Participants:
Series Code: IIWSS
Program Code: IIWSS025011S
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00:00 [uplifting music]
00:13 >>Eric Flickinger: Welcome to "Sabbath School," 00:15 brought to you by It Is Written. 00:17 Glad that you could be with us today. 00:18 We're continuing our study of "God's Love and Justice." 00:23 Today we're going to be looking at lesson number 11, 00:26 "What More Could I Have Done?"-- a fascinating subject. 00:30 Let's begin with prayer. 00:32 Father, we ask that You'll bless us today 00:34 as we delve into Your Word once again to gain a deeper 00:38 and more thorough understanding of the world in which we live 00:42 and Your interactions with it. 00:44 We ask that You'll bless our time together 00:46 and we thank You, in Jesus' name, amen. 00:49 Well, we're grateful to have, of course, 00:51 you with us today, but we're also grateful 00:53 to have the author of this quarter's 00:55 "Sabbath School" lesson with us as well. That is John Peckham. 00:59 He is an associate editor of the "Adventist Review" 01:01 and a research professor at the Theological Seminary 01:04 at Andrews University. 01:06 John, thanks for joining us again. 01:08 >>John Peckham: Thank you for having me. 01:09 >>Eric: So this week we're looking at 01:10 "What More Could I Have Done?" 01:12 You kind of, you intro us to this lesson with a story. 01:16 Unpack that story for us. 01:18 >>John: Yeah, so, many years ago, I came across a story 01:21 in, actually, that was actually in the "Sabbath School" lesson 01:25 when I was a kid, and it was a serial story 01:27 at one chapter a week. 01:29 And the story was called "The Sword of Denis Anwyck." 01:31 And it was a story of this young boy 01:33 who lived in medieval times, and he was an orphan. 01:37 And we learn very early in the story that this young boy Denis 01:41 absolutely hates the king of his land. 01:44 And the reason he hates the king of his land 01:46 is because when he was a young boy, 01:48 his parents became very sick, and he wanted to care for them 01:52 and stay with them. But the king's soldiers came, 01:55 and they dragged him away from his parents, 01:57 and he never saw his parents again. 01:59 And for that he absolutely hated the king. 02:02 But in the course of the story, a number of events transpire, 02:04 and Denis is shown some things 02:07 and comes to learn some things that completely change 02:10 his perception of the king of his land. 02:13 And one of those things is he comes across 02:15 the king's own book. 02:17 And the title of the book roughly was, 02:19 "A Chronicle of the Account of the Dread Black Death," 02:23 or black plague. 02:25 And he begins to read that book, and he sees in that book 02:28 in the king's own hand these words. 02:31 And the king wrote, "It pains me to do it, 02:34 "but I separate the living from the dying 02:37 in order to save the living from this plague." 02:40 And for the first time, a tear rolling down his cheek, 02:44 Denis realizes that the reason the king's soldiers 02:47 had dragged him away from his parents 02:48 was to save him from also dying from the plague. 02:52 And he realizes that everything the king had done had only 02:54 and always been for his good. 02:57 Now, in a similar fashion--that changes everything, 02:59 right, his perspective. In a similar fashion, 03:02 I believe there's so much more going on 03:03 in the story in the cosmic conflict, 03:05 that God is doing everything He can for His people. 03:07 He's working around the free choices of people. 03:09 He's working with the impediments 03:11 in the cosmic conflict called the rules of engagement. 03:14 But when you see the larger picture, 03:16 we can see also that God is doing everything He can for us, 03:21 given all of the factors involved 03:23 in this cosmic conflict. 03:24 >>Eric: So it gives us a little clearer picture 03:26 of what God is up to that sometimes we don't see, 03:29 some things we don't understand. 03:31 I wanna read a couple of verses here, John, 03:33 and then ask you some questions about these verses. 03:38 Let's look at John 18, 37 and 38. 03:42 In John 18:37-38, it says, "Pilate therefore said to Him"-- 03:46 "Him" being Jesus-- "'Are You a King then?' 03:49 "Jesus answered, 'You say rightly that I am a king. 03:52 "'For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come 03:55 "'into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. 03:59 "Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.' 04:02 "Pilate said to Him, 'What is truth?' 04:05 "And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, 04:08 and said to them, 'I find no fault in Him at all.'" 04:12 So here we've got this picture of Jesus as a king, 04:15 but also as a witness to the truth. 