Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1905-03-01
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MARCH 5.

tary on the Days Lesson.
I. Christ teaching in the temple Tvs. 81
39). During the closing days OF the feast
great opposition was stirred up against
Jesus, and the Jewish rulers sent officers
to apprehend Him, but notwithstanding
this He taught boldly in the temple. 81.
Last day." There is a difference Of opin-
ion as to whether this was the seventh or
eighth day of the feast. Edersheim thinks
it was the seventh day, which was really
the last day OF the feast. The eighth day
was kept as a Sabbath, when there was no
ceremony OF drawing water from Sloan.
Jesus stood" In the temple court, prob
ably in Solomon's porch. And cried"
Spoke with a voice loud enough so all could
hear. IF any man thirst" 1t was burn
ing autumn weather, when the sun had
the early rains were longed for. Water at
all times is a magic word in a sultry eli
mate like Palestine, but at this moment it
had a double power. The ceremonies of
pouring water commemorated that part OF
the wilderness wanderings when the peo-
pie were suffering from a terrible thirst,
and Moses at Gods command brought
water for them from the rock Mum. 20:
LID. Now Jesus invites all who were
suffering from spiritual thirst, like the
burning thirst of the people in the desert.
Thirst is mathematical of spiritual necessi-
ties; an intense need and desire for par
don, for help, for righteousness. for love,
for peace, for comfort, for God, for a
worthy life, for immortal life. Let him"
Freely and without hesitancy or reserve.
Come" A very precious invitation. This
word ought to com with great force to
every soul thirsting after spiritual life. To
come to Jesus is to believe or Him, to ac-
cept His teachings, to repent of our sins,
to yield to HIS commands, to submit to
Him fully. Unto Me and drink" Here
we see the absolute sufiiciency of Christ
foH all human need. Jesus confronts the
sin and misery and heartache of the word
panacea for it all.
IS. He that believeth.' To believe has
the same meaning as to come. as used in
the preceding verse. Scripture hath
SAID The reference is not to any one pas
sage. but to many passages and promises
combined. See lisa. SSH; 44:3: Jer. 3l:l2;
Eek. t7:l-l2, etc. Out OF his belly" The
lmermost part Of man: the soul, the heart.
shall flow This clearly implies some
thing received that it may flow from the
recipient unto others. .Rivers." Denot-
ing abundance. freeness, continued supply.
IN contrast with the small. golden pitcher
used IN the ceremony OF pouring water.
Living water" Pure, running water.
ever-ioWlng streams: the opposite Of stag
nant. maia,lous. POISONOUS water; also life
giving water (chap. 4:1O(. The gospel OF
into the heart by the Spirit, brings lie,
health and JOY.
80. This snaEe He" This is Johns
explanation OF Christs words. ''Of the
Spirit" etc. The Holy Spirit and His IN
f~uences We're the living waters. abundant,
free, purifying. bringing life, heath. saliva
ton TO the soul, as water 10 the thirsty.
nc - ~, T., ~, ,,,n,f,,1 ,,,Ll o -. Ill.,
every Christian a source of the same infiu-
ences which he has received from the Hoy
Spirit. This is 4 prophecy of the dispensa-
ton OF the Spirit which was to commence
with the oHtpourning OF the Spirit on the
day OF Pentccost. and continue through
the ages till all the world is brought to
Christ. We need to lay more emphasis in
our day upon this wonderful gift: both for
our individual growth and usefulness and
for the salvation Of the word. Not yet
given The dispensation Of the Spirit
had not been ushered in, and He had not
yet been poured out upon the hearts OF be-
levers in all His ~fuiness. This cannot
mean that the Spirit did not exist and
was in no sense present with believers in
the Old Testament dispcnsation.
LII. Different OPINIONS concerning Christ
Tvs. 1913. 40. "Nlany-said.' Those
Who heard the powerful declarations of
Jesus knew that He was more than an or
binary man. The prophet" Referring to
the great prophet predicted by Moses
(Deut. lS:l5l, whom some identified with
II I Messiah, ard Others supposed wou.d
be the forerunner of the Messiah" From
the next vc:se We see shat here He was
":Others said" etc. These believed Jesus
to &c the Messiah-the Christ, the Anoint-
ed One-whom all pious Jews were expect
ing at this period, and TO whom their re-
llglous rites all pointed: though for the
most part they were expecting only a tenn
poral hing or Redecmer. Out OF Galiiee."
Christ seemed to them to come from Gal
lee, because His cary home was there AID
MUCH &c Of :.r His ministry had ! been there %1t
knew that the Messiah was to be Of the
family Of David Qsa: 1921; Jsa. 9:G. 4;
ll:l-5: Jer. $50 and was to be born III
Bethlehem mic. 81; ] Sam. 1871, 5. lS);
but tley did rot know that in Christ these
Scriptures were fulfilled. All the trouble
with this argument WAS that they did not
take care to ascertain the facts. Their quo
favor Of Jesus being the Messiah, for He
fulfilled the Scriptures. Many another ar
gument against religion is OF this same ma
ture. Men set uD a caricature OF religion.
and arguing against that really presents
arguments in favor OF true religion as it
IS IN the gospel. Where David was
David was born in Bethlehem and lived
there until he was called into the service
of Saul, Israel's king. -. "A divisioa.'
1t means a serious and possibly violent di-
vision.
III. Tie Jews seek His arrest Tvs. a
49,. A. Some OF them" Some OF the
people. provoked by the controversy won.d
on their own responsibility have carried
Him before the sanhedrin. The reference
here is not to the officers. "But no man,
etc. Not even those who had been COM
manded to do it (see VS.. 50. 49,. They
were fettered on tine one hand by fear OF
tbs adherents OF Jesus and on the other by
the secret power Of God, impressing then
with an involuntary awe, so that they
dared not proceed.
%. The oiicers.' Not Roman soldiers
but tempe police, answering to the mod
ern constable. They had been directed by
the mea.bers Of the Sanhedrin to arrest
Jesus ". 32). "Nhy,' etc. The officers
had returned without fulfilling their mis-
sion. and the Authorities we're chagrined
IS. Never man so spake" (R. W Chris
spaEe () with authority; (2) with direct
ness to mems hearts; 90 with power; a,
clearly and distinctly