CCLTG B4 2017 Text.Indd 67 1/19/17 11:50 AM the Bread

connectingtolife LESSON 8 CORNERSTONECONNECTIONS Sabbath of your life do you feel torn between right and Thursday NOVEMBERNOVEMBER25252017 Read Isaiah 53. wrong? Like Pilate, we all hear voices that pull Read 2 Corinthians 5:21. ead and respond to the voting question at us. These voices come from inside as well as learly, Jesus was falsely accused and R in the What Do You Think? section of this outside from others. Whom do you know that C grossly mistreated. Christ is innocent, but week’s lesson. The trials of Christ demonstrate stands for what is good and true, no matter humanity is guilty of sin. Paul states: “For He the supreme hatred that the Jewish leaders what they face? Ask them about the voices made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, Christwise felt for Christ, the ambivalence of leaders such they hear and the voices they choose to listen that we might become the righteousness of as Pilate and Herod, as well as the absence to. Model their courage and make the decision God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NKJV). Write of the disciples and the loyalty of people who ahead of time to stand. on a card or piece of paper the verdict: guilty Scripture Story: Matthew 27:31-53; Mark 15:20-38; Luke 23: previously adored Jesus. or not guilty. Condemned to death or set free 26-46; John 19:16-30. Tuesday for eternity. Make a list of similar phrases that Commentary: The Desire of Ages or Humble Hero, chapters 78, 79. Key Text: Luke 23:44-46. What is the greatest tragedy of the trials: the Read Deuteronomy 19:15-19. describe what Christ experienced and what you injustice, or the loneliness, or something else? ead the quote from The Desire of Ages in experience as a result. You will notice that such Explain. According to Isaiah 53, what are the R the Flashlight section and try to imagine a list reminds you of what matters most. Place trials that Christ suffered in light of the plan of the scene. Under high-pressure moments such this paper or card out in the open where you PREPARING TO TEACH II. TARGET redemption? as the trial, everyone’s colors are more clearly can see it every day. The students will: ______seen—including Christ’s. Try to picture Christ I. SYNOPSIS • Be informed of the sacrifice that Jesus made for cornerstone connections ______the way Ellen White portrays Him in this pas- Friday Ellen White tells us: “The cross of Calvary appeals humankind at Calvary. (Know) ______sage. Think of some biblical characters who Read Isaiah 53:7, 8. in power, affording a reason why we should love Christ • Sense the need to accept Jesus’ sacrifice.(Feel) have made their stand. Notice how as they hat do you think is the most God-honor- now, and why we should consider Him first, and best, • Have an opportunity to live in the shadow of the Sunday choose to be true, no matter what the result, ing response to the way Christ was mis- W and last, in everything. We should take our fitting place cross. (Respond) Read John 11:47-53. their character shines clear. For Christ, this treated during His trials? Worship? Gratitude? in humble penitence at the foot of the cross. We may ead the Into the Story section and use had to do with letting what was on the inside Surrender? Belief? Devotion? Praise? Reflect learn the lessons of meekness and lowliness of mind III. EXPLORE the Out of the Story questions to guide become visible on the outside. What part of and write out a prayer to God using one or more R as we go up to Mount Calvary, and, looking upon the • Calvary your study. Take a moment to scan through your inner character do you want to show on of the responses you feel are most relevant to cross, see our Saviour in agony, the Son of God dying, Christ (life, death, resurrection)1 the sequence of Christ’s six trials and indicate the outside? Honesty? Kindness? Your devotion you today. • which encounter was the most frustrating for to God? Share with someone this week what is ______the Just for the unjust. Behold Him who could sum- • Sanctuary (Christ’s ministry in the heavenly 2 you to read. Do the trials tend to stir up anger on the inside. ______mon legions of angels to His assistance with one sanctuary) cornerstone connections as well as sympathy? As you answered the word, a subject of jest and merriment, of reviling and • Sacrifice 32 questions in this week’s lesson, what do you Wednesday hatred. He gives Himself a sacrifice for sin. When Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, think is the message God has for you in the he Punch Lines texts in this week’s lesson English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway reviled, He threatened not; when falsely accused, He TEACHING story? T feature large portions of Scripture that Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permis- opened not His mouth. He prays on the cross for His ______relate specifically to Christ’s trial or to the sion. All rights reserved. murderers. He is dying for them. He is paying an infi- I. GETTING STARTED ______larger themes of truth and justice. Look for a Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American nite price for every one of them. . . . Look, O look upon ______couple of specific themes in the Punch Lines: Standard Bible, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, the cross of Calvary; behold the royal victim suffering identify a verse that speaks to you personally 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Activity Used by permission. on your account” (Ellen G. White, That I May Know Refer the students to the What Do You Think? sec- Monday and offers a challenge for you to live differently, p. 65). Read Luke 23:20-23. from the inside out. Identify a passage that Texts credited to NKJV are from the New King James Version. Him, tion of their lesson. After they have completed it, dis- Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used This lesson affords the ideal opportunity to “Look, he Key Text in this week’s lesson conveys informs your understanding of what happened cuss their responses. by permission. All rights reserved. T the conflict between what Pilate knew was to Christ in a way you might not have thought O look upon the cross.” Never underestimate the Or use this as an alternate activity: right against the unbridled hatred of the Jewish of before. Which verse of all the Punch Lines power of gazing upon the cross! The Bible reminds us Bring the elements used in a traditional Commu- leaders and the riotous crowd. Read the text challenges you the most? Why? that by beholding we become changed (2 Corinthians nion service. Divide the class into three small groups and think of how you get torn between what ______this week’s reading* 3:18). To this end, challenge your students to focus and ask each group to search the Bible and find texts is clearly right and what others want you to do ______daily on Christ’s sacrifice on the cross with the prayer that tie their specific element into the story of the that is wrong. Often, the everyday decisions ______The Desire of Ages or Humble Hero, chapters 75, 76, 77. to live as Jesus died. For it is from the bloody tree at cross. (If your class is small, do activity as a group.) we make are not as life-changing as Pilate’s, Calvary that Jesus calls us to live lives of sacrifice, For example, the first group will have a basin and but they are complicated. What specific areas *Humble Hero is a special adaptation of The Desire of Ages, created for you by the Ellen G. White Estate and Pacific Press. Get forgiveness, perseverance, selflessness, and grace. towel. They are then to find all the passages in Scrip- more information about it at http://www.cornerstoneconnections. ture that inform about the practice of foot washing net/article/191/about-us/conflict-of-the-ages-companion-books# .URlhF1rBO9s. By following the weekly reading plan, you will read and service. The second group will do the same using at least one book of the Conflict of the Ages series each year. www.cornerstoneconnections.net www.cornerstoneconnections.net 67

