Sunday
July 9
1. THE ROCK OF AGES
a. What illustration is used to depict the strength of the foundation of the Christian faith? Exodus 17:5, 6; Deuteronomy 32:4; 1 Corinthians 3:11; 10:4.
“That rock was a symbol of Him who by His death would cause living streams of salvation to flow to all who are athirst. Christ’s words were the water of life. . . . In smiting Christ, Satan thought to destroy the Prince of life; but from the smitten rock there flowed living water.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 454.
b. How did Jesus choose to come into this world—and why? Luke 2:9–12.
“It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life.”—Ibid., pp. 48, 49.
Monday
July 10
2. WORKING MIRACLES
a. What should we realize about the one who was to prepare the way for the Messiah—and how did his work relate to miracles? Malachi 4:5; Matthew 11:14; Luke 7:28; John 10:41.
“John [the Baptist] separated himself from friends and from the luxuries of life. The simplicity of his dress, a garment woven of camel’s hair, was a standing rebuke to the extravagance and display of the Jewish priests, and of the people generally. His diet, purely vegetable, of locusts and wild honey, was a rebuke to the indulgence of appetite and the gluttony that everywhere prevailed. . . . Those who are to prepare the way for the second coming of Christ are represented by faithful Elijah, as John came in the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way for Christ’s first advent. The great subject of reform is to be agitated, and the public mind is to be stirred.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 62.
b. What activities of Jesus often led people to trust Him as the Messiah? John 6:2, 26, 30.
c. What is our danger if we trust in miracles as the foundation of our faith? Matthew 24:24; Revelation 16:13, 14; 13:11–14.
“It is impossible to give any idea of the experience of the people of God who shall be alive upon the earth when celestial glory and a repetition of the persecutions of the past are blended. . . . Satan, surrounded by evil angels, and claiming to be God, will work miracles of all kinds, to deceive, if possible, the very elect. God’s people will not find their safety in working miracles, for Satan will counterfeit the miracles that will be wrought.”—Ibid., vol. 9, p. 16.
“Many will be confronted by the spirits of devils personating beloved relatives or friends and declaring the most dangerous heresies. These visitants will appeal to our tenderest sympathies and will work miracles to sustain their pretensions. We must be prepared to withstand them with the Bible truth that the dead know not anything and that they who thus appear are the spirits of devils.”—The Great Controversy, p. 560.
“No mere impostures are here foretold. Men are deceived by the miracles which Satan’s agents have power to do, not which they pretend to do.”—Ibid., p. 553.
Tuesday
July 11
3. CALVARY
a. What crisis of faith would eventually lead Jesus to the cross? John 6:51–53; Matthew 27:22.
“The prejudice of the Pharisees lay deeper than their questions would indicate; it had its root in the perversity of their hearts. Every word and act of Jesus aroused antagonism in them; for the spirit which they cherished could find in Him no answering chord.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 387.
“The unbelieving Jews refused to see any except the most literal meaning in the Saviour’s words. By the ritual law they were forbidden to taste blood, and they . . . construed Christ’s language into a sacrilegious speech, and disputed over it among themselves.”—Ibid., p. 390.
b. For what purpose did Jesus choose to die? Hebrews 9:22; Revelation 7:14.
“The provision has been made for us to wash. The fountain has been prepared at infinite expense, and the burden of washing rests upon us, who are imperfect before God. The Lord does not propose to remove these spots of defilement without our doing anything on our part. We must wash our robes in the blood of the Lamb. We may lay hold of the merits of the blood of Christ by faith, and through His grace and power we may have strength to overcome our errors, our sins, our imperfections of character, and come off victorious, having washed our robes in the blood of the Lamb.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 183.
c. Did Christ’s death lead people to trust Him as Saviour? Luke 24:2, 3, 21.
“Trouble seemed crowding upon trouble. On the sixth day of the week they had seen their Master die; on the first day of the next week they found themselves deprived of His body, and they were accused of having stolen it away for the sake of deceiving the people. They despaired of ever correcting the false impressions that were gaining ground against them.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 794.
