Middletown transcript., 1914-12-26


With the exception of the temper
ance lesson, all the lessons Of the quar-
ter have to do with the death and res
direction Of our Lord. In the first
quarter we considered Jesus as the
great Teacher; in the second, he is
presented chiefly as the seeking
Savior; in the third, we observed him
as he acted in judgment upon Israel
and sin; in this last, he Is seen in his
supreme Office as Savior and king. The
king Of love. he is also the world s
Savior Deny him his kingship. refuse
to become a subject of that kingdom
Of which he is the head and we bring
upon ourselves the condemnation of a
righteous judgment. This past quar-
ter particularly reveals him in that
final ministry which resulted in the
initiation of the new enterprise of pro-
claiming his gospel, to tie end that
his kingdom shall be established. We
shall consider the lessons under four
headings:
story OF Love.
{. Those Of Preparation for His Pas
sion. These embrace the first three
lessons. Cd In the first, we have the
beautiful story Of the love which
anointed him for burial, which he ac-
cepted and immortalized This was
not because Of the greatness of the
act, but because of the appreciation of
himself and Of his words (2) Here
We observe him presiding over and in
stituting that lasting memorial, the
symbolic feast, wherein the old passes
away and the new dispensation is
ushered in. (3) In the third lesson we
view with awe the agony of the gar
den wherein he dedicated himself to
the coming suffering, Not as l will,
but as thou wilt"-absolute surrender
and delight in the Fathers will.
u. Those That Preceded His Pas
sion. These next five lessons lead US
through those dark shadows, yea,
through a darkness which is yet un-
fathomable and which ended in the
total darkness of Calvary. (D In this
lesson Judas is presented, thr incarna-
tion of evil, and the agent of Satan.
who betrayed his Lord and Friend"
by a kiss. Here we see the utter ruin
of a soul which chose private lambitiOn
instead of fellowship with Jesus. (5)
This is a presentation of the greatest
and most appalling travesty Of justice
the world has ever seen. Humanity
never descended to any lower depths,
yet he is serene, calm, dignified and
strong. (6) The Temperance Lesson.
(O This lesson considers the heart
breaking rashness of Peter. tS) This
is the story of the ignoble failure of
weak, vacillating, time-server.
Story of the Cross.
~. His Passion. (9) This brings
us to the story of the cross itself, as
considered in this sequence of lessons.
Before that awe-inspiring, wonder
creating event we stand with barred
head. Here sin was unmasked and did
it's utmost. Her also we behold grace
unveiled and active.
~. The Post-Passlon Lessons. We
are now in a new atmosphere and
light, a new glory is to be sehn. (10)
In this lesson we behold the empty
tomb, for HE could not be holden Of
DEATH" We share with them the glori-
GUS. the joyful consciousness that he
whom we have just seen die in ig-
nominy and shame and suffering is
now alive and ever liveth" to be our
advocate and ever-present friend. This
is a glorious fact, that of the literal,
bodily resurrection of Christ from
among the dead Hallelujah! CID In
lesson eleven this same thought is
again emphasized and with the sugges-
tion of its accompanying obligati on, in
that I'VE are witnesses of these
things"
In "Tarbells Teachers Guide is a
good suggestion for review Sunday,
Wis that a series Of elliptical phrases
be written upon a board or chart, that
will fix the chief idea or serve to re-
call the lessons, as follows:
(D Let her alone (2l For
ye have the poor (S) where
soever this gospel shall be preached
. (4 Verify l say unto you,
One (5) For the Son Of Man
goeth (6) This is my blood
CD Take ye Isl My
soul is -. (9) Father, all Il bings
(10) Watch and I'D
My God, my (12) Why seek
ye (13) Ye shall be my
These phrases may be written ipon
cards or slips of paper and distril lted
to classes or individuals, the entire
to be recited when called for.
1t would also be well to make men,
tion of the two years work in the
Synoptic Gospels. Define what the
gospel is q Cor. 1910. what the
word synoptic means, and whd rein
these Gospels differ from the Fourth
Gospel.
Drill the school in giving book and
chapter of the following: The Lords
Prayer, the parable of the good Samar-
itan, the mustard seed, the leaFen.
the prodigal son, the great command
ment, the last supper, Gethsemane,
the trial of Jesus. the crucitlxion, the
the great commission.
the ascension.