation. That sounded like a perfect mission for an introvert!
With every hesitant step I took, God went before me. An internship led to a career. I experienced community, met my future wife, and worked side by side with national translators as they brought God’s Word into their own languages.
Alone I could never have the ministry God wanted for me. Listen to His call, step out in faith, and prepare to be amazed at what He will do.
—D. G.
| What Do You Think? How does Joseph’s obedience serve as an example and challenge to you? Digging Deeper |
A Birth (v. 25)25. And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.
Joseph not only obeyed God’s instruction to take Mary as his wife, but also went a step further by not consummating the marriage until Jesus had been born. God had not told him to do this, and the Law of Moses did not forbid sex during pregnancy. So Joseph’s choice of abstinence most likely reflected his own sense of the gravity of the situation. This point is stressed to ensure that there can be no confusion about Jesus’ paternity: Mary had not been sexually active at any point before or during her miraculous pregnancy.
Following the birth of Jesus, the couple clearly had a normal married life. This is evident from the fact that Jesus had at least four brothers and three sisters (see Matthew 13:55–56; Mark 6:3). Two of His half brothers eventually became leaders in the church. They wrote the two epistles in our New Testament that bear their names: James and Jude.A. “Yes, You”
Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth is a classic “Yes, you” story. Throughout the Bible, we see people who were surprised when God called them to do something, and who responded to the call with a “Who, me?” Consider Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 17:17; 18:12), Moses (Exodus 4:13), Isaiah (Isaiah 6:5), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:6), and Peter (Luke 5:1–10). All these people went on to play key roles in the story of salvation. But first they had to get over the “Who, me?” barrier.
Joseph and Mary lived out the classic “Who me?/Yes, you” storyline in a unique way. Neither was particularly outstanding as the world judges such things. But when called, they did what they were asked.
How tragic when God has a task but finds no one to respond (example: Ezekiel 22:30)! When we say “Who, me?” God typically responds, “Yes, you.”B. Prayer
Father, help us remember what it means that Jesus was born “God with us.” Let Your presence give us the confidence to be obedient whenever You call. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
C. Thought to Remember
Faithful people trust God, especially in extraordinary situations.
KID’S CORNER
The Epitome of True Love
Sunday, December 13, 2020
John 13:31-38
John 13:31-38
(John 13:31) Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus *said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him;
From this verse forward, rather than try to lead people to faith in Him, Jesus will teach deeper truths to those who already believe in Him and want to faithfully follow Him (though the following teachings will still help all who seek to learn more about Jesus, but do not yet believe in Him). The rest of the Gospel of John should encourage all of us who follow Jesus according to Jesus’ teachings. Among other truths in the following lessons, Jesus will introduce us to the Holy Spirit who will be with us forever, and He will tell us how to live with courage in this world until He comes again.
Before Jesus began His last and perhaps most important teachings especially for His loyal disciples (then and in the future), He waited until Judas Iscariot had departed to betray Him. As early as John 6:70, Jesus had told His disciples what type of person Judas was (without naming him) when He said, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.” In John 13:27, we learned that Judas did not go out until “Satan entered him.” Jesus did not “give what is holy to dogs” or “throw His pearls before swine” (see Matthew 7:6). A person described as a devil whom Satan indwelt would have hated Jesus even more if he had heard Jesus pray and teach about love, truth, the way of life, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and where Jesus was going to prepare a place for His true disciples.
* In the Gospel of John, this is the last time Jesus will speak of himself as the Son of Man. To learn more about how Jesus used the title Son of Man, go to the end of this commentary and read all the times Jesus spoke of himself as the Son of Man in the Gospel of John.
On Palm Sunday, Jesus said that the hour (or time) had come for Him “to be glorified.” Jesus again prophesied His coming death saying in John 12:23-24, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” On the night Judas departed to betray Him, Jesus said He “has been glorified.” “The Son of Man has been glorified,” because when Jesus took a piece of bread and gave Judas and Satan permission to betray Him Jesus fulfilled Scripture, obeyed His Father, and began the final sacrifice of His life on the cross. Jesus said the Son of Man has been glorified, because He had set in motion His betrayal, arrest, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of His Father in heaven to “bear much fruit” through His followers before His return at His Second Coming. Everything Jesus did and still does through His followers glorifies and honors the Father and Him. Jesus glorified His heavenly Father by His perfect obedience to His Father no matter what the personal cost or sacrifice, because, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16).