CCLTG B4 2017 text.indd 67 1/19/17 11:50 AM the bread. The third group will do the same with the Out of the Story for Teachers grape juice. After they have searched and discussed After you read the Into the Story section with their element in the small group, have them share your students, use the following in your own words to highlights of their discussion with the group at large. process it with them. • After reading Matthew 27:31-53, what immedi- Illustration ately strikes you, stops you cold, stands out? Begin with a question that a lot of Seventh-day • Is there anything in the account that you have Adventist youth struggle with: never noticed before? If so, what? Ever wonder if you’re good enough to be saved? • For what crime was Jesus crucified? Oh, you’re working at it all right. You volunteer at • Why do you think the accusers insulted Jesus in the soup kitchen. You go to Sabbath School. You don’t the way that they did? drink or swear or chew or date those who do. But in • Had Jesus come down from the cross, do you your honest moments maybe you wonder if you’ll ever think people would have believed in Him then? be good enough. Perhaps you have no real assurance Why or why not? of salvation. • If Jesus came today, who would crucify Him? If this describes you, take heart. God does not Under what charge(s)? want you to be fuzzy about being saved. The apostle • What is the significance of Jesus’ cry, “My God, Paul explains: “Just as one trespass resulted in con- My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew demnation for all people, so also one righteous act 27:46, NKJV). resulted in justification and life for all people” (Romans • Why are the supernatural events surrounding the 5:18, NIV). death of Christ significant? According to the In other words, because of what Jesus did on the centurion, how dramatic were these events? cross, if you accept Him as your Savior, you are saved. • What do you imagine the women present at the Period. Calvary is complete and you are saved! cross were thinking? How, then, do works fit into the equation? Con- • How do the Gospel accounts of the Crucifixion sider this: When the Golden Gate Bridge was built, ini- differ? What details do all of the Gospel writers tially there was no safety net constructed under the include? bridge. During the first phase of the construction, 23 • Explain Ellen White’s commentary on the story: men fell to their death. Finally, some bright engineer “When the loud cry, ‘It is finished,’ came from