04:17 What are some of these implications 04:18 of Him being both here? 04:21 >>John: Yeah, yeah, this is an amazing scene, right? 04:24 Because you have Pilate, who is putting Jesus on trial, 04:27 not realizing there's actually a trial going on in heaven 04:29 in the heavenly court, in the heavenly council, 04:31 and he's asking about the truth, and the One who is the way, 04:34 the life, and the truth is standing before him, 04:37 the King of the universe, but lowered Himself 04:39 so that He could even be put in this situation 04:42 and ultimately go to the cross 04:43 and die and suffer to save all humanity. 04:47 Now, in this story, you have Jesus who says, 04:51 "I was born for this very purpose 04:53 to bear witness," or to testify, "to the truth." 04:57 And those words are very significant 04:59 because we've seen already that in this conflict, 05:02 the devil is working as the deceiver 05:04 of the entire world. 05:06 He is the slanderer who slanders God's name and "the accuser 05:09 of the brethren" who's making accusations 05:11 before the heavenly court. 05:13 And you see now Jesus identifies Himself as the ultimate witness 05:16 in this cosmic trial, right? 05:18 He's not just testifying to Pilate. 05:20 There's this larger cosmic trial going on, 05:23 and He came to bear witness to the truth. 05:25 The truth in response to what? 05:27 In response to the lies of the devil. 05:28 In John 8, He calls him "a liar and the father of lies." 05:34 But Jesus is just the opposite. 05:35 He Himself is the truth. 05:37 He testifies to the truth. 05:38 And at the center of this cosmic conflict is the question 05:41 of who is telling the truth, who is good, 05:44 who is righteous, who is just. 05:46 And Jesus Himself manifests this in the cosmic conflict, 05:50 which is primarily a conflict over character, 05:52 primarily a conflict over who we will trust 05:55 and who we will believe. 05:56 And it is no coincidence that in the New Testament 05:59 you have not only Jesus identify Himself as a witness 06:02 who bears witness to the truth, 06:04 but His apostles are also appointed 06:05 as witnesses to bear witness. 06:08 And this bearing of witness is also a very crucial role 06:12 in the cosmic conflict, to stand as a witness, 06:15 to bear testimony to the true King 06:17 and the character of the King, which is part 06:19 of what the New Testament witness is doing. 06:21 >>Eric: So we have this understanding 06:22 of the cosmic conflict that's going on, 06:24 some things that are going on behind the scenes 06:26 that we may not see, but in what way 06:28 does this cosmic conflict, how does it help us to-- 06:32 how does it help to explain the presence of evil 06:35 and suffering in this world, 06:37 and how exactly does Jesus fit into this drama? 06:43 >>John: Yeah, so Jesus is at the center of this. 06:45 So first of all, Jesus comes, and through the cross, 06:47 through the atonement, and through His work 06:49 in the heavenly sanctuary, 06:50 He demonstrates God's righteousness. 06:52 This is mentioned twice in Romans 3, 06:54 and He also demonstrates God's love. 06:56 So He demonstrates God's love and justice in this controversy 06:59 in a way that ultimately defeats the allegations 07:03 of the enemy once and for all. 07:05 And this is very crucial for us to understand, again, 07:10 going back to the nature of this controversy. 07:13 Whenever there's evil in the world, one could ask, 07:16 "Why didn't God prevent that evil?" 07:19 And I would suggest that one or more 07:21 of the following three possibilities are in place. 07:25 It could be that for God to intervene 07:27 in the way that we think He should 07:28 would actually undermine free will or negate free will 07:32 in a way that would undermine love. 07:33 And God would never do this because God is love. 07:36 It could be that for God to intervene 07:38 the way that we might think He should would actually 07:40 require Him to break the rules of engagement, 07:43 which also He cannot do 07:44 because God never denies Himself. 07:46 He never breaks His promises. He never lies. 07:49 So to the extent that He has agreed to these rules 07:51 of engagement in the heavenly court, in court proceedings, 07:53 He's morally bound to operate within those constraints. 07:56 And so maybe it's not an available avenue to God 07:59 in ways we don't fully understand. 08:01 Or third, it might be the case that for God to intervene 08:03 the way that we think He should 08:04 would actually be worse on the whole, 08:07 all things considered, in ways that we really can't see 08:09 from our vantage point. 