Evening star., 1912-11-16
# Rbunoap @rbool lesson[
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source Of the Jordan that. free from
the pressure of any excitement, they
| might realize their separation from
| their Judaism, prepare them for the
| confession of their faith The psychic
| logical moment came for Him to ask
| the great question. for which all His
teaching had been preparing the disci-
| pies, when they were alone.
There was a suggestion I'm the first
question which Matthew gives I'm its
| full form, that Jesus is the Messiah. The
different answers showed that the pubic
opinion was divided AS to whether He
was the prophet Ell jah. whom the Jews
| believed would return again a forerun-
ner of the Messiah or some other one OF
the prophets. while some, like Herod
Antipas. identified Him with John the
Baptist. AL. acknowledged that He was
at east a man sent from God
Jesus would not accept that as the testi-
mony He desired, SO He asked the
must all answer, "Who say ye tnat
am?''
The destiny of the world awaited the
answer, but Peter, responding for the
twelve, gu ckly replied: Thou art the
Christ the Son o. the L vins God The
truth had been revealed to them that He
was more than a man. in fact that He
was divine. The greatness of Jesus had
dawned upon them when, as has been
pointed out by Grist, 1.-The low.y origin of
the Carpenter. the familiarity of daily
intercourse. the shocks of disappont-
ment, the delay of hopes making the
heart sick. the naughty repndiation OF
Jesus by the authorized teachers OF Is
rael and the ebbing tide of his popular
ity in Ga lice, might have almost justified
a fishernan's inability to answer this
realizing the consequences of his reply.
answered courageously, in accord a nee
with the facts of the life of Jesus, which
he had witnessed and had wondered, ask
Ii. AZ
man is He.'' We're solved by the divine
revelation that enabled him to see that
there was but one satisfactory answer
TO the Masters question, which he gave
to Jesus.
The Cross.
Christ heard in Peters confession the
call Of the cross. The foundation had
been laid for their understanding the
significance of His death. Their ac-
acknowledgement of His deity in that
heather land meant something for the
Christ. They were prepared to learn
their next lesson. They had stood the
test of faith and would stand the strain.
even If it shatte- ed hopes entertained
concerning the power OF the Christ
Jesus commenced TO teach them plainly
concerning the impending catastropny
toward which the events were tending.
They received the news. as son would
the tidings Of his fathers disgrace.
Peter could not understand how the
Messiah would have to suffer many
things, and be rejected by the elders,
and tha chief priests, and the scribes
and be killed, and after three days ise
again. This was the first time that
Jesus had ever spoken clearly and open
ly about His death Several times as
we can see by our knowledge of events,
the Master had suggested the truth.
but they had not realized His meaning
or message.
The thought of a suffering sovereign
was intolerable, so Peter taking the
Lord away from the others, entered a
presumptuous p otest. The rebuke OF
Peter was from Satan. and was temp
tation to our Savior. The swift, sharp
SAYING Get thee behind me, Satan'
rebuked Peter for his sin 'ul sugg stion.
The rapid recoil revealed that the power
behind the natural reluctance OF Peter
to accept the cross as the pathwar to
the kingdom was Satan. The same temp.
tation Jesus had fsced in the wi derness
when an easy road to the kingdom was
u ged by the tempter upon the Christ.
The sensitive nature or Jesus apparently
shrank Il ON the coming death, though
he had resolutely set His face to meet
IT, He was tempted in all points like
We are. so that. having been touched by
our infirmity, He is abe to help those
who are tempted. We are all in danger
of temptation and should be on our
may come, as did this one to Jesus,
the kind and loving words of
hose who wish us not harm but good
Friend and foe must be quickly rebuked
when they seek to persuade us from the
path of self-sacrifce. suffering and serv-
ce, for the cross Is the way to power
not only for the Lord, but for all Chris
a m