cornerstone connections suggested that they suspend a net beneath the bridge. the lips of Christ, the priests were officiating in For the modest price of only $100,000 the net was the temple. It was the hour of the evening sacri- installed. fice. The lamb representing Christ had been During the second half of the construction, 10 brought to be slain. . . . All is terror and confu- men fell. All of them were saved in the net. But what’s sion. The priest is about to slay the victim; but the amazing is that production increased 25 percent dur- knife drops from his nerveless hand, and the ing the second half! Why? Because once people lamb escapes. Type has met antitype in the knew that they could work without fear of death, they death of God’s Son. The great sacrifice has been were more productive. They did better work. made. The way into the holiest is laid open” (The Desire of Ages, pp. 756, 757). II. TEACHING THE STORY Sharing Context and Background Bridge to the Story Use the following information from en.wikipedia. Use the following discussion to follow up the story org/wiki/Crucifixion and www.thenazareneway.com/ of the Golden Gate Bridge: details_history_of_crucifixion.htm to shed more light Your heavenly Father does not want you to live on crucifixions in the ancient world. Share it in your with the fear of falling. He wants you to know that there own words. is a net in the shape of a cross anchored beneath you, Crucifixion is an ancient method of execution securing you in your salvation. And in that assurance whereby the condemned person is tied or nailed to a you can do better work. large wooden cross (made in various shapes) and left

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CCLTG B4 2017 text.indd 68 1/19/17 11:50 AM to hang until dead. It was in use particularly among the victim was probably affixed to the cross by ropes, the Persians, Seleucids, Carthaginians, and Romans nails, or some combination of the two. In popular from about the sixth century B.C. to the fourth cen- depictions of crucifixion, possibly derived from a literal tury A.D., when in the year 337 Emperor Constantine reading of the description in the Gospel of John, of I abolished it in his empire, out of veneration for Jesus’ wounds being “in the hands,” the victim is Jesus Christ. shown supported only by nails driven straight through Details of Crucifixion. Crucifixion was never per- the feet and the palms of the hands. However, the formed for symbolic purposes; usually, its purpose flesh of the hands cannot support a person’s body was only to provide a painful, gruesome, and public weight, so some other means must have been used to death, using whatever means were readily available support most of the weight, such as tying the wrists to toward that end. In fact, crucifixion is only a subset of the crossbeam. a much wider continuous spectrum of slow and painful Cause of Death. Death could come in hours or execution methods, which include varied forms of days, depending on exact methods, the health of the impalement, hanging from hooks, burning at the stake, victim, and environmental circumstances. A theory and exposure to wild beasts. attributed to Pierre Barbet holds that the typical cause Thus, the details of any crucifixion varied consid- of death was asphyxiation. He conjectured that when erably with location and epoch, and even from case to the whole body weight was supported by the case; therefore, very little can be said about the prac- stretched arms, the victim would have severe difficulty tice in general. exhaling, due to hyperexpansion of the lungs. If death cornerstone connections Cross Shape. The horizontal beam of the cross, did not come from asphyxiation, it could result from a or transom, could be fixed at the very top of the ver- number of other causes, including physical shock, tical piece, the upright, to form a T called a tau cross. dehydration, and exhaustion. The horizontal beam could also be affixed at some distance below the top, often in a mortise, to form III. CLOSING a T-shape called a Latin cross, most often depicted in Christian imagery. Alternatively, the cross could Activity consist of two diagonal beams to form an X. A single Close with an activity and debrief it in your own vertical wooden stake with no transom at all has also words. been cited. Remind the students that because of Jesus’ Location of the Nails. For the sake of expediency, sacrifice on the cross we can be forgiven and freed

Teaching From the Lesson Refer your students to the other sections of their lesson.

• Further Insight • Punch Lines Ask them how the quotes in Further Insight Point out to your students the verses listed convey the point of the story in this lesson. in their lesson that relate to this week’s story. • Flashlight Have them read the passages and ask each Read the Flashlight statement, pointing out one to choose the verse that speaks most that most of the time it is from the commentary directly to them today. Then ask them to on this week’s story found in the book The explain why they chose the one they did. Desire of Ages. Ask what relationship they see Or you might assign the passages to pairs between the statement and what they have just of students to read aloud and then discuss, in discussed from Out of the Story. order to choose the most relevant one to them.

