The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-01-05
The
INTERNATIONAL LESSON CON-
MENTS FOR JANUARY 16.
Subject: The Beginning Of the Cali.
lean Ministry, Matt. 4:12-25-
Commit Verse %.

Subject: Inc Beginning OF Cne Gali.
lean Ministry, Matt. 4:12-25-
Commit Verse %.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"The people
which sat in darkness saw great
light" Matt. AIS.
TME.-Summer A. D. %. PLACE.
-Galilee, especially Capernaum.
EXPOSITION.-I. Jesus Moves
From Nazareth to Capernaum, 1911.
The Imprisonment Of John led Jesus
to forsake Judea for Galilee ". ~;
CT. Nix. 1:14). 1t was an act Of pru-
dence on His part. He also left His
boyhood home, Nazareth, for busy
Capernaum by the seaside. His 60
ing to the borders Of Zebulun and
Naphtali was a fulfllment Of Old
Testament prophecy Tvs. IS, 16; CT.
Is. 81, p. Galilee had enjoyed no
such privileges as Judea had. The
people had sat in darkness. The
Galileans were despised for their ig-
norance by the other Jews (cf. Jno.
$3.50. But now they were to see a
great light ". 16). The Light Of the
world was to live among them (Jno.
8:12). Hitherto they had sat in the
region and shadow Of DEATH" now
they were to enjoy the Light of life.
Sooner or later God sends His light
to all people and those who enjoy the
least privileges in one age will enjoy
the greatest in another. The time
had now come for Jesus to begin His
ministry of preaching. He began
with, the same message with which
John had begun, Repent, for the
kingdom of God Is at hand" (cf. Matt.
1929. The first, part Of the cry was
the same as that Of the Old Tesla
ment prophets lis. 55:7; Jer. 1922;
Eek. 14:6; 1880; 1919; Hos. 1875;
! 14:1; Joel 2:12). The kingdom OF
heaven was at hand because the King
Himself was at hand, and II the Jews
had received Jesus He would have set
up the kingdom Of heaven on earth
then and there. AS He was rejected
and crucifed, the outward establish
ment of the kingdom was postponed.
II. "Come Ye After Me, and I Will
Make You Fishers Of Men," 1922.
Matthew tells US only Of the call of
| Simon Peter and his brother Andrew.
Luke tells us of how the Lord had
won their confidence by the miracu-
lous draft Of fishes preceding the call
(cf. Luke 500. Simon and An
/ drew were attending to their own
proper business when Jesus called
them into His work ". 10; CT. Elk.
3:1-4:5; I K. 19:19-21; Matt. 9:9).
Jesus called them into a work OF the
same character that they were al
ready doing; hitherto they had been
| fishing for fish, now they were to fish
for men. The ordinary fisherman
catches fish to kill and eat them, the
Gospel fisherman catches men to
make them alive and feed them.
Jesus gave them the command,
Come we after Me-" and the promise,
ct will make you fishers of men
Commandments and promises always
20 hand in hand in the teaching OF
Jesus. The day came when Jesus
promise to Peter was so wonderfully
fulfilled that Peter caught more men
at a single haul than he did fish on
this day (Acts 2:14-41). Jesus says
to every one Of US, Come We after
Me, and I will make you fishers of
men" The one great condition of
success in fishing for men Is follow
ing Jesus" Any one who Is not a
fisher of men Is not a follower of
Jesus. Simon and Andrew showed
that they believed Jesus promise and
appreciated His call by leaving all
! and following Him .(cf. Luke Sid.
The one who would follow Him must
forsake all Matt. 1924; Luke IA:
33). Forsaking all will pay. for
those who forsake all gain all, for
time and eternity (cf. Matt. 1927
29). There was no hesitation in their
obedience. "They straightaway left
the nets and followed Him." James
and John were also attending to their
! proper business when Jesus called
them. They, too, unhesitatingly
obeyed.
III. Jesus Teaching, Preaching and
Healing, 1925. Jesus earthly min
istry was misunderstanding preach
ing, healing. He taught in their syn
agogues as long a. they would per-
| NIT it. That was where the people
gathered and that was where He
went. The word translated Preach
ing" means "heralding." He her.
aided tho coming of the kingdom.
Gospel" means "good news" and
there is no better news than that the
kingdom of God is to be established
on earth and that Jesus is to be the
King. Jesus had a Gospel for the
body as we'll as for the soul, and to-
day the Gospel is for the body as well
as the soul from. Sill; Jas. STA,
15). But Jesus method Of healing
was as wide apart as the poles from
that of the modern healer. There
were no treatments and He never
charged for His healing. 1t was also
utterly different from the methods
of the Emmanuel Movement" There
was nothing that smacked of hypno-
tism or other forms of demonism.
All manner of diseases and all man
ner of sickness yielded to His divine
power. The report OF His mighty
power went forth far and wide. They
brought to Him all who needed His
help. Sickness, disease, torments,
demons, epilepsy, palsy, all yielded to
| His word. He became very popular,
not because of His lofty teachings,
but because He healed mems infirmi-
ties. Men will go hundreds Of miles
to get in contact with a healer, but
will not go a block to hear a teacher.
The popularity that came to Him by
His healing was very distasteful to
our Saviour (cf. Nix. 1:43. 45).