Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-03-01
THE MESSIAHSIIIP.
LESSON TX, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 8.

Text of the Lesson, Mark viii, 25-36-Com-
nit Verses 36-3s-Golden Text. Mark
viii, 34-Commentary by Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
mission of II s. Hoffman. publisher Phiadel
phia.
Between this lesson and the last one we
have the record of the death Of John the
Baptist, the feeding of the multitudes on two
different occasions, the walking on the sea,
the great faith of the Syrophenician woman
and the healing of her daughter, the healing
of deaf and dumb man, and others.
q. "Whom do men say that l amT' He
had come into the town of Cesarea Philippi
2S, 80 peter answereth and saith unto
Him, Thou art the Christ" After drawing
from them the opinions of others, He then
pointedly and personally puts the question:
"But whom say We that | amr Let every
teacher learn from Him how to teach, and
after awakening the interest of the scholars
by drawing from them what they know, fail
not to ascertain what they individually be-
lieve and what Christ is to them. The full
answer of Peter was: Thou art the Christ,
the Son Of the Living God" Matt XVI, 16)
but while we call attention to what is writ
ten in the parallel accounts in the other gos-
pels, we believe that each gospel is complete
in itself for the object for which it was writ
ten, and there is a reason for the omissions
and insertions peculiar to each. If we want
to know all about His life as the Goldman,
we read the four gospels side by side; but if
we desire to know Him specially as the Son
of David or the perfect Servant or the Son
of Man or the Son of God, it would be well
for the time to confine our attention to the
gospel which thus describes Him. Much as
we might like to enter here into the precious
things of Matt. xvi, 1919, our limited space
forbids it; but we must say a word about
the significance of 1.-THE Christ" John l., IA;
iv, 25 tells us that Christ is the same as Mes
siah the former being Greek and the latter
Hebrew. John i, 45, tells us that He is the
one of whom Moses and the prophets did
write. Daniel tx, 24-37, speaks of Him as "the
Messiah, the Prince" who shall make an end
of the SINS of Daniels people and bring to
them everlasting Righteousness. Matt. ii, l.
A. makes it plain that the Christ is the King
of the Jews; the English word corresponding
to Messiah, and Christ is ''the Anointed,"
and in the song of Hannah Il Sam. ii, 10y we
see Him as He will be when He comes in
power to sit upon the throne of His glory as
King of the Jews. You may know Him as
Jesus who saves and keeps you, as Lord
whom you delight to acknowledge as your
possessor and proprietor, but do you know
Him as the Christ the coming King of
Israel and Of the whole earthi
80. He charged them that they should tell
no man of Him." Matt. xvi, 90, says to tell
no man that He was Jesus the Christ. He
never forbade them to say that He was Jesus
the Saviour but now that the rulers of the
4 l-.r
Matt xii, IA He forbids them to make Him
known as the Christ.
81. "He began to teach them that the Son
of Man must suffer" At His first cleansing
of the temple He had foretold His death and
resurrection John ii, 1921, and later, when
they asked a sign He spoke of Jonah as a
type of his death and resurrection Matt. xii,
80, 40); but this is his first particular and full
announcement of this great event which He
again repeats on two other occasions dix,
81; K, 3A.
80 ''Peter took Him and began to rebuke
Him." saying. "Be it far from thee, Lord
this shall not be unto Thee" Matt. xvi, 22l
or, as in the margin, PITY myself Lord. "
This was the natural man speaking, and the
tendency of the natural man, even in the
Christian. is to pity himself and seek his own
ease, and against this self indulgence VIC
must rs Christians earnestly contend, even
yielding our bodies living sacrifice.
33 He rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee
behind me, Satan" Peter had Just given
forth a sweet SAVIOUR of God in his grand con
fession Of Jesus as the Christ, AMI now from
the same mouth comes the things of men
with So urging on; "out of the same
mouth ploceedeth blessing and cursing"
81. "Whosoever will come after Ne. lie
him denv himself and take up his cross, anC
follow Me- 1t is "A most precious truth that
the invitation to come is to "Whosoevel
will (Acts Y, As; Rom. Y, II, -. Rev xxi
n, and him that cometh shall in no wise bt
cast out John VI, 3d. but it is also true thai
no one can truly come, unless they are pre-
pared to deny self and bear the cross aftel
Jesus, and this daily luke tx, 80 Any
other aim but the glory of God, any othel
will hut the will of God, either proves tha
we are not His followers or if we are, thai
we are very unlike our Master, and littl,
credit to Him.
81 For whosoever will save his life shall
lose it." That is, whatsoever chooses thi
present life with its joys, in preference t.
the narrow way of separation from this pres
emit evil world unto Christ, shall find in tn
end that his portion here was his all, and hi
ultlL Wiltll ne lSlb lulo WI III
while he who chooses Christ and fellowship
with Him as his portion here, prepared to re
nounce with the whole heart, the world, tn
flesh and the devil, will find that while h.
may not have had great success in thi
world and, perhaps, been sore!y tried, yet b
has had Gods own peace and joy in his sou
and shall inherit everlasting life.
81. what shall a man give in exchang
for his lifeN If lie loses it by refusing to le
Jesus save him it is gone forever; the grea
gulf is fixed and they cannot pass from on
place to the other. Because there is wrath
beware lest He take thee away with Hi
stroke; then a great ransom cannot delive
thee" lJob xxxvi, 49, They that trus
in their wealth and boast themselves in til
multitude Of their riches; none of them ca
by any means redeem his brother, nor give t
God ransom Tor him" FPS. xix, u, Z
There is only one ransom, God has provides
it, even the finished work of the Lord Jesu
job xxxiii, "a; Matt, XXX, 2S); that bein
refused there is no other (Acts iv, ~. Th
lite of every individual has three stages, ths
portion which is spent here in the morts
body that between death and resurrection
aud that after the resurrection If the trs
1l..Hl 4