08:11 Whatever the case, I believe that this rules-of-engagement 08:13 framework provides parameters for us to understand 08:17 why God Himself is operating around impediments. 08:21 Now, somebody might ask at this juncture a question like, 08:23 "Well, why would God even agree to rules of engagement 08:26 in the first place?" 08:28 And I would answer that I think we see from the case of Job 08:30 that we've seen previously 08:32 and other cases that there might not be 08:34 any other avenue that's available to God, 08:37 or that is preferable, to settle 08:39 these slanderous allegations once and for all. 08:42 If you have the devil raising allegations 08:44 against God's character in a heavenly court 08:47 that has convinced at least some angels 08:48 to rebel with him, those allegations must be defeated, 08:52 not for God's sake but for the sake 08:54 of the flourishing of love in the universe. 08:56 And if God doesn't answer those questions, 08:58 these will fester and only grow worse. 09:01 And so for God to answer these requires demonstration. 09:04 You cannot answer these by a show of power. 09:07 Like if a governor was accused of corruption, 09:09 how much power would that governor need to show 09:12 to prove that he's not corrupt? 09:14 There's no amount of power. 09:15 The more power he uses, the more it's going to 09:18 actually make the allegations seem to be true. 09:20 So a demonstration is required. 09:22 And this is the demonstration that Jesus Christ the righteous 09:25 provides through His life, through His death, 09:28 through His resurrection, and through His ministry 09:30 in the heavenly sanctuary. 09:31 That once and for all defeats all of the allegations 09:35 of the devil in a way that can lead to the ultimate restoration 09:39 of the entire universe in the cosmic conflict. 09:41 >>Eric: And that's where we're heading. 09:43 That's what we're looking for is the ultimate restoration 09:45 of all that. 09:46 Over in the book of Revelation, I'm gonna read another passage 09:50 here, Revelation, chapter 12, verses 10 and 11. 09:54 And then we're gonna have you comment on that a little bit. 09:57 Revelation, chapter 12, verses 10 and 11: 10:00 "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 10:02 "'Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, 10:04 "'and the power of His Christ have come, 10:06 "'for the accuser of our brethren, 10:08 "'who accused them before our God day and night, 10:10 "'has been cast down. 10:12 "'And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb 10:14 "'and by the word of their testimony, 10:16 and they did not love their lives to the death.'" 10:19 So we're looking here ultimately at Christ's victory over Satan. 10:24 How does that give us-- 10:25 how should that give us encouragement? 10:27 How should that give us some sense of strength 10:31 as we face the daily challenges and difficulties that we do. 10:36 >>John: Yeah, this passage actually refers 10:38 to Christ's victory over Satan at the cross, 10:41 which provides the legal defeat of Satan 10:44 that allows Him to ultimately eradicate 10:46 and uproot the devil's kingdom. 10:48 So first of all, we can take full assurance 10:51 that Christ has defeated the devil at the cross, 10:54 that His victory is assured, that as Revelation says, 10:57 the devil knows that his time is short. 10:59 So even though we're still in the midst 11:00 of this conflict temporarily, 11:02 when there's rules of engagement, 11:04 God has won the victory through Christ at the cross. 11:08 And in this passage in Revelation 12, 11:10 we see that the devil is effectively excommunicated 11:13 from the heavenly court, from the heavenly council. 11:16 He's defeated by Christ's demonstration 11:18 of God's righteousness at the cross 11:20 and demonstration of His love. 11:22 At this point, the devil is uprooted. 11:24 Now, his allegations are still operating in the background, 11:26 they're still being dealt with in the court, 11:27 but he's not allowed to attend anymore 11:29 because he has shown his true colors beyond any doubt. 11:33 And this is why even though the devil 11:34 appears throughout the book of Revelation, 11:37 you see many heavenly court scenes in the book of Revelation 11:40 that correspond to those heavenly council scenes 11:41 in the Old Testament, like the book of Job, 11:43 but the devil is never there. Why? 11:46 Because the cross has already taken place. 11:47 So he has been legally defeated, 11:50 but his kingdom has not yet been fully uprooted. 11:52 So the first phase is complete. 