Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1911-07-05
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson II.-Third Quarter, For
July 9, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text OF the Lesson, lisa. Iii, 10 to lii,
12-Memory Verses, lii, 4-6LGolden
Text. lisa, lii, 6-commentary Pre-
pared by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
Behold my servant, my righteous
servant iii. I3; lii. III. This Is what
we must ever and always do in this
blessed holy week. which is all writ
ten 10y the Holy Spirit and is forever
settled in heaven Gil Tim. iii. Is; IL
Pet. i. 81; rs. cNix so. Compare lisa.
xiii 1; Matt. xii. Is; Zech. lii. s. Hear
John the Baptist's cry. Behold the
Lamb of Cod and see Him in this
lesson described as if isaiah had been
n real witness of His sufferings.
am grateful TO some one for calling
my attention To the fact that these
are divided into three mines. the first
two ending with the statement that
there is no peace to the wicked (xlviii.
%; lvii, 2D.
The lesson today is the middle por-
ton of the second nine. and IL we
take the fifteen verses OF our lesson
as one portion. as we have a right to
do, then chapter Iii. ,. is the middle
verse. What a great fact this is for
us To ponder. that the middle verse
of the middle chapter " the middle
section Of the last twenty-seven chap
tiers of this great prophecy tells Of
His being wounded for our trausgres-
sions and that with His stripes we
are healed. Here is the heart Of the
whole Bible and of all history. the
one topic Of conversation on the part
of Moses and Elijah on the mount OF
TRANSPORTATION and the constant re
frain Of the songs Of the redeemed I'm
glory luke tx, 81; Rev. V. o.. In
1 Pet. /. II. we read that the Spirit of
Christ I'm the prophets testified before
hand the sufferings of Christ and the
glory that should follow. and II was
this very topic that He Himself open
ed up in that walk TO Emmaus on the
afternoon Of the resurrection day
duke xiv. 2520.
At least ten of our lesson verses tell
of His sufferings Oii. Il: lii. 2-1M:
the others and parts Of these tell OF
His glory. AS we read OF His married
visage and form we see Him before
Caiaphas and plate I'm the hands OF
His enemies. Other verses tell Of His
lonely life all those thirty years ut
Nazar eth. the III treatment during the
three years Of His public ministry and
the suffcrings Of Gethsemanp and
Golgotha.
This ffty-third chapter may prove
to be largely Israers national confess
sion after they shall have looked upon
Him coming In His glory and shall
have received Him as their Messiah:
but 1t Is also for our individual APP
preparation now. We can each truth
fully say il we are now His redeemed
ones. Tine was when by me He was
despiSed and rejected. and ] esteemed
Him not. yet He bore my griefS and
carried my sorrows; He was wounded
for my transgressions. bruised for my
iniquities. and with His stripes I am
healed Like lost sheep went
astray, seeking only my own way. but
the Lord laid on Him all my iniQuity.
We are not expected to understand
the mystery Of His sufferings. hut we
are expected to believe II all and
pleading guilty, receive Him as our
personal Saviour. Only thus can the
arm of the Lord he revealed to us. for
we cannot know His power on our he
half except In Christ Jesus by virtue
of His great sacrifice.
In verse o note the prediction thar
His body would be laid in rich
mans tomb. although His enemies
would prepare Him grave as n male
factor. and we know how It all came
to pass. Not only did lie His own
self bare our sins i'm His own body
on the tree. but He also left us an ex-
ample that we might follow His steps.
bearing reprOach and suffering as
meekly as He did q Pet. II. aO-2i)
This we cannot do till we are redeem.
ed by His precious blood: but then we
are taught that 1t is great privilege
granted unto us to suffer for His
sake and to fill up the Affections
which are behind for His body's sake
phil. i. 20; Col. i. 2D.
TIC be silent before our enemies
when falsely accused. when cruelty
wronged s/d III treated is n great vic
tory and clarifying TO God. He suf-
Ecced sh6mefully for our sakes and
'sore it so meekly and patiently. We
heVer can be called upon to suffer as
He did. and yet we are so apt to com
plain when we have the least thing re