South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-07-11
OUR GREAT RANSOM.


som for many.-Mark 10:45.
OUR GREAT RANSOM.
f. To Aim To- be Great for its
Prominence II Unworthy. If you Will
read the context, which is also the
lesson story you will learn that
James and John, both OF them good
men, desired 10 become prominent
persons in Christ's coming kingdom,
for. they requested 10 sit the one on
his right hand, and the other on his
left, and at this request the other dis
ciples became very much annoyed.
Jesus corrected the undue ambition Of
the two brothers and also the jeal-
ousy of the other disciples; he said,
whatsoever will be great among you,
shall be your minister; and WhosoeVeF
or you will be the chiefest, shall be
servant of ALL" and he finished his
instructions TO them in the words of
our text To aim 10 be great in SER
vice is worthy of all true men, but
TO aim TO be prominent, 20 lord ii
over the rest of the people, or TO seek
an exalted position because of his
honor or in order TO minister TO our
pride and ambition, is very unworthy.
and contrary to the spirit OF Jesus
Christ. A self-seeking man is des-
pissed. even among worldly men. when
he is found out; and when we see
those who seek high positions in the
Christian church animated by the
self-seeking spirit, we know that they
have fallen from grace. When Jesus
took water and a towel and washed
the feet of the disciples, il was TO
teach them humility.
2. Jesus Has MinistePed to Man
kind. The Son OF man came to the
world 10 serve, to work for and to
help others. HE who was rich for
our sakes became poor, that We
through his poverty might be made
rich" He spent his life in unremit-
ting toll for men, and has left us an
example that We should follow in his
footsteps He had no selfish thoughts
in his work; there is not a word
which Jesus said. not a motive which
he manifested, that can in any way
be construed into selfishness. He al
ways had the interests of the people
ct heart. Jesus has helped the hu-
manitarianism of the world more
than all other men combined. His
new doctrine, or philosophy of life,
was leaven which he placed in the
thought of the world, and after near
ly two thousand years we see this
powerful influence of love and SER
ample is being initiated today more
than ever. Wherever the gospel story
is told, men begin to hate their cruel
" one to another and TO desire the
Christ life.
3. Jesus Gave His Life a Ransom
for the World. The word ransom
means TO secure the release of those
who are in bondage or captivity, to
save others from punishment by pay
ing or doing something which will be
the equivalent of such just punish
ment, and thus releasing the guilty
ones. In its gospel sense it refers to
Christ's atonement. or the expiation
which he made for the sins of the
world. The text states that Christ
gave his life a ransom for many"
and we learn that this means he gave
his life for the world, For God so
loved the world that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whatsoever believ-
eth in him, should not perish but have
everlasting life" Christ by his life
and death, his resurrection and as
cension to heaven. did something, in
some way, which brings about the
salvation of men and women. We
may not know, in fact we do not
know, all that -Chrst's atonement
means from Gods standpoint, but we
do know what has taken place, and
what is constantly taking place, as a
result of Christs ransom. We know
that it has brought a new moral and
spiritual force in the world, that
countless multitude Of human beings
have, through it. been turned from
darkness into light
4. Jesus is Still Our Great High
Priest. Men need to remember that
our Saviour is not dead Christ. but
fhn ix-fr, 81
Holy Spirit, he is still ministering TO
the needs Of the world He still
serves us and is presiding over the
destinies of mankind. If we could see
his movements. with the outward eye,
the world would be appalled, and the
church astonished, at the wonderful
things which Christ is now doing on
the earth. Men who think, who look
below the surface, who see into
events; our seers, or prophets. who
see the invisible behold the wonder
working power Of Christ among the
nations. There never was time
when Christ was ministering to the
happiness and the progress Of the
world as he is today. on all hands
we see signs that the leaven of love
and service, which Jesus has placed I'm
the heart of humanity. is fermenting
and working its way through cruelty,
suffering and sin. and transmitting
these base things into their con-
traries. bringing about in their stead
humanitarian sentiments, progress,
general enlightenment, and a love for
righteousness. Christ has established
his church in the world and her in
fiuence is extending 10 earth's re-
hottest bounds.
Copyright. 1914. by f. s. Davidson