Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-02-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE
LESSON.
Refiections of an Eleva ting charactes,
Wholesome Food for Thought
Studying the scriptural Lesson In
diligently and Probably.

wholesome Food for Thought
Studying the scriptural Lesson In
diligently and Probably.
The lesson for Feb. IL is from John 3:
lis, and its subject n Jesus and Nico-
demus" During the early Judean min
istry of our Lord he made an early at
tempt to win recognition as the Messiah;
rather, let us say, he gave some revela-
lions Of his Messianic nature which were
but dimly apprehended by the people.
While during the most of the time he
appeared to the multitudes simply as an
eminent teacher, to his disciples and to
such inquirers as Nicodemus he showed
deeper phases of his work. Had he re-
ceived more encouraging degree Of un-
derstanding in Judea he might have re-
manned there much longer; might, indeed,
have made Jerusalem, rather than Cali
lee, the center of his ministry. But it
was just such conversations as that with
Nicodemus, showing the spiritual gnor-
ance of even the most enlightened lead
ers, that sent Jesus into Galilee to gath
er about him following of the COM
mon people.
Explanatory.
There was a man of the Pharisees."
1t is rather too sweeping to class all the
Pharisees as hypocrites and bigots. From
their rise in the times of persecution in
the second century before Christ down to
the era of the Jewish oligarchy that pre-
ceded the Roman conquest, the Phari-
sees represented the noblest class of the
Jews, the faithful ones, the loyal sup
- ...J he, xxn;o
traditions, who stood against all false
liberalism and looseness of doctrine. But
with the Pharisees, as with many other
religious parties, politics proved ruinous.
As the division between Pharisees and
Sadducees became more and more polit-
ical, both parties became worldly and
unspiritual. The Pharisees, always in
bondage to liberalism, were by this time
mere slaves to tradition. Among them
there We're plenty of men of hard, cruel
hearts and ungodly lives, who maintained
the forms Of godliness. There were also
some men who still hungered after truth
and had not closed their ears to new mes
sages from God. Nicodemus seems to
have belonged to this latter class. He
was evidently leader, "the teacher of
Israel" member of the Sanhedrin,
which was the highest ecclesiastical body
in the Jewish nation.
Why Nicodemus came by night nobody
will ever know. 1t may have been fear
or it may have been the desire for a
quiet talk at time when both Jesus and
himself would be uninterrupted. Jesus
days must have been very busy, and per-
haps it was customary for him to receive
inquirers after the days work was over.
Nicodemus' opening sentence was doubt
less intended as a courteous opening to
the conversation. 1t had, however,
tone of condescension, which Jesus must
have noted. "A teacher come from God"
this begins well; but the distinguished
scholar modifies it cautiously, lest he
make some rash statement not warranted
by Jesus reputation: For no man can
do these miracles that thou doest except
God be with him." Nicodemus probably
intended to make little speech leading
up to a discussion of religious truth, the
Interpretation of law and prophecy; he
would be glad to, talk over some fine
points of theology with a rising young
rabbi.
How swift the perception of Jesus and
how profound his reply He "anwered"
swered, not the unspoken query of his
visitor, but the fundamental question that
his visitor must needs hear and answer
before his life would be what it should.
Except a man be born again Tor from
above) he cannot see the kingdom OF
God" The metaphor of the new birth
was new to Nicodemus, but it Is hard to
see why it should have been incompre-
hensible.
THE wind bloweth where it listeth."
As often suggested, they probably heard
the night wind blowing through the
streets outside. Jesus frequently used
illustrations suggested by the immediate
circumstances of the moment. The APP
propriateness of the figure is not so evil
dent to us as If English, like Hebrew,
Aramaic and Greek, employed the same
word for spirit as for wind or breath.
Are you a master of Israeli A mas
ter-that is, teacher. If a leader among
the Jews, one deeply versed in religious
learning, could be so astonished at funda-
mental truths, how could there be any
hope of discussing with him the higher
doctrines which he had wished to bring
up? 1t is a severe rebuke, yet spoken
more i'll disappointment than in annoy
ance. These are earthly things"-the
new birth, the work of the Spirit-that
is, they belong to the present age, its
needs and problems. If even they are be-
yond Nicodemus' understanding it is vain
to tell him the mysteries of the heaven
ly sphere.
In these sentences, whether spoken by
Jesus or by the evangelist John, is sum-
med up the essence OF the gospel-salva-
ton through love on Gods part and faith
on mans. 1t is as il wise and patient
teacher, perceiving the inability of the
child to understand the matters concern
ing which he is curious, should say to
the child, Here is something simple and
yet profound, which you can grasp and
which neither 1 nor anybody can really
Let us study it together"
OF all the lesosns that nay be gained
from. this chapter there is one that should
not be neglected in classes of adults:
The lesson that it is foolish for us to seek
to pry into the hidden mysteries Of the
future state, Of the angels, of the Trim
ity and the like, until we have a firmer
hold on the sublimely simple doctrines of
which have been taught us from
childhood. ,.
Next Lesson-"Jesus at Jacobs Well"
John A: 5-26.
The Black Cat Fad.