The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-09-04
INTERNATIONAL SISDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
By REV, :. L, uABGEEAyEs
Lzox 10


JESUS THE TRUE VINE
John Is, lie Golden Text, John
10, 5. Time, Thursday evening, April
9th Place, an upper room in Jcru-
salem.
The lesson Is a continuation OF shat
memorable scene in the upper room At
Jerusalem, when Christ took leave OF
His disciples, The little company
had risen 10 20 bat Jesus seemed anx-
ious to say more to them before lie
took his final departure, and 20 RE
spoke to them as they stood around
him. His illustration was at once
beautiful and appropriate. Probably
the house in which they were staying
overlooked vineyard, and the vines
could be seen in the moonlight 1t was
now ten or eleven o'clock at night.
Pointing to the vines it may be, Jesus
tells His disciples that IN them they
see good illustration of Himself and
His disciples. They were all familiar
with the vine and It's cultivation, and
could readily appreciate the force OF
the smile, The vine Is the life of the
branches, and whence they drew their
sustenance and strength. As the
branches liYe in the vine so they are
able TO bear good fruit; but if they are
cut of from the vine, they soon wither
and die and are cast oUt Of the vine
yard to be burned. Christ is the true
vine. His disciples are the branches.
Each follower and each church is q
branch. If we live in Him and He in
Us we shall bring forth fruit. If we
forsake Christ we shall cease to kaye
spiritual life and will soon wither and
die aud be cast out to be burned. The
true believer or follower Of Christ Is a
living branch Of q living vine. Aitho'
Jesus was about TO die, lie speaks Of
Himself as living, and going to live
and give life for ever lie IS still the
living vine, and those who follow Him
constantly receive life from Him We
live in Him by faith and loyo and
earnest deeds and holy lives. As q
vinedresser gives careful attention to
the vines under his charge, SO our
Father constantly takes care Of u.
The vlnedresser Prunes and cultures
and trains vines so as to make them
produce the largest quantity of the
best fruit So our Father is ever prun-
ing Us, removing things not In har-
mony with Him, training us IL many
ways, preparing US according to lis
purposes, 50 that we may be able to
bring forth large quantities Of the best
fruits.
This must have been very gratifying
to the disciples at that time. IL the
shadow Of the coming cruciiction they
had the Divine assurance that their
Master would ever live in them and
give them living aid and strength, as
certainly as the branches drew life and
nonrishment from the vine down there
in the garden. And then they had the
further satisfaction Of knowing that
their Heavenly Father would watch
over them with even greater thought
fUliness than the vinedresser would tend
his vines.
Comforting IS this must have been
to the disciples, 1t Is much more so to
us. In the midst Of IN unbelieying
generation, with atheism and scepti-
cism on all sides, it is blessed thought
that we are living in Christ, and He is
living in US. Every day and every
hour we may draw life from Him, and
every day and hour the Divine Father
is tenderly watching over Us and care
fully training us up according to His
own wisdom.
LESSON THOUGHTS.
J. Christ is the true vine Beware
of false ones.
2, True life is found only m this
vine.
3. To be cut off from it is death.
t. So live in it that you may bring