News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-05-23
THE I. S. S. LESSON.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
MAY 20.
Lesson Text: "Jesus Betrayed g
Mark xiv, 43-54- Golden Text:
Luke xii, 4S-Commentary.

took Peter, James and John a little farther
with Him; then withdrawing Himself little
farther even from Them He knealed down,
fell on His face and prayed; He prayed earn
estiy, he sweat, as it were, great drops of
blood falling down to the ground. luke
xii, ~. He offered up prayers and suppi-
cations with strong crying and tears Heb
v, ~ Three times He prayed, saying the
same words, returning to the disciples after
each prayer, and each time finding them
asleep. When He returned from praying the
third time He added the words of verse 40:
Rise up, let US go; 10, he that betrayeth Me
is at hand" and these are the words referred
10 in the opening sentence of our lesson.
After Judas, being pointed ont the be-
hayer, left them, and Jesus had instituted
the supper, He then spoke the wonderful
words of John xiv, XIV, xvi, and prayed as
recorded in John xvii, after which they sung
Il hymn and then went out to Gethsemane.
Al. ''And he that betrayed Him had given
them token = = 80 Judas, having re-
ceived a band of men and officers from the
chief priests and Phariseas coEneth thither
with lanterns and torches and weapons
Lyohn xviii, 81, and he had instructed them
that the one whom they would see him kiss
was He whom they were to take and lead
away safely.
IS. "And as soon as he was come he
goeth straightvay TO Him, and saith Master,
Master, and kissed Him" How could Jesus,
knowing it all, suffer Judas to come thus near
Judas, betrayest though the Son of Man
with a kiss? luke xxi, 4S.l On, what
long suffering! What entire yielding of Him.
self a sacrifice for sin! What complete re-
nunciation Of self! Can we by the grace of
God Weld ourselves so fully to Him that we
will meekly accept even the hardest things as
from Him and thus 'Glorify the Lord in the
fires" lisa. xiv, Isl
46. s'And they laid their hands on Him and
took Him" What unholy bands to lay upon
the Holy One; criminals worthy to die eternal
Death laying hold upon their Judge who was
ready to pardon them, sinners needing sal
walton, laying hold upon the only one who
could save thepl that they might put Him
out of the way; man, the creature, laying
hold upon God, the Creator, because they
hated Him; was there ever such sight?
They took Him, not because they were able,
but only because He suffered them.
Il. 'tAnd one of them that stood by drew
q sword, and snote a servant of the high
priest, and cut off his ear" John xviii, 10,
says that Simon Peter did it, and that the
servants name was MalchuS; Luke xxi, 81,
SAYS that Jesus touched his ear and healed
him: and Matt XVI, 52-54, says that Jesus
told the disciples that they that take the
sword perish with the sword and that If 1t
was necessary He could ask and receive from
His Father more than legion of angels for
each of them, but if thus protected and de
hvered how would the Scriptures be fulfilled?
How much laundering work we do, that the
Saviour has to undo, because we rush hastily
in the energy of the flesh instead of seeking
and yielding to the Spirit of Christ.
4S. "And Jesus answered and said unto
them, Are We come out as against q thief,
with swords and with slaves TO take MeT'
Both Matthew and Luxe record the same
question. Let some father or mother say
how they would feel if the law should send
its officers to arrest their son thief he
being innocent If ever we are shamefully
treated or spoken against, let us think of
Jesus and be patient for His sake.
49. Il was daily with you i'll the temple
teaching, and We took Me not but the scrip
lures must be fulfilled" Luke xii, SO, adds:
ness" Such scriptures were being and about
to be fulfilled as Psalms xxi, and Xix,
Isaiah lii, etc, but His comfort as He
looked up to His Father was: Thou hast
known Ny reproach, and My shame, and My
iishonor. Mine adversaries are ali before
Thee" (Ps. Xix, 49,. If people would say
and do openly the mean and devilish things
which they say and do behind ones back and
n the dark, it would seem as if we could
better refute and resist them: but then we
would not have the fellowship with Jesus in
His sufferings which we have by being
treated as He was.
90. "And they all forsook Him and fed"
Thus His words came true, and the sheep of
The flock were scattered Matt. XVI, 81;
Zee. xiii, n; He looked for some to take
pity, but there was none, and for comforters
but found none. tPs. Xix, 90. Sometimes
Christians say that it seems as if they had no
friends or few friends, if their friends
were all failing them, but never was human
heart on this earth so lonely for human
friendship and fellowship as the heart of
Jesus Christ; His own brethren did not be-
heve in Him John vii, 81; His disciples for
sock Him and fed
81 So. ''And there followed Him a certain
young man, having linen cloth cast about
l. 4. l11I r.rlr-s x Ilfa-Y ~ a,-I- L.,
the only one who records this incident, some
think that Mark himself was the young man;
that he had been awakened by the passing
mob and hastily throwing a sheet around
him, had followed Them and now ventured
to interpose on behalf of Jesus, or at least GO
with Him, but the mob laying hold of him,
he left the linen cloth and fed from them
naked. Peter had said that though he should
die with Him, he would not in any wise deny
Him " 81, but We know how that turned
out, and now Peter with the rest had forsaken
Him. This young man seems to be more
courageous than al the disciples by following
Jesus in this dark time of His deserticn; but
it is the way we hold out, and not the way
we start, that tells; and so this would-be fol
lower fees like the rest, and naked at that,
for we are naked indeed when we turn our
backs on Jesus REV iii, IL.
IS. And they led Jesus away to the high
priest" John xviii, Is, says that they bound
Him, and led Him away; lisa. lii, :, R. v,
says: LAS lamb that is led to the slaughter"
Think of their binding the hands that were
ever stretched forth TO bless, the hands that
brought health to the leper sight to the
blind, speech to the dumb and that took the
little children up in His arms and blessed
them. What had these hands ever done that
they should be thus bound. and why does He
not exert just q little of the power He gave
to Samson and burst those wretched cords
and slay His enemies? Do you ask why?
Then hear the answer and cause every Sun
day-schocl scholar to hear it; For your
sake He suffered it, for your sake He let them
bind Him and lead Him as a lamb to the
slaughter for your sake He let them cruelty
Him, that you by His sufferings might be de
livered from the wrath to come and made
child of God, joint heir with Jesus Christi
Do Won believe it? Do you receive Him? If
so. how much gratitude do you show Him:
how much insult and injury can you cheer
fully bear for His sake; how much patience
Eave you with those VINO do you wrong by
word or deed?
81. And Peter followed Him afar off,
that is no way to follow Jesus, and yet is it
not just the way that many protesting Chris
tians follow Him?
''And he sat with the servants" Whose
ever is not a servant of Christ is servant OF
the devil and these were no servants OF
Christ and therefore no place for servant
of Christ to be found sitting.
'And warmed himself at the fire" Better
for him 20 have frozen to death outside than
to warm himself at that fire and then do as
he did. Where, o reader, do you like TO
warm yourself? Are you ever found enjoy
ing the company of those who know not
Christ? If you enjoy above all things the
camp fire of His followers, do you by a word
of testimony or word of prayer throw on
the least little stick to help make the fire
burn? God grant us all 70 follow fully and
not afar off.-Lesson Helper.