Sunday School Lesson, October 22, 2017,Topic: The Messiah Prefigure.

Sunday School Lesson, October 22, 2017

Topic: The Messiah Prefigure.

Memory Verse: John 3:14-15. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (KJV).

Lesson Text:

Genesis 14:18-20; 22:1-14; Num 21:4-9; Psalm 110:1-4; John 3:14-17

Hebrews 7:1-4, 14-17.

Central Truth: Jesus is Identified by Holy Scripture as Intercessor, Saviour of Sinners, and eternal Son Of God.

FOCUS: To Observe that Jesus’ Ministry and death were prefigured in Scripture and believe in Him for Salvation.

OutLine:

1.    The Messiah’s Priesthood

A.    Priest Of Salem

B.    Eternal Priesthood

2.    The Cross Foreshadowed

A.    The Bronze Snake

B.    The Perfect Saviour

3.    The Only Begotten Son

A.    Call for Sacrifice

B.    Immeasurable Gift.

            Learning Objectives

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1.    Recognise in Melchizedek a model for personally representing Christ.

2.    Understand the vital need for Faith in receiving Salvation.

3.    Commit to daily obedience as an outgrowth of a relationship with Christ.

                   Introducing The Lesson

Question: What are some Figures of speech you use to get across ideas?

    Conversations are rich in symbols. We employ metaphors and other language tools to more vividly share ideas and influence other people. God’s Word uses symbols to help readers understand biblical truths. While care should be taken not to attribute more meaning to a Scriptural symbol than is warranted, believers enrich their study of the Bible when they recognize the many symbols in the Bible that refer to Jesus Christ.

                              Commentary And Application.

1.    The Messiah’s Priesthood

A.    Priest Of Salem. Genesis 14:18-20

Question: How important would it be to you if no one knew about your life of service to God?

        The Bible does not say much about Melchizedek’s life. Genesis 14:18-20 recounts a meeting between Mechizedek and Abraham (then called Abram) and mentions that he paid tithes to Mechizedek.

        Like other messianic types, this Christ-focused story requires background information. Genesis 14 records a war between two groups of city-states. The victorious cities defected a second group of cities that included Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family in Sodom were taken prisoner.

        Abraham pursed his nephew’s captors, through the captors outnumbered the few hundred men Abraham and his allies commanded. God gave Abraham Victory, and Abraham rescued Lot and the other captives.

         Genesis 14:18-20 took place after these events. Melchizedek, King of Salem and priest of God, came out to greet Abraham. Melchizedek’s blessing of Abraham acknowledged God as creator and gave clear credit to God for Abraham’s victory. Jesus is not mentioned in this passage, but Melchizedek’s statements exemplify what God would accomplish through Jesus ( verse 18-19). God is able to create new life in the repentant sinner and ultimately provides victory over evil.

     The fact Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek shows the patriarch understood the king/priest’s genuine faith in God ( verse 20). Abraham recognized he was serving God by giving tithes to God’s representative.

B.    Eternal Priesthood. Psalm 110:1-4; Hebrews 7:1-4, 14-17

Question: How does the term “ Priest” describe Jesus Christ?

         A priest is a mediator or representative acting to connect people with God an interceded on their behalf. The Bible identifies Jesus’ priestly role and uses Melchizedek’s life to help us understand Jesus as our heavenly High Priest.

       Psalm 110; 1-4 looks to the when, upon His return, our triumphant Saviour will rule the world from Jerusalem. To make one’s enemies a “footstool” ( verse 1) was an ancient Middle Eastern expression that referred to exercising absolute control.

2.    The Cross Foreshadowed.

A.    The Bronze Snake- Numbers 21:4-9.

           Numbers 21 reminds us of the measures God took in freeing the Israelites from the Egyptians and providing for them in the wilderness. In verse 4-9, then, we can easily grasp the enormity of the offence when they accused God of bringing them out of Egypt only to die in the wilderness ( verse 4-5). The truth is God had faithfully cared for and protected the Israelites despair their unfaithfulness and complaining.

         This Scripture follows after the nation of Edom rebuffed Israel and refused to allow them to pass through ( see 20:14-21). Edom was to the South of the Promised Land, and the situation forced Israel to backtrack . So while they had numerious reasons to rejoice in the Lord for victories won ( see 21:1-3), they became impatient and began to speak against the Lord.

QUESTION: What happens when we fail to remember God’s care for us?

          Too often we pray to God as if we have never received as answer to prayer. Sadly, we can adopt the mind-set that He is unaware of or uncaring about our need, forgetting He has filled our lives with blessings.

          Since the Garden of Eden, the serpent had remained a potent symbol of evil. Many Israelites died when they were bitten by venomous serpents sent by God into the camp. However, this tragic situation led to the people confessing their sins ( verse 6-7).

