Passaic City record., 1900-03-24
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON coMMENT.
FOR MARCH rs.

Review OF the First Quarter, Luke IT,, T..
IL; Mark t., 29-34-Golden Text: Mark
T., 45-Summary of the Various Les.
sons.
INTRODUCTION. ID uring the quarter we
have studied the life OF Christ from His
birth to the middle OF the second year OF
His public ministry. We have heard the
angels sing His praises; we have seen the
dove and heard the voice from heaven; we
have watched His conflict with Satan and
rejoiced at the victory He gained; we have
been forcibly impressed with the seven
humble men He has chosen as His disci-
pies; we have listened to His heavenly in
struction, In the upper room, Mt the we'll,
and in the synagogue; and we have behed
His mighty healing power, and now We are
ready to exclaim, Truly, Thou art the
Christ, the Son OF the living God.
LESSON I. The birth OF Jesus. At Beth.
lehem, Micah So. God so ordered events
that through natural causes Joseph and
Mary were led, at just the right time, from
Nazareth to Bethlehem. The angel of the
Lord appeared to the shepherds. "Unto
you is born"-unto the Jews. unto all peo-
pie; "a Saviour"-a Deliverer; (which is
Christ"-the anointsd One, and as such
our Prophet, Priest and King; "the Lord"
this child is Jehovah Himself.
II. Jesus twelve years old; at the feast
of the Passover. When they start on the
return trip the child is left behind; found
in the temple with the doctors OF the law,
asking aud answering questions; all were
astonished; His parents gently reprove
Him; He tells them He must be about "His
Fathers business" returns with them to
Nazareth.
III. The preaching of John the Baptist.
Tfberius Caesar Roman Emperor; PLATE
Governor of Judea; Herod tetrarch of Gal
lice; Annas and Calaphas high priests.
John preached In the wilderness; baptized
in Jordan; preached repentance; insisted
that they bring forth fruits unto repent-
ance; different classes came to him; a thor
ough reformation required Of all; pointed
to the Messiah.
". Jesus goes from Nazareth, In Galllee,
to the Jordan, to be baptized of John.
John shrnks from such step; Jesus urges
it; is baptized: the heavens are opened; the
Spirit descends like dove upon Him; voice
from heaven; led into the wilderness; fasts
forty days and nights; afterwards hungers;
tempted. l. Command stones be made
bread. 2. Cast thyself down. 8. Fall down
and worship Me.
V. John the Baptist was near the close
of his life work. He was anxious that his
disciples should accept the leadership of
Jesus. Pointed Andrew and : John to Jesus;
they follow Him; Jesus turned and asked
them what they sought; invites them with
Him; they abide with Him that day; bring
their brothers, Simon and James, to Jesus;
Jesus goes into Galilee; finds Philip and
Nathaniel.
vi. Nicodemus rich ruler of the Jews,
and member Of the Sanhedrin came to
Jesus by night: introduced the subject OF
miracles; Jesus said: eye must be born
again. Nlcodemus failed to understand;
Illustration OF the wind. Jesus points Nico-
demus to the Son OF Man; illustration OF
the serpent in the wilderness; Gods great
love for man; he that believeth shall have
| life.
| VII. Jesus goes through Samaria; stops
mt Jacobs well, meets the woman; asks IL
drink she expresses surprise; Jesus speaks
of the gift OF God-living water, and tells
her that those who drink snail never
thirst; she desires it; Jesus asks her to
call her husband; she says she has none;
has had five; calls Jesus prophet; asks
about place Of worship; true worship must
be In spirit and In truth.
VIII. Jesus Is at Nazareth; In the syna-
gogue; on the Sabbath Day. Reads from
Isa ell, 2; applies the Scripture to Him
self; He can save the poor. the broken
| hearted, the captives, the blind, the
bruised; they question regarding His low
| ly birth; He cannot heal there because not
accepted; justiaes His course by reference
to Elijah and Elisha; they think He puts
them lower than the heather; try to kill
Him; He escapes.
gogue; on the Sabbath day. Teaches the
people; they are astonished at His doc
trine; an unclean spirit cries out; Jesus
casts Him out; fame spread abroad; at
Peters house; mother-in-law healed;
when the sun was down the diseased and
those possessed with devils were brought
to Him, and He healed them all and cast
out the devils. He suffered not the devil
to speak," Jesus Is not dependent upon
the testimony OF devils to carry on His
work or to prove His divinity. There Is no
concord between Christ and Belial. 2 Cor,
6:14-16.
K. Jesus In Capernaum at Peters house.
Great crowd at the door; paralytic
brought and carried to the roof; the roof
torn up; the bed let down; Jesus saw their
faith; Thy sins be forgiven thee; the scribes
reason; He speaketh blasphenies; Jesus
answers them; which Is easier to say,
Arise, or thy sins be forgiven? the cure; the
people amazed. They gloriaed God, say
ing, "We never saw it on this fashion,"
They saw that none but God could perform
such wonderful cure and they were filled
with reverence and fear. The divinity of
our Lord is here fully established.
XI, Jesus teaching at the seaside; sees
Levi at the receipt OF custom; Follow Me;
feast at Lewis house; sat with publicans
and sinners; the scribes and Pharisees
question the propriety OF this; the sick
need physician. Why do not Thy disci.
pies fast? this marriage feast and 1t Is
not an occasion for fasting; two figures
old garment, old bottles. BY these figures
Jesus shows that the Jewish system OF re-
ligion was old and effete, ready Ito vanish
away (Heb. 8:13), and that He proposed to
replace 1t with something entirely new.
Jesus calls His disciples from among the
common people. He pays no attention to
caste or social distinctions, but wherever
He finds an honest, humble heart He is
ever ready to say, Follow Me. He is preach
Ing by the seaside, near Capernaum. Mat
thew is sitting at his place OF business,
near by, and In his heart is longing to join
himself to the one whom he already be-
lieves to be the Messiah; but he is II de-
spised publican, and has been socially os-
tracized, therefore he cannot expect to be
noticed. Imagine his surprise when Jesus
stops and says, "Follow Me-" He hesitates
not moment.