The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-26
Sunday School Lesson for March Il.
QUARTERLY REVIEW.
BY j. e. GILBERT, D. D., IL, D.,
Secretary of American Society of Religious Education

INTRODUCTION.-.For three months
we have studied parts of the first four
teen chapters of the first Gospel. Our
teacher has been Matthew, the publican
apostle. Taken from the receipt of GUS
tom he has become the guide of millions
of Sunday school students, seeking a
knowledge of Jesus the Messiah one in
stance of high honor conferred upon those
who follow Christ. our lessons, taken at
intervals from the narrative, may be
grouped under two general heads-those
that relate Christ to different sorts of
people. and those that contain His teach
ings on various subjects. OF the former
there were eight lessons, of the latter
four. Our review will regard this olassi-
tication. 1t will appear to all that this
two-fold view of our Lord is intensely
interesting. How He conducted Himself
with reference To those about Him, His
contemporaries, now lie spoke on great
Questions--this Is the concrete and the
abstract Jesus. The two views are inti-
mately related BY the one He is dis
tnguished from men as their superior
by the other He displays His transcend
ant wisdom.
FORERUNNER.-W have had two
lessons, the first and the twelfth, show
ing Jesus i'm relation to John the Bap
tist. That eminent preacher of righteous
y
was permitted by the ordinance of bap-
tsm to introduce the Lord of glory. That
event, and the attending phenomena,
We're of immense Importance. John had
been instructed in advance John /, %
80, and had Informed the people that
Messiah would be made known to him by
certain signs. Accordingly by so much
as he had gained public confidence, his
testimony to Jesus ought to have pro-
duced an impression upon the minds of
the people. The twelfth lesson has two
points of interest 1t shows the courage
and faithfulneSS of John to the last OF
his career, making him as Cne of the fore
most preachers of the times and it shows
how by an affective Providence he was re-
moved from labor that no one might he
prevented from following Jesus. John
closed his ministry at the time when
Christ was so gaining in popularity that
all eyes We're turned toward Him John
ill., 3OD.
TEMPTER.-Our second lesson repre-
sented Jesus as He was related to the
great Adversary, the Devil. Immediately
after John had announced Him at the
Jordan lie went away to be tempted. A
long period of fasting followed by hum
ger. furnished those bodily conditions IA
vorable to the assault. Three times
Satan made suggestions, covering those
points tnat are Vulnerable IN human
nature-the needs Of the body, the dispo-
sition to use unlawful means for the aC-
complishment of Il worthy end, the sur
render of principle for the attainment of
power. All these attacks were repeled by
quotations from Scripture showing that
the Bible is the storehouse of truths need
ed in the struggles of the soul psalm
cXiX, IL. But after the victory came the
ministry of angels Matt. iv, H. indicat-
ing that the world of spirits is like this
world, divided on the lines of sin and
righteousness. This lesson is chiefly val
liable because it sets forth Jesus as
mightier than Satan. He, before whom
all men have bowed, suffered defeat from
the Lord. That was the greatest battle
and the most glorious triumph in the his
tory of the race.
DISCIPLES.-Three lessons, the third,