THE CONVERSION OF ZACCHAEUS
Lesson Learnt: Bro./Sis.
From our last week’s study we learnt that: (i) Christ’s invitation to salvation is to every man who is humble, sincere and willing to surrender; (ii) There is no sinner Jesus cannot save; (iii) One of the first fruits and evidence of genuine conversion is restitution.
Today’s Adult STS, Volume 3, Lesson 128:
Topic: JOHN’S WITNESS CONCERNING CHRIST
Memory Verse: “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29).
Text: John 1:1-34.
Apostle John wrote this fourth and last gospel many years after Matthew, Mark and Luke to present the deity of Christ to the entire world. The first three synoptic gospels present Christ to different cultural groups while this one presents Him to all people of all times, and particularly to the Church. He begins his gospel, not with a statement of Christ’s birth, but with His pre-existence as the eternal Word and God, possessing divine nature, substance, essence, power and glory in the Godhead. John wrote to prove that Jesus is the eternal Christ (Acts 2:36; 9:5,20,22; 17:3; 18:28). In the text, the Apostle reveals Christ as the eternal ‘Word’ (verse 1); God (verse 1); Creator of all things (verse 2,3); the “Light” who illuminates (verse 9); Life, eternal life; the only Begotten of the Father (verse 14); the Lamb of God (verse 29); the eternal One (verse 30); and Baptizer in the Holy Ghost (verse 33). All the miracles, teachings and discourses selected and written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in this gospel have been done so that everyone “might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:30,31).
Question 1: What is the implication of the statement, “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made”? Bro./Sis.
Answer: Christ is the creator of “all things”. This refers to His existence from the dateless past and His divinity because the Scripture says, “…he that built all things is God.” (Hebrews 3:4). Paul also affirms that, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominion, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” (Colossians 1:16). Thus, the Word was with God, not only in the sense of being co-eternal with the Father, but also participated in all divine operations from the beginning.
THREE (3) SUB – HEADINGS:
- CHRIST’S DIVINITY AND INCARNATION
John 1:1-14; Hebrews 3:4; Colossians 1:16; John 8:12; 12:35; 1John 4:3; 2John 7,10,11; 1John 2:6.
The gospel opens with the revelation of Jesus Christ as the “Word”. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Verse 1). This does not refer to a written or spoken word but to “the Word… 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” (verse 14). Christ, as the Word, existed before all created things: “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1:3).
Question 2: Mention two instances in the Bible where Christ affirmed His divinity. Bro./Sis. Answer: There were instances in the Bible where Christ had to affirm His divinity (i) “Jesus said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58); (ii) “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30); (iii) “For as the Father hath life in Himself so hath He given to the Son to have life himself.” (John 5:26).
2. THE CALL AND MINISTRY OF JOHN AS A WITNESS OF CHRIST
John 1:15,19-28; Matthew 3:1-17; Luke 1:13-17,76,77; 3:1-18; Mark 1:1-5; Matthew 28:18-20.
The Apostle here reports that, “John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.” (verses 15, 16). A witness is someone who testifies to any
fact or incidence from his own personal knowledge and experience. A witness is needed when there is controversy or doubt about something in dispute (Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6,7).
Question 3: Mention other witnesses of Christ beside John. Bro./Sis.
Answer: Apart from John the Beloved, there were other witnesses in the Scriptures who bear witness of Christ as the Saviour: (i) John the Baptist; (ii) Disciples of Christ who became Apostles; (iii) Apostle Paul; (iv) Philip; (v) Stephen.
Like John the Baptist, believers are called to be witnesses of Christ. It is when people hear about Christ’s love and sacrifice for their salvation that they will repent and He will come to dwell in their hearts.
Question 4: Explain how a sinful man can become a child of God. Bro./Sis.
Answer: For a sinful man/woman to become a child of God, he/she must: (i) Acknowledge his/her sinful state; (ii) Confess and forsake his/her sins; (iii) Exercise faith in Christ atoning sacrifice; (iv) Accept Jesus Christ as his/her personal Lord and Saviour.
Question 5: How can a believer become an effective witness of Christ? Bro./Sis.
Answer: Believers can become effective witness for Christ by: (i) Sharing our personal experience of Salvation; (ii) Passionate and persuasive preaching of the gospel; (iii) Prevailing and persistence prayer for the conversion of souls; (iv) Purposeful follow-up of new converts e.g. GCK converts and converts from previous programmes; (v) Productive participation in souls-saving programmes.
John the Baptist lived a purpose-driven life. He had a clear understanding of his God-appointed ministry and its scope as the “voice of him that crieth in the wilderness” (Isaiah 40:3). This helped him stick to “preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Luke 3:3). He was sincere in character, conduct and ministry.
3. THE CONTENT AND IMPACT OF JOHN’S WITNESS OF CHRIST
John 1:14,16,17,29-39; Matthew 21:24-26; Luke 1:76-80.
John the Baptist revealed that Christ is “full of grace and truth… And of his fullness have all we received, grace for grace…”; that “grace and truth came by Jesus Christ… the only begotten Son
…the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world…”; and that “he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost… [is] the Son of God” (John 1:14,16,17,29,33,34).
Question 6: Enumerate what John the Baptist testified concerning Christ. Bro./Sis.
Answer: John the Baptist’s testified the following concerning Christ: (i) That Christ is full of grace and truth (John 1:14); (ii) That we receive grace through His fullness (John 1:16); (iii) That grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17); (iv) That Christ is the Lamb of God (John 1:29); (v) That Christ is the only begotten Son (John1:19); (vi) That Christ is the baptizer with the Holy Ghost (John 1:33); (vii) That Christ is the Son of God (John 1:34).
The content of John’s witness is centred on the ultimate purpose of Christ’s coming into the world. He is the “Lamb of God” who came to take away “the sin of the world”. Christ is the Passover or Paschal Lamb that delivers from sin and eternal destruction (1 Corinthians 5:7). Lambs in the old covenant were used for morning and evening sacrifices (Exodus 29:39). But in the new covenant, Jesus is our everlasting Lamb for the atonement of our sins (Hebrews 9:26). John’s witness of Christ was effective as many believed in Him. Two disciples of John, one of whom was Andrew, heard him declare Jesus as the Lamb of God and they followed Him (John 1:35-40). Others testified that, “John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true”. As a result, many believed in Christ.
Question 7: List some virtues in John that made his witness effective. Bro./Sis.
Answer: John was effective in his witness of Christ because he possessed the following virtues: (i) He received his ministry and message from God; (ii) He was separated from sinners; (iii) He lived a righteous lifestyle; (iv) He knew and preached the truth about the necessity of repentance and freedom from sin;
(v) John was bold and courageous to stand for and declare the truth; (vi) He was faithful to declare the word to people of all status (Luke 3:8-10,12-14); (vii) He was fearless and uncompromising (Mark 6:17,18); (viii) He was flaming and fiery (John 5:33-35); (ix) He was forthright and was understood by the people (Matthew 3:7,8); (x) He was fervent (Acts 18:25) and faultless (Matthew 11:7-11); (xi) He was fulfilled as he ended his ministry successfully (Acts 13:25); (xii) He was futuristic (Matthew 3:9- 12). He talked about the time of judgment, hell and heaven.
Like John, believers should ask the Lord to empower them to witness effectively for Him. And we must be humble, conscientious and diligent as heralds of the Light, as John was, with the sole aim of convincing and bringing them to conviction to “believe” that Jesus is Lord and Saviour.
