The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-01-16
JESUS AND HIS
FIRST DISCIPLES
Sunday School Lesson Tor Jan. is. 100,
Specially Prepared for This Paper

'f'1t'oOAN Ia s-JOnn isoo-Ois heHof.
verses 35-7.
GOLDEN TExT.-"we have found
him. of whom Moses In the law. and the
prophets, did write. Jesus Of Nazareth
John LAS.
TIME.-The next two days after our
last lesson. The last OF February. A. d.
"a. or early in March. Jesus was about
30 years of age.
PLACE.-Bethabara Or. " "Bethany"o,
ford Of the Jordan. probably tho
Abarah ford II miles south OF the Sea
OF Galilee. rs miles southeast from Naz-
areth The traditional place was the ford
near Jericho
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Among the crowds Jesus walked, TO
all appearance common man The
methods by which he began his work
and gained his first disciples and fol.
full. From such small beginnings grew
the Christianity which we see today,
and the visions yet to be realized.
v. 35. John stood, and two of his
disciples" One Of these was Andrew
Of Capernaum ". 40). the other, un.
named, is universally regarded as
John the apostle.
" oVs fhhu iOOhtuk uDOu Jebuu,
"gazed at. fixed his eyes on, contem.
plated" (Exp. Greek Test.) with intense
interest. Jesus as he walked" by
them. Behold" see, an exclamation,
the Lamb Of God" (as in v. 29), the
one. who, by his sacrifice. would take
away the sin Of the world the TAX
Ing away Of which was the bringing in
NJ thx.L l~sxx 81 n.~I "A. l. a ~
work of the expected Messiah. the Son
Of God.
What ye seek" 10 the test Of life.
For what port are you steering on
the ocean OF life?" That will tell you
the port you are likely to reach. II
may be laid down ~ q general princi-
pie, not only that whosoever sseksth
shall find. but also that they shall mad
what they seek, seek first, ~
the main purpose Of their lives: not
all they seek for. but Of the kind they
seek for. The answer each person
makes to this question both tests and
determines his character and his des-
tiny.
vac. Come and see." r.. ". Come
and ye shall see." A welcome Jesus
extends to all who wish to go to him.
And a promise that they shall not
come in vain. A minister once put over
the bell to his study door: Don't
touch that bell" Another motto was:
The man that wants to see me is the
man want to see." And abode
with him that day" The remainder of
the day. 1T was about the tenth
hour" Four o'clock in the afternoon,
according to the Jewish and the usual
Roman reckoning. There Is no reason
why they should not have remained
into the evening, even as Nicodemus
came to Jesus in the evening. Thus
they could have several hours Of
sweet communion and conversation
with Jesus.
| The result, as appears from what
follows. was that they were con.
vinced that Jesus was the Messiah and
were filled with the impulse to spread
the good news.
Abiding with Jesus.-This interview
was not the end, but only the begin.
ming of lifelong abiding with Jesus
which transformed their hearts and
lives.
V.40. "One of the two was An
drew" A Greek name meaning man
ly." The other was doubtless John
the apostle, who never mentions his
own name.
" Al. "He first fndeth," or better
as r. ", "He findeth first" The com
mon version implies that the frs,
thing he did after leaving Jesus was
to find his brother. which is probably
true. The r. v. implies that both be
gan Immediately to seek each one his
brother, and that Andrew found his
first This implies that John also
found his brother James.
v. AZ. Thou shalt be called
Cephas." Aramaic. the modified form
of Hebrew which was the common
language of Palestine, for "a stone,
or rock" which John interpreted FOL
his Gentle hearers into Greek, "Pe
tros," Peter" This was q revelation
to Peter and a prophecy.
ITO draw out the latent gift, to dis
cover the unexpected capacity. to be
lieve In the pupil even when he does
not believe in himself-this Is tn,
test of the teacher"
J v. 43. 1.-The day following the In
terview of Jesus with Peter. II I,
quite possible that that interview wal
on the evening of the same day tha
Andrew and John had discovered
Jesus the Messiah.
Why Did Jesus Not Remain In tn,
Wilderness Like JOINTLY Tn,
wilderness was not the place for hi
work. (2) In Galilee was his hom,
and that Of his followers. (3) Her,
they could earn their living by thei
accustomed work (D Here the.
could reach their friends and acquaint
anoes. (5) The Galileans were les
prejudiced, more open to new Ideas
less bound by customs; SO that II h
could gain foothold there, and trail
; few disciples. he could more easil,
begin his work.