The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-01-24
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
International Lesson for January 81, 1905
THE Great Confessiop-Matt. 10,l3.23,

-The Gro0e eCOnfoseioD-Mattsl l0:lS.x3,
Especially Arranged from Pcloubet's Notes.
GOLDEN TExT.-Thou art the Christ, the Sor
Of the living God.-Matt 1910
TIME-Summer Of a. D. 50. A few week!
after the last lesson. AMI about nine months
before the crucifxion.
PLAcB.--On the way to the Mount Of Trans
fguration. in the region around Cesarea
Philippi This city was situated twenty-five
or thirty miles northeast Of the Sea OF Galilee
near the head waters of the Jordan; about
four miles east Of Dan, the northernmost towr
Of Palestine proper 1t was at the foot Of the
lofty Hcrmon (nine thousand feet high), in the
most picturesque part Of Palestine. It was
named after Cesar and Herod Philip.
JEsUs-About thirty-two and one-haf years
old: in the third year of his ministry.
THE INTERVENING SToRY.-After the dis
course arising from the miracle Of the loaves
many Of the followers Of Jesus forsook Hin
John 6.GS-T1). Then.crnissar.cS from Jerusa-
lem reproached Him for disrcgarding the tra-
ditions Of the elders Matt. l5:l-20). The op-
position In Galilee had thHs grown so strong
that Jesus went away into the vicinity OF Tyre
and Sidoa and other regions around Galilee
Mutt, 1871 to i0:Ia), hecling and teaching.
Leaving the Sea of alice, thoy journcyed
northward into the rcG' N Of Cmsarea Phiiippi
ond on tho way the vcrds of to-day'S lesson
were spoken. t,t
THE NEW EPoCH.-This journey marks q
n turning PO.!lt u III" Siu AL tliO SuuSdtAOu Va
the disciples. Jesus reveals to them more
clearly, Lis nature as the Messiah. and for the
lrst time shows them tho necessity Of His suf-
fering a2d doath-trst by His teachings and
then by tho transfguratioa scene. !!e also be-
gins the organized church-lays the FIRST stones
OF tho structure upon the great bedrock foun-
dation - .s ,
LESSON NOTES.
That Jesus is the Messiah becomes
the Settled Conviction of the Apostles.
VS.. 1917. l3. when Jesus came:'
in His journey from Bethsaidn north
ward, along the road east of the Jor-
dan Mark s:22.) "Into the coasts" re-
gions or borders, ''of Ccsarea Philippi." ="
We learn from Luke DIS that this
new era or epoch began in prayer alone
with His disciples. He asked His dis
ciplcs." His object seems to have been
to drew out the faith of His disciples,
and to reveal to them more
fully His nature and His redeem
ing work. He would put and
have them put into definite form
what they had been gradually
learning from His words and works
that He was indeed the Messiah, the
Son Of God. Whom" in modern Eng
lish who, as in r. ", '.do men say that
I, the Son of Man, amp" The Son Of
Man was title He frequently applied
to Himself (see Dan. 7:13-14), but it is
never applied to Him by the apostles.
1t expressed His human, visible side.
He would know what they had found
the popular impression 70 be concern
ing Him, how far they understood His
nature and His work. II. "Some say
John the Baptist" returned to life.
Among these was Herod Matt. 14:l-2).
Some, Elias" /. e., Elijah, the fore
runner Of the Messiah, who had
wrought some great miracles, and had
turned the tide of the nation from
heather worship to the true God. "And
others, Jeremias," the Greek form of
Jeremiah. Jeremiah is placed first,
because In Jewish canon he was placed
first among the Old Testament proph-
cts" and was regarded as among the
greatest. Perhaps, also, because Of
the character Of his preaching, ming
ling denunciation with hope. "Or one
Of the prophets,"i. /. e., "that one of the
old prophets is risen again" Nuke o:l9).
Note that this variety Of opinion
shows that the people were thinking
and discussing, but had come to no
certain beliefs. None OF them speak of
Jesus as the Messiah, for His appear
ance was In too great O contrast with
their expectations. IS. But whom
R. ", who) say ye that / amp" OBJ
serve ''ye," plural, and by position in
the Greek exceedingly emphatic-in
contrast with the discordant popular
opinions. The question is addressed to
all, and Peter answers as their spokes-
man, just as he does in many other
cases. 16. ''And Simon Peter am
swered." His original name was
Simon or Simeon. Peter was an addi-
tional name conferred by Jesus to ex-
press his nature and work in the church
John /: Al, 42). Simon Peter was one
Of the quickest to perceive truth, and
the readiest to utter it. Jesus qucs-
tion was like q match to powder, and
the convictions within him, condensed
in compact form, burst out from tho
fullness of his heart. Thou art the
Christ" the Amounted One, the Mes
siah. "Christ" is the Greek and "Mes-
siah" is the Hebrew for ''anointed."
Amounting was the method by which
kings, and sometimes prophet, We're
set apart for their work. 1.-THE Son Of
the living God" The Son of God in the
highest sense. which could be asserted
of no other being. God is here styled
living God, because He is the author of
all life and existence; hence, self-ex-
istent, eternal. The Son of the living
God was one who partoolS of that liv-
ing, self-eXistent and eternal nature.
II. "Blessed art thou" Because thou
hast opened thy heart to the truth;
because thou hast Broken from the
bondage of Jewish prejudice and world.
ly vision; because thou hast such firm
confidence in such Saviour. Faith,
knowledge of Christ as the Son of God,
almighty to save and infinite in love; q
heart in which truth finds q natural
soil; character in harmony with
Jesus; broader outlooks into truths
all are exquisite blessings. 'sSimou