Lesson 8

Jesus helped establish humanities salvation before anything was created. He knew sin could not be forgiven through the old covenant laws, and a new priesthood would need to be established based on new laws that would cover everyone. Giving up his divinity, Jesus came to earth to be our sacrifice and take away not only our sins, but the sins of those who killed him and the people who lived before he came. When do those people get to Accept Jesus as saviour? The oblivious disciples never understood Jesus until after he was resurrected. Can you describe how salvation comes to those who lived before Jesus died for them? Can those who don’t learn about the salvation Jesus brings, ever get to receive salvation? How and when do the dead get to choose Jesus and have life? Is salvation available to all who are willing whenever they accept it? Is God playing favorites with humanity?

Hebrews 10:9-10 International Children’s Bible
9 Then he said, “Here I am. I have come to do what you want.” So God ends the first system of sacrifices so that he can set up the new system. 10 Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do. And because of this, we are made holy through the sacrifice of his body. Christ made this sacrifice only once, and for all time.

Hebrews 2:14-17 New Century Version
14 Since these children are people with physical bodies, Jesus himself became like them. He did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death—the devil— 15 and free those who were like slaves all their lives because of their fear of death. 16 Clearly, it is not angels that Jesus helps, but the people who are from Abraham. 17 For this reason Jesus had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way so he could be their merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. Then Jesus could die in their place to take away their sins.

Philippians 2:5-8 Good News Translation
5 The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: 6 He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God. 7 Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness. 8 He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death—his death on the cross.

Luke 18:31-34 Easy-to-Read Version
31 Then Jesus talked to the twelve apostles alone. He said to them, “Listen, we are going to Jerusalem. Everything that God told the prophets to write about the Son of Man will happen. 32 He will be handed over to the foreigners, who will laugh at him, insult him, and spit on him. 33 They will beat him with whips and then kill him. But on the third day after his death, he will rise to life again.” 34 The apostles tried to understand this, but they could not; the meaning was hidden from them.