Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for February 26, 2023
I Am the Resurrection and the Life
John 11:1-57
1. The Death of Lazarus 1-16
• informed of Lazarus’ illness
• forecast of the outcome of the illness
• Jesus makes no immediate movement
• Jesus plans to go to Judea and His disciples protest
• Jesus confirms Lazarus’ death
2. Jesus Meets with Martha 17-27
• Lazarus dead for four days: Martha stirring /Mary sitting (Luke 10:38-42)
• Martha’s expression of regret and faith
• Jesus turns the conversation to resurrection: restoration, continuation and consummation
• acting on the truth of Jesus’ identity
3. Jesus Meets with Mary 28-32
• Martha calls her sister and she “rises”
• Mary’s homage and similar sentiment
4. Lazarus Is Raised 33-44
• indicators of expectation
• emphasis on emotions
• emphasis on the reality of Lazarus’ death (“He stinketh”)
• prayer of thanksgiving and summons (“Here! Outside!”)
• Lazarus comes out of the tomb
5. Reactions to the Miracle 45-57
• genuine trust
• plotting to kill Jesus: prophecy of Caiaphas and God’s sovereign superintendence
6. So What?
• Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life, respond to Him with total submission.
• Lazarus: “God has helped”
• “What a foretaste of deliverance; how unwavering our hope…” (“Come, Behold the Wondrous Mystery,”) (Boswell/Bleecker/Papa)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for February 19, 2023
I Am the Good Shepherd
John 10:1-21
1. Background
• continuation (10:21), castigation and contrast (Ezek. 34:23, Isa. 56:9-12, Psa. 23:1)
• part of the seventh discourse in John (10:1-42)
• tender regard and total rule (Rev. 2:27, Matt. 2:6, Mic. 5:2)
2. Jesus Tells a Story 1-6
• figure of speech: walls, door and door-keeper
• character assessed on the basis of approach
• emphasis on “voice”
3. Jesus Identifies Himself as the Door 7-10
• door and shepherd: both connected to salvation
• exclusive means of entrance
• salvation, security and sustenance
• life abundant in contrast to steal/kill/destroy
4. Jesus Identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd 11-18
• lays down His life for the sheep (repeated emphasis)
• not a hired hand
• the identity of “other sheep”
• emphasis on complete authority and voluntary sacrifice
5. The Repeated Pattern of the Religious Leaders 19-21
• schism: deranged or divine?
• intention of Jesus: transformation from blindness to blazing light (Heb. 13:20-21)
6. So What?
• Because Jesus is a different kind of Shepherd who sacrifices Himself voluntarily for His flock, rely on Him exclusively.
• “For every soul the entrance into the flock of God is through the door of the dying Christ who laid down His life for the sheep, and makes them His sheep who trust in Him.” (Maclaren)
• “…Another sheep safely home.” (Patterson)
• “And so through all the length of days Thy goodness faileth never; Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise within Thy house forever.” (“The King of Love My Shepherd Is,” Baker)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for February 12, 2023
One Thing I Know
John 9:24-41
1. Background
• after Feast of Tabernacles, light/darkness imagery continues, healing of man born blind
• healing on Sabbath 9:1-7, interaction with neighbors 9:8-12, preliminary discussion 9:13-17, examination of parents 9:18-23
2. Ongoing Controversy 24-27
• pious and blasphemous attack
• sticking with the facts
• a pointed question
3. Attempted Contrast 28-29
• Jesus and Moses
• repetition of “know”
4. Insightful Confirmation 30-34
• the truly amazing thing
• matching their use of “know”
• implication and expulsion
5. Ultimate Clarification 35-41
• “The Jews cast him out from the Temple, and the Lord of the Temple found him.” (Chrysostom)
• disclosure of Jesus
• confession and worship
• condemnation of unbelief
6. So What?
• Knowing that Jesus does the works of God and seeks worshipers, confidently and courageously worship Him.
• “Application is the alignment of God’s people to God’s demand.” (Kuruvilla)
• “There are only two ways of dying: in your sins or in Jesus Christ.” (Lloyd-Jones)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for January 8, 2023
Jesus, a Samaritan Woman, and Worship
John 4:1-26
1. Jesus Sits at a Well in Sychar 1-6
• from Galilee to Samaria
• weary and by the well at noon
2. Jesus Offers Living Water to a Samaritan Woman 7-15
• comes to draw water
• a request and the resulting conversation
3. Jesus Discloses Himself as the Focus of Worship 16-26
• speaking uncomfortable truth
• a sidetrack to reality
• worship in spirit and truth
• a stunning confirmation
4. So What?
• Because who God is determines how you must worship Him, prioritize His word and prize His Son.
