The Sauk Centre herald., 1898-04-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
AEssoN u. SECOND QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL 10.


NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL 10.
ory Verses, g. = = Golden Text, I Cor.
Nv. sO-Commentary by the Rev. u. NJ.
.Stearns.
[Copynght. 1895. by d. M. stearns.l
We have our choice of two lessons for to-
sday, either the regular lesson in the series,
Math. xvi, 212S, or this resurrection les
sson, but as the latter, which we choose, is
"a brief section we can with great prone
devote a third of our space to the former.
Having warned His disciples against the
.seaven, or false doctrine, of the Pharisees
-and Sadducees, He drew from Simon Peter
THE confession, "Thou art the Christ, the
Son of the living God" This, Jesus said,
xvas a revelation to Simon from the Father
and was the foundation on which He
would build His church, which He now
mentions for the first time and only on
pne other occasion (M0h. xviii, III. He
then told them plainly that He must suffer
and die and rise from the dead the third
day, and, when Peter, taught by satan,
objected to this, Christ then taught the
disciples that not only was death the only
way for Him, but the only way for them
also as His followers. After His resurrec-
7tion He called their attention to the fact
sthat all the prophets had taught this, say
ing: 20 fools and slow of heart to believe
all that the prophets have spokenl Ought
mot Christ to have suffered these things
:and to enter into His glory?" (Luke xiv,
Is, 26.) 1t is the great truth which is ever
being spoken by the Spirit through Paul
h. = sfinl
Christ. Nevertheless 1 live, yet not l, but
alway delivered unto death for Jesus
sake, that the life also of Jesus might be
made manifest in our mortal flesh.
"'That l may know Him, and the power
of His resurrection, and the fellowship of
His sufferings, being made conformable
INTO His death" (Gal. ii, 90; II Cor. iv, IL;
Phil iii, 10).
l. "And when the Sabbath was past
Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother oi
James, and Salome. had bought sweet
spices, til they might come and anoint
Him" These women loved Him, followed
Him and ministered unto Him. They also
watched Him to the end and saw His body
laid to rest in Josephs tomb, then re-
turned and prepared spices and ointments,
and rested the Sabbath day, according tc
the commandment uuke xiii, e5, So;
Mark XIV, 4D In them and their ministr;
is seen great devotion to Him, the mani.
festation of true and heartfelt love- but in
this case their love lacked faith, for had
they believed His oft repeated words, that
He would rise again the third day, they
would not have prepared to anoint His
dead body on that day.
2. And very early in the morning the
first day of the week they came unto the
sepulcher at the rising of the sum-" But
they came looking for what they would
not find, for they had no authority to look
for dead body in tomb. We may be
perfectly sure that we shall find everything
exactly as He has said, and therefore it be-
comes us to hold fast these words: - be-
Eeve God, that it shall be even as it was
told me" (Acts xvii, 25).
S'sAnd they said among themselves,
Who shall roll US away the stone from the
door of the sepulcher?" Had they been
consciously sent of God on this errand they
might have had the comfort of Deut. xxi,
8; John K, 4, but He had not sent them
forth this time. 1t was in itself a good
work they had in view, and great love was
in it, and they were true disciples, but this
~errand was not of God 1t was a labor of
love, but not work of faith q Thess. i, 81.
If we walk in the good works He has pre-
pared for us (Eph. ii, 1O), we shall do well,
but all others, however seemingly good,
may turn out to be vain works and just
nothing, for He said, without Me ye can
do nothing" (John XIV, 81, which l take to
teach that not only will our work be
nothing without His blessing, but it will
be as nothing unless He has done it all
from the first.
4. And when they looked they saw
that the stone was rolled away, for it was
very great" 1t had not been rolled away
that He might come forth, for q resurrec-
tion body regards no obstacles. Neither
had it been rolled away that they might
accomplish what they had in view, the
amounting of His body, but an angel had
come from heaven and rolled back the
stone (Math. xviii, q that they might
see and believe, that He meant just what
He said when He told them that He would
rise again the third day. Blessed are they
that have not seen and yet have believed
<John Xxx, 8, 29).
8. "And entering into the sepulcher
they saw young man sitting on the right
side, clothed in a long white garment, and
they were affrighted." By comparing the
accounts it is clear that there were two an
gels-some saw>one inside and one out
side, and, again, both were inside. There
is no discrepancy or contradiction. To
send two is generally His way. Two went
with Him to visit Abraham and to rescue
Lot. Two were sent to the heavenward
gazing disciples The twelve and the sew
enty were sent by twos Sometimes He
sends but one, as when He sent Gabriel,
or when He sent Philip from Samaria to
the Ethiopian
g. "And he saith unto them, Be not
Affrighted Ye seek Jesus Of Nazareth,
which was crucifed He is risen. He is
not here. Behold the place where they
laid Him." They sought ignorantly, but
sincerely, and those who seek find The
word even to such is, Fear not. There
is no ground of fear to those who are in
Him, and from Gen. XIV, l, to the end OF
the story it is one oft repeated Fear mott"
BE not afraid, only believe" 2" Have faith
IN God" The ground of all peace. how
ever, is Jesus crucified and risen.
2. .But go your way, tell His disciples
and Peter that He goeth before you unto
Galilee. There shall ye see Him as He
said unto you" In Math xviii, 2, it is,
.1Go quickly and tell One has said that
fhe watchwords sof Christianity are: He
is risen Go tell. We have not to make
mp fine story and put in perfect form and
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