The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-06
International .SundaySchool
 Lessor,

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 seeona auarter, Lessen xs John xx. le-3l. June ', 1908. JESUS APPEARS TO THE APOSTLES.
 sea of Gaiilee itself was never in greater oommotion than this cons
 pany of Galilesns. shut in the upper room, dear to them probably ae ths scene Of the pasclial supper. Winds
 of contrary opinion blew upon them from every quarter. There was tuniu1t of inefedulity, amusement, fright. sorrow. To some the report or the women was ..idIs talk" Others greeted the I1mmaian piisriTns with the declaration of the appearance to Peter. Some may have imagined the body Of Jesus supsrnAturally removed to a grave that should hencsforth be as i'm. possible of Identification as that of Moses For the most part they may
 have been given up to critical dues- tionings. and were disputing away
 their faith.
 Unannounced, lnstantansousiy. in the midst. Jesus stood! Ills words were the common Aramaic form of saiuta-
 ton gesture and accent subiimated 1t, no doubt. But this stormy sea did not instantly quiet itself, as GennesAret
 once did at sound of the same voice. They were in mortal terror, as # before
 them was the apparition Of a disem-
 bodied spirit.
 with eondescsnding eentieness,
 Jesus meets them on the low level of
 their thought. He mildly upbraids
 them for allowing themselves to set
 into such q ferment at all. He then
 submits hirnself to the test of their
 physical senses of sight and touch.
 First, the reality of the body is estab- slished. It iA no docetistic, phantom frame. Is Is substantial enough to
 De called q body of fesh and bones. Again, the identity of the body with that which Jesus had before and during his crucifxion is proven by the stigmata (scars).
 Luke proves himself a psychologist as we'll as a physician. With q happy stroke, he shows the rising faith re- jtarded by the joyous surprise at the substance of the very thing hoped for. | By the act of eating, Jesus sets all l minds completely free from the iingey~ l ing idea that his body is A phantasrn. |
 Now he rises from this successful | appeal to their physical senses to ad- dress their minds. He caused them to remember how explicit and Biblical had been his instructions concerning | his impending crucinxion and resur- rectIOn, There was 6 simultaneous | double opening of the Scriptures, and of their perceptive faculties. There was a sudden and great advance in their apprehension of the expiatory | character of Christ's suffering, and the confirmatory effect of his resur. | rection.
 The advantages of a lifetime of | theological training were compressed in that hours interview with the risen | Christ. His presence and words cast | a flood of light upon the law, proph- | ecy, and psalter. Their sensibilities, quickened to the best by super natural environment. took in the whole of soteriology at A sitting. All they | needed now was the Pentecostal tongue | of fire to make them faithful witnesses of the cross and the resurrection, and | successful preachers of repentance and | the remission of sins among all nations. l
 The Teacher's Lantern.
 Faith in the resurrection of Jesus is inseparable from the Scriptures, Cut | of from them. it withers as the branch | severed from the vine. No amount of | watering serves to keep 1t alive. Neg | leot of the Bible. indifference to 1t, or l contempt of it. Is the fritful cause of l unbelief.
 We still need the double opening of | the Scriptures to our undersfandtns' l ana of our understanding to the Scrip | lures: to find the event corresponded | to the prediction, as the tenon to the | mortise. 'Thus 1t is written" that Christ should rise.
 Only the resurrection adequately accounts for Christianity. IT has been | said that it is more rational 70 believe | inc system founded upon a miracle than on a lie! A conscious falsehood | could never have had power to convince the disbelief and regenerate the mora Iity of the world.
 The crown Of the Easter-day appear ances was, this showing of himself to | the assembled disciples. Other appear ances were individual; this was to the united circle of his Church.
 To Mary he said. "cling to me not" for "the day of the grasp of human disciples he said, Handle me" This was for the purpose of Identification. ae who had allowed his murderers to lay their violent hands upon him, now | urged his disciples to touch his person
 rho .t,grnats were not only the | seals to his identity, they were princely | of triumph. There | was direct connection between the | rounds he bore and the peace he | hraathed. His chastisement is the procuring cause of our peace.
 Lazarus, possibly present In their | eompany. was their ideal of the resur- | rection body. No wonder that In com carlson they thought Jesus body | spectrali
 Nfueh note has been taken of the | ,ncredulfty of Thomas, but. after all. | nA oniy demanded the same sign which | the other disciples had all had. It has i been aptiy said that it was while Jesus | Sras convincing Thomas of his perfect | humanity that he recognized his D.vin- | ity.
 BY the acs oE eating, Jesus showed