Second Quarter 2005 Adult Sabbath School Lessons:
Jesus Through the Eyes of Mark

Insights to Lesson 13
Buried—But Risen
June 18-24

(Produced by the Editorial Board of the 1888 Message Study Committee)

We have just completed thirteen Lessons about the one Man of all time who has been the most “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Thank God the story ends with Lesson Thirteen, RESURRECTION!

In the two millennia since, countless numbers of God’s true people have experienced the fellowship of His sufferings, and like John the Baptist have ended their lives in being “despised and rejected by men.” They were often burned at the stake, drowned in rivers, or perished alone in dungeons. It was during the 1260 years of papal oppression of “the little horn,” when “the saints [were] given into his hand” (Dan. 7:21-25). They “tasted” what Christ endured on His cross, and died without being vindicated. But they will share the divine vindication of His resurrection! Every one who even today suffers injustice may “rest” his/her case “in the Lord,” and receive the comfort the Holy Spirit brings because of Christ’s resurrection.

Big learned books have been written for and against Christ’s death and resurrection; the simple story as it has been told briefly by Mark bears the same heavenly credentials as did Jesus Himself in the flesh. Some believe; some don’t. I choose to believe.

The Lesson pauses to note that Jesus chose to appear first to the woman. His Twelve disciples a few days earlier wanted to cast out with scorn, Mary Magdalene (Matt. 26:8, 9; Mark 14:4, 5; John 12:4, 5; Jesus literally saved her from being “disfellowshipped,” read the context). On the resurrection morning she of all people was given an apostleship to go and tell the Eleven what had happened! Ever since, Jesus has been defending faithful followers who have been disfellowshipped by successors of the Twelve. The story of the resurrection has always been the story of the world and the church being turned upside down. The Lesson urges us to overcome the constant temptation to despise the humble and unlearned people (often women) who appear among us to great disadvantage.

The Eleven were reticent to believe the truth that Jesus had risen. “They believed them not” (Luke 24:11). Thomas fought the truth for days. Almost endless controversies against truth have plagued even the church for ages; let us learn the lesson that fighting truth is an unhealthful way to live. It can easily be kept up a wee bit too long at the cost of eternal salvation. Jesus impresses on us the lesson that “Blessed [happy] are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Ellen White has frequently (over a hundred times) said that handling the truth of “1888” has been to “us” what the almost unbelievable truth of the Resurrection was to the Eleven; and she opines that in some cases of our brethren’s unbelief, it was lethal to their souls. [see note below]

Our Teachers’ Quarterly notes that Jesus appeared suddenly to different ones after His resurrection. “It’s almost as if He were saying ‘You never know where you’ll see Me next.’ And implied is the notion, ‘I’ll never be far away.’” A precious thought!

We must note that God gave unbelievers and rejecters full liberty to oppose the Resurrection. He did not strike Caiaphas and the others with sudden bolts of lightning from heaven, but allowed them to live and fight the truth. It’s almost as if all through history He challenges His opposition and welcomes the controversy. But beware: walk softly if you oppose the Holy Spirit; it’s terribly dangerous, especially in this time of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. Light is shining today as never before.

How can we be sure that Jesus is risen from the dead? Is our own emotional testimony sufficient, to sing that “He lives within my heart”? As we near the end, the deception of a false and counterfeit “holy spirit” will become ever more subtle. The Savior’s testimony to the two on that walk to Emmaus is important: He gave them a Bible study “beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). Don’t let movies and videos deprive you of first-hand Bible study.

Lastly, we would note briefly something the Quarterly seems not to notice: the controversy over Mark 16:9-20. Some scholars declare they’re not original with Mark because they are lacking in Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, the “uncial” [capital letter] ancient manuscripts. Almost all the “cursive” [long-hand] manuscripts have them--the Bibles of the humble, common people which were worn out in devotional reading (that’s why they haven’t survived like the uncials, which were so corrupt in text that people didn’t use them). You may trust your Bibles that have that passage.

—Robert J. Wieland

[Note: Click here for a sample of these statements.]

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