Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-03-29
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON !, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL 2.

by the Rev. ID. NJ. stearns.
Copyright. 1899. by d. NJ. Stearns.]
SO. Lord, if Thou hadst been here my
brother had not died." Thus said Mary
when she came to Jesus as she fell at
His feet in her sorrow. They had sent
Him word. but He came not, yet He
loved them. Oh, but this seems hard to
anything but very great faith! To see our
loved ones taken away knowing that He
could give them health and let them stay
with us, and yet believe that in it all He
loves us, We can see the love when He
gives health, as to the blind man or the
impotent man or the nobleman's son, and
we can see His love to those whom He
takes to His beautiful home, but where is
the evidence of love to the broken hearts
that are left? Yet It is all love, and all
for the best.
SO. HE groaned in the spirit and was
troubled" He hates death and will yet
destroy it, Hear Him as He says: II will
ransom them from the power of the grave,
will redeem them from death. o
death, I will be thy plaques; o grave,
will be thy Instruction. (Hos. kill, 14.)
The work of the enemy cannot hurt any
of His redeemed.
"a. "Where have ye laid him2" This
from Him as man, for as man He was
sympathizing with them and entering in
to their SORROWS. We have not a high
priest who cannot be touched with feel
ing of our infirmities, but was in all points
tempted like as we are, yet without sin
(Heb. iv, 15). They said unto Him, Lord.
come and see.
S5. "Jesus wept." What tears they were
which fell from the eyes of the Man Of Sor-
rows; actual tears from. human eyes, yet
He was God manifest in the flesh! Here
and on Olivet as He wept over Jerusalem
duke xix, AID He wept for Others, not for
Himself. To the daughters of Jerusalem
He said, Weep not for Me, but weep for
yourselves and for your children duke
xiii, 28) But what shall we say of His
strong crying and tears in Gethsemane,
/ when He prayed unto Him who was able
to save Him from death and was heard,
and was saved from dying in the garden,
and was strengthened by an angel and
went on and finished His work Heb. v,
/ SO. "Then said the Jews, Behold, how
He loved him." Yes, it was love that
wept, but there was more than love in it.
/ The words make us think of John iii, /,
4 "Behold what manner Of love the Father
hath bestowed upon us that we should be
called the sons of God" But one Only
Begotten, yet many sons through him.
81. Gould not this man have caused
that even this man should not have diedY"
Yes, He could, as far as the ability was
concerned, just as easily as He could open
blind eyes, but there was to be more glory
/ to God by the death and resurrection than
would have been by recovering him from
his sickness Verse A.. 1t seems as II ev-
erything He did was questioned by those
who knew Him not.
98. "Jesus, therefore, again groaning in
Himself, cometh to the grave" The whole
creation groaneth and travaileth in pain
together until now, and we also who have
the first fruits Of the Spirit groaii within
ourselves, waiting for the redemption of
the body (Rom. viii, 22, 23). There may
be connection between these two groan-
ings of creation and believers and the two
groanings of Jesus on this OCCASION
80. "Jesus said, Take ye away the
stone" But Martha objects, though she
had said, Il know that even now what
soever Thou wilt ask of God God will give
it Thee" (verse 22). How weak is our
faith and what doubling faith 1t isl 1t
often seems like no faith at ALL We say
know, l believe oversees 22, 27), and then
say, 1t Is too late now, utterly impossible,
it cannot be; if only He had come before.
40. "Jesus saith unto her, Said I not
unto thee that IL thou wouldest believe
thou shouldest see the glory of God?" To
the Father of the little girl who had Just
died Jesus said, Be not afraid, only be-
lieve MARK V, 36). To Thomas He said,
"Be not faithlcss, but believing John Xxx,
27). If we have faith and doubt not, we
shall see His power (Math. xxi, 81, 22).
Faith considers not feelings, nor circum-
stances. nor difficulties, but only God and
is fully persuaded (Rom. Nv, 1920.
Al. Jesus lifted up His eyes and said,
Father, thank Thee that Thou hast heard
Me-" This after they had taken away the
stone and before He called Lazarus forth.
In Math. XII, 25, we hear Him saying, IT
thank Thee, Father, Lord of heaven
and earth. because Thou hast hid these
things from the wise and prudent and
hast revealed them unto babes" On an
other occasion, right in the midst Of the
people, He said, Father. glorify Thy
name" John xii, 2S)
AZ. And knew that Thou nearest Me
always, but because of the people which
stand by l said it, that they may believe
that Thou hast sent Me-" 1t was His con-
slant testimony that He was here on earth
for the Father, that the Father sent Him
and told Him just what to say and wrought
all His works in Him.
| 40. And when He had thus spoken He
cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come
forth" One has said that IL He had not
mentioned Lazarus by name, but had just
cried, "Come FORTH all the bodies of
the saints would have responded, but at
this time He only wants Lazarus, and
him He calls by name. When Christ Him
! self rose from the dead, many bodies of
the saints which slept arose and came out
Of their graves after His resurrection and
went into the Holy City and appeared unto
many (Math. xvii, 52, 53).
AZ. "Jesus saith unto them, Loose him
| and let him CO." He was now alive at
the mouth of the tomb. but still bound
hand and foot with graveclothes; hence
| this command. How many saved people
are bound by former habits of their life
when they were dead In sins, and thus
hindered from running for Him or work
ing for Him or speaking for Hint He
permits those who are already free from
bonds to set others free How necessary
that the believer should be free from all
bondage!
As. "Then many of the Jews which
came to Mary and had seen the things
which Jesus did believed on Him." How
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