The American citizen. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1888-1909, 1889-02-22
JESUS THE MESSIAH:
international Sunday School Lesson I
March 3, 1889.

March 3, 1889.
Especially arranged from S. S. Quarterly.1
LESSON TExT-Mark 1878; OIL.
GOLDEN TExT-Whosoever will come after
Me, let-him deny himself, and take up his
cross and follow Me.-Mark 8:34.
CENTRAL TRUTH-Those who would reign
with Christ in Heaven, must follow Him
on earth.
TME-Summer Of A. D. 90. Several
months after the last lesson
PLACE-On the way from the Sea of Cali
lice to Cesarea Philippi, 25 or 30 miles to the
northeast; which was named after the En-
peror Caesar, and Herod Philip, who en-
larged the city.
JEsUs-S21a years old, in the third year of
His ministry.
PARALLEL ACCoUNTs-Matt. 16 1898; Luke
9:1S-27.
INTERVENING HISTORY Mark Ito ;26:
including Matt. IA to 1912, and John 6:1-7L
1NTRoDUCTIoN-While the disciples were
engaged in the missionary tour describedin
our last lesson, John the Baptist was be-
headed March, A. D. 29), and the disciples
returned to Jesus and to Capernaum. Jesus
sought retirement with His disciples, first
near Bethsaida, then in the region of Tyre |
and Sidon and now again in the vicinity of |
Cesarea Philippi
HELPS OVER HARD PLAcEs-27. Went out: |
from Bethsada and Galilee He asked: in |
order to lead them thus to the truth. 90 |
John the B1ptis: lately killed by Herod |
| Elins: Elijah, the promised forerunner of |
the Messiah (MaI. :5). 20. Thou art me
Christ: Peter saw through His humble cir
cumstances, and recognized the Messiah
| 30. Tell no man. it was not time yet; for ~
some would make HIM king. ca others OPP
pose Him all the more. 81. Teach them:
4 %1,aT1a f1n ,,1~ &I>
| Messiah. 33. Get thee behind me, Satan: not
that Peter was Satan, but his suggestion
| was from Satan. "a. VIII come after Ne:
be My disciple Deny himself: put Christ
and His kingdom before his personal profit
and pleasure. He must give up whatever is
wrong and whatever will prevent him from
serving Christ and doing good. Icte up
His cross: the cross was the symbol of
death. Christ did His duty, and saved
men, even though it cost Him death on the
cross. So must we. 3d. SaUe his life: life
means the blessedness and pleasures which
give value to life; SaUe his life means get
pleasure or profit at the expense of right or
religion. Shall lose IL: shall fail of his end;
shall lose eternal life, which is the true life.
Real life must grow out of pure and holy
| character. He that loses this may gain tenn
porary pleasure, and that only, but must
lose all true and lasting blessedness. 80.
AdulterO1ts: unfaithful to God. OF Him shalt
the Son of man be ashamed: because he has
proved himself unworthy of Christ. COmeth
in the glory: at the day of judgment, His sec
| ond coming. /. Seen the Kingdom Of God
come: fully established, and showing its
power. This was by HIS resurrection, and
by the day of Pentecost, and was completed
at the destruction Of Jerusalem forty years
later, when the old dispensation passed
away, and the new was firmly established.
John lived till after that, and all the disci-
pies till after Pentecost
COMMENTs-When Christ began to show
them that He must suffer many things,
Peter thought that He was very much mis-
taken, and began to rebuke Him. This
: called forth singing rejoinder from the
, Lord Then Christ went on to tell them
that they were fundamental principles OF
His kin gdom. Not crown-wearlng SO much
as bearing was to distinguish those
who wanted to be His disciples in this
world. To lose your life was to save it, anC
to try and save it was to throw it away
9 All the rest of the lesson, from verse "a on
3 Is q solemn warning to men, uttered by the
Saviour. 1t will apply as we'll to US II
these DAYS as it did to the men who sur
rounded Him and listened to Hl'
o words The Master saw that mel
n were in great danger of making
u fearful mistake in their relative est
mates of the Importance OF seen and unsee
things. The temptation to sin for this pres
y ent world was overwhelming. The lust o
st the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the prld
,f or life had led men into horrible hypocrlsles
/ so that, trying vainIy to serve God an
Y mammon at the same time, they had lost al
true religion. Pharlsees, scribes and pee
n ple all supposed that they were making
i pood bargain. and that all would end wei
Jesus tries to undeceive them and max
them understand that any pretended REM
q, ious life which did not involve cross-oea
d. ing and self-denlal was vain and 1raud'
e. lent. He assures them that If any or
~ makes the enjoyment of this lie MS chi'
concern. he will lose the life to come. az
- that if any one desires the Masters servlt
re SO earnestly as to be willing to lose this II
en- for it shall gain the eternal lie beyon'
u Having said this, the Master propoun'
what we might call problem in spirltu
" arithmetic: ''What shall it profit man
l." he pain the whole world and lose his oN
in souI. or what shall a man give III eXchanE
~ for his soul?"-Rev. A. F. Schautf1er.
III PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
~ 1. No opinions are so important as rls
~ views about Christ.
ase 9 The true church is built upon an ato
es- ING Saviour suffering for the sins OF
zen world. .
II 8. Christ tells US the trials as wen as
lows, of His service.
rls- 4 We are to renounce the Worlu d Ia
ter. but to use it as servant.
he "Christ's cross is the sweetest ouru
ever bore 1t is such burden Us VIII
to a bird or sails to ship" A.
the & At how small price some sen III
m som1s
Of ' = There is certain triumph for Chrls
IA 1,;ncdom. and hence for all that are Chris
wv The Poor as Givers.
ntil T. is true that the more a man gives
+ha - he has. but it is not true that,
, mo,e man has, the more he gives. The
~. 80 ifs TO the poor is done more gen