• “Worship is a transitive verb, and the most important thing about it is its direct object.” (Carson)
• Elements of true worship: Word-based, God-centered and Christ-exalting
• “Worthy of Worship” (York/Blankenship)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for January 1, 2023
Guest Speaker: Dr. Jim Sibley
Ambassadors in Hostile Territory
1 Peter 1
No lesson outline available.
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for December 18, 2022
Christmas Message
Home for Christmas
Matthew 1:1-17
1. Overview of Matthew’s Genealogy
• book of “genesis” and significance of its names
• flowing forward from Abraham to Jesus
• structure: 42 generations in 3 groups of 14 generations each
• Jesus as rightful heir to the throne
2. Note the Emphasis on the Identity of Jesus
• Christ
• son of David (2 Sam. 7:12-16)
• son of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3)
3. Note the Specific Inclusion of Five Women
• Tamar (Gen. 38:1-30)
• Rahab (Josh. 2:1)
• Ruth (Gen. 19:30-38, Deut. 23:3)
• wife of Uriah (2 Sam. 11)
• Mary (Matt. 1:18-25)
4. “Plug In” the Applications This Christmas
• Remember that everything we celebrate at Christmas hinges on who Jesus is.
• See the genealogy as the receipt that proves the reliability of God’s promises.
• Recognize God’s capacity to overcome the effects of sin and shame as He works out His purpose.
• Because of God’s mercy and grace in Jesus, you can come home for Christmas.
• “Child in the manger, Infant of Mary, Outcast and Stranger, Lord of all, Child who inherits all our transgressions, All our demerits on Him fall. Once the most holy Child of salvation gently and lowly lived below; now as our glorious mighty Redeemer, see Him victorious o’er each foe.” (“Child in the Manger,” Mary Macdonald)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for December 11, 2022
Guest Speaker: Sherry Forester
The God of Holiness and Hope
Isaiah 5-6
The Situation (Isaiah 5)
v.1, 2, 7 Isaiah’s love song about Israel
v.8-22 God’s woes
v.8 Materialism, greed
v.11 Drunkenness, pleasure seeking
v.18 Defiant sinfulness
v.20 Moral perversion
v.21 Arrogant conceit
v.23 Corrupt leaders
God sees all sin.
v.24-26 God warns of judgment
God warns of judgment so people will repent.
The Sovereign (Isaiah 6:1-4)
v.1-4 God is sovereign, alive, authoritative, omnipresent, holy, omnipotent
God is forever on heaven’s throne and fully in control.
(1 Chronicles 29:11-12)
The Servant (Isaiah 6:5-13)
v.5-7 Isaiah’s conversion
v.8 Isaiah’s call and commitment
v.9-12 Isaiah’s commission
v.13 Isaiah’s comfort
God’s love gives hope for our world.
So what?
The God whose presence filled and shook the temple still rules the universe.
God’s sovereignty gives us comfort in the chaos of our days.
God is fully in control, and we can trust Him.
“O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come…” (Isaac Watts)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for December 4, 2022
Christmas Message
For Who He Is
John 1:1-18
This morning we will focus on the prologue of John’s gospel. As you anticipate Christmas, let the truths of this text encourage you to see Jesus for who He really is. When you understand who Jesus really is, you value Him above everyone and everything.
1. See Him as the Word
• Before He became flesh, John called Him the Word.
• for communication with the Father
• divine communication to us
• God expressing Himself
2. See Him as the Word Existing Eternally
• with God
• was God
• second person of the Trinity
3. See Him as the Agent of Creation
• underscores that He is God
• indicts the world’s guilty blindness
• origin and explanation
4. See Him as the Light and the Life
• the life you need because you are dead
• the light you need because you are blind
5. See Him as the Exclusive Savior and King
• incarnation: word…flesh…dwelt
• “The Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as this truth of the Incarnation” (Packer)
• glory of the only begotten…full of grace and truth
• Jesus Christ: leading out
6. So What?
• “…we will never face life alone, now that God has made Himself known, Father and Friend, with us to the end, Immanuel.” (S.C. Chapman)
• Repudiate the reduction of Jesus to a product of history since John plainly asserts that history is the product of His sovereign action.
• “In Jesus Christ we discover an admirable conjunction of diverse excellencies.” (J. Edwards)
• “Our God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain; heaven and earth shall flee away, when He comes to reign.” (C. Rosetti)
