The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1914-10-22
The Central Record, Thursday Oct 22 1914.
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson V.-Fourth Quarter, For
Oct. rs, 1914.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES,

Commentary Prepared by Rev. D. M
Stearns.
Here is another instance of God and
| the devil face to face, as in the temp
| tatiOn in the wilderness (chapter ivl
| after the baptism ut the Jordan. Bu.
there it was the devil in his own per
son. while here it is the devil in Judas
Iscariot First the devil put the
| thought into the heart of Judas. and
later he entered in himself GOhn xiii
., % If We would he OvercomerS we
| must resist the thoughts that are evil
1t is encouraging to know that if we
| resist the devil he will flee from us
| GHs. iv. I: Pet. Y. \. o.. We must
| bear in mind that orr great daily con
flict is not 50 much with the visible
| in the form IF people or circumstances
as with the rulers of the darkness OF
| this world. wicked spirits in the heav-
| enlicS Hhph. vi. ~. and we certainly
| need the whole armOr of God TO he
able to stand against the wilcs of the
| devil
| Some one has said that as this was
! the greatest piece of work the devil
| ever undertook he could not trust it ia
| any of his followers. and SO entered
! into Judas himself. 1t was host of
! the devils followers. including the
| chief priests. elders and scribcs, who
| came with Judas as their leader. for
| our Lord had said to them earlier in
| His ministry. ''Ie are of your father
the devil" Gohn viii. A.
1t is written that the WHY in which
! the bptrayer knew where to find Jesus
| WAS because He ofttimeS reSOrted
/ thithrr with His disciples Gohn xviii.
! -. The wicked Conel watcheth the
| righteous and seekcth 10 slay him" Ns.
XNNvii. 81. and n" seems 20 know our
resorts and oar weaknesses. Judas had
! told the band of followers that he
| would Indicate the man they wanted
/ by kissing Him. This he did. and
| Jesus suffered il. simply saying. "Ju-
das. hetrayeSt thou the Son of Man
| with Il kiss" luke xxi. 49, How
! much He bore for our sakeS but how
/ little we seem able TO bear for Him.
| Knowing all things that should come
upon Him. He went forth to meet His
/ enemies and said Whom seek yeT'
! They answered. Jesus of Nazareth"
to which He replied. 81 am"
Then happened wonderful thing
an instance of His power. an illustra-
ton of the fact that not all the SOL
dierS on earth could take Him if He
had not been willing They went
! backward and fell to the ground Gohn
xviii. 40. They would never have riS.
on again il He had not permitted. but
would have been like the army of Sen
nacherib. all dead men III Kings xix
30. He allowed them to rise up and
come again and take Him. 1t was
then that Peter in his zeal Numbered
with his sword and took off mans
ear. but our Lord gently rebuked Peter
and healed the ear.
= How often by our blunderin"S W"
hinder people from hearing the gospel,
1t may he by untimely zeal or by some
Inconsistency or some un-ChriSf!itU
word or deed suggested by the devil.
In following lessons we will take
UP the story of Jesus and Peter and
Jesus before Plate. but now we ar"
asked 10 continue the story Of JudaS
until the end of his earthly career AZ
recorded in chapter Xvii. so. this
portion of the record hpin" found only
here. The Scemin" change in Judas
WAS when he saw that Jesus was ac-
tually condemned. Is it possible that
having SScen 50 much Of the power of
Jesus Christ and remembering thc a.:
when He quietly slipped away from
the hands of the people of NaZarr,h
and perhaps recaiin" His words that
no man could take His life from Hin.
COhn y. 49,. he did not believe that liz
would ever let His enemies Kill Ifi"r
He could make Il little money "'d :hn'
fool the high priests and others h. So
ing Jesus take Himself ont 81 t,,ci.
power.
Icannot tell what His thoughts We're
but | cannot forget the wn".lS. 1t had
been good for that man Il he had n",
been born" Natt.XXvi ~ The pieces
of silver remind rs Of the money r"
ceived by JoSpph's brethren when th"y
sold him. and also nf the prediction ~
Terh. vi. L. Verse y "f orr lrSSnr :
little p"rnlpNin". aS il * said Their,
that the words about thc pieces Of Sl
yer were spoken hy Jeremiah tl,
prophet. yet We find them written r..
Icciariah. not Jeremiah Oar lrSSn"
\ =
spoken. 10y Jeremiah If .jrrcmi1i
spoke them and Ipci!Hriah wrote tlin'u
that would clear j; I'll NJ. Some or.
we will know. II nrrp>S"ry.
The words al Judas in yp:>e I. .''
have Siuncd H. That ! have betrayed
the innoccut Ilo"d." are 10 my mind
one Of the strongest testimonies on
record 10 the holiness of the Lord
Jesus-the testimony of one possessed
by the devil. who WAS in II sense one
of the twelve and knew the inner life
of the little company and would have
seen any flaw in the life Of the Lord
Jesus if there mad been any.
I have often wondered If he was
chosen that he might leave this testi-
mony on record. The elders and high
priests seemed glad to have dealings
with him when he offered to betray
Jesus. but now that he seems to have
changed his mind they throw him off
with the words: What is that to US?
See thou to that"
WIN Not Publish II