More Testimonies about Jesus

Lesson 6

More Testimonies about Jesus

(John 1, 6, & 7, and Leviticus 17)

Copr. 2024, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.

Introduction: Have you ever considered the logic of the sacrificial system of the Old Testament? If you sinned by violating the law, why would an innocent animal be killed? That makes no sense. Animal or human sacrifices to pagan gods certainly exist in some societies, but they seem to be a tribute to the gods rather than a punishment for the violation of a legal code. Some Christian traditions sought to restore logic to the system by encouraging a follower to beat himself or pay a fine for sinful behavior. That makes sense! The illogic of the Old Testament sacrificial system is one of the most powerful witnesses to the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, He is God. Let’s jump into our study of the illogic proving our Lord is God!

1. The Lamb
   
   1. Read John 1:32-34. How did John the Baptist know which person was Jesus, the Son of God? (John admits that he did not know Jesus, but the God who established John’s mission instructed John that the Holy Spirit would descend like a dove on “the Son of God.”)
   2. Read John 1:29. What does John say are the two attributes of Jesus? (The first is that He is “the Lamb of God,” and the second is that He “takes away the sin of he world.”)
   3. Read Leviticus 1:3-4 and Leviticus 5:5-6. Notice these verses use the words “atonement,” “guilt,” “sin,” and “compensation for sin.” What is the purpose of these specific verses, and more broadly Leviticus chapters 1-7? (These are God’s instructions as to how His people can rid themselves from the penalty and guilt for their sins.)
   4. Let’s discuss what John the Baptist says about Jesus and what we see in Leviticus about how to deal with sin.
      1. Put aside all you know as a Christian, and ask yourself whether a powerful god would like to be identified as a lamb, a farm animal, or would be interested in taking away sin? (These seem very unlikely.)
      2. Now take all you know about the Old Testament sacrificial system, and ask yourself whether calling Jesus a “Lamb” and talking about dealing with sin makes sense? (This still has lots of logical problems for a god, but it directly fits the Old Testament sacrificial system.)
2. The Meal
   
   1. You may recall that in Lesson 2 of this series we studied the amazing miracle of Jesus feeding thousands by creating bread and fish. Read John 6:14-15. What lesson did the people learn from this miracle? (That Jesus was the future “prophet” predicted by Moses who said this leader would be like him. Of course, Moses brought the people out of Egyptian slavery, defeated Egypt, and fed the people in their journey to the Promised Land.)
      1. Is it logical to conclude that Jesus is the Messiah King that would overthrow the powerful Romans? (Of course. This fits perfectly.)
   2. This story continues the next day. Read John 6:26-27. What is Jesus telling the people about their understanding of His mission? (He encourages them to think that He is the Messiah, but He wants them to look at things in a spiritual light.)
   3. Read John 6:31-33. What is Jesus saying that should seem a bit odd to His listeners? (He is calling Himself “the bread of God.”)
   4. Read John 6:47-52. Are the Jews asking a reasonable question in verse 52? (Yes. What Jesus is saying is difficult to understand in terms of everyday experiences.)
   5. Read John 6:53-57. As I’m writing this, the American holiday called “Halloween” is close at hand. Feeding on human flesh and drinking blood fits very well with this unfortunate holiday. What would you think if you were listening to Jesus?

2. 6. Read John 6:58-60. Do Jesus’ disciples understand what Jesus is saying? (No. They call it a “hard saying” and complain that it is hard to listen to this kind of talk.)
   7. Read John 6:61-63. When Jesus explains His “hard saying,” is He suggesting that He is literally talking about eating human flesh and drinking human blood? (No! He says He is talking about “spirit and life.” He says that if they could have seen Him in His glory in heaven, they would understand that He is not talking about earthly things.)
   8. Read John 6:64-69. What is necessary to understand Jesus’ words about eating flesh and drinking blood? (We must have the understanding “granted” by God through the Holy Spirit. Peter understands and says that Jesus is “the Holy One of God.”)
   1. Let’s go to Leviticus and read about sacrifices. Read Leviticus 17:10-11, Deuteronomy 18:3, and Deuteronomy 12:17-18. Who ate the Old Testament sacrifice? (The priests and the people. They were prohibited from eating the blood because it made “atonement for your souls,” but they could eat the flesh.)
      1. Now think back to where we started with John the Baptist calling Jesus the Lamb who takes away sins. Is Jesus’ discussion about eating His flesh something that makes sense from a spiritual point of view? (Absolutely! Jesus is teaching the people that if they look at this in spiritual terms they will see that it is He who fulfills the purpose of the sacrificial system.)
   10. Let’s talk about witnesses. As you think about the witnesses that we have discussed in the previous lessons and now, what witness do you think is the most persuasive? (God is the most persuasive witness, but the problem is that we have John saying that God told him (John 1:33-34) that Jesus is the Son of God. We do not have to rely on any human perception to understand the Old Testament sacrificial system and how Jesus coming to earth and dying for us fits that system.)
3. The Spirit
   
   1. Read John 7:37-39. How do you understand the statement that “the Spirit had not been given?” (This is a reference to Acts 2, where at Pentecost the Holy Spirit filled Jesus’ disciples with power.)
      1. Are the experiences of your life a witness that Jesus is God? (This week I was back on the campus of Andrews University. I stood in the same place that over fifty years ago I said to myself, “I don’t believe in God.” That lasted about ten minutes because I started to think about what my life would be without God. After that brief lapse, I’ve never turned from a belief in God because I see Him working in my life. Now, over fifty years later, God has been the driving force in my life. What a blessing that has been!)
   2. Read John 7:46-49. What witness do the Pharisees think is of central importance? (The Pharisees say that “the authorities,” meaning them, must agree that Jesus is the Messiah.)
   3. Read John 7:50-51. Nicodemus is one of the “authorities,” what does he say is the best witness? (Hearing the evidence and educating yourself about Jesus.)
      1. Is that what we have been doing?
   4. Friend, the American judicial system does not allow a lawyer to tell the jury what the lawyer believes is true. You are not a juror, so I will tell you that I believe based on evidence that Jesus is the Messiah who came down from heaven, lived a perfect life, became our perfect sacrifice to take away our sins, and then returned triumphant to heaven so that we can have eternal life. Will you, right now, believe and accept Jesus as your Lord?

4. Next week: Blessed Are Those Who Believe.