Arizona republican., 1916-01-01
International Sunday School Lesson for
 Jan. 2
THE ASCENDING LORD

| Golden Text.-"When he ascended
 on high, he led captivity captive and
 gave gifts unto men" Eph. I: s. Lesson Text.-Acts l: 1-14. Commit
 vs. To- II.
 G The fonaer treatise have l | made c Theopilus. of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. @ Until the day in which he was taken up, af- ter that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: (3) To whom al so he shev cd himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, be- ing seen of them forty days, and speak ing or the things pertaining to the kingdom Of God: (D And being as sembled together with them com manded them that they should not de part from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father which, saith he ye have heard of me t5) For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (6) When they therefore were come together. they asked of him. saying, Lord, wilt thou at this tirne restore again the kingdom to Israel? C0 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the l seasons. which the Father hath put in his ovr power. (S) But ye shall re- ceive power. after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be wit nesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea. and in Samaria. and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (9) And when he had spoken these things while they beheld. he was taken up; and cloud received him out of their sight. G0) And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel; 1D Which also said. Ye men of Galilce. why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come i mike manner as ye have seen him 90 into heaven. CPD Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet. which is from Jerusalem a sabbath days journey. G3) And when they were come in. they went up into an upper room. where abode both Jeter, and James. and John and Andrew Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew. and Matthew. James the son of Alpheus and simon Zelotes. and Judas the brother of James. G4 These all con- tinued with one accord in prayer and supplication. with the women. and Mary the mother of Jesus. and with his
 brethren.
 Time-Tuesday May IS. A. D. 30
 Places-Jerusalem and Olivet
 Exposition-l. The Risen Christ
 1-5. The book of Acts was written by
 Luke the author of the third Gospel
 Tn that treatise" he recorded all that Jesus began to do and teach" i. Q what He did and taught during His earthly life; in Acts he relates what Jesus continued to do and teach. i. e. after His ascension. Just before His ascension. He had given the disciples commandments ~. ,, cf Mat. 2S: 19 20; Mix 16: 15-19: Lu. "A: 45-49: ch. 10; 4O-42). These commandments had been given after His resurrection, but still in the power of the Spirit (v. ?: what an honor this puts upon the Holy
 Spirit. and how it emphasizes the inn portanCc of His work. The all-suffi-
 cient proof that Jesus really rose was
 that He was seen through forty days"
 after His death Forty days is the
 period of thorough testing Duet 9:
 ., IS; Xxi. 19: s; Mat. 4: ?. During
 these forty days, there was one subject
 of converse ton, the things concern
 ing the kingdom of God" Before leav-
 ing them Jesus laid a solemn charge upon them not to take up the commits
 sion of world wide eVaEgeliZatiOn that He Himself had given them until they
 had received the all-essential fitting
 for the work, the promise of the Fa-
 ther," the baptism with the Holy Spirit
 (vs. 1, ,. cf Lu 24: 49). They were to
 stay right there in Jerusalem and wait
 until they were clothed with power
 from on high Tn point of fact they
 were kept waiting ten days. All
 through these ten days. they alone
 knew the Gospel which the world was pcrishing in ignorance of, vet they
 must wait; how tremendously inn
 pOrtant in Gods sight it is that those
 who would work for him receive the
 promise of the Father before they un-
 dertake the service. This promise of
 the Father was to be given mot many
 days hence: evidently then. they had
 not yet received it. but they were all
 ready regenerated men '(Jno. 13: 10:
 15: 8; so it is clear that regeneration
 is one thing and the baptism with the
 Spirit something additional (cf. Ac. s:
 F, 15. 16)
 II. The Ascending Christ. 6-9. The mention of the promise of the Father