The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1905-03-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MARCH s.

I. Christ teaching in the temple Tvs. So
39). During the closing days of the feast
great opposition was stirred up against
Jesus, and the Jewish rulers sent officers
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
1T 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 It was burn
ing autumn weather, when the sun had
for months shone in a cloudless sky, and
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 (Num. 20:
LID. Now Jesus invites all who were
suffering from spiritual thirst, like the
burning thirst OF the people in the desert.
Thirst is emblematical of spiritual necessi-
ties; an intense need and desire for par
don, for help, for righteousness, for love,
Tor 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 come with great force to
every soul thirsting after spiritual life. To
come to Jesus is to believe on Him, to ac-
cept His teachings, to repent of our sins.
Him fully. Unto Me and drink" Here
we see the absolute suficiency of Christ
for all human need. Jesus confronts the
sin and misery, and heartache of the world
and deliberately declares that He is the
panacea for it all.
So. 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. 31:l2;
Eek. FLIP, etc. "Out of his belly" The
innermost 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, f~reeness, continued supply,
IN contrast with the small, golden pitcher
used IN the eremony OF pouring water.
Living wate-." Pure, running water.
ever-howing streams; the opposite of stag
nant, maiarlous. poisonous water; also life
giving water (chap. 4:l0). The gospel of
Christ: which is the truth OF God received
health and JOY.
80. This spake He" This is Johns
exclamation OF Christ's words. "Of the
Spirit" etc. The Holy Spirit and His in
fuences were the living waters, abundant,
free, purifying, bringing life. health, saliva
ton to the soul, as water to the thirsty.
as rain to the parched earth. and making
every Christian a source of the same infu-
ences which he has received from the Holy
Spirit. This is a prophecy of the dispersal
ton of the Spirit which was to commence
with the outpourning of the Spirit on the
day of Pentecost, 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 gilt. both for
our individual growth and usefulness and
for the salvation of the world. 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 fulness. This cannot
mean that the Spirit did not exist and
was in no sense present with believers IN
the Old Testament Gispcnsat;o1.
II. Different opinions concerning Christ
Tvs. 4043l. 40. "Many-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
til Messiah, and others supposed would
be the forerun1er of the Messiah" From
the next ver-e we see that here He was
distinguished fon the Messiah. Al.
"Others said" etc. These believed Jesus
to be the Messiah-the Christ, the Anoint-
ed One-whom all pious Jews were expect
ing at this period, and to whom their re-
ligious rites all pointed; though for the
most part they were expecting only Il ten
poral King or Redeemer. Out of Galilee."
Christ seemed to them to come from Cali
lee, because His early home was there and
much of His ministry had been there.
-. THE Scripture said" etc. Thc Jews
knew that the Messiah was to be of the
family of David (Psa. 1921; Isa. GO, Z;
lilo; Jer. $3.50 and was to be born in
Bethlehem CMic. 81; Sam. 1911. 5, 49,;
Scriptures were fulfilled. All the trouble
with this argument was that they did not
take care to ascertain the facts. Their quo
tations OF Scripture were an argument in
favor of Jesus being the Messiah, for He
gument against religion is OF this same na-
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
Of Saul, Israei's king. As. "A division"
It means a serious and possibly violent di-
vision.
III. The Jews seek His arrest Tvs. a.
49,. II. Some Of then" Some of the
people, provoked by the controversy would
vi CA1CIL O"h 4CSDOlSIOIAANy 1oNO oAAA&
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 the one hand by fear OF
the adherents OF Jesus and on the other by
the secret power Of God, impressing them
with an involuntary awe, so that they
dared not proceed.
Is. '"The officers" Not Roman soldiers.
but temple police, answering to the mod
ern constable. They had been directed by
the members of the Sanhedrin to arrest
Jesus ". 32l. why" ete; The officers
had returned without fulfilling their mis-
sion, and the authorities we're ch~agrined
sc. Never man so spake" (R. W Christ
spake ~ with authority; ~ with direct
ness to mems hearts; 80 with power; a.
clearly and distinctly.
Record School Attendance.