Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-01-11
JESUS ON TIE SABBATH.
LESSON II, FIRST QUARTER INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. 10.
Text of the Lesson, Mark 4, 21-3i-Com-
NIT Verse 34-Golden Text, Luke iv,
16-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.


1o-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ
Stearns.
compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly, by
permission Of II. S. Hoffman, publisher Phila
delphia
After the baptism of Jesus by John in Jor
don, He was led by the Spirit into the wilder
ness to be tempted of the devil and was there
forty days. by the sword of the Spirit the
enemy was overcome and compelled to flee
and angels minstered unto Jesus Tvs. y,
80. Then Jesus returned in the power of tie
Spirit to Galilee QIu. iv, IA; and wherever
we see Him in all His earthly life He is going
about speaking and working in the power of
the Holy Spirit (Acts K, 3S). There is no way
for us to live a Christian life-that is the
life of Christ in these mortal bodies-but by
being empted of self and filled with the same
Holy Spirit. Jesus draws unto Him John,
Andrew, Simon, Philip and Nathaniel; He at
tends the marriage at Cana, where He makes
the water into wine; He goes to Capernaum
for few days and thence to the passover at
Jerusalem, where He cleanses the temple,
works miracles and meets Nicodemus: then
on His way back to Galilee He meets the wo-
man and people of Samaria, revisits Cana,
and with word heals the son Of the noble
man of Capernaum. All this is consecutively
recorded in John /, 20, to iv, 81, and seems to
come in between verses Is and IA of this first
chapter of Mark According to Luke iv, IA
80, He then visits His own town of Nazareth
where He had been brought up, and in their
synagogue reads from the prophet Isaiah con-
corning Himself, but is rejected by His towns
men, who in great wrath seek His life. He
then makes Capernaum, on the Sea of Galilee,
His headquarters If He could be said to have
any on EARTH; more effectually calls to Him
Simon and Andrew, James and john and in
today's lesson we have the record of busy
Sabbath day in that city.
81 "And they went into Capernaum.n
John the Baptist was at this time in prison,
and Jesus was somewhere in the latter part OF
His first years ministry. The work Of John,
though requiring SO long a preparation,
years in the wilderness, and seemingly so
short and unsuccessful, is now nearly over;
he has but to tarry little in prison. and
pass from there out to his God and Father.
Jesus, the mightier than John, goes forth to
His work with these few fishermen as the be-
ginning of His followers, only to be rejected
and hated as John was Matt xvii, 12) But
the work goes on, the fishers Of men are more
busy today than ever before, the number of
His elect out of all nations is being COM
peted, the marriage of the Lamb draws nigh,
and He shall see of the travail of His soul and
be satisfied; then shall we see that neither the
work of John, nor the prophets who were be-
fore him, nor the work of Jesus Christ or the
least of His faithful followers has been in any
sense or in the least degree in vain; it is ours
to be filled with the spirit and be faithful
unto Him, coveting only His approval. seek
ing only His glory, land straightway on the
Sabbath day He entered into the synagogue
and taught" This is the fifth time in this
chapter that we find the word "straightway"
or immediately" which reminds us how we
are to act as servants Of Christ
% "He taught them as one that had au-
thority." Not with the wisdom of men, for
He had not been to their schools, but with
the wisdom of God, for He was and is
Christ" the power of God, and the wisdom
of God" Il Cor i, 24.) ''The father who sent
Him gave Him a commandment, what He
should say and what He should speak" John
Xii, 49, His text book was the law, the
prophets, and the psalms, and He ex-
pounded in all the Scriptures the things
concerning Himself; He came to fulfill
the law and the prophets, for all spake of
Him luke xiv, 81 Al, As; Matt v, IL
"a "Let us alone" What can we think of
those who bear the name of Christ, and yet
]
spirit, dead to the world, seeking lost souls,
sending or going to the dark places of the
earth with the glad tidings of Jesus but
when urged to be wholly the Lords, and love
and serve Him with the whole heart,
giving more time to prayer and Bible
study, reply by deeds if not in words,
"Let us aloner' Does it not seem as if the
unclean spirit was there in some forml
20. "When the unclean spirit had torn
him, and cried with loud voice, he
came out of him." Being commanded by
Jesus the evil spirit must obey; He casts
them out with His word. If you have an evil
spirit Of unbelief or pride or self esteem or
worldliness, you will not get rid Of it by try
ing, but just come to Jesus and He with His
word will cast it out. 1t may tear you and
hurt you to lose it, and there may be quite a
noise about it, but the temple is the Lords
and it must be wholly His.
q. with authority commanded He even
the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him.
This is, indeed something new; here is one
who is mightier than the devil and his
angels, and they must obey Him when He
speaks; and they are amazed and perplexed
at this apparently humble and unknown
man, or known only as the carpenter OF
Nazareth. Here is more than man, for ne
man Is as strong as the devil, Out mere Is one
whom the demons must obey, so He must bt
more than man. He was foretold as on,
who would let the oppressed go free, and LII
does it; but they know Him not. Notwith
standing the testimony of the evil spirit as t.
who He was, they believe not.
2s. Immediately His fame spread abroad.
If every one whose sins have been forgiven
was truly thankful to God for such price
less blessing, does it not seem that they ough
to be ready to tell others that they, too
might receive forgiveness, and thus spreat
abroad the fame Of Jesusi What are yol
doing, dear reader, to make Him known T.
othersl or is it so that He has never don
anything for you worth mentioningl
1881. From the synagogue they go to tn
home Of Simon and Andrew, James an,
John going with them. 1t had been
strange morning; never had such an even
happened in that synagogue before; tn
power Of God had been seen among them, TO
Jesus was God manifest In the flesh; an
now As they walk to Simon's home, who ca
tell their feelings in view of these thingsi
49, 80. "All the city was gathered u
gether at the door" What a company