Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-03-22
.1AA SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON XIII, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 26.


by the Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.
copyright, 1899. by D. NJ Stearns.l
LESSON Christ the True Light (John
|, 1-14). Golden Text, John /, 4. "In Him
was life, and the life was the light of
men. Three of the leading words in this
gospel and also in Johns epistles are
light, life and love- Each is fully seen in
Christ. We are all naturally darkness,
but He so loved us that He gave Himself
for us and gives Himself to us, and when
we receive Him He becomes to us both life
and light. Inasmuch as He is the Creator
of all things how great is the life and
light!
LESSON H. - Christ's First Disciples
(John 1, 35-46). Golden Text, John l, SO,
Behold the Lamb Of God" He remained
on earth till He had finished the work the
Father gave Him to do, the great work of
atonement. and by His life had shown us
the life men ought to live. Now He wants
all the time till He shall come again
those who will not only let Him save
them, but who will follow fully in His
steps and let Him reproduce in them by
His Spirit His own life to the glory of God.
LESSON Ill. - Christ's First Miracle
John ii, LID. Golden Text, John ii, II,
"And His disciples believed on Him." At
this feast and by this miracle He mani
tested forth His glory He always encour
ages His disciples to patience and faith
fulness by thoughts and glimpses of His
glory. Consider and see how He did this
in the case of Abraham and Jacob, Moses
and Joshua, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel,
Peter, James and John and Saul of Tar
sus.
LESSON Nv. Christ and Nicodemus
John Iii. 1-16). Golden Text, John iii,
16, "For God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten Son, that whose
ever believeth in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life" No natural
man, however moral or religious, can un-
derstand the things of God. He must first
receive nature capable of understanding
these things. He must be born from above.
LESSON V.-Christ at Jacobs Well John
Nv, 5-15) Golden Text, John iv, IA, "Who-
soever drinketh of the water that shall
give him shall never thirst" While re-
ligious, moral people must be born again
sinners such as this woman may be born
again. Even Samaritans may come All
may receive the living water which will
be well in them ever satisfying and flow
ing forth to bless others.
LESSON VI.-The Nobleman's Son Heal
ed John iv, 48-54). Golden Text, John
iv, 50, Jesus said unto him, Thy son liv-
eth. And himself believed and his whole
house." In each chapter the way of life
and Of discipleship is set forth as believ-
ing, and in this lesson it is believing with
out seeing or feeling, just believing His
word because it is His word
LESSON VII.--Christ's Divine Authority
John V, 1927. Golden Text, John iv,
AZ, "This is indeed the Christ, the Saviour
of the world" In the last lesson dying
boy was healed, now it is helpless man
who had been suffering for 3S years, but
it is the same all powerful word that does
it, the word by which all things were
created. All things were created by Him
and for Him. He only knoweth the Fa-
ther, and He alone can reveal the Father.
All Judgment has been committed to Him
and likewise all power.
LESSON VIII.-Christ Feeding the Five
Thousand John vi, 1-14). Golden Text,
John vi, 49,. II am the Bread of Life"
He is Ell Shaddai (Gen. xvii, u, the mighty
God, who is all sufficient. He needs no
advice from us, nor any help. He will
let US be His fellow laborers, but the work
and all provision for it and all the glory
of it are wholly His. He can work en-
tirely apart from us, or He may take what
we have and bless and multiply it,
LESSON IX.--Christ at the Feast John
vii, IA, 2S-37). Golden Text, John vii,
81, IF any man thirst, let him come unto
Me and drink" Bread and water repre-
sent that which cur bodies need for sus-
tenance, and one Of the great promises is,
Bread shall be given him, his waters
shall be sure" lisa. xxxiii, 49, While we
would not think much Of such diet it is
suggestive of all our needs, and all that
need is met in Him who is the living
bread and the fountain of living waters.
The Jews kept the feast, but knew Him
not. We may be very religious, but it is
Himself alone and not ordinances that can
satisfy Paul took pleasure and glorified
in infirnities that the wonderful power of
Christ might rest upon him Oh Cor. xii,
9-10). All that God does is that His dear
Son may be glori1ed, and when we re-
ceive and worship Him and honor Him
God is well pleased for the testimony. The
Christian must be ready to spend and be
spent.
LESSON X.-Christ Freeing From Sin
tJOnu ol-ooJ. oOiucn l0Ab, JOuH
viii, 36, "If the Son therefore shall make
you free, ye shall be free indeed" Those
who think they are all right may, like
these self righteous Pharisees, be all
wrong II man think himself to be
something when he is nothing, he deceiv-
eth himself These blind Pharisees were
sinners and did not know it, The poor wo.
man was a sinner and knew it. A sense
of sin is necessary before one can enjoy the
forgiveness of sins.
LESSON XI.-Christ Healing the Blind
Man John tx, lid. Golden Text, John
tx, 25, lone thing / know, that whereas
was blind, now / see." Not only do all
things work together for good to them
that love God, but all things, all events,
all circumstances, give God an occasion to
work. The blind and lame, the deaf and
dumb, the sick and dying, the weak and
the infirm, all give the Lord an oppor-
tunity either to DO glorifled in healing
them or in manifesting special grace by
forth in their inflrmities His
meekness and patience under trial. for the
ornament of meek and quiet spirit is in
the sight of God Of great price Il Pet.
ill, ~.
LESSON XIL.-Christ, the Good Shep-
herd (John x, l-16). Golden Text, John
<, IL, II am the Good Shepherd the Good
Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep" In
no sense hireling, never seeking His own
will, nor His own glory, but always the |
0lOry of his Father and the good of man