The Red Cloud chief., 1905-02-18
The SUNDAY SCHOOL,
lesson VII, FIRST QUARTER, INTER.
NATIONAL SERIES, Fes. 10.

~ Rev. ID. N. stearns
Copyright, 1905, by American Press Association
While reading any book that Is worth
reading (and Christians should have
no time for others we do well to note
that which we learn as we proceed. In
this gospel we have seen that Jesus is
the Creator Of all things, that in Him
alone Is life, that He is the Lamb OF
God who taketh away the sin of the
world, that He Is the Son of God, the
King of Israel and that all who receive
Him become children Of God. Chapter
II suggests a risen Christ, a temple
cleansed, and points onward to the
marriage Of the Lamb. Chapters i'll
and Nv show us a religious ruler and
q sinful woman and many others re-
ceiving Him as the Christ, the Saviour
Of the world and n whole household in
Capernaum believing On Him because
they had seen something of His mar
tvelOus power. Now we find Him In
Jerusalem at q feast of the Jews.
We know that Jesus when in Jeru-
salem often went to the temple. His
mother found Him there when He was
only twelve years old, and in His pub
lie ministry lie often taught there. We
hnd Him there in this lesson also
(verse 14), but we are not told Of many
other places that He ever visited. 1t
was Just like Him to visit this Bethes-
da (house Of mercy, where SO many
sick people were, that He might heal
some of them. The places VIZ choose
to visit when away from home or
while on a Journey indicate where our
heart il, whether We are living unto
self or unto Hin.
This pool was by the sheep gate
(margin), and this takes III back to
lNeh. iii, where we find In verses 1, 81,
that the building of the wall began
and ended at the sheep gate and that
the priests began the rebuilding, and it
suggests that there is no real health
for body or soul apart from Him who
for us was brought as a lamb to the
slaughter and who by the sacrifice Of
himself provides redemption for all
who, like sheep. have gone astray lisa.
lii, 6, y.
The facts mentioned In connection
with this pool are that at II certain
season an angel communicated to he
water healing properties and whoever
stepped in first was made whole OF
whatsoever disease he had (verse ~.
How great the contrast between the
healing Of only one ut a time and such
statement as Luke ~, 40. "All they
that had n sick with divers diseases
brought them unto Him, and lie laid
His hands on every one of them and
healed them!' Then notice that the
man healed after the water was trou-
bled could not be very impotent, for
he must get In first in order to be
healed, and as sinners we are utterly
impotent.
The case of the man thirty-eight
years lmpotent is truly pitiful and
more fully sets forth the utter help
~lessness of every sinner. His sad "Sir,
have no man to put me into the poor
would touch any heart, but how deep
" It touched the heart of Him who
seeth not as man seeth and who saw
some special sin back Of this impo-
tence (verse III.
How necessary are the words, lease
We from man." and again, "Ihey saw
no nan save Jesus only with them
selves lisa. II. %; Mark ix, 3. Low
ing and plying the man, who did not
know Him who spoke to him ana
therefore could not have faith to be
healed. Jesus said to him, Rise. take
Nm thy bed and walk" verse y, and
Immediately he was whole and obeyed
his Healer. 1t being the abbat day
he is soon found fault with by the re-
lirious critics, who would rather see
him continue helpless than dare Ia
walk and carry his bed on the SAD
bath; but he cannot tell them VINO
healed him, for he did not know the
man who spoke to him ut the poo
(verse 49,.
How meek and lOwly our Lord was
sver doing good and desiring to be un'
known! When the man afterwaro
learned in the temple who healed MN
and told the Jews that 1t was Jesus
then these religious idolaters VIM
made the Sabbath and all thei feasts
TO be their gods sought to STAY theh
Messiah because they could not Oh
would not believe that He was theil
Messiah. There are idOlaters every
where In ChristendOm whose suHer
ings, unless they repent. Will surely
,be heavier than those Of b heather
idolaters who never heard OF Christ
Note Johns last words, Little Gull