Arizona republican., 1917-01-06
International Sunday School Lesson for
 January 7, 1917
JESUS THE LIFE AND LIGHT OF
 MEN

L.
 Golden Text-'In him was life; and the life was the light of men. Jno. IA.
 Lesson Text-Jno. 1:1-14 Qtred H. Is. Memorize vs. 11,l2)
 Q) In the beginning was the Word and the word was with God and the word was God. (2) The same was tke beginning with God. (3) All things were made by [throUghl him, ana without him was not anything made that was Ihath beenl made. lD In him was life; and the life was the
 igtt of men. (5) And the light slineth in the darkness, and the dark ness comprehended (apprehended) il
 not t6) There was tcame) man sent
 from God, whose name was John. @
 Tho same came for witness. to
 bear witness of the light. that all men
 through him might believe. (s) He
 was not that (the) light. but was sent
 tcameD to bear witness of the light.
 C9) That (There) was the true light
 which ighteth every man that cometh
 (coming) into the world. 10) He
 was in the world, and the world was
 made by Ghrough) him, and the world knew him not. tlD He came
 unto his own. and Cthey that were) his own received him not. CPD But as many as received him, to them gave he power (the righD to become tho sons (children) of God. even to them that believe on his name; 03) N hich fere born. not Of blood. nor of ] the will of the flesh. nor of the will of man, but of God Gf) And the word was made (became) flesh and dwelt among us fand we beheld his lsrlo hf rll af t.
 ten of the Father.) full of grace and truth
 Time.-A. D. 95 Place-Ephesus. Exposition-l. The cternally exist
 ent word. 1-5. Johns gospel is the deepest book in the bible, and this is the deepest portion of the book Any exposition of these words must seem incomplete and inadequate. They should be long and deeply pondered | by each individual for himself. John here carries us back to the dawn not
 merely of human history, but of the | history Of the universe. and way back
 here, ages ago. we behold a being | Nho then already was (of Gen. ' ID. The name of this eternally ex- ] stert being Is the word" This -tcrnally existent person is called the 1 Word" because it ifs in him that God | fully expresses Himself Cor reveals | HimselD. The bible is the written word of God because in it God speaks 1nd reveals Himself, but God has re- vealed Himself not only in book but | in Q person and that person in the eternal oWrd who became .ncarnate I in our Lord Jesus (Heb. l:3: 1 Jno. l.2. Jno. 1:14; 14:9. This person was with God" in His presence. in lose intimacy with Him. And this person was God" From all eternity | that person who became flesh in Jesus of Nazareth was God tcf. Phil 20. There could not be a more definite md eXplict statement of the true diety | of Himwho tabernacled among us in | Inc person of Jesus Christ: He was | iood' Comp. Isa- 9:6; Rom 9:5; Titus 2:l3. R. V. Pet. 1 l. R. VI; ! Heb. l: 6. s:i Jno 5:2C). The entire gospel of John is devoted to a proof of this statements Everything in the l sospel revolves about this center tJno. | 20:3D. This verse brings out the facl
 htta there are at least two persons | in the God head The Word was with God: There is one divine per | son in company with whom the Word | Himself, was God i c., also a di- | vine person. Having learned His eter- l nal divine nature. we next turn to | His divine work. He is the one | through whom all things came to bel | God has executed all His creative 1 plans through Him. He who by His | incarnation became our brother and | our Savior was first our creator and l the creator of all things. Apart from | Him came not one thing into exist ence, Comp. Eph. 3;9: Col. 1:16; Heb | l'2; Ps 33:6; Heb. 11:3) There was | life in Him before His incarnation: ] He is the eternal source of life. All I life has come forth from Him. Eter- nal source of life. All life has come | from Him. q Jno SID. The only way to get eternal life is by taking | Him in whom it is (Jho. 5:12). Not | only was life in Him, but He was | Himself the life q Jno. 1:2). And | He who was the Life was also the i light of men (Jno. SIP: 9:5; 12: 35 | 60. The Word did not become "thc light of men" by His incarnation l in Jesus of Nazareth He ever was
 'the light of men," No ray of light
 has ever shone upon man except from Him. The light that shone in old Testament times shone from Him, yes
 even the glimpses of light the heather havehad are from Him. When sir came, night came The condition oi the whole world since the fall has been one of moral spiritual, intel lectuai darkness" But in the midst of this universal darkness there has ever been light shining. No matter
 how deep the darkness. He has shone The light shone, but the world die not indeed would not, lay holds of il | q Cor. 2:14; Jno. 3:19,20). That is why the world continues in darkness still The world would not lay holC
 of the light in His unincarnate form
 so God gives the Word in a form
 more easily apprehensible, an in carnate form.
 ' II. Jonah the Witness to the Light
 6-9. But Gods condesceension tt
 mans infirmity does not stop even a