The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-01-24
Jesus Cleanses
the Temple
Sunday School Lesson Tor Jan. rs. 1908
Specially Prepared for This Papsr

1916.
TINiE.-The spring OF A. u p....
over was April il-l7.
PLACE.-In the temple M Iorueat,.
PLACE IN THE HISTORY pam, 3,
the first year OF Jesus ministry l,
ond OF his first two signs l4stf.i.ng
his work Redeemer.
Comment and Suggestive Thouaht
The first sign which Jesus ga.e Nae
the revelation Of his glory az Cana m
Galilee related in the first part of Tia
chapter In which our lesson a fonna
At the close OF our last lesson va lef,
Jesus and his five or six dlsc.plos nm
the way from Bethabara 10 Gallee
The disciples had as yet but slight
acquaintance with Jesus. his cbarac
ter. his powers and his mission They
believed In him, but they needed
deeper foundation for their faith and
fuller knowledge OF his work
Everything about this miracle must
have been a strange and wondrous rev.
elation 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
qusite lamp shades OF Favrile glass
that require the electric bulb within
to bring out their lovely hues Jesus
was prince in disguise. and he threw
OF his outward guise and appeared IN
his own royal glory.
What Did This Miracle Reveal 10
the Disciples Concerning the True Ma
ture of Jesus?-D 1t revealed the
miraculous powers residing tn him
which would enable him TO do the
work the Messiah was TO do.
CD II 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
sign" at the wedding. a strange. al
most discordant. note was heard in
that anthem of love and JOY and hone
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 nm.
expected as was the first II was tie
act OF a hero, a patriot, a reformer
and a king
OBJ And the Jews passover" the
great annual religious feast OF the
Jews 10 which all good Jews We're ex.
pected 10 come. Sometimes. according
20 Josephus. as many as 100000 Wis
itors were present. Jesus went up
from Capernaum ". 12) ITO Ierusa-
lem" Jesus was particular 20 attend
these great feasts. for however much
they We're often perverted and mis-
used by some. they were divinely az
pointed services.
Jesus Heroic Act OF Patriotic Re
form. When Jesus entered the ten
pie. and saw inns Scsecra'ion OF his
Fathers house-which he had seen
many a time during his y0uth-his
soul famed with indignation What
be saw was contrary to all law jew
ish, Roman and Divine, and what he
did was patriotic toward all three
kingdoms under which he lived
Q5) He alone, unaided. unknown
made a soourge Of small cords ropes
made OF rushes like a Roman ia
gellum or scourge with several lashes,
and drove them all out OF the ten
Pile" the court. the sheep and The
oxen" and those who trafficked IN
them. He did not strike the men, most
probably not even the animals and
such a scourge would not hurt them
The owners would naturally follow
their cattle without the gates Poured
out the changers money" Upon me
marble pavement thus stopping their
traffic.
G6) And said unto them that SOFA
doves" The doves. being IN cages.
could not be driven out.
Take these things hence
The holiness of the act may Wen
have given a hush TO the noisy crowd
and the voice Of Jesus rang onl'
make not my Fathers house house
of merchandise"
How Was II Possible for Jesus 70
Succeed in This?-Why did this great
burly crowd OF drovers, and soldiers
and elders in authority yield 10 the sih.
gle voice of an unknown young man
Because they knew that they were
In the wrong. Conscience makes
towards of us all" Because they kne"
that God was on his side. and one
with Cod is a majority"
Because Jesus embodied in himseh.
as a prophet. the moral sentiment o.
the nation. "All the true friends q
law. who must have been long grieVeu
by this disorder. would defend INC
righteousness of his action. thus rem
dering resistance impossible
What This Sign" Revealed as %
the Nature of Jesus and His KING
dom.-Let no mistake be made CON
corning what is meant by Chrisia"
spirit. Let us not, as is too often done.
take one side OF the character .
Christ in forming an estimate oil lH7
whole.
Note how Jesus acted for the reioln
OF the world. lie did not spend us
time in denunciations Of the Roman
or Jewish authorities before ne
disciples. He sometimes uuel'u
..yvoaa but n was TO the face OF eNh