Lesson 6: More Lessons From the Master Teacher (Genesis 3 & 28, Romans 5, Mark 10)

by | Feb 9, 2022 | Topical Studies

Introduction: When my wife taught in church school, one of the important events in the school was the Christmas play. She taught very young children, so the actual performance result was not predictable. One year the children were recreating the manager scene with angels, shepherds, and wise men. The second wise man forgot his line about giving “frankincense,” and instead stated that he was giving baby Jesus “myrrh.”  Myrrh was the gift of the third wise man.  The third wise man did not know what to do because the line he had memorized had just been spoken by the other child. He took the easy route, he stated that he was giving the baby Jesus “more Myrrh.” That is what we are doing to you this week. We are studying “more lessons” on the same theme as last week. Let’s dive into our study of the Bible and learn more!

  1.         The Love

  1.         Read Romans 5:7. Would you die to save the life of a person that you did not know?                                        

  1.         Would you die in the place of someone you knew was a less productive member of society than you?

  1.         Would you die in place of a bad person? (My answer to all three of these questions is, “No.” The exception would be for someone who I loved and who I hoped in the future would do better.)

  1.         Let’s jump down and read Romans 5:10. Would you die for your enemy? Or, would you be glad that your enemy died?

  1.         Read Romans 5:8-9. What was Jesus’ answer to the question of whether He would die for those who are bad and are creating problems? (He died for us while we were sinners.)

  1.         Jesus is teaching us something in this. What does the Bible say this teaches about the wrath of God and us? What does this teach us about how God hates sin and will destroy sinners? (If Jesus was willing to die for us, He certainly is willing to extend His power to save us from the sure results of sin.)

  1.         Read Romans 5:11. We were just discussing God’s wrath. What is God’s current attitude towards us? Is God’s wrath a current threat? (No, not for those who rely on Jesus. We now rejoice in God because Jesus reconciled us to God the Father.)

  1.         Read Romans 5:14. Is our sinning like that of Adam?

  1.         Read Genesis 3:8-9. Adam and Eve have just deliberately sinned. What is their reaction? (They are hiding.)

  1.         Why are they hiding?

  1.         What is God’s reaction? Why would God ask “Where are you” when He knows perfectly well where they are?

  1.         How would a God of wrath respond? What is the lesson in this? (Adam and Eve are hiding because they expect a God of wrath. We see in this story (read the full story if you need to) that God pursues us. He wants us to have a relationship with Him.)

  1.         Let’s revisit Romans 5:14. What kind of sinning is described for the period after Adam and before Moses? (Read Romans 5:15. Those who lived during this period of time were sinners even if they did not deliberately sin. They became sinners because Adam sinned.)

  1.         What does that say to those who argue that we must pursue perfection because there will come a time when we will live without Jesus mediating on our behalf? (This concept is not based on the Bible. The Bible teaches us that because of Adam and Eve, no matter how good we become we are still inherently sinners. Our only hope of salvation is our trust in Jesus.)

  1.         Read Romans 5:16. How do we obtain justification? (It is a “free gift.” It is not something that is earned.)

                                

  1.         Our Response

  1.         Jacob, one of those who lived between Adam and Moses, just got through misleading his father in order to receive a very valuable benefit. Because his life was in jeopardy due to this fraud, he ran away. Read Genesis 28:12-13. Who is reaching out to the man of deception? (God!)

  1.         What is God offering to do for him? (To bless him and his offspring.)

  1.         Read Genesis 28:14. How do you understand the promise that in his “offspring” all people will be blessed? (This is a promise of the coming of Jesus to save us.)

  1.         Read Genesis 28:15. What else does God promise Jacob? (That God will be with him, will keep him safe, and will bring him back home.)

  1.         Consider these promises. What has Jacob done to deserve them? (His most recent activity is deceiving his father!)

  1.         Read Genesis 28:17-19. Recall that Genesis 28:12 tells us this is a dream. Does Jacob believe it is real? Does he believe that this is a message from God? (Yes. He memorializes it with a marker.)

  1.         Read Genesis 28:20-22. Is Jacob’s promise part of a deal with God? Or, is Jacob’s promise a reaction to the gift God had already given him? (God made the promise before Jacob responded.)

  1.         What does this tell us about the promises of God?

  1.         What does this tell us about grace?

  1.         Look again at Genesis 28:20-22. Does Jacob distrust God? (It sounds like Jacob’s “deal” reflects his lack of trust. He says in essence “if you will really do this, then I will pay a tithe.”)

  1.         If you were God, how would you react to Jacob’s response? (I would be annoyed. This shows us God’s love to us even when we are not at our best behavior!)

  1.         Let’s look at Jacob’s reaction from another angle. How should we respond to what Jesus has done for us? (Again, I see this story as an important lesson about grace. If we truly believe that Jesus has saved us from death and given us eternal life, the natural, proper response of the heart is to be loyal to Him. Obedience reflects our loyalty.)

  1.         The Experience

  1.         Read Mark 10:46-47. Put yourself in the place of Bartimaeus and tell me what you are thinking and feeling?

  1.         Read Mark 10:48. Why would “many” rebuke Bartimaeus?

  1.         What would go through your mind about this rebuke if you were Bartimaeus? (I would feel desperate and mistreated. This might be my only opportunity to see. I would resist the rebuke in every way possible.)

  1.         Read Mark 10:49. We previously read that the crowd was large and Jesus was surrounded by His disciples. What lesson do we learn about Jesus from His reaction?

                        

  1.         Read Mark 10:50-52. Has Bartimaeus earned his healing? (He earned nothing. He was desperate to be able to see and he believed Jesus could do it.)

  1.         Focus on Mark 10:52. To what does Jesus attribute the healing of Bartimaeus? (His faith.)

  1.         What is the response of Bartimaeus? (He follows Jesus.)

  1.         How would you react if Bartimaeus walked back to where he had been begging and continued his old practice?

  1.         Is that you? Have you treated the gift of salvation as if it were nothing?

  1.         Friend, these additional lessons reinforce the grace and love that Jesus has shown to us. This is on display in both the Old and New Testaments. Will you accept this gift and respond in faith? Why not do so right now?

  1.         Next week: Worship in Education.