Sabbath School Summary

By Elder Dr Masimba Mavaza

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

Lesson 10

Memory Text: “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:18, NKJV).

INTRODUCTION
The Gospel of John is divided into four main sections: The Prologue (John 1:1-18), the Book of Signs (John 1:19-12:50), the Book of Glory (John 13:1-20:31), and the Epilogue (John 21:1-25). Our study so far has focused mainly on the Prologue and the Book of Signs, laying out who Jesus is via His miracles (signs), dialogues, and teachings. The lessons now shift particularly to the third section of John, the Book of Glory.
Interestingly, the famous seven “I AM” statements form a bridge across the Book of Signs and the Book of Glory. These are “the bread of life” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51), “the light of the world” (John 8:12, John 9:5), “the door” (John 10:7, 9), “the good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14), “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6), and “the true vine” (John 15:1, 5).
This week’s lesson will begin with the purpose of the farewell discourse and its introduction with the significant episode of Jesus’ washing His disciples’ feet. Then it will turn to the “I AM” statement in chapter 14 (“I am the way, the truth, and the life”).

SABBATH:
God, in times past, spoke of Himself as the great “I AM”. Centuries later, Jesus made 7 declarations using “I AM” to confirm His divinity & mission. This will be the theme for this week. The book of John is divided into four parts; The Prologue (John 1:1-18), the Book of Signs (John 1:19-12:50), the Book of Glory (John 13:1-20:31), & the Epilogue (John 21:1-25). The 7 “I AM” links the Book of Signs & the Book of Glory. John 13-17 is Jesus’ farewell to the disciples.

SUNDAY:
Great leaders define reality & empower followers in their absence. We find Moses’ farewell in Deuteronomy, Jacob’s blessings for his children (Gen. 47-49), & David’s advice for Solomon (1 Chron. 28, 29). Jesus left the disciples with a promise of a Comforter & Guide for grief to come & the need to be faithful (John 13-17; 14-16, 15, 16). He taught them “servant leadership” by washing their feet—a custom for slaves & servants before meals (John 13:1-20).

MONDAY:
Where did Jesus come from & where is He going? This question was what Jesus’ disciples wrestled with at times (John 14:1-3, 13:33, 36, 37, 38). Peter & the others did not understand Jesus when He said He was going away. Jesus spoke of His death, resurrection, & ascension. He told them not to be “troubled” (tarassō in Greek meaning; to stir up, disturb, unsettle, be confused). His departure is for their good & that He’ll return again (Dan. 7:27; John 14:3).

TUESDAY:
Jesus Himself is the way to the Father (John 14:5-11). This was His answer to Thomas. John 1:1-18 tells us that He’s the Word (logos) of God. He came to make God known (to interpret, explain, or exposit; “exēgeomai”, which translates as exegesis). That’s, as the only begotten of God, He’s the link between the Father & the fallen world. There’s no understanding without Him. He told Philip that those who have seen Him have seen the Father (Exod. 33:17).

WEDNESDAY:
Light is truth & darkness is error. Jesus as the Light of the world & the “logos” (Word) is the Truth. Those who walk in darkness (error) live in sin or are with the devil; Satan (John 1:1-14, 3:19-21, 8:44-46). The truth isn’t mere facts & figures but also faithfulness to God & His will. Philosophical quotes & theories can’t satisfy the heart, only the voice of God in His word (COL, p. 40). Jesus is the Truth that lights up the world for us to interpret it rightly (Col. 1:16, 17, John 8:12).

THURSDAY:
The Scriptures tell us our origins, purpose, & many other truths such as who Jesus is. It is integral in the Gospel story. Both the OT & NT reveal crucial truths needed for our salvation. Jesus & His disciples often pointed to Scripture to confirm the truth about His divinity/Messiahship (John 5:38-40, 46, 47, Luke 24:27, Matt. 22:31). Zacharias & Peter all pointed to the Scripture from the patriarchs and prophets (Luke 1:70, Acts 1:16). The Bible explains life itself.

FRIDAY:
When Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world,” it was at the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles, where large lampstands illuminated the court. The celebration marked the pillar of light that guided the Israelites in the desert & pointed to the anticipated coming of the Messiah. The lighting of the lamps gave joy to the people, but it showed Jesus’ role as the source of spiritual light for the world. As the sun illuminated the temple, He illuminate the world.

—Ellen G. White, “ ‘The Light of Life,’ ” pp. 463–475, in The Desire of Ages; E. Edward Zinke, “The Authority of the Bible and the Certainty of the Second Coming,” The Certainty of the Second Coming (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2000), pp. 23–36.

Keywords

The famous seven “I AM” statements- These are “the bread of life” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51), “the light of the world” (John 8:12, John 9:5), “the door” (John 10:7, 9), “the good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14), “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6), and “the true vine” (John 15:1, 5)

Washing of feet: This was Jesus’ example to the disciples. Jesus teaches that power and authority are to be used for service, not for self-aggrandizement. The Adventist Church has embraced this sense of Jesus’ example, taking what is rightly called the Ordinance of Humility as a preparatory service for the Lord’s Supper.

OT- Old Testament

NT- New Testament

COL- Christ’s Object Lessons

Captions

SUNDAY- I Have Given You an Example
MONDAY- I Will Certainly Come Again
TUESDAY- I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life
WEDNESDAY- I AM the Truth
THURSDAY- The Scriptures and the Truth

Discussion Questions

📌 In class, talk about your answer to Thursday’s final question. What crucial truths taught by the Bible could we never, even in principle, learn from science? For example, the Cross? Or the Resurrection? Or the Second Coming? What other important biblical truths must be revealed to us—otherwise, we would never know them?

📌 Think about the fall of Lucifer, a perfect being with so much intellectual knowledge of God and of what God is like. And yet, even with all that, he rebelled against Him. What does this tell us about the reality of free will, the same free will that we have—and why, moment by moment, do we need to choose to surrender that will to God?