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CCLTG B4 2017 text.indd 69 1/19/17 11:50 AM ✂ realreal.solid.stories.solid.stories LESSON 8 Summary Read the following summary and appeal from Max Tips for Top-notch Teaching Lucado about the pivotal role of the cross in history:

RABBI 101 “It rests on the time line of history like a compelling Environment and Learning diamond. Its tragedy summons all sufferers. Its CORNERSTONECONNECTIONS Research shows that the physical environ- CORNERSTONECONNECTIONS absurdity attracts all cynics. Its hope lures all ment of a room impacts learning. In light of the NOVEMBERNOVEMBER25252017 searchers. History has idolized and despised it, serious nature of this lesson, it might serve you gold-plated and burned it, worn and trashed it. His- well to give extra forethought to the learning tory has done everything but ignore it. How could environment you will use to share the sobering Scripture Story: Matthew 27:31-53; Mark 15:20-38; Luke you ignore such a piece of lumber? Suspended on story of Calvary. Perhaps you’ll want to set up a 23:26-46; John 19:16-30. its beams is the greatest claim in history. A crucified Commentary: The Desire of Ages or Humble Hero, chapters table in the shape of a cross and use candle carpenter claiming to be God on earth. Divine. Eternal. 78, 79. lighting. Maybe you could have class in the The death-slayer. Never has timber been regarded so chapel of a local hospital or funeral home. By sacred. No wonder the apostle Paul called the cross changing the setting you can immediately signal event the core of the gospel. It’s bottom line sobering: Christwise to the students that this lesson will be different. if the account is true, it is history’s hinge. If not, the cross is history’s hoax. “Which is the cross for you, hinge or hoax? Or in

from all of our sins. One way to illustrate this in the words of Jesus, ‘Who do you say that I am?’” 3 cornerstone connections closing is to have a cross in the room. Play a song about the cross and invite students to write 1 See Seventh-day Adventists Believe, 2nd ed. (Silver Spring, their struggle(s) on a piece of paper. Have them Md.: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 2005), pp. 121-132. This is SDA Fundamental Belief no. 9. come to the cross and hammer the paper on the 2Ibid., pp. 347-370. This is SDA Fundamental Belief no. 24. cross. There is something powerful about hearing the 3 Max Lucado, The Cross (Sisters, Oreg.: Multnomah, 1998), p. 5. hammer pounding sin into the cross. Assure the students that their papers will be destroyed (you may wish to do that as part of this activity) and nobody will read them. Underscore one more time that because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross they can have full assur-

cornerstone connections ance of salvation. 33

© Thinkstock 2017 keykeytext “It was now about noon, and dark- flashlight ness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the “The Savior made no murmur of complaint. His face remained calm and serene, sun stopped shining. And the cur- but great drops of sweat stood upon His brow. There was no pitying hand to wipe tain of the temple was torn in two. Remind the students about the reading plan that will take them through the inspired the death dew from His face, nor words of sympathy and unchanging fidelity to stay Jesus called out with a loud voice, commentary of the Bible, the Conflict of the Ages Series. The reading that goes with this lesson is The Desire of Ages or Humble Hero, chapters 78, 79. His human heart. While the soldiers were doing their fearful work, Jesus prayed for ‘Father, into your hands I commit Humble Hero is Book 3 in a special adaptation of the Conflict of the Ages Series, cre- His enemies, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’ ” (The Desire my spirit.’ When he had said this, ated by the Ellen G. White Estate and Pacific Press. Read more about it at www.corner he breathed his last.” stoneconnections.net/article/191/about-us/conflict-of-the-ages-companion-books. of Ages, p. 744). (Luke 23:44-46, NIV) www.cornerstoneconnections.net 70 www.cornerstoneconnections.net

CCLTG B4 2017 text.indd 70 1/19/17 11:50 AM realreal.solid.stories.solid.stories LESSON 8

CORNERSTONECONNECTIONS NOVEMBERNOVEMBER25252017 STUDENT LESSON

Scripture Story: Matthew 27:31-53; Mark 15:20-38; Luke 23:26-46; John 19:16-30. Commentary: The Desire of Ages or Humble Hero, chapters 78, 79. Christwise cornerstone connections

(Luke 23:44-46, NIV)

