Sabbath School Today, Volume 9 - Paul E. Penno

Sabbath School study is a revelation of that heart-gripping truth.
In the "Disciples' Mission" (Monday) the early Christians did what the
modern term calls "evangelize," that is, they told everybody they met about
Jesus. That word is often misunderstood today-assumed to mean "get people
to join your church, increase the numbers of its membership." No; the word
actually means "tell good news." And the people already in church often
need to hear and understand what the good news means, just as much as
people outside. And people outside most of the time won't be interested in
joining the church unless you can tell them what the good news is and why
the Lord Jesus ever established a "church."
Jesus explained the "core message" they were to tell. "Thus it behoved
Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance
and remission of sinsshould be preached in His name among all nations,
beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things" (Luke 24:46-
48).
The message will create and establish for every one who believes the
seemingly elusive relationship ("fellowship" is a better word) with the Lord
that our Sabbath School Quarterly speaks of so often. That relationship is not
something that we acquire by our works of Bible study, prayer, and
witnessing. Rather, the fellowship is given to us; it comes through beholding
the Christ who suffered and rose again.
There is a corporate sense in which the world church "shall look upon
[Him] whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him" until it can be
said truthfully and in finality, "in that day there shall be a fountain opened ...
for sin and for uncleanness" (Zech. 12:10-13:1).
Such repentance includes the actual "remission of sins," that is, sending
them away (Luke 24:47). The New Testament word for forgiveness means a
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