The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-06-15
LESSON STORY.

LESSON STORY.
The Risen Jesus, in the first part of
our lesson, is in the closed room in Jerusa-
lem among his disciples, on the evening
after his resurrection. He had Gained
their fright, he had removed their doubt;
they we're now prepared for instruction.
1. The Disciples instructed
VS.. 44-48.
He first reminded them that what had
transpired was in accordance with the
words he had spoken to them when he was
with them in the mortal state. He also
showed them that the events which had so
astonished and perplexed them fulfilled
what was written of him in the Old Script
ures.
On turning to the 18th chapter of Luke,
32d to the gath verses, we find distinct
report of his prophecy concerning the Son
of Man: He shall be aelivered nb unto the
Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and shame
fully ensysafed, and SPIT npon,. and they
shall scou,gs and kilI him: and tile Mfya
day he shall rise again. See also Mark
10: 1894, another report of the same say
ing. These words of Jesus, as we read
them in the light of the subsequent events,
seem plain enough; yet Luke says of the
disciples $3.50: They understood none
of these things and this saying aOaS hid
from them, and they beyceivsd not tie
things that yeys said. That Jesus when
he reappeared to them should remind the
disciples of these words to convince them
that there was Providential meaning in
his sufferings, is what we should naturally
expect. He shows them that he foresaw,
what they could not foresee, that his mis-
sion would lead to the cross and the resur-
rection.
We cannot, for want of the needful data,
follow the Risen One in his appeal to Il c
Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the
Psalms. 1t has been customary for bibli-
cal students to regard multitude of pas
sages of the Old Testament, as pointing
definitely to Christ. But more careful
study of the old scriptures, under clearer
historical light, has demonstrated that
many of the socalled Old Testament
prophecies had originally immediate appli-
cations in the times in which they were
written. A modern school of biblical
scholars maintains the sweeping assertion
that there are no definite prophecies of
Christ in the old Hebraic literature. The
more tenable position appears to us to be
the mean between these extremes. While
it is too broad an assertion to make, as
regards the literal construction, "The Old
.. f,,n &c C1~.e+ - e, -, ~
of certain passages wl!ch have been cited,
scarcely reasonable affirmation that there
was in the vision of tive old prophets no
glimpse of the Coming One, the Christ of
God.
The Risen One opened their minds that
they might understand tie scriptures.
They were brought into the spiritual at
mosphere out of which the old writings
came. They were enabled to behold, uE-
der the Light of the Spirit, immeasurable
meanings and endless applications in the
familiar words long before written under
impulse of the Eternal Spirit. AS Christ
himself had seen the underlying truth hid
den in many passage of the Old Tesla
ment, so were his disciples, who were now
being raised to his fellowship, enabled to
interpret the peerless religious literature
of their nation, not as being themselves in
bondage to the letter, but as having the
life and freedom of the Spirit.
The import of this instruction was that
the disciples might be competent heralds
of the Gospel to all nations and to future
ages. They were thus prepared to preach
the mystery of the Crucifed and Risen
Saviour. Such a Gospel would be a
stumbling block to the Jews and foolish
ness to the Greeks; yet it had in it, as
every sincere believer knows, the power of
God for salvation. In his name the dis
ciples, beginning at Jerusalem, were to
preach to the world repentance of sins,
and in his name promise to all the remis-
sion of forsaken sins,-that is, that the
actual sins shall be taken out of the heart,
their power broken, their stain by Divine
Mercy washed away.
The eleven were commissioned in the
might of immortal hope and heavenly mer-
cy, and as eye witnesses of the Great Elk
ample, to preach righteousness,-and so
inaugurate the dispensation that shall, in
the fulness of times, reconcile the world to
God.
2. The Spirit PrOmised,-vs. 4o.
Luke omits the record of the several
subsequent appearings of Christ which the
other evangelists narrate, and hastens to
the grand close. There are, as we recall,
accounts of eleven reappearings of Jesus.
He came to the eleven on Sunday evening,
seven days after the appearance we are
now studying, and then convinced doubt
ing Thomas that he had indeed risen