The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-04-26
TaE SUNDAY Il o
Lessen ~ the International SERIES
for April -. iO01-Jesas ~.
pears Ia the Apostles.
PREPARED by ii. &. Leningt0u.l
THE LESSON TEXT.
Hahn ea.lQ-oo

John D.l9-.3D |
70. Then the same day at evening. being
the first day OF the week, when the doors
were shut where the disciples were assem-
bled for fear OF the Jews. came Jesus and
stood In the midst. ard saith unto them.
Peace be unto you.
20. And when Tie had SO said. He Showed
unto them His hands and His side. Then
were the disciples glad. when they saw the
Lord.
a. Then said Jesus to them again. Peace
be unto you; as my Father hath sent Me.
tven so send ! you.
%. And when lie had said this. He
breathed on them. ans saith unto them.
Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
q. Whose soever sins ye remit. they are
RENTED unto them. aid whose soever SINS
ye retAin. they are retained.
"a. But Thomas, one of the twelve. called
Didymus. was not with them when Jesus
came.
Is. The other disciples therefore said
into Him, We have seen the Lord. But
He said unto them. Except ! shall see In
His hands the print OF the nails. and put
my finger into the print OF the nails, and
thrust my hand Into His side. l will not be-
lleve.
70. And after eight days again His dis
ciples were within. and Thomas with
them; then came Jesus. the doors being
shut. and stood In the midst. and said.
Peace be unto you.
a. Then saith lie to Thomas. Reach
hither thy finger. and behold my HANDS:
and reach hlther thy hand and thrust II
into my side; and be not fa;thless. but be-
lieving.
Is. Ard Thomas answered and said unto
Him. My Lord and my God
-. Jesus saith unto Him Thomas. be-
ca use thou hast seen me. thou hast be-
lievod; blessed are they that have not seen.
ar d yet have believed.
n MG T.-n~AaAA ARA AW
that have not seen, and yet have be-
lie ved.-JOhn 2Os2D.
The text treats of two appearances
Of Jesus to His disciples. The one
was upon the evening of the day upon
which He arose from the dead. Upon
that occasion all the apostles were
together, except Thomas. On the fol-
lowing Sunday evening they were to-
gether again, Thomas being present
this time. The lesson tex may be
outlined as follows:
The Risen Christ and His Apostles. v. 1879
Doubling Thomas ..:......".......V 2i-25
Another Appearance; Thomas Con-
WINGED -....... 3D.
The Risen Christ and His Apostles.
The picture we have is that Of ten
Of the twelve apostles gathered TO-
gether in q room in Jerusalem. Other
disciples were probably present, in
Guiding certain women. 1t was more
or less of a secret meeting. the dis
ciples being afraid of the Jews. who
were likely to modest them or account
of the disappearance of the body of
the crucified Jesus. II is into this room
and at this time that Jesus comes.
None Of the apostles had as yet seen
Jesus, except Peter; they had only
heard of the resurrection, and the
news seemed too good to be true. In
other words, they hardly dared to be-
lieve it, and were far from being ut
terly convinced. To the frightened
disciples the first message Of Jesus
was one of peace: peace be unto
you" His second message was one of
assurance. He was the risen Saviour:
they need not longer doubt, for there
were the wounds which they might
see. His third message was a call
to service: "As MY Father hath e n
Me, even so send l you" His fourth
message was concerning the gift of
the Holy Spirit which should be as
the breath Of life to them, and EN-
anate from Himself.
The power to forgive sins ". 23)
has been one of the moot questions
of the age. Did Christ confer upon
disciples the power to forgive sins :!
We would say hat He did not. None
can forgive sins ave God only. Blu,
Christ did use a very impressive
means of teaching the disciples how
very much depended upon their ef'
forts. They were to preach the Cos
pei and proclaim the forgiveness OF
sins. IT is the privilege of any and
every follower of Jesus Christ to say
TO those who earnestly seek entrance
into the kingdom: Thy sins be for
given thee"
Doubling Thomas.-Thomas was not
with the other apostles on the occa'
sion just described. The other dis
ciples. therefore. told him that the,
had actually see the Lord. Thomas
declared he would not believe unit
he could see and feel the very print oi
the nails in the hands Of Jesus.
Another Appearances; Thomas Con
vinced.-A week later. or latter eigh'
days." including the two Sundays. a
was the Jewish mode of counting time
the apostles again met, this time
Thomas with them. Jesus again en-
tered in the same n as He dit
the week previous. Seeking GU
Thomas. Jesus gave him the litera
proof OF His identity Thomas ha,
asked for. and added: BE not faith
less, but believing" This incident il
one of the best proofs Of the resur
rcction we have, hat even doubling
skeptical Thomas should be convinced
More than that. he was Profound,
moved. and exclaimed: MY Lord an
my Cod" with the emphasis in tn
first case upon my" and later on tn,
God" But Jesus added for thos
who should come after lie had ascend
cd to the Father: blessed are the,
that have not seen, and yet have be
lieved." After all. God is not to b.
apprehended with the physical sense