The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-25
THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL LESSON
Feb. 20, 1soo-John vii, IA, 2s-s7.

Had Jesus come to the feast with the Galilean
caravan He might have appeared a partisan.
Sectional animosity, always ripe, would have
been inhamed preaching would have been out Of
the question and riot imminent. Divine His
prudence! When the edge of curiosity had been
taken off by lapse of time, the murmuring and
interchange of opinion. as well as the progress
OF the festive services, unheralded and with
benignant calmness, the Master appeared in the
temple. and on an occasion especially designated
by the law for the purpose Of instruction He took
the task out of the unworthy hands of the
Pharisees.
The evangelist gives us but the briefest outline
of what was, perhaps, an extended discourse.
well named THE first great colloquy with the
Jewish populace and their rulers''-a discourse
much contradicted by the contradiction of sinners.
Jesus exordium consists in an affirmation of the
divine origin Of His teaching. MY doctrine is
not that Of a mere man, as 1 appear to be. 1t is
Jehovah, who sent me" This shall be confirmed
by an nwa consciousness to those who obedi-
Bread, water, light, the Indispensable, are the
emblems Jesus selected to represent His offices
to the human soul. 1t was His custom TO draw
contrasts to passing events. Probably after the
lighting of the muItitudinous lamps upon the
candelabra in the treasury He exclaimed, II am
the light Of the world So, on this occasion.
when the priest came with the rejoicing process
G4QAAdlt VI lO4 tie EO4QGI OIn uilCQ Will
water from Sloan, in memory of the water
miraculously supplied in the wilderness, and was
just on the point of pouring it out beside the
altar, Jesus diverted attention from the joyous
spectacle. He cried in strong antithesis: fIf any
man thirst, let him come to me-" Limitless the
invitation! The whatsoever of the Apocalypse
is an echo to this IF any man. He Identifies
himself with that spiritual Rock that followed the
fathers in the wilderness and Of which they
drank.
1t is evidence of the invincible depravity Of the
human heart that even Jesus could not convince
His hearers. There was a division at the close Of
the service. The Prince Of Peace had brought a
sword. The gospel still causes a tumult in the
heart of the individual, creates a variance ard
makes even those of the same household foes.
Yet its ultimate effect is peace for the Individual
and the race. The trend of the Christian CEN
turtles is steadily out Of sin and strife and toward
universal millenial righteousness, peace and joy.
H TEACHERS LANTERN.
First-For the most of His public life Jesus was
an exile from the ecclesiastical capital. 1t was
imprudent for Him to walk in Jewry! But He
aid not excuse himself from activity on that ac-
count. He walked" in Galilee and did works.
teaching preaching and healing" In this
He is an example to us.
Seoond-The advice Of Jesus brothers that He
should go into Judea and work miracles was a re-
iteration Of the DEVILS temptation to cast himself
down from a pinnacle Of the temple namely.
perform some prodigy in presence OF the rulers
and thus extort immediate acknowledgment Of
His Messiahship.
Naturalization is not in the blood; is not a
$1,000
would not have been ~skeptics.
Fourth-The marveling of the Jews is that Of
the ages-Jesus' words are miracles In speech.
They are spirit" and life" He is Original and
Source Of the truth He utters. II speak the
truth. / am truth"
Fifth-Prejudice Difference for authority and
that better mood, teachabIeness produced a con-
trariety of opinions and corresponding attitude
Seine pronounced Him a good man Qaint
praise). others a deceiver; some marveled; others
said He was possessed; some admired His bold
ness, after the manner Of Thomas Hughes in his
"Manliness Of Christi others wanted the opinion
Of the rulers; some would have done Him
violence; others thought Him a prophet. and. hap
PLY, many believed.
Sixth-It is history and experience that the be-
lever may send forth from his inmost soul, not
intermittingly, but with steady flow Of a river, an
influence that shall witty hearts and homes
about him.
seventh-There is always deep satisfaction in an
inspired comment, such as the thirty-ninth verse
contains. From 1t we know that the water which
Jesus gives. and for which the believer In turn
may become a channel, is the Holy Ghost. AS
water cleanses. satiates thirst and makes fruitful.
so all these Indispensable Offices are performed
in the believers soul by him whom Jesus sent.
Eighth-Tabernaele was -pre-eminentiy a joyous
feast. The rabbits say: He has not seen 10Y who
has not seen the JOY Of the drawing Of the
water" But Pentecost eclipses Tabernacles. 1T
is joy unspeakahle and full Of glory"