Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-05-13
International gessp'1s.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LEssoNVIlI, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY 81.
Text of the Lesson, John xviii, Is, 27.
Memory Verses, 23-25-Golden Text.
John 1, documentary Prepared
nv the Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.

Memory Verses, 23-25-Go1den Text
John 1, 11-Commentary Prepared
by the Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.
copyright, 1899. by D. NJ. Stearns.l
Is. And Simon Peter followed Jesus. v
In Math. XVI, So, it is said that Peter
followed Him afar off, and when any fol
low Him that way instead of following
fully we may expect to see some work Of
satan in such ono. The dogs do not neeo
to run after the sheep which keep close by
the shepherd 1t is only the wanderers
which need to be barked in. Matthew alsc
saws that Peter went in and sat with the
servants. He put himself in bdd company
He is in great danger. :,
16. "Peter stood at the door without. y
John went out and spoke unto her that
kept the door and had Peter come in q
little nearer. Before this and Immediately
after His arrest all the disciples forsooB
Him and fled, even as Jesus had said
aye shall be scattered, every man to his
own and shall leave me alone" John xvi
82). But Peter and John must have soor
returned. Peter in his great weakness
and John in his great love seemed In
many ways the nearest to Christ of all the
disciples.
II. "Art not thou also one of this mans
disciples2 He saith, / am not" Thus
spake the damsel that kept the door, and
thus Peter replied. Peter, who had said
although all shall be offended, yet will
not I. II I should die with Thee, I will
not deny Thee in any wise" MARK xiv
90, 81). How little we know our OWL
hearts or realize how weak we are ano
what we might do If left to ourselves.
1s. Peter stood with them and warmed
himself" he stood with the servants
and officers who had made fire of Goals
to warm themselves, for 1t was cold
The expression lit was cold" seems tc
me to 20 along with that in chapter xiii
30, at was night" If they call to mind
any time in your own life when with you
either literally or flguratively, or both, II
was night-so dark and cold and lonely
you will better understand. To ou1
Lord it was from the earthly side so darb
and lonely, but His comfort was His
Fathers presence and approval.
10. THE high priest then asked Jesus
of His disciples and of His doctrine" A:
if it had been some friendly call that Jesus
had made upon him, while all the time
there was murder in his heart and he was
probably rejoicing that at last he had this
man in his power who had SGT aside theil
traditions, broken their Sabbath days, de
fled their power and plainly told then
that they were hypocrites, blind guides
whited sepulchres. Our Lord Jesus hao
proved that He was Israels Messiah, sent
of God, and that God was with Him, ano
the high priest knew, as Nicodemns knew
that no ono could do what Jesus did un
less God was with him (chaptcr ill, p.
20. Jesus answered him, spake open
" to the world; 1 ever taught in the syna
gogue and in the temple, whittier the Jews
always resort; and in secret have 1 sale
nothing" Even the people had said
$50, He speakcth boldly, and they say
nothing unto Him. Do the rulers know
indeed that this is the very Christi" (Johr
vii, 26) The officers also said to the chiei
priests and Pharisees, ''Never man spake
like this man" (John vii, 46).
21. "Why askcst thou Me? Ask then
which heard Me what I have said unto
them; behold they know what l said. y
Yes, and the high priest himself knew
enough of what Jesus had said, for many
time had he and the other priests anc
the Pharisees talked Of the sayings o.
Jesus, but the teaching was too holy fol
them; the light was too strong for thcil
eyes; they could not bear 1t. They
taught the commandments of men, but
Jesus taught the word of God. They pre-
ferred their traditions to the word of God
%. "One of the officers which stood by
struck Jesus with the palm of his hand. .
The margin says with rod" How
difficult it is to understand all this, anG
to see the true High Priest standing as q
criminal before the legal high priest, who
was in reality no priest of God at all, ano
then to see this officer of the law lift his
hand and smite his Creator! But they
did not know what they were doing
23. "Jesus answered him, If l have
spoken evil, bear witness Of the evil; but
if well, why smitest thou McS" 1t was 6
mild protest to a great wrong and to mos1
unjust treatment. Even great crimlna
is by the law and the officers of the law
protected till his case is heard, and NJ
one dare touch him. Against our Lort
nothing was proved yet; He was not ever
properly on trial.
"a. "Now Annas had sent Him bound
unto Caiapbas, the high priest. Johr
does not dwell longer upon His i'll treat
ment before Caiaphas, the false witnesses
the blindfolding and splitting and buffet
ing. Perhaps, like the agony in Geth
semane, it was more than he could write
about. Matthew, Mark and Luke saw II
not; they only heard it from others; but
John saw it I'LL, it was very real to him
he could not forget it, and to write II
would be to live it all over again. H.
could not stand it; it was not required o.
him, else he would have done it. Do not
fail to notice what Jesus said to the higt
priest about His second coming, for it vii
surely come to pass (Math. XVI, 64
Mark xiv, 62; Luke xxi, 69).
20. AS Peter warmed himself at the ser
wants fire one said unto him, ART moi
thou also one of His disciples?" And tht
second time he denied and said, Il an
not" The steps in Peters downfall
seem to be self confidence and boasting
following afar off, keeping the compan!
of the ungodly and enjoying the warmth
of their fire. They are written for oul
warming that we may avoid them all
They are partly summed up in Ps. i, l.
26, 81. A relative of the man whose en-
Peter cut off said, Did not sec thee IL
the garden with Him9" And for the thirt
time Peter denied, and Immediately tn,