11:55 Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary is going on 11:57 now as we look forward to the final uprooting of the kingdom. 12:01 But the victory is assured by Christ's victory at the cross. 12:05 And He even now lives always "to make intercession" for us 12:08 in the heavenly sanctuary. 12:09 >>Eric: So we know where things are going. 12:11 We haven't yet reached there. 12:12 It'll be nice when we do, but we've still got 12:14 a little bit of time between now and then. 12:15 >>John: That's right. 12:17 >>Eric: But understanding this and helping others to understand 12:19 this concept is really important for us right now. 12:22 You've written a companion book 12:23 to this quarter's "Sabbath School" lesson 12:25 that goes into deeper detail in each of these chapters, 12:28 each of these lessons that we've been going through. 12:32 "What More Could I Have Done?" 12:33 What can somebody learn in that chapter? 12:35 >>John: It is crucial that we also function as witnesses, 12:39 not just the apostles, 12:40 but God gives us the commission to function as witnesses. 12:42 And one of the reasons that I've written so much 12:44 on the cosmic conflict and the problem of evil 12:47 is because I came to understand that many people 12:49 have difficulty explaining 12:50 the cosmic conflict from the Bible. 12:52 And one of the things that this companion volume does 12:54 is it walks you through all of the stages, 12:57 culminating with this chapter that talks about God's character 13:00 and what more could He have done. 13:02 And it goes deeper into all of these pieces of the puzzle 13:05 that help us to see God's character more clearly 13:08 and more fully in a way that not only should provide us 13:11 a framework to have confidence even in the midst of suffering, 13:14 even in the midst of trials, 13:16 but can also help someone else if they're at a stage 13:19 where they're ready to ask these questions or seek why-- 13:22 how can we reconcile that there's a God of love 13:25 and yet there's so much suffering and evil in the world? 13:27 Where can I find hope? 13:28 How can I understand this larger story that the Bible tells? 13:32 >>Eric: And that book will help us do that. 13:34 We wanna encourage you to pick that book up. 13:36 It's very easy to do. 13:37 Just go to itiswritten.shop. 13:40 Again, that's itiswritten.shop and look for the companion book 13:43 to this quarter's "Sabbath School" lesson 13:45 about God's love and His justice by John Peckham. 13:50 We're going to come back in just a moment as we continue studying 13:53 lesson number 11 here on "Sabbath School," 13:56 brought to you by It Is Written. 13:58 [uplifting music] 14:02 >>John Bradshaw: Hidden throughout the Bible 14:04 is the story of a war between God and Satan, 14:08 a war of ideas, a conflict over who has the better system 14:15 for running the universe-- 14:17 God's system of loving-kindness 14:20 or Satan's system of selfishness. 14:24 Join me for "The Rule of Threes," 14:27 part three of It Is Written's series "Prequel of the Bible." 14:33 We'll look at the incredible story 14:35 when Jesus did battle with Satan face to face on the earth. 14:40 We'll learn why this battle was such a crucial point 14:44 in the war between God and Satan 14:46 and why it's so vitally important for us today. 14:49 Don't miss "The Rule of Threes," 14:52 part three of our five-part series "Prequel of the Bible," 14:56 brought to you by It Is Written TV. 15:03 >>Melissa Bradshaw: If you enjoy coloring, 15:04 then you're going to love the Buried Treasure Coloring Book 15:07 from My Place With Jesus. 15:09 The Buried Treasure Coloring Book 15:10 has more than just pictures to color. 15:12 You'll also enjoy activity pages, 15:15 each accompanied by their very own audio story. 15:18 >>John Bradshaw: "Mr. Dixon came across a small 15:20 well-weeded rice patch out in the middle of a field." 15:24 >>Melissa: Get ahead of a rainy day or a relaxing evening 15:27 as a family and order the Buried Treasure Coloring Book 15:30 from It Is Written. 15:33 [uplifting music] 15:38 >>Eric: Welcome back to "Sabbath School," 15:39 brought to you by It Is Written. 15:41 We are taking a look at an interesting subject this week: 15:43 "What More Could I Have Done?" 15:46 John, there's a very interesting parable about a vineyard owner 15:50 over in the book of Isaiah, 15:52 Isaiah, chapter 5, verses 1 through 4. 15:55 I wanna go ahead and read that short story 15:58 short parable, and then ask you some questions about it. 16:02 So this is Isaiah, chapter 5, beginning in verse 1. 