Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus
Teachers
Lesson Summary
Art Clark introduced a 12-week study of the Gospel of John with the unifying theme "Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus." The class began by examining Hebrews 1:1-3, where the Hebrew writer presented seven key attributes of Jesus that summarize the entire Gospel and demonstrate His superiority to Old Testament prophets and the old covenant. These attributes are: heir of all things, creator of the world, radiance of God's glory, exact representation of God's nature, sustainer of all things, maker of purification of sins, and intercessor seated at God's right hand. Clark explained that the central difference between Old Testament worship and New Testament worship is Jesus. While Jewish Christians previously worshiped in synagogues on the Sabbath, their worship after Jesus' resurrection focused on the first day of the week and centered on Jesus as the Son of God. This distinction parallels the difference between Christian worship and other monotheistic faiths like Islam that worship the same God but without Jesus as central. The teacher addressed why he chose John's Gospel specifically, noting its unique characteristics compared to the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). John lacks birth narratives, genealogy, John the Baptist's sermons, Jesus' baptism, temptation, transfiguration, and parables. Instead, John emphasizes Jesus' glory through theological discourses and signs. Clark challenged the class to combat the trend of people leaving the church by keeping their focus on Jesus as Lord and Savior, making this study a spiritual commitment for the new year.
Key Scriptures
God, after he spoke long ago to the fathers and the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the world, and he is the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his nature and upholds all things by the way.