        God commanded Moses to make a bronze replica of serpent and hang it on a pole. All who looked upon the serpent would live ( verses 8-9). The bronze snake served as a stark symbol and remainder of the need for confession of sins. This symbol was kept by the Israelites in the temple until it became an object of worship and had to be removed (2 Kings 18:4). There was no power in serpent itself. It only served to remind people to maintain their faith in the Lord.

B.    The Perfect Saviour – John 3:14-15.

    QUESTION: Does the bronze serpent come to mind when you read or hear John 3:16?  Explain.

         It may surprise some Christians that one of the best-known Bible verses follows Jesus’ reference to the bronze serpent from Old Testament. Jesus was explaining God’s offer of Salvation to the Pharisee Nicodemus, a man who faithfully studied the Old Testament ( John 3:14).

      Jesus’s focus was to help Nicodemus realize that no human effort would be sufficient to earn Salvation Only faith in God’s gift of Salvation – through Christ’s death on the cross-made that possible ( verse 15).

     Jesus’ would suffer and die in the most shameful way imaginable. And like the bronze serpent on Moses’ pole, Jesus would be identified with the sin of the people-in this case, all of humanity.

     The Israelite looked to the bronze snake in faith in order to receive healing from the efforts of the serpents’ bites. Anyone who looks to Christ in faith, believing that His death on the cross has truly paid the debt for their sin, can avoid sin’s eternal consequences.

3 .    The Only Begotten Son

A.    Call for Sacrifice- Genesis 22:1-3,10-14.

          QUESTION: Why was Isaac called Abraham’s “only” son if Abraham was also Ishmeal’s father ( Genesis 22:1-3)?

     Although Abraham was the father of Ishmael because of Hagar’s role as surrogate mother, Isaac was the son of God’s promise. It was through Isaac that God assured Abraham he would have innumerable descendants. The special place Isaac played in God’s plan was a source of assurance for Abraham when God called for Isaac to be sacrificed.

      Twenty-five years passed from God’s first promise that Abraham would father a great nation to the time of Isaac’s birth. It represented a quarter century of faithfulness. Now, after waiting so long to see God’s promise fulfilled, Abraham was asked to give back to God the very son who was supposed to bring about God’s ultimate plan.

    But the deeper focus of this narrative goes beyond Abraham and his son to God and His Son. Although nothing in the Genesis text speaks of Christ, the New Testament repeatedly emphasizes the Father’s supreme love for lost humanity and His willingness to sacrifice His only Son in our behalf.

      God has never called for human sacrifice in worship. In Abraham’s case, God allowed the patriarch to fully demonstrate his willingness to obey even the most painful of divine commands. God then provided a ram for the burnt offering ( verse 10-14).

      This encounter between Abraham and God on Mount Moriah gives a picture of the entire sacrificial system of the Old Testament and the site of the salvation history Jesus Christ would fulfill. When Abraham named the site of the sacrifice “the Lord will provide,” he prophetically announced God’s ultimate provision of Salvation.

B.    Immeasurable Gift – John 3:16-17.

          In teaching Nicodemus about the new birth, Jesus pointed to His own role in making that new birth possible. He also explained the response needed from any sinner who wants to be reborn and receive eternal life.

QUESTION: What elements are involved in God’s offer of Salvation (John 3:16)?

        John 3:16-17, when read with verses 18-21, lays out the contrasting eternal destinies between which every person must eventually choose. God’s desire is that people will choose to believe in God’s Son, Jesus, in faith. It is critical to recognize that God did not send His Son to condemn the world (verse 17). He desires that all would be saved (2 peter 3:9). However, those who refused to put their faith in Christ already live in condemnation. They choose to continue hiding in the darkness of sin rather than entering into God’s light.

       Followers of Christ are to shine forth the light of God in a dark world and point the lost to the only means of Salvation. The proclamation of the gospel is God’s mission and mandated responsibility for every believer. He calls us to lift up Christ as Soviour so others will see and call upon Him for Salvation.

                     DISCIPLESHIP IN ACTION

      Each of the narratives in this lesson offers an example of how to move fully follow a path of discipleship. In the same way that Melchizedek’s own life moved into the background so that he could be a figure of Christ’s priestly ministry, your life should primarily reflect Christ to others. This is the essence of discipleship.

      The Israelites’ obedient faith in looking to the bronze serpent should remind you of your need for unflinching faith in the work of Salvation Christ has accomplished through the Cross. His identification with and punishment for your sin should give you cause to recognize and shun temptation,and immediately repent when you fall.

      Abraham’s obedience is a timeless call to every believer to fully trust and obey God. Your obedience must be an outgrowth of your faith. When that obedience is consistent, God’s guidance and blessing can overflow in your life.

                  MINISTRY IN ACTION

      Challenge students to consider how they can reflect Christ at work and at home. They must be willing to mark personal sacrifice in obedience to God and point others to the Saviour. They also must be willing to acknowledge their failure