The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-12-20
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Dsssober SO, 1000 .
Review.

Prepared by H. c. Lenington.l
THE LESSON TEXT.
Prepared by II. c. Lenington.l
GOLDEN TEXT.-Thou crownest thS
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
In the Arst place we are TO recall
that Jesus was the Son OF God. This
gives authority to His teachings. His
coming was heralded by the angels,
His star was seen by the wise men Of
the east, and other signs showed that
He was NO ordinary man, but the
promised Messiah sent to redeem His
people, and having in Himself the es-
sence Of the Divine nature.
He was the Son Of Man, being .
lineal descendant Of David, king Of
Israel. and having for His mother
the Virgin Mary. Being the Son Of
Man, HE was tempted in all points
like as we are, yet without sim" This
gives us affinity with Jesus Christ and
furnishes the promise that through
Him, the God-Man, we may rise above
our lower and meaner selves and come
into fellowship with all that is divine.
Recall the opportunities Of the time
Of Jesus coming. This was no acci-
dent, but a part Of the divine plan.
There has been no other period in all
history when all the nations of the
known civilized world were included
in one great empire, and this under
Roman rule. This meant universal
peace, that there was one language
that could be generally understood.
and easy access to all parts. The
Jews had gone into every land.
and. being an essentially religious
people, carried with them the Old Tes-
lament writings as we know them.
Recall the childhood and youth Of
Jesus and His probable surroundings.
advantageous and otherwise. Remem-
ber that all Jewish children had abun-
dant opportunity to become familiar
With the Scriptures, and tha: ut
Nazareth. His childhood home and
SORT of international crossroads. lie
would come into contact with ail
types of people. Into the midst Of all
this place the picture of the boy
Jesus at the age Of 12, seeking TO
learn Of the Jewish rabbis, and the
purpose Of His life which was thus
early brought out by the question:
"Wist ye not that l must be about
my Fathers business?"
Then comes the introduction to His
public ministry. The first event was
the preaching of John the Baptist
then the baptism of Jesus: thirdly.
the descent of the Holy Spirit. and
last, His temptation in the wilder
ness. For 40 days He thought and
prayed and tasted. Here with His
life before Him He was met by the
three greatest temptations that could
come to man Of His human tempera.
ment and capacities. The first was
the temptation to command the stones
to become bread. This may be in
terprctsd a. the temptation to put
physical and material things above
that which Is spiritual. The second
was to cast Himself from q pinnacle
into the crowded court Of the temple.
This would have gained him immedi-
ate recognition. but not so could He
become the redeemer Of the world.
The last temptation was to become
the recognized ruler of-all the king
doms OF the earth. This was q subtle
temptation, for He had come to es-
tablish His kingdom on earth. It
was the temptation Of power and in
volved the putting Of Satan in the
place Of God. We are not to suppose
that the temptations Of Jesus were
not genuine. He was human as well
as divine, and these temptations were
the battles between the two natures
for supremacy, and the divine tri-
umphed.
Jesus ministry extended over parts
Of at least three years. The first
year was the year Of beginnings. At
Cana OF Galilee He performed His
first miracle. At Jerusalem He &C.
complished His first reform by driv.
ing out Of the temple the money
changers. His first recorded discourse
was contained in tbI conversation
with Nicodemus. His first great min
istry was in Judea. 1t was during
this year that He began gathering
about Him body Of disciples. 1t
was from among these disciples that
He afterwards chose ~ to be apostles.
The second year was the year in
which He laid down the great funda-
mental principles of the kingdom OF
Heaven. These are contained mainly
in the Sermon on the Mount. Very
briefly in the Beatitudes Jesus points
out those who will come into the
kingdom.
The third year was one of many
notable events, and early in it there
began to show signs Of gathering op-
position. 1t was during this year that
John the Baptist was beheaded. Then
we have the rejection Of Jesus at
Nazareth, the sending forth of the
Twelve and the feeding Of the five
thousand. The main discourses Of this
year were: On the Sabbath, on hu-
mility, on welcoming sinners, to the
rich young ruler and the talk at the
home of Zaccheus. The notable para.