Hello, dear friends and students. We're starting a brand new quarter. Here we're posting the easy reading version of the study guide and some Elle White's comments.
Introduction
An Eternal Hope for the World
Of all the famous people throughout the history of the world Jesus of Nazareth
had the shortest period of public work. Only three and a half years.
But what a three and a half years they were!
Socrates taught for 40 years. Plato for 50 years. Aristotle for 40 years. But
Jesus worked for not even four. But the influence2 of Christ’s short ministry
(work) goes beyond that of the combined 130 years of those three famous Greek
thinkers.
Someone once wrote that the best paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, and
Leonardo da Vinci (famous Italian painters) show Jesus, the Light of the world.
Haydn, Handel, Bach, and Mendelssohn (German musicians) gave to the world
their best melodies (music). They wrote them to glorify (give praise to) Jesus
Christ. Art, culture, music, and philosophy all have been made better by His
teachings. But Christ offers far more than philosophy, art, and music. These cannot
save. Jesus offers light and life and salvation3 to sinful men.
The above sentences are beautifully written. But they fail to equal the richness
of Jesus. This is because these sentences are written for the West only. Christ’s
work goes all over the world. It goes beyond all political, ethnic,4 and cultural borders (boundaries).
“You should study the Bible,” Ellen G. White writes. “This is because it tells you
of Jesus. As you read the Bible, you will see how beautiful Jesus is.You will fall
in love with Him. At every step you can say to the world, ‘His ways are pleasant,
and all His paths are peace.’ You are to represent Christ to the world. You may
show to the world that you have an eternal hope in Christ.”—Adapted from Ellen
G. White, Life Sketches, page 293.
With Jesus at its center, Christianity is also a historical religion. This means
that it centers on a Person whose life and work are open for careful historical
study. But, at the same time, we cannot limit Jesus Christ within the confines
(limits) of history. This is because the real Jesus is suprahistorical (above history).
Jesus goes beyond the point that history cannot explore. History cannot
take us into the mysteries of salvation. It cannot study the wonderful reasons for
Christ’s death for the world. For all that history offers, it cannot understand fully
what Ellen G. White called “an eternal hope for the world.”—Adapted from The
Review and Herald, June 10, 1852.
1. eternal—forever; without end.
2. influence—the power to affect or change persons or things.
3. salvation—God’s plan for saving sinners from eternal (without end) death; the gift of eternal life; being saved.
4. ethnic—having to do with different races of people.
This quarter centers on Jesus. It centers on who He was, on what He taught,
on what He did and on what He is doing now. That last wording, “on what He is
doing now,” makes a very big difference in the world. It is what might be called
the “mystery of our present history.” It is very important because it separates
Jesus from every other famous person in history. No other famous historical person,
no matter how great he or she is, can equal Jesus!
Who was this wonderful Jesus? What was He like? What did He do while
here? What is He really doing for us now? And finally, why should He interest
people in the twenty-first century?
The answers, as we will see, are not just for study. Instead, they influence
the future of every human being (person).
Roy Adams was born in the Caribbean area. He is the author of this quarter’s
Bible study guide. He is also an associate editor of the Adventist Review, the
world magazine of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He is married to Celia
(nee Wilson), and they have two adult children, Dwayne and Kimberly.
Sabbath School Lesson Link (copy it to your navigator):
http://absg.adventist.org/2008/2Q/ER/PDFs/ERQ208_01.pdf