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CCLTG B4 2017 text.indd 71 1/19/17 11:50 AM priests, the teachers punch lines of the law and the elders OUT mocked him. ‘He saved oth- “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches ers,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save OF THE us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, what himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed do you think? him come down now from the cross, STORY hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus and we will believe in him. He trusts Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and Review how well you remember the details surrounding the in God. Let God rescue him now if he to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do cross by taking the following quiz: Why did darkness fall over the countryside and the wants him, for he said, “I am the Son of what is good” (Titus 2:11-14, NIV). 1. What was written on the cross of Jesus? city for three hours? God.” ’ In the same way the rebels who a. Jesus is Lord were crucified with him also heaped “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was b. Jesus is the Son of God insults on him. crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought c. Jesus saves INTO us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are d. This is Jesus, the King of the Jews “From the noon until three in the after- healed” (Isaiah 53:5, NIV). 2. In fulfillment of another prophecy, which awful THE What did Jesus die from? noon darkness came over all the land. punishment was not inflicted on Jesus during “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the About three in the afternoon Jesus His last 24 hours: law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: STORY cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema a. Body scourged ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole’ ” sabachthani?’ (which means, ‘My God, b. Purple robe draped over His cut and (Galatians 3:13, NIV). my God, why have you forsaken me?’). bleeding back “As they were going out, they Why didn’t Jesus come down from the cross? met a man from Cyrene, named

cornerstone connections a. “Truly, this was the Son of God.” him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING “At that moment the curtain of the tem- b. “Truly, this was a good man.” 34 OF THE JEWS. Two rebels were ple was torn in two from top to bottom. 35 c. “Truly, this man was not like the other crucified with him, one on his The earth shook, the rocks split and insight criminals who were crucified today.” right and one on his left. Those the tombs broke open. The bodies of d. “Truly, God will avenge these murder- Imagine it is the day following Jesus’ death. Write an obituary for Him:

who passed by hurled insults at many holy people who had died were “With amazement the ers.” a. 4. a; 3. c; 2. d; 1. Answers: him, shaking their heads and raised to life. They came out of the angels beheld the infinite saying, ‘You who are going tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and to destroy the temple and went into the holy city and appeared to love of Jesus, who, suffer- build it in three days, save many people.” ing the most intense agony yourself! Come down did you from the cross, if you (Matthew 27:32-53, NIV) of mind and body, thought know? are the Son of God!’ only of others, and encour- aged the penitent soul to believe.” ome Bible “In the same scholars say way the —Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 752 that Golgotha chief (“skull”) gets its name from its appearance. Gol- gotha could have been a place for regular executions. It was easily accessible, just outside the city. In this way government leaders believed that executions held there would serve as a deterrent to crime. 72

CCLTG B4 2017 text.indd 72 1/19/17 11:50 AM priests, the teachers punch lines of the law and the elders OUT mocked him. ‘He saved oth- “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches ers,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save OF THE us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, what himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed do you think? him come down now from the cross, STORY hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus and we will believe in him. He trusts Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and Review how well you remember the details surrounding the in God. Let God rescue him now if he to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do cross by taking the following quiz: Why did darkness fall over the countryside and the wants him, for he said, “I am the Son of what is good” (Titus 2:11-14, NIV). 1. What was written on the cross of Jesus? city for three hours? God.” ’ In the same way the rebels who a. Jesus is Lord were crucified with him also heaped “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was b. Jesus is the Son of God insults on him. crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought c. Jesus saves INTO us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are d. This is Jesus, the King of the Jews “From the noon until three in the after- healed” (Isaiah 53:5, NIV). 2. In fulfillment of another prophecy, which awful THE What did Jesus die from? noon darkness came over all the land. punishment was not inflicted on Jesus during “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the About three in the afternoon Jesus His last 24 hours: law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: STORY cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema a. Body scourged ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole’ ” sabachthani?’ (which means, ‘My God, b. Purple robe draped over His cut and (Galatians 3:13, NIV). my God, why have you forsaken me?’). bleeding back “As they were going out, they Why didn’t Jesus come down from the cross? met a man from Cyrene, named