16:04 "Now let me sing to my Well-beloved 16:07 "a song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: 16:09 "my Well-beloved has a vineyard 16:11 "on a very fruitful hill. 16:13 "He dug it up and cleared out its stones, 16:15 "and planted it with...choicest vine. 16:18 "He built a tower in its midst, 16:20 "and also made a winepress in it; 16:22 "so He expected it to bring forth good grapes, 16:25 "but it brought forth wild grapes. 16:27 "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, 16:31 "judge, please, between me and my vineyard. 16:34 "What more could have been done to my vineyard 16:37 "that I have not done in it? 16:38 "Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, 16:42 did it bring forth wild grapes?" 16:45 So what does this parable, this story reveal to us 16:48 about God's relationship with His people in this metaphor? 16:54 How does it help us to understand 16:55 the greater cosmic conflict that's going on? 16:58 >>John: Yeah, this passage is where the title of the lesson, 17:01 the question, "What More Could I Have Done?"-- 17:03 this is where it comes from. 17:05 It's in this passage, where initially you have 17:08 Isaiah himself speaking, because in Isaiah 5, verse 1, 17:13 the Well-beloved is God, and the one singing the song 17:17 is Isaiah, and the vineyard is God's people. 17:20 So it's about this relationship and particularly some problems 17:23 in this relationship. Who's responsible for them? 17:26 And in the story we learn that God has done everything He could 17:30 for His people, for His vineyard. 17:32 He has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill, 17:35 so it's a good place for a vineyard, right? 17:37 The problem is not that. 17:38 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, 17:40 planted it with the choices vine, built a tower. 17:42 He's done everything that could be expected for this vineyard. 17:47 Nothing more could have been done than what He has done. 17:50 He's done everything. 17:52 So then He waited for it "to bring forth good grapes, 17:55 but it brought forth wild grapes." 17:57 Actually, the Hebrew term translated "wild grapes" there 18:01 literally means "stink fruit." This is a serious problem. 18:06 So you can have this kind of image in your mind-- 18:08 I don't know if you've ever had, like, a cluster of grapes, 18:10 and you're getting ready to bite into them, 18:12 and you expect this juicy wonderful taste 18:14 to burst into your mouth, but then no, they're rotten, 18:17 and you know that taste in your mouth. 18:18 This is the imagery of what God is experiencing 18:22 with His vineyard. He's done everything He could 18:24 for the vineyard, done everything 18:25 that should be done for this vineyard. 18:27 And then as He waits for it to produce what it should produce, 18:30 good grapes, instead it produces rotten fruit. 18:35 At that point in the parable in Isaiah 5, 18:38 the speaker shifts from Isaiah to God Himself, 18:43 and God says, "Judge, please, between me and my vineyard." 18:49 Now, that is very significant, because if someone wonders, 18:52 maybe God's a tyrant, maybe God is unjust-- 18:55 what kind of a tyrant or unjust king would say, "You know what, 18:58 "why don't you judge for yourself? Judge me. 19:01 "Judge between me and my vineyard. 19:02 Who is right in this case?" 19:04 But in the story, God actually invites that. 19:06 And we see this also in the cosmic conflict. 19:08 Not that anyone has the right or the standing to bring God 19:11 into judgment, but God says, see for yourself. 19:14 Look at the record. 19:15 This is happening in heaven in the heavenly court proceedings. 19:18 After Christ's return, all the redeemed 19:20 will also have an opportunity to review the records. 19:23 We're told that we shall judge even angels, 19:25 according to the book of 1 Corinthians. 19:27 So we'll have an opportunity to look over all of this 19:29 and actually see why God has done what He has done, 19:32 why things have happened as they have happened. 19:35 But here God says, "Judge... between me and my vineyard." 19:37 And then He asked this question: "What more could have been done 19:41 "to my vineyard that I have not done in it? 19:44 "Why..., when I waited for it to bring forth good grapes, 19:47 did it bring forth [stink fruit]?" 19:50 And so you have this question 19:52 that should be ringing in our ears: 19:54 "What more could I have done for my vineyard 19:57 that I have not done?" 19:59 But this is not the end of the story 20:01 because Jesus actually tells another parable 20:04 in Matthew 21 that picks up 20:06 right where this parable left off. 20:09 So if I could ask you also to read Matthew 21, 20:12 it begins in verse 33. 