Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-10-14
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR OCT. IS
SECURED EXCLUSIVELY BY THE
BANNER FOR ITS MANY
READERS
ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Commentary Prepared In An Inter-
esting Way by Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns

Wholly forgetful of Himself and His
approaching sufferings. in way that
we cannot understand, He comforted
that little band with the Incompatible
words Of John xiv, XIV, xvi and pray
ed the prayer of John xvii such
prayer as was never prayed on earth
before or since. Then they sang
hymn and went out into the mount of
Olives Verse 26). He went forth over
the brook Cedron. because His son
Israel had turned against Him and
would not have Him CEx. iv. %: Ps.
XXI. III. We cannot but think of
His father David going forth over the
same brook because his son rebelled
against him Oil Sam XIV. 23J, but as
truly as David returned and reigned
when the rebellion was over. SO shall
the Son of David return and reign
when lsrael's rebellion Is over.
Having entered garden in Geth-
semane Uohn xviii. II. He said to His
disciples. "Sit ye here while I shall
pray" and, leaving eight of them. He
took Peter and James and John and
went a little farther and began to be
sorrowful and very heavy Verse 33;
Matt. XVI. 30. Putting the three rec
ords together as well as we can, II
seems TO have been like this: He was
withdrawn from the three favored dis
ciples about II stones cast, saying to
them. My soul Is exceeding sorrow
full unto death. larry We here and
watch with me-" Then He went for
ward a little and kneeled down and
fell on His face on the ground and
prayed, saying. 20 my Father, Ii it be
possible let this cup pass from me-
nevertheless, not my will but Thine be
done" And there appeared an angel
unto Him from heaven, Strengthening
Him. And. being in an agony, He
prayed more earnestly. and His sweat
was as it were great drops of blood
falling down to the ground. Matt.
XVI, 37-39; Mark xiv. 1886; Luke XIII
! HAD
Then He came to the three and found
them ;isree, ~ s2it. rsto Peter: Isl
mon, sleepest thou? Couldest thou not
watch with me one hour? Watch We
and pray lest ye enter into temptation
The spirit indeed il willing. but the
| flesh is weak He went away the sec
ond time and prayed the same words.
and returned and found them asleep
| again. and they did not know what 10
answer Him
He went away and prayed the third
! time. saying the same words. Then
He came the third time 10 the three
and said. sleep on now. and take your
rest, ii Is enough. the hour is come:
behold, the Son OF Man is betrayed
into the hands Of sinners" Then He
returned to the eight and found them
also sleeping for sorrow, and said:
why sleep We? Rise and pray lest
we enter into temptation" This at
tempt at a conservative story of that
awful night In the garden may not be
quite correct in every detail. but 1t is
helpful even to try to do It, Do II for
yourself, and you will be blessed In
doing it,
1t is clear that He prayed three
times, that He found them three times
sleeping, that He sweat, as 1t were,
drops Of blood. that an angel strength
ened Him. that after His agony He
was able to rise up and go to meet
His enemies.
What shall we say of the favored
three who were also with Him at the
raising of the rulers daughter and on
the mount of TRANSPORTATION and two
Of them honored TO bring to Him the
ass colt and to prepare the Passover?
What about their sleeping at His
TRANSPORTATION duke TX, 32), as well
as in the garden. and the fact that
neither glory nor suffering can keep
such mortals as we are awake? What
about the Boosting Of Peter and then
his not being able to watch one hourf
Oh. the loneliness of it all on His
side! mo man knoweth the Son save
the Father" How can He continue
to love such as we are and ever hope
to make anything out Of us? May His
patience with us make us more pa
tent with each other.
|
garden we may be quite certain that
He was not shrinking from death on
the cross. nor was He asking TO be de-
livered from that. We know that the
devil tried to kill Him as a babe In
Bethlehem and by His own townsmen
Mt Nazareth and possibly In the storm
on the lake. but he could not, for the
time had not come. My own convic-
ton concerning His agony and bloody
sweat In Gethsemane is that II was an
other attempt OF the devil to kill Him
before the time and thus prevent His
great sacrifice for sin on Calvary. The
key to It is found in Heb. v. Z. "He
offered up prayers and applications
with strong crying and tears unto
Him that was able TO save Him from
death and was heard" IL is the rec
ord OF His third weeping. He prayed
to be saved from death, and He was