The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-12-31
ASCENSIONOF
OUR LORD
Sunday School Lesson for Jan. 3. 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

LESSON TEXT.-Acts l:1-l4 Memory
verses, 8, 8.
GOLDEN TEXT-"And it came to
pass, while he blessed them, he was part
ed from them, and carried into HEAVIER
Luke 34:5l
TINE.-The spring of A. D 60 The
Ascension, May IS The ten days wait
ing. May 1928.
PLACE.-The Ascension was from Oil
vet, near Bethany. The meeting place
of the disciples was in the upper room in
Jerusalem.
PLACE IN HISTORY.-The close of the
earthly life of Jesus Christ. The birth
of the Christian religion.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The life of Jesus on earth, including
O What he was; ~ What he did;
GO What he taught; was an essential
condition of all his power during the
centuries of Christianity.
1t made him a real being to us,
while unseen on earth
1t illustrates his teachings for all
ages.
1t was a perpetual ideal. by which
to test all we are and do and teach.
1t is in itself a supreme power to
influence character.
Illustrations know of no discor.
dant note among educators in the tes-
timony that The greatest thing a
teacher ever brings to a child is not
the subject matter, but the uplift
which comes from heart contact with
a great personality"
President Charles F. Thwing records
the results of "a very interesting
nf e.
questions involving the best thing col
lege does for man" The entire drift
of the testimony was that the most
these men got from college was inspi-
ration from life contact with great
leaders.
NO nobler feeling" says Carlyle,
than admiration for one higher than
himself dwells in the breast of man.
1t is to this hour. and at all hours, the
vivifying influence in mans life"
The promise of the Father was the
special, overlooking gift of the Holy
Spirit. as We learn from verses 5
and s. and the fulfllment of the
promise in the next chapter The Fa-
Their had promised this gift through
Joel OPS, 29) as shown in Acts 2:
II, 49, through Isaiah (32:15; 44:3);
Haggai C2:5); Zechariah (4:6; 12:10).
12:10).
The promise is called The Promise.
for it really includes all the promises
of the coming of the kingdom of God.
The disciples were the instrument
tally used by the Great Leader. God
works not only directly on the hearts
of men, but through his people on
other men. God in men is the powe&
through which the kingdom of God hasAa
so far come, and is to come in its
| tullness. The agencies he employs
must, by their very nature. be the
Divine Spirit and the human disciple"
-hirtley The achievements of the
apostles in the story of the Acts were
| the account of what Jesus continued
to do after his ascension. The author
of The Fifth Gospel" Il. e., Saint
Pauls gospel as recorded in his epis-
ties, many of them written before the
first of our four gospels.) shows that
the apostles not only preached the facts
of Jesus life, but the significance of
the life which Jesus continued to
teach them through their own ex-
perience guided and inspired by the
Holy Spirit.
l. They had their ideal in the prom
Use OF the Father
2. They were imbued with power by
the Holy Spirit.
3. They were changed. Transformed
by the Holy Spirit, into new men
fitted to carry on the work of Christ
4. They knew the facts about Christ
and they experienced his presence and
his teachings. so that they could be
witnesses to the whole world.
1t was at this time. doubtless, that
the great change came over his body
described in l Cor 15:51-53. For such
change is signifed by his appear
ance as John saw him (Rev. 1:12-16).
The Importance of the Ascension
l. 1t is the one fitting ending to the
earthly life of Jesus. Coming from
the Father he returns to the Father
2, The last view of Jesus is not on
the cross, but going home in glory.
3. It kept before the disciples the
fact that he is their ever living Saviour.
We do not worship and serve and
trust dead Savious, but one who is
alive fOrevermore
4. He can rule and guide his people
Infinitely better there than on any
earthly place, where but few could
come into his near presence.
3. 1t places Jesus before all men as
their ideal.
6. at enables us to realize his d.
vinity, without losing his humanity"
I. |, gives us the true idea of his
KINGDOM as spiritual kingdom of
righteousness
s. The doctrine of the ascension.
with its hope of future glory, with its
tr?n5hsured son of man mot son of
'eW or Greek, but of mani on the~,
throne, adds new dignity to life" TO
ne lowliest shall be changed into the
likeness of his glorified body.
The power of faith in a supreme
leader. The church without him would
be an army without a general. the evo-
luton of nature without a God. Never
has been such a leader as the as