In the world, people glorify or honor themselves and they want other people to glorify or honor them too for their achievements in “this world’s” activities. Because of self-love, many people supremely want to be glorified by others for what they have or what they do. In the Kingdom of God, because of His unselfish love for God and others, Jesus glorified or honored himself and the Father glorified or honored Him for His perfect obedience and willingness to sacrifice His life for the salvation of those who would believe in Him. Love motivated the Father to send the Son, and love motivated the Son to obey the Father even unto death for the love of those He came to save. In John 15:13, Jesus described the depth of His love for us, for His friends (for His loyal and loving disciples): “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” In Romans 5:8, Paul described the breadth of the love the Father and the Son had for us, even before we had turned from our sins: “But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” The Father and the Son deserve our love and our efforts to glorify or honor them: they are worthy to be praised. Lest we boast in our achievement, the Father and the Son have saved us by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”
(John 13:32) if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.
The Father and the Son always acted and spoke in perfect unity of love, thought, and purpose. Jesus glorified God by everything He said, did, and would soon do when He died on the cross and rose again. God glorified Jesus by the way Jesus suffered, died, and rose again with the help of His heavenly Father, and He would do so “at once.” God the Father and God the Son glorified each other when Jesus sacrificially laid down His life to take it up again when He rose from the dead. To glorify His Father, Jesus lived and taught in perfect submission to His Father’s will, and His Father glorified Jesus when He raised Him from the dead and showed that Jesus had represented Him perfectly when He came into the world.
(John 13:33) “Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
In John 1:12, John described how Jesus gave and still gives people the power to become children of God: “to all who received him [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.” In John 11:52, Jesus spoke about gathering into one the “dispersed children of God.” When Jesus next spoke of children, in John 12:36, Jesus spoke of the children of light: “While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.” As children of God and children of light, Jesus tenderly addressed His loyal disciples as “little children,” for they still had much to learn from Him before He died on the cross. Later, both Paul and John would speak to new and mature Christians as “little children.” In summation, to become a child of God/child of light, a person must receive Jesus and believe in Jesus, for only Jesus can give anyone the power to become a child of God. In John 8:12 and John 9:5, Jesus proclaimed that He is the light of this world and those who follow Him have the light of life. Light also means Truth: Jesus is the Light and the Truth. To become a child of light, we must believe Jesus is the Light and the Truth, and follow the Light and the Truth, Jesus, who we find perfectly described and revealed in the Bible. In John’s first letter to Christians, in 1 John 1:7, John wrote: “If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
The disciples did not know what Jesus meant by “a little longer,” but Jesus would suffer betrayal and arrest that very night and be crucified the next day. After Jesus rose from the dead and His followers heard that He had risen, some of them did look for Him, but they did not find Him until He appeared to them (to Mary Magdalene at the tomb and to the disciples in an upper room within locked doors—see John 20:1-31 ). Jesus was going to the cross to die a sacrificial death for the forgiveness of sins, for the sins of those who receive Him, and neither the Jews nor the disciples could do that for themselves or anyone else. He also meant that He would soon be going to the Father in heaven, and later all who believe in Him would go there too—to the place Jesus prepared for them (see John 14:1-2).
