Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-08-12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR AUG.
%, 1ee6.-LESSoN EIGHTH.

10 ana R6L6r.
Our lesson falls into three sections. The
first deals with Judas Then comes a word
of loving direction to the disciples This
brings US to the warning of Peter.
Our Lord had given the company an ex-
PLANTATION of his washing of their feet, but
He cannot forget the crime meditated by one
of them. He is troubled in spirit" These
things are doubtless mentioned to show US
how truly Jesus was a man He doubtless
showed his emotion by his manner. @Verily,
verify" we commonly find introducing a
solemn statement He is using means with
the betrayer, and at the same time preparing
the rest for the issue. On recalling all these
words how deep must the impression have
been on their minds that He knew all and
could if it had seemed good to Him, have
evaded his enemies
V. q The perplexed disciples looked in
grief and pain at one another, uncertain, Of
course, to whom He referred
V. % John was nearest to Him, reclining
next, and if in confidential talk, leaning over
on him. He does not, however, name him
self, but gives description in which he must
have delighted.
V. "a With the energy that marked him,
Peter made sign to this disciple to ask of
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lustration of the family-like life lived by
Jesus and the disciples.
V. 25 Leaning back so as to touch his
bosom, he put the question probably so as
to be heard-though this is not said-by the
company. Jesus
(V. 26) replied that he would show by dip
ping piece of bread m the dish of fluid or
bitter sauce and giving it to the person
meant. This was more than sign to the
rest. 1t was an appeal in another form to
Judas. "Here thou art at my table, my
friend, my guest. CanSt thou turn upon me
as an enemyl" 1t was a final appeal 1t
brought him to decision, and bad decision.
He was free to go or stay; but he was a slave
to sin. Jesus knew what he would do, and
meant no doubt that he should be thus
parted from the company. He had "been
troubled in spirit" not only because of
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 could the holy soul of Jesus feel other
than indignant mingling with griefa Hence
the solemnity of this scene-the "testifying,"
the bearing witness, the "verily, verify and
the emphatic and pronounced way of giving
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writer's were impressed by it.
V. g. The last appeal is disregarded by
Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, carefully
distinguished from Jude. (''IScariot" is ap-
parently the word for man of Kerioth Josh.
XIV, 25, and was apparently applied both to
father and son.) The result is his complete
possession by Satan, who inspires and uses
him now as his instrument. Jesus knew this,
and hence His language-"That thou doest,
do quickly He was straitened till the bap-
tism be accomplished, and He desired the false
disciple to leave the company. How like the
evil decision which many 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 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..
%, %. It may be incidentally noticed
that apparently the feast could not yet have
properly begun, since they surmised Jesus
might be giving directions to "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 common accom-
paniment of the feast with the Hebrews.
v go Whatever may be thought on this
question, the narrative is clear-"he went i'm
mediately out" It was night in the sky.
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 disci-
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 glorified-" So faith in a
human soul leaps over the death agony,
and rejoices in the hope of the glory of God.
The Son OF man was glorifed by his resurrec-
ton, ascension and the gift of the spirit
through him-al near events. And this is to
the glory of God. 1t shows Gods faithful
ness, power, mercy, justice and infinite re-
sources.
In John xvi, 1, 4, 6 we see the meaning Of
this and of v. 80. God will glorify the Son
In himself, giving him the throne of the uni
verse call power is given unto me" Matt.
xviii, 1S), and fulfilling the promises Of Ps.
ii, 80, and Ps. cx, II, which see
V. 49, Telling the disciples that yet a
little while, probably meaning till his ascen-
sion, he would be with them; then, as he told
the Jews, they would be parted from him in
the words of
v. "a. Many parent has said on death
bed, "Children 1 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
ment was "Love thy neighbor as thysef.n
Here is a new standard-"As l have loved
YOU" That is higher far than "as thyself."
Jesus sacrificed self for them. So were they
to do if needful for one another. By this they
would
V. 35 prove to the men their discipleship
to him (See his prayer to this effect in John
xvii, 20-21) Here is hint to ministers and
teachers. What they exhort hearers and
pupils to do they are to pray that God may
help and make them do. In some sense this
middle section is like a dying charge to his
family. Now we come to the third-warning
to Peter.
V. &c. We have already seen the greater
forwardness of Peter to speak. He asks,
fsWhither goest thour 1t is hard to think he
would have understood if Jesus had told him
in words. He was going to the cross, to the
grave, to the unseen world, to the state of the
dead. So he replies, "Whither CO." etc It
is expressive-"thou shalt follow me after
wards" All this was true of Peter. He was
crucifed, according to all the light we have
as to his end, went into the grave and the
state of the dead, the unseen world, as Christ
did. (He did not go into the place of punish
ment or preach to the men in hell-a pre-
sumption that Christ did not.) Peters i'm
pulsive nature again appears. He speaks as
if he understood Christ to say he had not now
the courage to follow him.
V. 81 He does not understand why he can
not then follow Christ. He is thinking of
Galilee or some distant place of safety, and
declares as proof that no inconvenience or
hardship would deter him-"I will lay down
my life for thy sake" All this is of course
rapid report of the conversation. Much more
was said, as we see in the other Gospels
Each evangelist gives what rested on his
mind, and addition is not contradiction.
Christ replies with the solemn "verily, verify
to show Peter how little he knew himself,
how near and great the danger was, and how
much alone he, their master would soon be-
before the growing of the cock, before morn
ing, thou shalt deny me thrice" How truly
did Jesus tread the wine-preSs aloneI OF his
disciples even, not one was with him.
CD Hypocrites must be looked for in the
church; some from self interest, some from
weakness, some from ignorance of them
selves