The Yale expositor., 1905-01-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON ~, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. rs.

Text, John 4, 40-Commcntnry Pre-
pared Sy Rev. ID. NJ. stearns.
copyright, 1905, by American Press AssociatiOn.l
This lesson begins with Johns Sec
ond cry, Behold the Lamb Of God!'
the first in verse 20 suggesting that we
must behold Him as the only One who
can take away sin, and this one sug-
costing that having taken away our
sins, we are now to follow Him as in
Rev. xiv, 4. This second next day.
would be third day." and in chapter
Ii, 1, and everywhere from Gen. /, 9-13,
onward the third day" speaks to those
who have anointed ears and eyes OF
resurrection and glory and fruitfulness.
Johns testimony turned two OF his
disciples from himself to follow Je-
sus, but in this John rejoiced and said,
"He must increase, but l must de-
crease" chapter ILL., 20, 30).
One of the two who followed Jesus
was Andrew, Simon l eter's brother
(verse 400. The other was no doubt
John himself, the writer of this gos-
pei, and, as truly as Andrew found
Simon and brought him to Jesus, John
must have found his brother James
and brought him to Jesus, but it would
not be like John to mention himself as
the other of the two or that he brought
James to Jesus. The question of Je-
sus to the two who followed Him,
"What seek YEP is a good one for
every believer when gathered for pub
lie worship or in the private study of
the Scriptures. Happy are those who
can truly say: II am seeking the LORD
with my whole heart" Il am seeking
first and always the kingdom of God
and His righteousness" der. xxx, Is;
Matt. vi, 33).
According to Johns way of counting
time, the sixth hour meant q n. IN.
John xix, Ia, so that it must have
been 10 n. m. when these men followed
Jesus, and after some blessed hours
in communion with Him they left Him
to seek their brethren, being fully per-
suaded that He was the Christ, their
Messiah, the latter word being the He
brew and the former the Greek Tor
1.-THE anointed one" To behold Jesus
as the Lamb of God taking away our
sins. then to behold Him as the Lamb
of God in the midst of the throne (Rev
V, o. to abide with Him, to follow
! Him, to win others to Him, this is life
! indeed.
The day following Jesus found new
! follower in Philip of Bethsaida, the
city of Andrew and Peter. He is ever
seeking to win people to Himself, that
He may take away their sins and give
Himself and all His glory to them.
Philip quickly found Nathanael OF
Cana John xxi, p, and so the first six
were gathered. Both Matthew, Mark
and Luke mention Philip and Barthol-
omew after Andrew and Peter, James
and John in the choosing of the twelve,
but they do not mention Nathaniel
whereas John, who mentions Nathan
ael, never mentions Bartholomew. 1t
seems conclusive, therefore, that Ma
thanael and Bartholomew are the same
person.
NathanaeTs question when told by
Philip that they had found Him OF
whom Moses and the prophets had
written would indicate that Nazareth
had anything but an enviable reputa-
ton. thus adding another feature to
the humiliation of our Lord. Con
senting to be made of q woman, poor
woman, too, born in stable, brought
up and spending thirty years in such
n place as Nazareth, who can tell the
depth of meaning in the words Though
He was rich. yet for your sakes He
became poor?" Oh Cor. will, 81
Verse AZ reminds us Of Ps. XXI, 2
BLESSED is the man unto whom the
Lord imputeth not iniquity ana II
whose spirit there is no guile" Ma
thanael must have been somewhat like
Simeon and Anna duke ii, %, 81, 3S
and was doubtless worshiping God un
der that fig tree of which our Lore
smoke. There is great comfort to
devout heart in such passage as Ps
cxxxix, IA, and in the opening words
of each of the seven epistles in Reve
Iation. az know thy works" How
ready Nathaniel was to welcome thu
Messiah is seen in his quick testimony
"Rabbi. Thou art the Son Of God
Thou art the King of Israel" Accord
} ing to chapter V, II, IS, "Son OF God
I means equal with God" and 9TH
King of Israel means just what l
, SAYS and not rSaviour of sinners" o
, "head OF the church" or anything else
, Nathaniel accepted Him as the DIVINE
Messiah of Israel, David's son, yet Da
vids Lord, to sit on David's thron
and reign over the house Of Jacob for
|, ever duke T. 80, SO; ii Sam. vii, II, IL
16).
Our lesson closes with the first OF tn
twenty-five double "verilys" of thi
gospel. 1t is literally "amen, amen,
and points us to Him who speaks a
"the amen, the faithful and true wit
ness" in whom all the promises o
God are yea and amen (Rev. Ill, IA; l
Cor. 1, 20). Our Lords words, Here
/. after We shall see heaven open and tn
angels of God ascending and descend
ING unon the Son of Man." carry u