“After the death of Christ the disciples were well-nigh overcome by discouragement. Their Master had been rejected, condemned, and crucified. The priests and rulers had declared scornfully, ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.’ Matthew 27:42. The sun of the disciples’ hope had set, and night settled down upon their hearts. Often they repeated the words, ‘We trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel.’ Luke 24:21.”—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 25.
Wednesday
July 12
4. RESURRECTION
a. What type of foundation is Jesus to the believer? Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 2:19, 20; 1 Peter 2:5, 6.
b. How important is a living Saviour to our faith? 1 Corinthians 15:12–20.
c. The death of Christ brings reconciliation; what does His resurrection bring? Romans 5:8–10; John 11:25, 26.
“The Waldenses longed to break to these starving souls the bread of life, to open to them the messages of peace in the promises of God, and to point them to Christ as their only hope of salvation. The doctrine that good works can atone for the transgression of God’s law they held to be based upon falsehood. Reliance upon human merit intercepts the view of Christ’s infinite love. Jesus died as a sacrifice for man because the fallen race can do nothing to recommend themselves to God. The merits of a crucified and risen Saviour are the foundation of the Christian’s faith. The dependence of the soul upon Christ is as real, and its connection with Him must be as close, as that of a limb to the body, or of a branch to the vine.”—The Great Controversy, p. 73.
“Over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, Christ had proclaimed in triumph, ‘I am the resurrection, and the life.’ These words could be spoken only by the Deity. All created beings live by the will and power of God. They are dependent recipients of the life of God. From the highest seraph to the humblest animate being, all are replenished from the Source of life. Only He who is one with God could say, I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again. In His divinity, Christ possessed the power to break the bonds of death.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 785.
“The divinity of Christ is the believer’s assurance of eternal life. [John 11:25, 26 quoted.] Christ here looks forward to the time of His second coming. Then the righteous dead shall be raised incorruptible, and the living righteous shall be translated to heaven without seeing death. The miracle which Christ was about to perform, in raising Lazarus from the dead, would represent the resurrection of all the righteous dead. By His word and His works He declared Himself the Author of the resurrection. He who Himself was soon to die upon the cross stood with the keys of death, a conqueror of the grave, and asserted His right and power to give eternal life.”—Ibid., p. 530.
“By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He lays hold upon the throne of God. As the Son of man, He gave us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey.”—Ibid., p. 24.
Thursday
July 13
5. Heavenly Ministry
a. To what does faith in a living Saviour lead us? Romans 5:11; Hebrews 8:1, 2, 6, 9–11; 1 Peter 1:3, 4.
“When the disciples went back to Jerusalem, the people looked upon them with amazement. After the trial and crucifixion of Christ, it had been thought that they would appear downcast and ashamed. Their enemies expected to see upon their faces an expression of sorrow and defeat. Instead of this there was only gladness and triumph. Their faces were aglow with a happiness not born of earth. They did not mourn over disappointed hopes, but were full of praise and thanksgiving to God. With rejoicing they told the wonderful story of Christ’s resurrection and His ascension to heaven, and their testimony was received by many.
“The disciples no longer had any distrust of the future. They knew that Jesus was in heaven, and that His sympathies were with them still. They knew that they had a friend at the throne of God, and they were eager to present their requests to the Father in the name of Jesus.”—The Desire of Ages, pp. 832, 833.
b. What must we do in order to have our conscience purged from the memory of sin? Matthew 21:42, 44; Hebrews 10:16, 19, 20.
“Just as soon as you commit sin, you should flee to the throne of grace, and tell Jesus all about it. You should be filled with sorrow for sin, because through sin you have weakened your own spirituality, grieved the heavenly angels, and wounded and bruised the loving heart of your Redeemer. When you have asked Jesus in contrition of soul for His forgiveness, believe that He has forgiven you. Do not doubt His divine mercy or refuse the comfort of His infinite love.”—Selected Messages, bk. 3, p. 196.
c. Why did we need our living Saviour to first live as a human being upon the earth? Hebrews 2:17, 18; 4:14–16; Romans 8:34.
Friday
July 14
PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Why is Christ’s birth in a manger insufficient to save humanity?
2. Why are the miracles of Christ insufficient for salvation?
3. How important for our reconciliation with God is the death of Christ?
4. Why is the resurrection the key to salvation?
5. Where does a living Saviour point the believer?