c. Legs broken on the cross cornerstone connections Simon, and they forced him to “When some of those standing there d. Side pierced with a spear carry the cross. They came to heard this, they said, ‘He’s calling Eli- 3. Simon, the man who carried the cross a place called Golgotha (which jah.’ Immediately one of them ran and for Jesus, was from: means ‘the place of the skull’). got a sponge. He filled it with wine a. Cyrene What is the significance of the curtain in the Temple being torn in two? There they offered Jesus wine to vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it b. Jerusalem drink, mixed with gall; but after tast- to Jesus to drink. The rest said, ‘Now c. Rome ing it, he refused to drink it. When leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah d. Alexandria they had crucified him, they divided comes to save him.’ 4. When the centurion in charge of Jesus’ up his clothes by casting lots. And crucifixion heard what Jesus said from If you were the editor of the Jerusalem Herald, write the headline you would use sitting down, they kept watch over “And when Jesus had cried out again the cross and saw Him breathe His last, to announce the story of the Crucifixion: him there. Above his head they in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. what did he conclude? placed the written charge against further cornerstone connections a. “Truly, this was the Son of God.” him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING “At that moment the curtain of the tem- b. “Truly, this was a good man.” 34 OF THE JEWS. Two rebels were ple was torn in two from top to bottom. 35 c. “Truly, this man was not like the other crucified with him, one on his The earth shook, the rocks split and insight criminals who were crucified today.” right and one on his left. Those the tombs broke open. The bodies of d. “Truly, God will avenge these murder- Imagine it is the day following Jesus’ death. Write an obituary for Him:

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Sabbath How does the cross affect your belief in God? Wednesday Read Matthew 27:32-53; Mark 15:20-38; Could God have redeemed the human race Read Isaiah 53 and Leviticus 16:1-34. Luke 23:26-49; and John 19:16-37. without pain or suffering? Explain. What does hat parallels do you notice between llen White says, “It would be well for us to the cross tell us about Jesus’ love? WJesus as our sacrifice and the ancient E spend a thoughtful hour each day in con- ______practice of sacrificing a lamb? templation of the life of Christ. We should take ______it point by point, and let the imagination grasp ______each scene, especially the closing ones. As we ______thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our Monday confidence in Him will be more constant, our Read Luke 23:44-46. Thursday love will be quickened, and we shall be more onsider the Key Text in the context of Mel Read Titus 2:11-14. deeply imbued with His spirit” (The Desire of C Gibson’s comments about his film The his passage found in this week’s Punch Ages, p. 83). How well do you know the story Passion of the Christ: TLines. Give three examples of what your of the Crucifixion? life would look like if you were to live a “It’s time to get back to a basic message, the self-controlled, upright, and godly life in this How can my thinking about the closing scenes message that was given. . . . Christ spoke of present age? Be as specific as possible. of Christ’s life help me to love Him more and to faith, hope, love, and forgiveness. And these ______be filled with His spirit? are things I think we need to be reminded ______of again. He forgave as He was tortured and ______killed. And we could do with a little of that ______behavior.”2 Friday Read Isaiah 53:5. How can imagining Christ’s life and death help Tuesday eeping in mind what happened at the me to overcome temptation? Read Hebrews 12:1, 2. Kcross, how can I live under the influence ______ead the Flashlight section and ask yourself of Christ today? ______R these questions: ______• How could Jesus remain calm on the cross? ______Was this human strength, divine strength, or ______cornerstone connections Sunday a combination of both? Do we have access 36 Read Galatians 3:13. to this same power to be calm in dire cir- 1 fter reviewing the Into the Story section, cumstances? Edythe Draper, Draper’s Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992), as react to the observation of John Stott in A ______quoted in Bible Illustrator, Parsons Technology. The Cross of Christ: ______2 Mel Gibson, interviewed on The O’Reilly Factor, Jan. 16, ______2003. “I could never myself believe in God if it were not for the cross. In the real world of pain, how • If you could have offered Jesus “words of Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International could one worship a God who was immune to sympathy” while He hung on the cross, what Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. it? I turn to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure would you have said to Him? on the cross, nails through hands and feet, ______back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding ______from thorn-pricks, mouth dry and intolerably ______thirsty, plunged in God-forsaken darkness. • What “enemy” is God calling you to pray for? this week’s reading* “That is the God for me. He set aside His immu- ______nity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and ______The Desire of Ages or Humble Hero, chapters 78, 79. blood, tears and death.”1 ______*Humble Hero is a special adaptation of The Desire of Ages, created for you by the Ellen G. White Estate and Pacific Press. Get more information about it at http://www.cornerstoneconnections. net/article/191/about-us/conflict-of-the-ages-companion-books# .URlhF1rBO9s. By following the weekly reading plan, you will read at least one book of the Conflict of the Ages series each year. 74 www.cornerstoneconnections.net

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