God's Greatest Gift For This World

The King James Version (KJV) is mostly used in these lessons. Click here to access the KJV online.

At Christ's incarnation, sin had become a science. Rebellion had struck its roots deep into the heart of man. It was demonstrated before the universe that, apart from God, humanity could not be uplifted. A new element of life and power must be imparted by Him who made the world.

"With intense interest the unfallen worlds had watched to see Jehovah arise, and sweep away the inhabitants of the earth. And if God should do this, Satan was ready to carry out his plan for securing to himself the allegiance of heavenly beings. He had declared that the principles of God's government make forgiveness impossible. Had the world been destroyed, he would have claimed that his accusations were proved true. He was ready to cast blame upon God, and to spread his rebellion to the worlds above. But instead of destroying the world, God sent His Son to save it. Though corruption and defiance might be seen in every part of the alien province, a way for its recovery was provided. At the very crisis, when Satan seemed about to triumph, the Son of God came with the embassage of divine grace. Through every age, through every hour, the love of God had been exercised toward the fallen race. Notwithstanding the perversity of men, the signals of mercy had been continually exhibited. And when the fullness of the time had come, the Deity was glorified by pouring upon the world a flood of healing grace that was never to be obstructed or withdrawn till the plan of salvation should be fulfilled." The Desire of Ages, page 37.

God's Eternal Gift

1. How does God feel toward mankind separated from Him through sin?

“I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3.

Answer: “We are to regard Jesus [Yahushua] as having loved us personally and individually. Let us consider how much pains God has taken to make us feel that He cares for us personally. It is so in His providence, and so also in His gospel. He would fain make us single ourselves from the mass and feel that His loving eye and heart are upon us individually.” Charies G. Finney, Sermons on Gospel Themes, pages 307, 308.

2. What evidence is there for us to see that God really love us?

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:9, 10.

Answer: Because He loved us so much that He was willing to see His only begotten Son suffer and die rather than be separated from you and me for eternity. We will not be able to understand it, but He did it--just for you!

3. Was Jesus Christ the Son of God?

God testified. "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17

“Jesus . . asked His disciples, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that Thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Matthew 16:13-16.

Answer: Yes.

The testimony of the prophets; Jesus' power to heal the sick and raise the dead; His peerless teaching; His own resurrection; The testimony of His friends; The admission of His enemies; lives transformed by His power, all testify that Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus—The Son Of God

4. What was the relationship of Jesus to God the Father?

"Jesus Christ, is the Son of God." Mark 1:1.

5. Did Christ exist before He was born in Bethlehem?

"Now, O Father, glorify thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was." John 17:5.

"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler of in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Micah 5:2.

Answer: Yes. Before anything existed, Jesus came forth from God, as his only begotten Son!

6. In what respect was the birth of Jesus supernatural?

"Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. . Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying Behold, a Virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son." Matthew 1:18, 22-23.

Answer: You see, the Scriptures teach that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born in the flesh, of a virgin. This is known as the incarnation. Christ was not a new being, but He appeared in human form. "The Word was made flesh." John 1:14. "Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." Philippians 2:6-7. "They shall call His name Emmanuel. . . God with us." Matthew 1:23.

Our Saviour

7. What was Christ's purpose in coming into the world?

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. "To call ... sinners to repentance." Matthew 9: 13.

8. Did Jesus leave us an example to follow in His struggle with temptation?

"Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth." 1 Peter 2:21-22.

“I have kept My Father's commandments." John 15:10.

"[Jesus] was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. " Hebrews 4:15.

"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." Hebrews 5:8.

"What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:3-4

So the Son of God overcame in the flesh, demonstrating that God's law can be kept, and He is ready to dwell in us by His Spirit and fulfill His will in us. As we yield to the Spirit, we receive power to obey God.

Answer: Yes, the Scriptures declare that Jesus overcame temptation and lived a sinless life, and because the Son of God lived a sinless life in the flesh, He accomplished five things:

A. He demonstrated that, by the indwelling power of God, the law of God could be kept by converted man;

B. His righteous life in the flesh is now available to cover man's past sins;

C. He is able to sympathize with man in his struggle against sin;

D. He has successfully revealed God to man;

E. He is in a position to impart overcoming power to all who are tempted.

Power To Save

9. How fully can Christ save men from sin?

"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Hebrews 7:25.

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13.

Answer: He is in a position to impart overcoming power to all who are tempted to sinning.