20:16 And if you could read verses 33 to verses 40. 20:20 >>Eric: "Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner 20:23 "who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, 20:25 "dug a winepress in it and built a tower. 20:27 "And he leased it to vinedressers 20:29 "and went into a far country. 20:30 "Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants 20:33 "to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 20:35 "And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, 20:38 "killed one, and stoned another. 20:40 "Again he sent other servants, more than the first, 20:43 "and they did likewise to them. 20:45 "Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 20:47 "'They will respect my son.' 20:49 "But when the vinedressers saw the son, 20:51 "they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. 20:54 "Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.' 20:57 "So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard 20:59 "and killed him. 21:00 "Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, 21:02 what will he do to those vinedressers?" 21:05 >>John: So you can see how this parable actually builds 21:08 on the parable of Isaiah 5. 21:10 In verse 33, you have the exact same language 21:13 that is quoted: "There was a certain landowner 21:15 "who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, 21:17 dug a winepress in it, and built a tower." 21:19 Okay, that's all from Isaiah 5. 21:21 And if you're reading this as a first-century Jew 21:24 who knows the Old Testament, 21:25 you should have what question ringing in your ears? 21:28 What more could he have done that he has not done? 21:32 And Jesus continues from that standpoint with this parable 21:35 about how this vineyard is leased out, 21:37 and he sends his servants, which are representative 21:42 of God's prophets, who He sends over and over again 21:45 to His people to call them back to Himself. 21:48 But they beat His prophets, and they kill them; 21:51 over and over again they are persecuted. 21:52 And this happens over and over again. 21:54 And finally, in the parable, the landowner says, 21:56 "I will send my son. Surely they will respect my son." 22:01 And of course, this is referring to God sending Jesus, 22:05 the Son of God, who comes to the vineyard. 22:08 And what do they do to Him? 22:10 They kill Him. They crucify Him. 22:14 So if we ask ourselves in the context of this story, 22:18 what more could He do 22:21 that He has not done? 22:25 And we have this picture of the suffering God of the cross. 22:29 The Son of God comes, is sent to us after all of these prophets. 22:33 What more could He do that He has not done for this world? 22:37 So if we're tempted to think, well, 22:38 maybe God isn't really good after all; 22:40 maybe God isn't really loving; 22:42 has He really done everything He could do?-- 22:44 we look to the cross, and we see certainly He has done everything 22:48 that He could do and more 22:49 than could rightfully be expected of Him. 22:53 >>Eric: I wanna build on that thought. 22:55 When we look at the cross and we see what Jesus gave, 22:59 what the Godhead gave on that cross, 23:02 how does the significance of the cross help 23:06 to demonstrate God's righteousness and love, 23:09 especially in light of the accusations that Satan's giving? 23:12 >>John: Yeah, so I've alluded to this a couple of times, 23:15 but I want us to see it from the text itself, 23:17 particularly the way Paul talks about this 23:19 in Romans 3, verses 25-26. 23:23 >>Eric: "Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, 23:26 "through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, 23:29 "because in His forbearance 23:31 "God had passed over the sins that were previously committed 23:34 "to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, 23:37 "that He might be just and the justifier 23:40 of the one who has faith in Jesus." 23:43 >>John: So you notice two times in that passage you have 23:45 that He does this for the demonstration 23:48 of His righteousness. The demonstration where? 23:51 In this larger cosmic courtroom drama. 23:53 There's the allegations in the background. 23:55 And one of the things that Christ does 23:56 in His work of atonement 23:58 is shows the justice and the righteousness of God 24:00 once and for all. 24:02 And at the same time, He makes a way to justify sinners. 24:05 And that's that beautiful phrase at the end. 24:07 So He can be both the just and the justifier, right? 