1. Lesson 4 for the 26th of July, 2008

2. A human beingA carpenter A follower of John A healer A preacher A martyr ?

3. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made ” (John, 1: 1-3) “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth ” (John, 1: 14)

6. He knew the thought of people’s heart and gave each one of them what he really needed for his salvation (Matthew, 9: 4; Luke, 9: 47) “The suffering who came to Him were not turned away unrelieved. He was acquainted with each heart and knew how to minister to its needs. Loving words fell from His lips to comfort, encourage, and bless, and the great principles of the kingdom of heaven were set before the multitudes in words so simple as to be understood by all” Ellen G. White (That I may know Him, the 29th of May)

7. Matthew, 23: 2-3 The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not

8. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; But they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers Matthew, 23: 4

9. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi Matthew, 23: 5-6

10. For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in Matthew, 23: 13

11. For ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation Matthew, 23: 14

12. For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Matthew, 23: 15

13. For ye say: Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? Matthew, 23: 16-17

14. For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel! Matthew, 23: 23-24

15. For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also Matthew, 23: 25-26

16. For ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity Matthew, 23: 27-28

17. Because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, and say: “If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets”. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Matthew, 23: 29-31

18. “O Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” Mateo, 23: 37 Despite the harshness of his words, at the end of Matthew 23 we find that Jesus loved tenderly the scribes and Pharisees and he desired their salvation

20. Missionary work is not easy. Look at what happened when Jesus Himself was here. Look at how so many reacted. Yet, even toward the worst Jesus showed love and care and compassion. Our feelings toward those who reject us should not be anger or resentment; they should be of pity, of concern, and of care. When people refuse to listen, they are not rejecting us personally; they are rejecting Jesus. Gary Krause

21. We are to follow the example set by Christ, and make Him our pattern, until we shall have the same love for others as He has manifested for us. He seeks to impress us with this profound lesson of love.... If your hearts have been given to selfishness, let Christ imbue you with His love. He desires that we shall love Him fully, and encourages, yes, even commands, that we shall love others as He has given us an example. He has made love the badge of our discipleship.... This is the measurement to which you are to reach,—”Love one another; as I have loved you.” What height, what depth and breadth of love! This love is not simply to embrace a few favorites, it is to reach to the lowliest and humblest of God’s creatures. Ellen G. White (Our Father Cares, the 16th of January)