10. What does the Bible say will take away sin?

"The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7.

Answer: The Scripture also affirms that “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” Hebrews 10:4.

11. Was it necessary for Christ to die in His own behalf?

No, Pilate, after carefully examining Him, declared, "I have found no cause of death in him." Luke 23:22. He had no sin, and therefore was under no condemnation.

Deep Sympathy For Us

12. For what reason, then, did He die?

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." Hebrews 2:9.

Answer: It was for sinful, fallen humanity that He died.

13. What sentence had been pronounced upon the human family?

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Romans 5:12.

"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." Romans 3:19.

14. How could the death of Christ help to free man from his sins?

"The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6.

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Answer: He took the sinner's place and assumed the guilt as if it were His own.

15. When Jesus died, therefore, for whose sins did He die?

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5.

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:3.

16. What did the death of Jesus achieve for us?

"God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

"He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of It; for this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission [forgiveness] of sins." Matthew 26:27-28.

Answer: When a sinner accepts Christ as his Saviour, God counts the death of Christ as punishment for his sins. The sinner is forgiven and goes free. He is "redeemed" from death through the sacrifice of Christ. You see, since the holy law of God is as sacred as God Himself, only one equal with God could make atonement for its transgression. That someone was Jesus, wonderful Jesus. The human mind may never fully fathom the science, philosophy, or theology of the atonement, but we can accept it; and all who will accept the sacrifice of Calvary will have the joy of a changed heart.

"Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. . He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. 'With His stripes we are healed.' By His life and His death, Christ has achieved even more than recovery from the ruin wrought through sin. It was Satan's purpose to bring about an eternal separation between God and man; but in Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen. In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us." The Desire of Ages page 25.

Our Mediator And High Priest

17. Is the resurrection of Jesus important to us?

"I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." Revelation 1:17-18.

"If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Romans 5:10 (See 1 John 5:12).

Paul goes so far as to say: "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." 1 Corinthians 15:17-18.

Answer: The Scriptures teach that Jesus rose a victor over death, to save us by His life and to assure us of our resurrection from the grave. Moreover, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is a doctrine that distinguishes Christianity from all other world religions. Buddha, Confucius, Mohammed, and the founders of other religious movements are dead. Jesus alone points to an empty tomb as evidence of divine power and of conquest over death. No fact connected with the life of Christ is so firmly supported as the fact of the resurrection. The resurrected Christ is a living Christ. It is only the power of the living Christ, the power of the resurrection that can change the life of man and save him. Paul sought to know the power of His resurrection as a daily experience, that he might at last be raised in the resurrection of the dead (Philippians 3:10-11). The resurrection of Christ is thus a sample and pledge of ours. "Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming." 1 Corinthians 15:23.

18. Where is Jesus now and what is He doing?

"While they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." Acts 1:9-11.

“And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” Luke 24:51-52.

Answer: According to the Bible, Jesus ascended to heaven and is now mediating in our behalf. Forty days after the resurrection Jesus ascended to heaven and His disciples were left behind.

A. Christ ascended to heaven, to become our mediator and high priest. "There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" 1 Timothy 2:5. See Hebrews 8:1; 7:25.

B. We need a representative in heaven who understands our problems. Jesus does. "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities." Hebrews 4:15.

C. He was "made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful. . high priest." Hebrews 2:17. We may come in reverent boldness to the throne of mercy, grace, and power Hebrews 4:16.

19. Will Jesus come again?

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:2-3.

“The disciples were still looking earnestly toward heaven when, "behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." Acts 1:10, 11.

"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Hebrews 9:28. (See Revelation 19:11-16).

Answer: Yes, the Scriptures testify that Jesus will come again. Let us be ready to meet Him. The second coming of Christ is the climax of the gospel. It is the time of reward. Without it the cross loses its meaning. The cross is the seed sowing of God's love, the second coming is the harvest time. It is the homecoming of God's people.

“The promise of Christ's second coming was ever to be kept fresh in the minds of His disciples. The same Jesus whom they had seen ascending into heaven, would come again, to take to Himself those who here below give themselves to His service. The same voice that had said to them, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end," would bid them welcome to His presence in the heavenly kingdom.” The Acts of the Apostles, page 33.

The loving invitation of Jesus to you is, “My son, [daughter] give me thine heart” (Proverbs 23:26). Will you give Him your heart today?