The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-08-21
THE SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR AUG
20, 1es6-LEsSON NINTH.

Explanatory Notes by Rev. John Hall,
ID. ID. LID, Of New York-From The
Sunday School wOrId-Subject: Jesus
Comforting His Disciples"
Few passages of Gods word have been
more loved than the words Of our lesson.
Life has been called a "vale Of tears" Young
eyes looking on life cannot see this, but there
comes a time when illness, poverty, bereave-
ment and expected death fill the heart with
trouble Then the best and dearest help is
the Son Of Gcd saying, "Let not your heart
be troubled" The teacher will naturally
recall the scene: the supper instituted, his
death realized, Judas gone out, Peter warned,
| all the company subdued and sorrowful, and
Jesus passing over his own coming sufferings
| thinking of the sorrow of his friends This
| consolation given by Jesus to the disciples in
view of the shock it would be to them to have
Judas personal folly and baseness, but for
another reason Here was the nucleus of his
kingdom, and in it is the agent of Satan, the
representative of the powers of darkness.
How couN the holy soul of Jesus feel other
than indignant minglng with grief Hence
the solemnity of this sccne-thas testifying,
the bearing witness, the "verily, verify" and
the emphatic and pronounced way of giving
the sop, described by the other Gospels as the
writers were impressed by it.
V. ~ The last appeal is disregarded by
Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, carefully
distinguished from Jude. c'Iscariot' is APP
pareutly the word for man of Keroth Josh.
XIV, 25D, and was apparently applied both to
father and SOM Tho result is his complete
/ I,,- ,yhn II
him now as his instrument. Jesus knew this,
and hence His language-"That thou doest,
do quickly He was straitencd till the bap-
tism be accomplished, and He desired the false
disciple to leave the company. How like the
evil decision which many a soul makes with
out the steps of the process being known to
even intimate friends! But Jesus sees it all.
Crime, ruin ON member of a family, is
sometimes a sad surprise to the rest, but Jesus
has seen every step of the downward way.
The disciples did not understand, but
thought one of two things, as we see by VS..
2S, %. 1t may be incidentally noticed
that apparently the feast could not yet have
properly begun, since they surmiSed Jesus
might be giving directions 20 buy those
things we have need of against the FEAST
Perhaps this throws some light on the much
discussed point-was Judas at the first com
munion! Giving aims was u common accom-
paniment of the feast with the Hebrews.
V. 80 Whatever may be thought on this
question, the narrative is clear-"hc went i'm
mpdiately out" 1t was night in the sly.
How dark night was it also in the guilty
mans spirit!
V. 81. The foreign and hostile element is
now gone. Jesus is with the faithful dlsci-
pies, and free to utter the feelings of his
heart. SO he speaks of the great interest in
hand and of the bright side of it. He passes
for the moment over the humiliation. Now
is the Son of man gloritied." So faith i'll
human soul leaps over the death agony,
and rejoices in the hope of the glory OF God
The Son of man was glorified by his resurrec.
ton. ascension and the gift of the spirit
through him-all near events. And this Is to
the glory of God. 1t shows Gods faithful
ness. power, mercy, justice and infinite re-
sources
In John xvii, l, I, we see the meaning of
this and of V. -. God will glorify the Son
in himself. giving him the throne of the uni
verse call power is given unto me- Matt
xviii. IS and fulfilling the promises of Ps
i. 60, and Ps cx, II, which see
V. b Telling the disciples that yet a
little while, prnbahiN nltNihlhS tlIl ms ''SNti
sion. he would be with them. then, rs he told
the Jews, they would b. parted from him Ill
the body. This is mentioned to prepare for
the words of
V. - Many parent has said on death
bed. "Childrcn, | am to leave you. BE united
together in love- So Jesus exhorts the dis
ciples to such love to one another as he had
shown to them. The old, familiar command
Al
Here is new standard-"As l have loved
YOU That is higher far than las thyself."
Jesus sacrificed xh for them So were they