(John 13:34) “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
During His three years of ministry, Jesus showed the world and His disciples how to live according to Leviticus 19:18, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” Jesus never took vengeance on anyone, no matter how awful they spoke to Him or treated Him. Jesus never took vengeance on Judas, Pilate, the chief priests, or those who nailed Him to the cross. Jesus did not bear a grudge against those who followed Him only for the food He could give them, or against those who came to Him just to entrap Him with some questions, or against those who plotted His death. Jesus did what He preached in Matthew 5:44, “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Jesus loved His neighbors as himself with a perfect love, for Jesus, the Son of God, is perfect. In the Bible, we see Jesus behaving and teaching perfectly. Now, for the first time, Jesus gave His true disciples a new commandment. Since we are imperfect and we love ourselves imperfectly, we do not love others perfectly. When Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment, He made himself and His actions the standard of how His disciples were to love and how they were to know if they were loving as He intended. Notice: Jesus loved everyone, but He especially loved His true disciples in a way that He could not show to His enemies. Jesus’ enemies could not and would not believe in, obey, and worship God as Jesus revealed the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, but Jesus still did what He wisely could to lead them to truth faith in Him. Jesus loved and could love His “little children” differently, because they enjoyed being with Jesus and He enjoyed being with them. His “little children” worshiped the true God in Spirit and in Truth. As Jesus taught the Samaritan woman in John 4:12, “the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him.” Jesus expected His true followers to love their neighbors as the LORD commanded in Leviticus 19:18, and He expected them to love one another as He had demonstrated to them—even washing their feet and taking the part of a slave as Jesus had done for them.
(John 13:35) “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
If they follow Jesus, Christians will think and act differently from those of this world. People will see by the things Christians say and do that Christians are different. In 1 Peter 2:9, the KJV reads that Christians are “a peculiar people,” while the NRSV calls Christians “God’s own people.” Consider completely what Peter wrote about God’s purpose for Christ’s people: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Christians proclaim the mighty acts of Jesus, the Light of the world, who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. Jesus called us out of the darkness by loving us and telling us the truth; then, He told us to believe in Him, receive Him, and follow Him. Christians live differently in many ways, but most importantly they obey Jesus’ commands in the Bible, which will involve other people seeing Christians loving one another according to the Bible’s teachings and the difference Christian love makes. Others may never see us as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own (peculiar) people,” but they can see whether we love one another or not. If Christians love one another and love their neighbor as themselves, they will draw some to Jesus Christ and they will learn of His loving sacrificial death on the cross for them. They will believe in Him and He will make them new and different people filled with His love and filled with the Holy Spirit. They will join a fellowship of people who love one another. They will love their neighbors as Christ loves them. They will join “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people.”
(John 13:36) Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.”
For the time being, Peter seemed to ignore Jesus’ teaching about love, but Jesus will talk to Peter once again about love and how he must love after He rises from the dead (see John 21:15-19). Peter fears abandonment after He learns that Jesus will leave him, and He particularly fears what the religious authorities might do to Jesus when He talks about His betrayal. Jesus told Peter that where He was going (Jesus was going to the cross and back to His Father in heaven) he could not follow “now.” Earlier, when Jesus spoke to the Jews or religious leaders and taught them almost the same truth, He left out the word “now,” for they would never go where He was going because they were going to die in their sins. In John 8:21, told them, “I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” Peter would not die in his sins, for Jesus gave His life on the cross for Peter, Peter believed in Jesus and wanted to follow Him, and Jesus promised Peter, “you will follow afterward.”
(John 13:37) Peter *said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.”
Perhaps still thinking about one of his fellow disciples betraying Jesus, Peter made it clear to Jesus and the others that he would never betray Jesus. Instead, Peter promised, “I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus knew Peter loved Him and that is why Peter said he would die for Him. Out of love for Jesus, Peter did not want Jesus to humble himself and wash his feet. Now, out of love for Jesus, Peter declared that he would protect Jesus even if he had to lay down his life to defend Him. As much as Peter might want to keep Jesus safe, Jesus told Peter that he could not do what he hoped to do. Jesus had to die on the cross according to the Scriptures. Jesus did not reprimand Peter for saying what he said. Jesus knew that love for Him moved Peter to want to give his life for Him. Later, in the garden, Peter did risk his life to protect Jesus when Peter, “who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear” (John 18:10). Nothing and no one could stop Jesus from laying down His life to save people from their sins and grant eternal life to all who would repent of their sins and believe in Him.
(John 13:38) Jesus *answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.”
