FROM SUFFERING TO GLORY

AIM FOR CHANGE

BY THE END OF THE LESSON, WE WILL:

EXPLORE the account of Jesus' meeting the two travelers after His Resurrection; TRUST that Jesus provides meaning in things we don't understand; and REHEARSE various ways Jesus has given us help through the power of His Resurrection. 

FOCAL VERSES Isaiah 53:5-8; Luke 24:25-27; 44-47

KEEP IN MIND

"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27). 

AT-A-GLANCE

1. Understanding Comes Through the Word of God (Isaiah 53:5-7, 8a)

2. Understanding Comes Through Relationship with the Savior (Luke 24:25-26)

3. Understanding Comes in Accepting God's Will (vv. 27, 44-47)

IN FOCUS STORY

Demetrius could not understand why his life was going down the tubes the way it was. "How long, Lord?" he said as he began to get dressed to look for another job. Just then, his wife, Andrea, came in. "Demetrius, you're going to do fine today," she said with a calm assurance. 

"I don't know, honey. I can't understand why all of this is happening right now," Demetrius replied, "In the last two weeks, I lost my job, our car threw a rod, and we found out my mom is sick with cancer."

Andrea put her hands on his shoulders. "Demetrius, we have to trust that God has a plan for our family and that He will help us to understand. We've got to believe the Scriptures and He will open our understanding. As the song says, we'll understanding it better by and by. Right now, we're walking by faith. God will heal Mom. We will drive again- even if public transportation has to be our friend for a while. Above all, let's keep the faith that you will get this job and it will be better than you can even imagine!"

Demetrius stood in front of the mirror straightening his tie and contemplating what Andrea said. Maybe this was for the better. He prayed for God to help him understand it all. 

Through Jesus, we can find meaning in the things that we don't understand. In today's lesson, we can learn to trust that Jesus will give us understanding in the difficult times. 

THE PEOPLE, PLACES, and TIMES

The Suffering Servant. The book of Isaiah contains four songs or poems describing the servant Yahweh. The most famous of these songs is found within Isaiah 52:14 through 53:12. Theses songs describe a servant of Yahweh who has been called to lead the nations to worship God. The servant is persecuted and oppressed but ultimately rewarded. Jewish scholars usually identify this servant as the nation of Israel, which had suffered injustice under Assyria and Babylon. In the New Testament, this Servant came to be identified as Jesus, who is the embodiment of Israel. 

Emmaus. A village about seven and a half miles from Jerusalem. This was one of the first places where Jesus made a post-resurrection appearance. The name Emmaus probably meant "hot spring." Josephus wrote of a village called Emmaus, but the actual site of the village remains widely disputed. 

The Two Disciples. The identity of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus remains unknown. Some scholars believe that these two disciples were Cleophas and Mary.

BACKGROUND

During the time after Jesus' crucifixion, the disciples experienced confusion and despair. They had watched their hoped-for Messiah ruthlessly murdered at the hands of the Roman establishment. They had trusted that He would be the one who would overthrow foreign oppression and restore Israel to its former glory. Now their leader was dead in a grave, and they had all scattered back to their homes wondering what had happened. If Jesus really was the promised Messiah, the could not understand anything that had transpired within the last few days. 

Isaiah 53 gives some insight into what happened when Jesus endured the betrayal of the Jewish leaders and death form the Roman government. His suffering and pain were all a part of God's plan to redeem Israel and the whole world. It was this aspect of Jesus' life that was difficult for the disciples to see; not only would He be a glorious King who would lead Israel to peace and prosperity, but He would also be a Suffering Servant and die at the hands of foreign powers. 

It took Jesus Himself to show the disciples that His death was not the end. He had to interpret the Scriptures in order for them to understand the full scope of what God was up to during the Crucifixion and how this played a part in His large purpose. Jesus showed how, in passages like Isaiah 53, God had already spoken about His death and resurrection. He talked with His disciples about how God's plan could be found throughout the Hebrew Scriptures and how now they were to go out and proclaim the message of forgiveness and love to the entire world. 

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

1. What animal images explain the Messiah's attitude during His suffering (Isaiah 53:7)?

2. What in Isaiah's prophecy declares that Jesus will be tried in a court of law (Isaiah 53:8a)?

3. What does Jesus imply to the real issue with the disciples (Luke 24:25)?

4. What proof do we have that Jesus fully accepted and expected Calvary (Luke 24:26, 46)?

 DISCUSS THE MEANING

1. What is the relationship between the suffering and the glory in Jesus' being "wounded for our transgressions...bruised for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:5)?

2. How does aligning ourselves with God's purpose help us to understand our sorrows and disappointments?

3. How can we us Scripture as our guide through difficult times?

LESSON IN OUR SOCIETY

1. When we go through difficult times, it is hard to understand what God is doing. In these times, we must continue to draw strength from our relationship with Jesus and use Scripture to increase our faith. What difficult local and global situations are causing you anxiety? How can you be more diligent in the Word and steadfast in prayer regarding those issues?

2. As saints of God, people expect that we can give a word to someone else. Consider your neighbors and friends who are going through difficulty. What scriptural encouragement can you give them in their time of need?

MAKE IT HAPPEN

Often we are called to share our testimony with others who are wrestling with things they don't understand. Read the excerpt from "Our Testimony" in the ViewPoints Resource Guide. Then ask God to give you the opportunity to share your testimony with someone who needs to know Him.

(Except from the Apostolic Light Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Inc.)