Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-04-08
5nternatianal gesspns.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LEssuN III, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL Is.
Text of the Lesson, John kill, LII.
Memory Verses, 14-17-Golden Text,
John xiii, ii,15-Commentnry Prepared
by the Rev. d. VI. Stearns.

John xiii, 15-CommentnryP Prepared
by the Rev. d. VI. Stearns.
Copyright. 1899. by D. NJ. Stearns.1
1. Having loved His own which were
In the world, He loved them unto the
end" How good it is that He never
ceases to love us! He never finds out any
thing new about us, but before ever He
told us of His love He knew us thorough.
ly, and He loves us with an everlasting
love (Jer. xxi, 81. He came from the
Father into the world He is now about
to return to the Father, and He has some
last words and lessons for His disciples,
many of which are full Of assurances OF
His love, such as chapter XIV, 8.
2. At one time the devil used the SER
pent, but since Eve listened to him the
devil has always been able to find men and
women enough for his purposes He puts
before US evil thoughts, and If we receive
an evil thought then he will show US how
to carry it into an evil deed, and he will
come into us himself and consummate it.
In this verse he puts the thought into
Judas heart, and in verse 81 he comes in
himself.
8. Jesus was conscious that all power
and all things were His; that He came
from God and was going to God, and be-
cause of what He was He did what He
did. He did not try to make Himself equal
with God, for He was equal with God, one
with the Father. If we have received
Him, we are children of God by faith in
Him, heirs of God and joint heirs with
Christ (Rom. viii, 16, ~, and as we be-
lieve this we will be enabled to do or bear
cheerfully whatever He sends us.
4. Laying aside His garments is sug-
gestive of the glory which He laid aside
when He came to earth for u.s. and girding
Himself with a towel makes us think OF
Him as our great high priest, ever minis
tering to and serving us. He is still girt
about the breast with a golden girdle
(Rev. l, 13) and Is at God s right hand for
us Us well as In the midst of the churches
5. Washing and wiping the disciples
feet-how dumb with astonishment they
must have been, and what an opportunity
for blessed service some one lost! How
slow we are to see the opportunities until
they have passed. He never lost one.
6. Lord, dost Thou wash my feet?"
With amazement Simon has watched Him
passing from one to another, but now that
his own turn has come he cannot stand it
end thus cries out, adding, "Thou shalt
never wash my feet" (verse 81. To see our
Lord Jesus taking the place of the most
menial servant was too much for Peter
and perhaps made him wish that he had
been quick enough to do this instead of
his Lord and Master.
z. "What do thou knowest not now,
but thou shalt know hereafter" The
hereafter does not necessarily refer to
heaven and the life to come, but to later
period in this present life. We often have
some light as the years pass on upon God s
dealings with us, but doubtless the full
light will not como till the morning, and
many things may remain dark till then.
8. If I wash thee not, thou hast no
part with Me-" AS to this washing see
chapter Iii, 5; Cor. vi, IL; Titus lii, g.;
Rev. /, s; Eph. V, 26. We cannot have
part with Christ till He has made us meet,
but it is His work, and His alone, that
can give us this necessary cleansing.
8. Simon, not understanding, now asks
for more than our Lord was doing. Possibly
he had some thought in mentioning hands
and head as well as feet Of the blood and
oil upon the ear and hand and foot in the
conservation Of the priests and the cleans
ing of the lcper CLev. viii, "a; xiv, 20, 2S).
10. "Clean every whit" What word
concerning such us Peter and John and
the others Yet it is true of every sincere
believer. Sanctifled as well as justified by
the one offering of Jesus Christ once for
all-yes, perfected forever and complete
in Him (Hcb. X, 10, IA; Col. ii, 10y. This
is our standing in Christ through His fin
ishcd work. AS to our daily life we need
constant cleansing. The feet suggest our
contact with the world.
II. "Ye are not all clean" Judas never
had been true disciple. He was only of
the number of the twelve, not Of the
twelve. Those who 60 out from the num-
bcr of Christ's followers never to return
make it manifest that they never were
true followers Il John ii, 19). Those who
arc true disciples can never perish John
x, 81, 2S). The Lord knoweth them that
arc His.
12 Know We what I have done to you?"
They certainly knew that He had washed
and wiped their feet, but that was only
the outward act. Did they understand its
IICttlllllH: T1c Ilitile hllONl I1lS way = uH-
to Moses, His acts unto the children of Is
rael ops. CHI, y.
13. "Yc call Me Master and Lord, and
ye say we'll, for so 1 am." Paul loved to
say, God. whose am and whom 1 serve"
(Acts xvii, 23). Elijah said, 1.-The Lord
God of Israel liveth, before whom stand"
Il Kings xvii, y. On another occasion
our Lord said, lone Is your Master, even
Christ, and all ye arc brethren" (Math.
xiii, 81.
l4-16. II have given you an example,
that ye should do rs 1 have done to you. I"
We cannot be saved by trying to initiate
Christ, for there is no salvation except by
His blood. "Thc life of the flesh is in the
blood, and have given it to you upon the
altar to make an atonemcnt for your
souls, for it is the blood that maketh an
atonemcnt for the soul" (Lcv xvii, 11)
But He saves US by His blood that we
may follow Him as our example and man
ifest His life in these mortal bodies. Not
saved by any doing Of ours, but saved that
we may do. 1--WE are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God hath before prepared that we
should walk in them" (Eph. H. 10). Moth
ing will make us more apt to see quickly
these good works which He has for us to
do than a study of the life of our Lord in
the four gospels, always supposing that
O.. - - -, l.,