Jesus loved Peter and He wanted Peter to know that He knew Peter’s love for Him moved Peter to want to die for Him. With loving words, Jesus warned Peter that he could not do what he wanted to do. Instead, Peter would deny Him and deny that He even knew Jesus. Jesus knew Peter’s heart and human weaknesses. When Jesus said, “Very, truly,” He indicated that what He was about to say to Peter was certain to happen, and nothing could change the future for that evening when Jesus would be betrayed and arrested. No matter what Peter thought and felt, Peter would deny Him and do so three times—not just once. Feelings of fear would fill Peter’s heart and mind. Jesus had not yet filled Peter with the Holy Spirit; Jesus had to die and rise again before He could do that. Fear would move Peter to deny Jesus three times according to the timing that Jesus foretold “before the cock crows.” As Creator and Lord over all creation, Jesus could control when a cock crowed and He would do so under the stress of a trial, persecution, and facing death on a cross. Then, in John 14: 1, Jesus immediately comforted His disciples by saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.”
NOTE ON THE “SON OF MAN”
* Jesus said to Nathaniel, “you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (John 1:51). Jesus said to Nicodemus, “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (John 3:13-14). Jesus said to some Jewish religious leaders, “and He [the Father] has given Him [Jesus] authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man” (John 5:27). Jesus said to a crowd, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal” (John 6:27). Jesus said to disputing Jews, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). Jesus said to many disciples, “Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” (John 6:62). While teaching in the temple, Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me” (John 8:28). Jesus said to the man born blind that He healed, “Do you believe in the Son of Man? . . . Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he’” (John 9:35, 37). On Palm Sunday, Jesus said to Philip and Andrew, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23). The crowd asked Jesus, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” (John 12:34). Jesus said to the eleven disciples, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him” (John 13:31). A complete separate study of the ways Jesus used the Son of Man title would be excellent and valuable for group study or personal mediation (see the International Bible Study Commentary on each verse above that includes the Son of Man in the Gospel of John).
The Epitome of True Love
Sunday, December 13, 2020
John 13:31-38
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another (John 13:34—KJV).
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another (John 13:34—NASB).
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another (John 13:34—NRSV).
After Jesus had shown His disciples how much He loved them, and after Jesus had loved them perfectly for three years, Jesus gave them a new commandment. When Jesus gave His disciples this new commandment, He also expected them to love the LORD their God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love their neighbors as themselves. Unhappily, we all love ourselves imperfectly and this affects how we love others. Jesus made His way of loving the perfect standard for Christian love. Jesus said that those who believe in Him needed to love their fellow believers as He loved all those who believe in Him. Jesus said that everyone should recognize Christians by the way they love one another. Christians love one another differently from the way they love others. For example, Jesus loved everyone, including the ones who wanted to kill Him or betray Him. He wanted what was best for everyone, so He told everyone the truth about God, the world, and how His Father loved them so much that He sent His Son to help people overcome their self-destructive tendencies and ways. Christians love others when they share this good news about God’s love in Jesus for everyone. When the followers of Jesus maintain a common faith in Jesus and the Bible, they love one another. They praise God and share their God-given joy and love with their fellow believers. Christian love enables Christians to feel heartfelt happiness when they gather to worship and work together. When serving others, Jesus’ love within Christians draws others into the circle of God’s love.
Thinking Further
The Epitome of True Love
Sunday, December 13, 2020
John 13:31-38
Name ______________________________
- If someone glorifies a sport’s star or celebrity, what does that mean and how do they do so?
- What does it mean to glorify the Father and the Son, and how do Christians do so?
- What was the new commandment that Jesus gave His disciples? In what ways would you consider it “new”?
- What is one way people will know if a group of people are followers of Jesus Christ?
- What did Peter tell Jesus and what did Jesus tell Peter?
Discussion and Thinking Further
- If someone glorifies a sport’s star or celebrity, what does that mean and how do they do so? It means they honor and praise them for what they have done. They do so by talking a lot about what they did and how they did it and what they might be able to do in the future. They want others to think about them and honor them as they do, so they talk a lot about them in great detail and compare them to others who are not as important to them or whose words, deeds, and performances are not as impressive.
