The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-01-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON ~, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. rs.
Text of the Lesson, John 4, 35-51.
Memory Verses, 40, Al - Golden
Text, John 4, documentary Pre-
pared by Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.

pared by Rev. ID. Nj. stenrns.
copyright. 1905. by American Press Association.
This lesson begins with Johns Sec
ond cry, Behold the Lamb of God!'
the first in verse % 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 he third day." and In chapter
Ii, 1. and everywhere from Gen. i, 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 / must de-
crease" (chapter iii, 20, 30).
One of the two who followed Jesus
was Andrew, Simon Peters 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: 81 am seeking the Lord
with my whole heart" Il am seeking
first and always the kingdom of God
Matt. vi, 33).
According to Johns way of counting
time. the sixth hour meant q a. N.
John xix, IA, so that it must have
been 10 a. 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 for
"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 Nathaniel 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 Nathanael
whereas John, who mentions Nathan
ael, never mentions Bartholomew. 1t
seems conclusive, therefore, that Ma
thanael and Bartholomew are the same
person.
Nathanaels 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 a woman, poor
woman, too, born in q stable, brought
up and spending thirty years in such
q 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 viii, o.
Verse AZ reminds us of Ps. XXI, 2,
BLESSED is the man unto whom the
Lord imputeth not iniquity and In
whose spirit there is no guile" Ma
thanael must have been somewhat like
Simeon and Anna luke ii. %, 81, 3S)
and was doubtless worshipfng God I'M
der that fig tree of which our Lord
spoke. There is great comfort to
devout heart in such a passage as Ps.
cxxxix, IA, and in the opening words
of each of the seven epistles in Reve-
lation. ~ know thy works How
ready Nathaniel was to welcome the
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
means equal with God" and 1.-THE
King of Israeli means just what 1T
says and not Saviour Of sinners" or
"head of the church" or anything else
Nathaniel accepted Him as the Divine
Messiah Of Israel, David's son, yet Da-
vid's Lord, to sit on David's throne
and reign over the house of Jacob for
ever duke 1, 81, SO; III Sam. vii, II, IL,
16).
Our lesson closes with the first of the
twenty-five double "verilys" of this
gospel. 1t is literally "amen, amen"
and points us to Him who speaks as
"the amen, the faithful and true wit
ness" in whom all the promises Of
God are yea and amen (Rev. Ill. IA; III
Cor. /, 20). Our Lords words, Here
after we shall see heaven open and the
angels OF God ascending and descend
ing upon the Son of Man." carry us
back to Jacobs vision in Gen. xviii
and onward to its fulfillment in the
kingdom OF God, when heaven and
earth shall be in perfect accord and the
earth filled with the glory of the Lord,
because the Son of Man shall have