The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-04-26
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
April %. l8OO-Jesss aad John
the Baptist.

Of all these things
la And John calling unto him two o,
his disciples sent them to Jesus. saying
Art Thou He that should comef or look We
for another?
20. When the men were come unto him.
they said: John Baptist hath sent US unto
Thee, saying: Art Thou He that should
come7 or look we for anotherf
2l And in that same hour He cured many
Of their inflrmities and plaques. and oi
evil spirits and unto many that we're
blind He gave sight
q. Then Jesus answering said unto them:
Go your way. and tell John what things ye
have seen and heard: how that the blind
see. the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed.
the deaf hear. the dead are raised. to the
poor the Gospel Is preached.
%. And blessed is he. whosoever shall
not be offended In Me-
a. And when the messengers OF John
were departed. He began to speak unto
the people concerning John. What wen,
ye out into the wilderness for to see? A
reed shaken with the wind?
2a But what went ye out for to see? A
man clothed in soft raiment? Behold. they
which are gorgeousiy apparelled. and live
delicately. are In kings courts.
&C. But what went ye out for to see? A
prophet? Yea. ! say unto you. and much
more than a prophet.
q This is he. Of whom It is written. Be
hold. send my messenger before thy face.
which shall prepare thy way before thee.
rs For say unto you: Among those that
are born OF women there Is not greater
prophet than John the Baptist; but he that
Is least In the Kingdom Of God is greater
than he.
GOLDEN TEXT. = He hath done all
things well.-Mark 1887.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The lesson should include all the
Gospel narrative concerning the mes
sage of John and what Jesus said on
receiving it. This is told in substan.
TALLY the same language in both Mat
thew 1l:2-19a and Luke 1875. The story
of the raising of the widows son (being
the connection with last Sundays les
sony should also be read. The follow
ing analysis of the Scripture section
can then be made. all from the seventh
chapter of Luke:
Raising OF the Widows Son. Hill
Johns Message to Jesus.............vs. 1890
The Answer of Jesus. 2l-23
Jesus breaches to the People........vs. H-3
Raising the Widows Son.-This is
the first one of the three instances
which we have Jesus recorded as rails
ing one from the dead. The other two
cases are the raising of the daughter
of Jairus, and the bringing forth of
Lazarus. 1t emphasizes anew the power
of Jesus over the forces of nature, and
the promise dear to the Christian
banrtl nf lifa nft mr. lo,tb
Johns Message TO Jesus.-The ac-
count of the miracles of Jesus and pos
sibly of the sermon on the mount.
reached John the Baptist in his prison.
He had been imprisoned at Macherus
since the March before. 1t was now
midsummer in the year A. ID. 2s. He
had pointed Jesus out as 1.-The Lamb of
God" but sitting idly inthe prison was
a discouraging occupation. He became
gloomy and wondered, perhaps. fafter
all he had not missed his calling when
he had gone out to preach that "the
kingdom of Heaven is at hand" He
had seen, and with his own hand bap.
tized, the one he expected was to be
the head of this Kingdom, yet this
king was only going about and preach
ing. So he sent two of his disciples
to Jesus to ask: Art thou He that
should come? or look we for an
other?"
The Answer of Jesus. - How like
Jesus it was to make the answer He
did! 1t was after Gods own method.
Out of all the countless cons of silence
God has spoken to mortal >man but
few times. But He has not been idle.
BY the wonders of nature, and in the
world around and about men He has
been trying to reveal His purpose. Man
thinks he can learn by precept. but
history shows that experience is the
only instructor man will follow. So
God has been silently working. Now,
when the disciples of John came to
Jesus. He said nothing directly. but
we are told that "in that same hour He
cured many of their infirmities and
plaques, and of evil spirits; and unto
many that were blind He gave sight"
This was the answer of Jesus. Then
Jesus said: go your way, and tell
John what things ye have seen and
heard"
Following the translation of the re.
vised version. the twenty-third verse
may be paraphrased: Happy is he
who shall not find in Me an occasion
of stumbling"
Jesus breaches to the People.-This
sermon of Jesus is G) tribute to John
and (2) an arraignment of the Phari.
sees. He calls the peoples attention
to the fact that it was the simple
preaching of John which attracted
multitudes to the wilderness to hear
him. He speaks of John as prophet
and the greatest of prophets. He is
more than prophet; he is the one
who, as it had been foretold. was &c
prepare the way of the Lord. Those
who had been baptized by John agreeS
to this, or as the text says. Justified
God" But the pharisees and lawyers
scoffed. Jesus turns upon them. ant
shows them their Inconsistency. They
had evidently said: John hath &
devil" because he neither ate breaC
| nor drank wine. But Jesus conformet
more TO the customs of the day, ant