Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1908-01-23
Jesus Cleanses
the Temple
Sunday School Lesson for Jan. rs, 1908
Specially Prepared for This Paper

over was April I'LL.
PLACE.-In the temple at Jerusalem.
PLACE IN THE HISTORY. EARLY In
the first year OF Jesus ministry. The Sec
ond of his first two signs" Illustrating
his work as Redeemer.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The first sign which Jesus gave was
the revelation of his glory at Cana Of
Galilee related in the first part Of the
chapter in which our lesson Is found
At the close Of our last lesson we left
Jesus and his FIVE or six disciples on
the way from Bethabara to Galilee.
The disciples had as yet but slight
acquaintance with Jesus, his charac,
ter, his powers and his mission. They
believed in him, but they needed a
deeper foundation for their faith and a
fuller knowledge of his work.
Everything about this miracle must
have been a strange and wondrous rev.
citation of Jesus TO them, as a light
from within, or as the sunlight shin.
ing through dull stained-glass windows
reveals the true nature of the picture
wrought In them, and they are ablaze
with royal colors such as are the ex.
quisite lamp shades Of Favrile glass,
that require the electric bulb within
to bring out their lovely hues. Jesus
was a prince In disguise, and he threw
off his outward guise and appeared in
his own royal glory.
What Did This Miracle Reveal to
the Disciples Concerning the True Ma.
tprn NJ IncttgD--l1l II rnynnlnd tho
miraculous powers residing in him
which would enable him to do the
work the Messiah was to do.
(2) 1t made known to them that he
was sent from God as his son with
divine credentials worthy Of his or
igin and his mission.
The Second "Sign." The Cleansing
of the Temple.-Not long after the
"cign" at the wedding, a strange, al
most discordant, note was heard In
that anthem of love and Joy and hope.
That experience did not express the
whole of life, nor the whole of the mis-
sion of Jesus. The new sign" was as
illuminating and marvellous and un'
expected as was the first. 1t was the
act Of a hero, a patriot, a reformer
and a king.
(13) And the Jews passover" the
great annual religious feast Of the
Jews to which all good Jews were eX
pected to come. Sometimes, according
to Josephus, as many as 100000 Wis
itors were present. Jesus went up
from Capernaum ". 12) Ito Jerusa
lem" Jesus was particular to attend
these great feasts, for however mucf
they we're often perverted and mis-
used by some, they were divinely ap
pointed services.
Jesus Heroic Act OF Patriotic Re
form.--When Jesus entered the TEN
pie, and saw this Dissertation OF hi
Fathers house-which he had see
many a time during his youth-hii
soul famed with Indignation. Wha
he saw was contrary to all law, Jew
ish, Roman and Divine. and what h,
did was patriotic toward all threr
kingdoms under which he lived.
Q5) He alone. unaided, unknown
made a scourge of small cords" rope
made OF rushes like a Roman fla
gellum or scourge with several lashes
and drove them all out of the ten
pie" the court, the sheep and tn
oxen" and those who t%rafiicked Il
them. He did not strike the men, nc
probably not even the animals, an
such a scourge would not hurt then
The owners would naturally follo'
their cattle without the gates. "Poure
out the changers money" Upon tn
marble pavement, thus stopping thei
traffic.
Q6) "And said unto them that sol
doves" The doves, being in cage!
could not be driven out:
Take these things hence"
The boldness of the act may we
have given a hush to the noisy crow
and the voice of Jesus rang out
Make not my Fathers house a hous
of merchandise"
How Was 1t Possible for Jesus I
Succeed In This?-Why did this gree
burly crowd of droyers, and soldier
and elders in authority yield to the ST
gle voice of an unknown young man
Because they knew that they weI
In the wrong. Conscience make
towards of us all" Because they kne
that God was on his side, and "ou
with God is a majority"
Because Jesus embodied in himsel
AZ a prophet, the moral sentiment
tho nation. IAN the true friends
law, who must have been long grieve
by this disorder, would defend II
righteousness of his action, thus re
dering resistance impossible"
What This Sign" Revealed as
the Nature of Jesus and His Kin
dom.-Let no mistake be made CO
corning what is meant by a Christie
, spirit. Let US not, as is too often don
take one side of the character
Christ in forming an estimate OF Il
> whole.
Note how Jesus acted for the refor
OF the world. He did not spend h
time in denunciations of the Romf
. or Jewish authorities before h
disciples. He sometimes uttert
, Woes" but 1t a to the face of eN
. doors. When he could reform a wron
he reformed 1t, When he saw sic
ness, he cured 1t.
We are to be reformers, We are
be courageous and heroic in reform,
cleansing the world Nm sin.
But our first work is where we ~
In our hearts, in our principles, in Il
things which we can touch, for WIFI
We can vote or act or teach