24:11 He finds a way to save sinners through the cross 24:14 and through the work of Christ 24:15 in the heavenly sanctuary to make atonement for sinners, 24:19 to provide forgiveness in a way 24:21 that does not compromise the principles of justice, 24:24 the principles of His law of love, 24:25 so that He is shown to be just, and yet He can still make a way 24:28 to save us and to save anyone who is in Christ by faith. 24:33 So via the cross, via the atonement, 24:35 Christ demonstrates once and for all 24:37 Christ's righteousness. 24:38 And then according to Romans 5:8, 24:40 He demonstrates the love of God 24:42 that while we were still sinners, 24:44 Christ died for us. 24:46 So you have the love and the justice of God 24:49 supremely demonstrated at the cross 24:51 in a way that will forever defeat the devil's allegations 24:56 and ultimately inoculate the universe 24:58 from sin ever arising again. 25:01 And this is how Christ defeats Satan's allegations-- 25:05 not for His sake--again, no one can actually 25:07 bring Him into judgment or dethrone Him--but for our sake. 25:10 Because if there's any doubt about God's character 25:13 that lingers, it will fracture the relationship, 25:16 similar to if someone was in a relationship 25:18 with someone they wanted to marry 25:20 or someone they're already married, 25:21 and the best friend of that other tells them 25:24 that "you're a tyrant" or that "you're a horrible human being; 25:26 you did all these horrible things." 25:28 If your beloved even entertains those thoughts, 25:32 it will undermine the relationship, 25:33 unless that's shown to be false. 25:35 And this is why God goes to such great lengths, 25:37 to show His character and His love 25:40 so that there can be no doubt, 25:42 so that love can flourish for eternity. 25:45 >>Eric: So let's kind of tie things together 25:47 with the title for this week's lesson, 25:48 "What More Could I Have Done?" 25:51 In what ways does that question resonate with the overall theme 25:54 of divine justice, of free will 25:57 in the context of this great controversy? 26:00 >>John: Yeah, this question-- what more could I have done?-- 26:03 is the question that should be ringing in our ears as well. 26:05 We're also called to be witnesses. 26:07 We're also called to testify 26:09 that God has done everything that He has done. 26:11 And again, I believe we see that supremely 26:14 in the God who lowers Himself 26:16 to become human in Christ, God the Son, 26:18 and He suffers on the cross. 26:20 And we can look at the cross, and we can recognize 26:22 that none of this took Him by surprise. 26:25 He knew what this world would cost Him, 26:29 and He decided to create this world anyways 26:31 because He counted this world 26:33 and all of us who are in it to be worth it. 26:36 And in fact, we see Christ suffering on the cross, 26:39 and we should realize that in this controversy, 26:42 God Himself suffers most of all. 26:46 We suffer a great deal, but not only at the cross 26:49 but throughout the entire conflict, 26:51 God suffers whenever we suffer because He loves us so much. 26:55 When my son broke his arm a number of years ago, 26:57 I would have rather broken my arm, right, 26:59 because of my love for my son. 27:01 But God loves us even more. 27:02 So He suffers whenever we suffer. 27:05 And we can just ask ourselves, if there had been any other way 27:08 than the avenue that God has taken to resolve this conflict 27:11 for everyone, wouldn't He have chosen it? 27:13 Even if just to spare Himself? 27:16 There was no other way. What more could He have done? 27:18 There's nothing more that He could have done. 27:20 And this is why we can be sure that Paul's words 27:22 in Romans 8:18 ring true when he says, 27:24 "The sufferings of this present time 27:26 "are not worthy to be compared with the glory 27:29 [that is to] be revealed." 27:30 And we can believe the promise in Revelation 21, 27:33 that one day soon there will be no more pain, 27:37 there will be no more suffering, 27:38 there will be no more tears, there will be no more death, 27:40 "for the former things [will] have passed away." 27:43 And that day is coming soon, and that victory is assured 27:47 through the work of Christ who is our Savior and our advocate. 27:50 >>Eric: That day is not far off at all, 27:53 a day that you and I can look forward to. 27:55 But between now and then, 27:57 we still have a couple of lessons to study 27:59 in this quarter's lesson. 28:01 We look forward to seeing you back again next week 28:03 as we continue looking at God's love and justice 28:06 here on "Sabbath School," 28:07 brought to you by It Is Written. 28:09 [uplifting music] 28:24 ♪♪♪ 28:26 [Captions provided by Aberdeen Captioning www.abercap.com] |
Revised 2025-03-05