The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1891-08-26
The Sunday School Lessons.
ANOTHER KING-ONE JE-
SUS.
Our Lesson Notes
John viii: 31-47.

The last lesson was the account of
Christ's preaching at the Feast of
Tabernacles. "In the last day, that
great day of the feast, Jesus stood
and cried, saying, If any man
thirst, let him come unto me and
drink" He spent that night in re-
tirement on the Mount of Olives,
possibly at Bethany, and on the
next day returned to the city and
to his teaching in the temple. The
Pharisees, bringing to him the wo-
man taken in adultery, sought to
entrap him into some violation of
the law of Moses, and so to arouse
the people against him. viii; 3-11.
But they were utterly defeated.
Then they charged him with being
false claimant, an impostor;
"Thou Dearest record of myself, thy
record is not true" But to this He
replied, affirming that his record
was true, and that the Father was
with him, bearing witness with him.
81 am one that bear witness of my
self, and the Father that sent me
beareth witness of me-" And de-
clared most faithfully and solemnly
to these wicked men who sought to
slay him, eff we believe not that |
am he, We shall die in your sins"
He knew their purpose to put him
to death, and the very manner in
which it would be done. "When We
have lifted up the Son of Man, then
shall We know that l am he;" that
hn ID IL,
viour of the world, and that he
wrought his works and spoke his
words with a divine commission.
GAS he spake these words, many be-
lieved on him, received him as he
declared himself, and rested on him
as a personal Saviour.
l. The True Children Of God are
Free, Us. 31-36.-While many be.
lieved on him, there were some Jews
who, coming near to him, belieUed
him, not on him. They believed that
he spake the truth, and was what
he claimed to be, without "believ-
ing on him" wholly casting them
selves upon him. 1t was not per-
sonal and saving belief, but the be-
ginning of an intellectual convic-
ton that he spake the truth. They
were filed with political thoughts
and hopes. 1t was of the deliver
ance of their nation from the odious
Roman tyranny they were thinking.
1t was a Messiah who should give
them this temporal and political
freedom, that they were desiring.
But Jesus came to give a far higher
and more lasting deliverance. 1t
was a spiritual freedom he came to
give. He tells them wherein this
freedom was to be found.
/. 1t was in continuing IN his lr0rd
1t was his word concerning himself
as the Son of God as having life to
give unto the world; his word as to
the personal reception of him, and
his great gift of eternal life. To
be his disciples, we must receive
him, and his word, and continue in
1t, IN the reliance upon it, and ole
dience to it. 1t is not merely the
hearing and asserting to his words
but the continuing steadfast in the
obedience of our faith
2. They would know the truth, V. 30
The continuing in faith and obedi.
dience to his word would work
knowledge in them, clearer dis
cernment, a personal experience, {
larger comprehension, a growing ac
cession of knowledge of his word
and its significance and its blessing
eff any man will do his will he shall
know of the doctrine, whether it bc
of God"
3. They would be made free, V. 81
"And the truth shall make you free.
Wherever there is truth there is lib
erty. But the truth of God, "thr
truth as it is in Jesus" the truth
brought into the heart by their con
tinuing in Christ's word, SHOULD
give them freedom, spiritua
freedom. Jesus set us free from
bondage of ignorance and fear ant
sin. And the gospel of his grace j
the perfect law Of liberty"
At once the Jews took offence
What freedom could Jesus give
that was not theirs by descent from
Abraham? They were a proud anc
self-righteous people. They claimed
to be freedmen as children of Abra
ham. "They were never i'm bondag
to any man" GLOW sayest thou
Ye shall be made free2" Then Je
sus declares to them that while out
wardly the seed of Abraham, the