The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-12-04
THE WALK TO eMMAus.
International sunday-school Lesson for
December Z, 1890.


International sunday School Lesson for
December Z, 1890.
Especially arranged from 8. 8. Qusrterly.1
LESSON TExT-Luke 24:1327.
GOLDEN TExT-Ought not Christ to have suf-
fered these things, and to enter into His gloryf
Luke 24:96.
CENTRAL TRuTH--Jesus Himself meets with
those who converse about Him and His kingdom.
TIME-Sundsy, April 0, A. d. 80 The after
noon OF the day Of the resurrection OF Jesus.
PLAcE-On the road between Jerusalem and
Emmaus.
C1RouMsrANcEs-Jesu had arisen from tho
dead early Sunday morning, and had appeared
to Mary Magdalene and the other women. But
at first 1t was only known to the company Of
disciples that the angel had declared that Jesus
was alive again. Before the report that some
had actually seen Him had reached them, two
disciples took long walk, the story Of which Is
our lesson for today
HELPS OVER HARD PLACEs.-13 'Two OF
them" OF the disciples, not Of the twelve ".
33). One was Cleopas; the name of the other
is unknown. "That same days" that Christ
arose from the dead "Emmaus:" the exact
place Is unknown. Emmaus means warm
water" and was probably place where there
were hot springs or at least warm baths.
'Threescore furlougs:" seven to eight miles;
probably northwest of Jerusalem. i5 "Rea-
soned:" exchanged opinions, argued. 10.
Their eyes were holden:" this gives the rear
son why they did not recognize Him. 1t was
not that His body was changed, but their eyes
were withheld from seeing Him ss He was He
must have been in o different dress than usual,
for the soldiers had taken His clothes. Is. art
thou only o tsrangerf" have you just como to
Jerusalem, and so not heardi 23 "vision:"
an appearance. 2e. Ought not (the) Christ
(the Messiah) to have suffered these thingsY'
Were not these things foretold in the Scriptures
q a arhor ofA ri1in ho fherAfOr0 n
necessary mark by which whoever claimed to
be the Messiah might be testedf The very
things which shook their faith in Jesus as the
Messiah W ere essential to His Messiahship. "a.
"And beginning ut Moses:" the promise to Eve
(Gen. 8:l5); the promise to Abraham (Gen.
22:lS) the paschsl lamb CFIx l2); the scape.
goat (Lov. l7:1.34); the brazen serpent (Num.
81 :9); the greater prophet (Deut. l8:15); and
the star and sceptre CNum. 24:17); the smitten
rock (Num. sO:11; 1 Cor. 10:4), etc.-Cambridge
Bible.
LESSON COMMENTS.
On the afternoon Of the day on which Jesus
rose from the grave, two Of the disciples
started from Jerusalem to walk to Emmaus,
which was seven or eight miles from that city.
They had for some reason not yet heard Of the
resurrection of their Master, and they were
therefore still filled with sadness. AS they
walked they naturally spoke Of those things
which had recently taken place in Jerusalem;
and while they were thus engaged in earnest
conversation, Q Stranger drew near and joined
Himself to them. They then were by Him in.
duced to tell the cause Of their sorrow and how
they had hoped that the salvation Of Israel was
to come from Him who now had been crucifed
by the rulers Of the Jews. They told Him how
perplexcd they had been at the tidings Of
the women who had visited the grave, but had
seen neitler Him nor His body. At this the
Stranger opened His lips, and chiding them for
their unbelief began to show them from their
own Scriptures that 1t was needful for Christ
to suffer these things, and then in detail He be.
gan and showed them how these very suferings
that had stunned their faith had all been fore
told by their own prophets.
The two listened to His words with profound
wonder. and as they listened their hearts began
to burn within them for hope now commenced
to dawn, and they began (fsintly, OF leasD to
think that their hope was not all in vain. As
yet the two did not recognize in this stranger
their blessed Master, for by some mysterious
influence their eyes were holden, and 80 they
looked upon Him merely as one wonderfully
we'll versed in the word Of God. whose utter.
ances were both comforting and soothing 10
their wounded hearts.
The interview between these two mon and
the Stranger began in sorrow, and closed In Joy.
What was 1t that made them 90 sorrowful at
tho starti 1t was Q misunderstanding Of tho
prophecies concerning their crucined Master.
the opening Of their minds, 90 that tho prophe-
cies were rightly perceived Had they under.
stood beforehand what the prophets had said,
they never would have given up their hope that
Jesus was the Messiah as soon rs they saw He
was dead. They would have mournod at tho
necessity of His death for our SINS but they
would In that very death have seen His true
claim to the Messiahship. 1t was ignorance
that made them despair Of His mission.
The experiences Of the disciples can not be
exactly repeated In our lives, but still they arc
surprisingly like our own. Just rs in their case
better knowledge Of tho Scriptures would
have prevented much sorrow, SO in our own
case our sorrows come often from our limited
knowledge Of the Word. There be many for OK.
ample to-day who journey on in life with only
faint glimpses Of the pardon which 1t Is their
privilege fully to enjoy They "hope" that they
are pardoned; but they can not say: II know
whom have believed" There be parents who
can not be quietly trustful for the salvation of
their children only because they have not
seized hold of tho promises Of God which arc
TO believers and to their children" There are
those who have Q continual trembling lest
they should not hold out to tho end, because
they have not yet laid hold Of the promises to
those who intrust themselves to the keeping
power Of the Lord Jesus There are many
who insist on carrying their own burdens,
only because they have not read Alright the
them. And SO ell along the line We may be
copfdent that II ours are sorrowful lives, II 10
only because We have misread the Scriptures.
Christian life should be life of Joy, and II IL Is
not, We had better look to see II we have read
tho Word Alright. Rightly read, It will Danish
much OF our misery, II not sll.-Rev. A. r.
Schauffler, d. d.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
l. 1t Is good and helpful to converse together
op religious subjects; 1t gives new views, Q
deeper insight, more complete knowledge, more
ardent feelings.
2. Jesus meets with those who converse about
Him and His Kingdom.
8. He is often near us when we do not recog-
nize Hmm troubles, In calls to work in the
person Of the poor, in impulses toward better
life.
4. Christ will open the Scriptures to those
who study them, practice them, love them, talk
about them, and pray for the Holy Spirit to en-
tighten them.
b. The Scriptures are an inexhsustible NINE
We understand the Christ of the Now
Testament better by studying what the Old
Testament foretold Of Him.