"Christ was a faithful reprover. Never lived there another who so hated evil; never another whose denunciation of it was so fearless. To all things untrue and base His very presence was a rebuke. In the light of His purity, men saw themselves unclean, their life's aims mean and false. Yet He drew them. He who had created man, understood the value of humanity. Evil He denounced as the foe of those whom He was seeking to bless and to save. In every human being, however fallen, He beheld a son of God, one who might be restored to the privilege of his divine relationship. Ed 79.1"
"And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;"
Both passages describe Christ's attitude towards evil and sinners. John 2:15 shows Christ's forceful action against corruption in the temple, while the EGW passage describes His unwavering rebuke of evil and His ability to see the potential for redemption in every person. The connection lies in Christ's dual nature of hating evil and loving people.
"“God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:17 . Looking upon men in their suffering and degradation, Christ perceived ground for hope where appeared only despair and ruin. Wherever there existed a sense of need, there He saw opportunity for uplifting. Souls tempted, defeated, feeling themselves lost, ready to perish, He met, not with denunciation, but with blessing. Ed 79.2"
"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
Ellen White directly references John 3:17 in this passage.
"The beatitudes were His greeting to the whole human family. Looking upon the vast throng gathered to listen to the Sermon on the Mount, He seemed for the moment to have forgotten that He was not in heaven, and He used the familiar salutation of the world of light. From His lips flowed blessings as the gushing forth of a long-sealed fountain. Ed 79.3"
"And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:"
Both passages describe the setting of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:1 sets the scene, while EGW describes the event and Jesus's disposition. While not a direct quote, the connection is clear and relevant.
"Turning from the ambitious, self-satisfied favorites of this world, He declared that those were blessed who, however great their need, would receive His light and love. To the poor in spirit, the sorrowing, the persecuted, He stretched out His arms, saying, “Come unto Me, ... and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 . Ed 79.4"
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Ellen White directly references Matthew 11:28 in this passage.