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Commentary on "In Spirit and in Truth"
Day 2: Sunday, September 4, 2011 - Mary's Song of Praise and Worship
Overview
Today we are looking at the ‘The Song of Mary’ which is recorded in Luke 1:46-55. In her great joy of having just learned that she will be giving birth to the Messiah, The Son of God, she gives God praise and worship.
Observations
The quarterly lesson quickly points out that most of what is said and practiced with regards to Mary “is tradition derived from a host of sources that are not rooted in Scripture”. While true this is a rather odd and hypocritical statement from a denomination that relies heavily upon historical and religious sources outside of Scripture.
Can Adventist theologians show from Scripture alone that…
- the “twenty three evenings and mornings” of Daniel 8:14 will lead you to the year 1844?
- since Jesus has already carried our sins into the grave, why he could not be the Scapegoat?
- the Adventist health message is part of the gospel of Jesus Christ?
- in the End Times the mark of the Beast will be Sunday Worship?
- Jesus didn’t eat an ordinary Jewish diet which included meat and alcoholic wine?
- Jesus first recorded miracle wasn’t the turning of water into alcoholic wine?
The second observation that needs to be pointed out is that Mary’s praise of God predates the time when Jesus announced to the Samaritan woman that we would soon worship God in “Spirit and truth”. While Mary’s praise of God is true worship, it is premature to and unrelated to when we would worship God in spirit and truth. This moment in history was after Mary’s song when our worship of God was changed from the ‘shadow’ to the ‘reality’ of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. It is true though that we now worship our Savior who has been seated in heaven at the right hand of the Father for close to two thousand years.
Summary
- It is rather hypocritical to attack the non-biblical traditions of others while adding great volumes of supposed messages from God that adds to or alters the meaning of Scripture.
- While Mary’s song of praise to God is very good, it predates the theme for this week. When Jesus speaks of a time when all who would worship God in ‘spirit and truth’ he is speaking of how we worship God relative to the events of Calvary.
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised August 22, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.
Official Adventist Resources
Standard Edition Study Guide Week 11
Teacher's Edition Study Guide Week 11
Easy Reading Edition Study Guide Wk 11
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