The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-01-11
THE SABBATH SCHOOL,
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JANUARY Is.

Lesson Text: "Christ's First Miracle,
John H., 1-11-Golden Text: John f.,
11-Commentary on the Days Lesson
by tho Rev. d. NJ. Stearns. !
/. "And the third day there was mar.
riage in Cana OF Galilee, and the mother
Of Jesus was there" The third days work
in Gen. 1. was the appearing OF the dry
land and its being covered with grass,
herbs and fruit trees. It was on the third
day that Abraham received Isaac back
from the dead In figure (Gen. xiii, 4;
Heb. II, 19). On the third day Jonah,
being delivered from the belly OF the fish,
started for Nineveh as scGod's messenger.
These, with many othe nird day stories:
are very suggestive of tue resurrection OF
our Lord on the third day, and as, apart
from His resurrection preaching, faith.
baptism and all ordinances arc In vain We
cannot wonder that the Scriptures mako
so much Of the truth Of His resurrection.
It is also most interesting to note that the
Bible begins with marriage In Eden and
ends with the marriage OF the Lamb. and
the first miracle wrought by tho Lamb OF
God was at this marriage In Cana. 8
2.."And both Jesus was called and His
disciples to the marriage" One OF the
very first institutions In tho Scriptures,
oneness With God and with Christ, the
one also that shall usher In the glorious
kingdom on the earth. He said Of Israel
"I am married unto you" (Jer. ill.,, ~,
and Of US who now believe in Him It ia
said that we are married to the Lord that
We should bring forth fruit unto God
(Rom. VIII, ~ The words used by Adam
concerning Eve in Gen. H., 20, "a, are used
in reference to Christ and tho church In
Eph. ", 30-S2, and in Heb. kill, 4, It Is said
that marriage Is honorable in all. p
8. "And when they wanted wine the
mother of Jesus saith unto Him, They
at this marriage-they have not enough Of
wine. Whether more people had come
than they had expected or whether some
one had been mistaken in the quantity
needed we afe not told. .;
A"Jesus saith unto her: Woman,
what have to do with thee2 Mine hour
Is not yet come" There is neither un.
kindness nor any lack of courtesy In this
word to His mother. There could not be,
for God is love, and love is Kind, and he
was God manifest In the hesh. he viz
tually said at least this--I will see to It at
the right time. The Lord Is God of judg-
ment or discernment; blessed are all they
that wait for Him Qsa. XXX, 1S).
D.
Whatsoever He saith unto you, do It."
Thus she placed the matter In His hands
and quietly left 1t there. She directed the
servants to Him for all further instruction
and withdrew from all further RESPONSE
bility. She knows It will be attended to,
and she leaves It. Do We thus cast every
care upon Him, every burden and anxiety,
and quietly leave 1t with Him? We are re-
minded OF Pharaoh's word to. the Egyp-
tians. Go unto Joseph: what he saith to
you do. -.t|. So,
8. "And there were set there six water
pots of stone, after the manner OF the
purifying OF the Jews, containing two OF
three frkins apiece" The pots were evi-
IDENTIFY empty, judging from the next verse.
When the Lord would use vessels in which
to show His power, He requires empty
vessels. When He would pay the Widows
debt, she was told by the prophet to bor-
row empty vessels, not few, and as long
as there was an empty vessel the oil
flowed to fill It Oh Kings w., 81.
z. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water
pots with water, and they. filed them up
to the brim." Now His hour Is about
come in which He will on this occasion
glorIfy the Father, and He tells the servants
what to do. It is always his to command;
1t is ours simply to obey. From water
everything has come, for in Gen. L., 3, We
see nothing but water. In the first seven
chapters OF this gospel there Is much to be
learned from the use Of this element. In
Eph. ", 26, 1t is an emblem of the words
by which we are cleansed.
8. "And he saith unto them. Draw out
now and bear unto the governor of the
feast. And they bare It." The Son Of Man
came to minister unto Others lMath. r.,
2S), and he permits US to be the bearers Of
His bounties.. As He permitted thetwelve
to bear the bread and fish which He multi
piled to the hungry thousands and these
servants to bear His wine to the governor
OF the feast $50 He permits US to bear the
living bread and water and His love, which
is better than wine, to all who Will receive
II. a..'
9. "When the ruler of the feast had tasted
tho water that was made wine and knew
not whence it was (but the servants which
drew the water knew, the governor Of the
feast called the bridegroom" The water
was made wide. he did it, and whether IT
be by the process of the vine and the grapes
or directly, as in this case, 1t is all equally
easy to Him. He is the vine; He Is the true
wine that maketh glad the heart Of man.
Not cup Of cold water shall lose its re-
ward; therefore those who give much water
now shall have much wine or Joy in the
kingdom. We are the earthen vessels, and
II we fill them up to the brim with the water
of His word He will change 1t to wine in
US, and we shall be full OF Joy. The more
sorrow for His sake now, the more Joy We
shall have hereafter. ..r ..-
10. "And saith unto him, Every man at
the beginning doth set forth good wine
and when men have we'll drunk then that
which Is worse, but thou hast kept the
good wine until now" Then it was good
wine, the best OF wine, which our Lord
Jesus made. This testimony IS from the
ruler of the feast, not knowing whence
the wine came. He only makes the best
Of everything; that which man makes Is
always inferior. If, as one has said, He
Keeps His best things for the few, It Is not
because He is not willing to give His best
to many. but rather because only the few
are willing to receive them.
II. "This beginning Of miracles did
Jesus in Cana Of Galilee and manifested
forth His glory. And His disciples be-
lieved in Him" This was His first mir.
acle; therefore all the apocryphal tales Of
the miracles OF His childhood cannot be
true. He manifested His glory. How2
By changing water into wine or by point
ing onward, as in the TRANSPORTATION. to
the time OF His kingdom and glory when
as He said at the last passover Luke 22).
He would not drink again OF the fruit OF
the vine until He would drink It anew IN
the kingdom. His glory must be associated
with His kingdom. His disciples, who
must have believed on Him before Cor they
would not have been His disciples), are
growing In confidence in and devotion to
Him. So should 1t ever be (II Pet. ILL.,,
1S).-Lesson Helper.