- What does it mean to glorify the Father and the Son, and how do Christians do so? The Father honors and praises the Son in word and deed. The Son honors and praises the Father in word and deed. The Father speaks through Jesus and confirms that His words and Jesus’ teachings are the same using signs, including Jesus’ death and resurrection. Christians honor and praise the Father and the Son. Christians talk about why they honor them, and they honor them the best by loving and obeying them and obeying them because they love them. They want others to love, honor, and obey them too, and when they talk about the Father and the Son and what they have done and 2 what they do, they honor and glorify God the Father and the Son of God. They show and tell how no one and no other god is greater than the true God or more impressive in word and deed than the Father and the Son. They do this because the love God.
- What was the new commandment that Jesus gave His disciples? In what ways would you consider it “new”? Disciples of Jesus are to love other disciples of Jesus as Jesus loved His original disciples. It is new because the standard that disciples are to use for love when loving one another is the way Jesus loved and continues to love His disciples. The way Jesus loved is the standard of true love, a perfect standard and example, which is greater than loving our neighbors as ourselves. We can only love other disciples as Jesus loved and loves His disciples if the Holy Spirit indwells us, guides us, empowers us, and loves through us. This love includes great satisfaction and enjoyment among Jesus’ disciples in one another, so this type of love cannot include those who do evil, for Jesus’ disciples cannot enjoy satisfaction in a relationship with those who think, say, and do evil. Jesus’ disciples can love their neighbors (good or evil) as they try to wisely help both according to their needs—the one who does evil can learn about salvation in Jesus if someone loves them enough to tell them about Jesus and His love for sinners.
- What is one way people will know if a group of people are followers of Jesus Christ? They will love one another as Jesus loved and loves them.
- What did Peter tell Jesus and what did Jesus tell Peter? Peter told Jesus that he would die for him. Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times before the cock crowed.
Word Search
The Epitome of True Love
Sunday, December 13, 2020
John 13:31-38
Name _______________________________
Q I F G V K C A M R M L W M F
T K O X F A D C N L A T I E Q
Q D R M N L O R I O N Y R K I
O F B N Q M P Z A H T D E A W
G Z O C E C N Y R W E H T M F
L T V L Q M D W F I R I E O B
O X Z E V O L L N I H E L R X
R U Q M L T N E I W R L T N W
I H W D A C D O Q T O O E F P
F L N S U S E J S W T R L V A
I B T J G C O Z V H D L B G O
E N I N H R A F D L B Y E A Y
D G A P F O P R I Z J W B V N
L K I E B W U H K Y E Z G I D
N D W D X S C G L T U D E X L
Son
Man
God
Glorified
Glorify
Little
Children
Cannot
Come
Love
Another
Follow
Afterward
Crows
Denied
True and False Test
The Epitome of True Love
Sunday, December 13, 2020
John 13:31-38
Name _______________________________
Circle the True or False answers. Correct the False statements by restating them.
- Jesus hurt Judas’ feelings when He told him that He would be glorified even after Judas betrayed Him. True or False
- God the Father was glorified in Jesus when Jesus was glorified. True or False
- Jesus called His disciples “Little children.” True or False
- Jesus told His disciples that they would need to grow up and grow up fast! True or False
- Jesus told the Jews and His disciples that where He was going, they could not come. True or False
- Jesus’ new commandment was the same as the Old Testament commandment to love your neighbor as you loved yourself. True or False
- Jesus said others would know they were His disciples if they talked a lot about Him and tried to help people believe as they did. True or False
- If you glorify God, you do not need to love others. True or False
- Jesus told Peter that He would follow Him later. True or False
- Just as Jesus foretold Peter, Peter betrayed Jesus three times before the cock crowed. True or False
True and False Test Answers
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- False
- False
- False
- True
- False
Prayer
Father, help us remember what it means that Jesus was born “God with us.” Let Your presence give us the confidence to be obedient whenever You call. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.