The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-04-08
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON CON-
MENTS FOR APRIL -.

Subject: Inc raising OIL LaLaruSf
John 11:1-57 - Golden Text,
John 11:25-Commit Verses 43,
44-Commentary on the Lesson
TIME.-January, so A. D. PLACE.
Bethany.
EXPOSITION.-I. Jesus Wept. 32-
SO. Martha, having received from
Jesus the consolation she sought,
waited no longer, but hurried to Mary
with the glad message, THE Master
is here and calleth thee" Without a
word Mary rises quickly and hurries
to Jesus and falls down at His feet.
Mary had been at Jesus feet before
luke 10:39). Then she was at His
feet for instruction, now she was
there for comfort and help. /" is
those who. in times of prosperity,
know how to sit at His feet to learn,
who, in times of sorrow, know how to
find comfort and deliverance in the
same place. There is no better place
to go in sorrow. The day will shortly
come when Mary will he at His feet
again in worship. Mary's cry at
Jesus feet is a deeply significant one:
Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my
brother had not died" There seems
to be almost reproach in it. But she
still calls Him Lord" 1t is wonder
more than reproach. Mary was in
great perplexity over the death of her
brother, just as we oftentimes are
when u loved ones are taken away.
1t was an impenetrable mystery to
this gentle-hearted woman. Why had
not Jesus come and saved? He knew.
1t was that He might do something
vastly better than they sought. They
sought a brother saved from death:
He would give them a brother tri-
umphant over death. 1t was because
He loved" them that He had not
come until Lazarus was dead Tvs. A.
g.. 1t was also that God might be
glorifed ". ~, and that the faith OF
the disciples might be strengthened.
Christ often has many loving reasons
for His dealings with us when we can
see none at all. Martha had uttered
the same words at her meeting with
Jesus ". 21). Evidently they had
often said it to n another during
those four days. But Martha had not
fallen at Jesus feet when she said it.
That wouldn't have been at all like
Martha. She was a. practical, I'M
demonstrative wonIan Jesus had
given Martha a good deal. He gave
words of %wondrous promise and
hope; but He gave Mary more-He
gave her His deepest sympathy and
His tears Tvs. 1885,. Jesus wept."
| am glad He did; and I am glad John
noticed it, and that, when long years
had passed and John vas writing
down what he recalled of the words
and acts of Jesus, the Holy Spirit
whispered, Put tLat down, too,
John; Jesus wept.'" We need a
high priest who a be touched with a
feeling of our infirmities, and, thank
God! we have such an n Heb.
Ais, 16). Mary's sorrow was not to
now and sorrow would give way to
ecstacy; her sorrow, moreover, was
founded upon a mistake. Neverthe-
less it was real, and Jesus entered
into it and made 1t His own. True
love doesn't ask how much founda-
ton there is in the sorrow of others.
In all our Affections, Jesus is
afflicted lisa. $500. However, l
cannot but think that in Jesus
"groans" Tvs. 80, $50 there was
something more than sympathy. The
word translated ~"groaned" means
was very angry" At what was
Jesus angry? At death, that great
masterpiece of the devil (Heb. 2:14),
which. had through the century had
desolated so many homes and had
now dared enter the home of those
He loved ". 81. But Jesus Himself
will shortly have an awful fight with
this monster and conquer him, The
Jews interpreted Jesus tears partly
Alright. Behold how He loved him."
they said. But it was not only him"
He loved and therefore wept. There
are many to-day who regard tears as
a sign of weakness. The perfect man
wept.
II. take We away the stone,"
27.41. What a wonderful interplay
of the natural and the supernatural,
mans work and Gods work, there is
in the great works of Christ! Jesus
is about to perform one of His most
| ~stupendous miracles: call back to life
q man who has been four days dead;
but what man can do, man must do.
He alone can and He will raise the
dead, but man can and man first must
take away the stone. There is many
a man dead in trespasses and sins to-
day whom Jesus wishes to get at and
raise; but He is calling to us, Take
away the stone" and we don't obey;
so the man is not raised. What is
the stone that lies against the door
Of the cave wherein your dead friend
lies? Take it away. How little Jesus
was understood. They fancy He just
wants to get in and see His dead
friend. Even Martha, to whom He
has just declared. Il am the Resur-
! rection and the Life" forgets and
protests against the moving Of the
stone. He hath been dead four
days"-as if it made any difference
to the omnipotent Son Of God" the
Resurrection and the Life" how long
a mar had been dead. Why the time
is coming when He shall speak the
word and those who have been dead
four thousand years shall come forth.
III. Lazarus, come FORTH" ~
As. He that was dead came forth"
A plain, calm, u~nvarnished statement
of q wonderful fact. The story bears
! the marks of its g~enuineness in every
line. Who is He that by a word thus
raises the dead? Only those who
won't see can question. Truly this is
the Christ, the Son OF God.