The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1904-01-01
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON I, FIRST QUARTER, lNTERNA-
TlONAL SERIES, JAN. 3.

Memory Verses, 40-5I-Golden Text,
Luke IA, 52-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. ID. VI. stearns.
Copyright, 1908, by American Press Association
Whether we study what is called the
Old Testament or the New Testament
our aim should be TO know God. for,
as DIR. Murray says: THE central
thought of this book is God Its one
object is to reveal God. His glory, His
WILL His love. In reading ii our chief
desire ought TO be To know God. May
our life and heart be as full of God
as this book isr' As no man hath seen
God at any time except as the only be-
gotten Son who is i'm the bosom of the
Father hath declared Him, and as no
man knoweth the Father save the Son,
and he 10 whOmsoeyer the Son will re-
veal Him Gohn i, rs; Matt xi, 81 we
can only know God in Christ, and must
see the Son of God i'm all the revela-
tious of God from Gen /. 1. onward
Ii is well TO remember these things
as we begin again a study Of the life
of Him who was God manifest i'm the
flesh" Q Tim. iii, 80. Two weeks ago
in our Christmas lesson we saw the
wise men from the east worshiping
Him with their gifts, but i'm the lesson
today years have passed since then
and He is now mt the age of twelve
keeping the Passover with His mother
AMI Joseph i'm Jerusalem. Verses 80
and u each speak of return to Naz-
arcth, but i'm the former ii is His first
going To Nazareth after He was born
of Mary; in the latter it is His return
at the age of twelve To be subject to the
limitations of the humble home and the
carpenters shop for eighteen years
more Verse 40 gives His history TO
the age of twelve, and verse - from
twelve TO thirty. All the while He was
the salvation of God" 1.-THE King Of
the Jews" the Lords Christ" "a
light to tighten the gentiles and the
glory of Israel duke ii, 25-32; Matt
ii, p
John the Baptist was filled with the
Holy Spirit from his birth duke /, 15),
and surely Jesus was also. The Holy
Spirit revealed to His humanity that
MN ii' h''N'u w hh'N a. ~ W 80
able 10 bear it, and thus He increased
in wisdom. The grace OF God must
have been exceedingly abundant to-
ward Him to enable Him. knowing
whom He was, TO sojourn meeSly and
suDmisslvely in Nazareth those thirty
years rs 10 His body of flesh and
blood. He grew as do others OF the chill
dron whose nature, sin excepted, lie took
upon Him tIleb. IL, j; Nv, l5) More
than is written OF those thirty years
Mary Will doubtless be glad TO tell us
i'm due time If we need TO know. We do
certainly need To know now more OF
the submission TO circumstances ana
limitations which was so fully mani
fest i'm Him. for as one has said. Sub
mission is the highest mission ON
earth GAS iv. Z; l. Pet. V, .; Eph. v,
p; Matt. 81, -. 300. KS TO growth see
II Pet. iii, IS; / Pet. il, =; IL sam. V,
10, margin; Eek. xii. Z.
The Passover was one Of the three
great annual feasts. and not only
pointed backward to the deliverance
from Egypt. but also forward 10
greater NtlIN 'Iillltt from 1ll lllllbllS Ol
the earth when the Passover shall be
fulfilled Gen. xiii. Hill: xii, II; Jer.
xiii. 5-S; Luke xii II, 80. The sacri-
fetal part was fulfilled when Christ
our Passover was sacrificed for us Il
Cor. V, =. but the full benefit is yet TO
be seen. We who are redeemed, being
perfectly safe under the shelter of His
blood shed for us. are to be found with
loins girded, eating the Lamb. not dis
daining the bitter herbs. emblem of
our fellowship with Him i'm His suffer
ings Rhil. /. %; John vi. 81. We must
also beware of all carelessness i'm our
daily walk. lest by allowing ourselves
TO wander from Him we bring sorrow
TO our hearts as we again seek Him till
we find Him. If we allow ourselves to
go a days journey without Him it may
take more than Il days sorrowful seek
ing ere we again rejoice in Him.
There are some seemingly strange
things i'm this story which may well
lead US TO consider how much or how
little they knew of this unique Son
ot,op,, oil tho SONS Of mon tIo ONLY