The Green Forest tribune., 1917-02-16
INTERNATIONAL. S0,YDGSQlOOL
 LESSON
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 18
JESUS HEALS NoBLEMAN's SON
LESSON TExT-John 4:43-54.

This event occurred few days aft CT that of last Sundays lesson. It was Jesus second miracle i'll Cana. John the Baptist Is still preaching, and Jesus is closing the first year of his ministry and beginning his work in Galilee. Teachers should bring a vivid picture of Galilee to their classes, as that was one of the inn portant fields to which our Master de voted much of his time. Cor descrip- tion see some good Bible dictionary0 1 The people of that land were more worldly less bound by conventional 1 tiles, and more accessible to the teach ings which Jesus brought than those of Judea. Josephus says they were fond of innovations, and disposed to ] changes"
 l. SuppIication (Testing) w. 43-49. Jesus left the revival at Samaria (vv. S9-44) and returned to Galilee. His own people of Nazareth refused to ac- cept him flor a prophet hath no honor in his own country" It was in Galilee that he had his great victories. Here he was welcome (v. 45) because they had known the things that he did at Jerusalem, the report of which was brought back by those who had visited | the feast (John 2:14-1O. In Cana | (Ch. 2:11 one came to him who was a kings officer, one who was used to | command, and whose great personal need overcame any prejudice (Matt. , 9:1S; Luke 7:2). God uses afflictiOns ofttimes to drive us to him, and the most effective way to induce men to come to Jesus is to bring them to recognize their need which he alone can supply. The lad was "at the point of death," hence the fathers journey | of twenty miles from Capernaum to weakness of faith indicated in verse forty-eight, in that the man would not believe except he should see signs and wonders. We have also the earnest ness of the man In verse 49 "Sir, come down ere my child die" Mans extremity Is ever Gods oppor- tunity. Not only extreme cases of sickness can be brought to him, but extreme cases of sin as well q Tim. :15: Heb. 7:25). He can heal not only those who are "at the point of death' but those who are already dead (Eph. 2:D, The child was dy- ing, the father had not strength to wait to see wonders, but he could and did trust Jesus to heal his son.
 Ii. Surrender (Trusting1 w. 50-51. When the soldier took Jesus at his word, he surrendered his previous con- ception, and accepted the word of God :; literally acting upon his belief. He went his way because he believed. He | did not ask Jesus again to go to Capar- naum. We must not confuse this kind of faith, however. with his having ac- cepted Jesus as Savior. He accepted Jesus only as healer. We have men today who will accept Jesus Christ In the perfection of his character and the purity of his teachings but who will not accept him to be their personal Savior. Such men want to receive the benefits of Christianity, failing to rec ognize its spiritual power and author l Ity It was probably one o'clock when Jesus spoke the healing word in Cana. At that same hour the household at l Capernaum saw the change in the sick | boy for "the fever left him. We may well imagine the joy which pos sessed the father and that household on the following day when he received this report.
 III. Satisfaction (Triumph) tvy. 52- 54). The fathers faith rose to the need for ''he believed the word that Jesus spake." That word did not seem at all probable, but it was enough. The word of Jesus who is, himself, the | truth, is a sure and more reasonable ground of faith than any amount of i speculation. This fathers walk from l Cana to Capernaum was a walk of i faith. He had nothing but a bare prom ise to support him, yet on his return he found his son living (v. 52). On this word of Jesus he, himself, be- 1 lieved and his whole house. It seems l improbable that this could be otherwise If he were an honest man. If any l father who is an honest man will read | the records of the life of Jesus with out being convinced that the stories l are true, by that disbelief he gives | evidence of his lack of sincerity, and l any father who believes and whose | household does not also believe, gives evidence of a fundamental weakness | in either his own profession or in his application of the truths of the gospel. | W. Suggestions CD The living, per sonal presence of Christ is not need | ful. It was wise provision of Gods economy that Christ should have re- turned to heaven.
 (2) Acts are the true indications of
 our faith. Gods written revelation
 and the revelation of his son, the Liy-
 ing Word and the witness of the ex- | perience of Gods saints are sufficient
 facts upon which to base faith.
 (3) Faith is progressive. Notice the | growth from verses 4S to 50 and R l At first the man believed in Jesus'
 power; then he beleived in Jesus
 word, and believed in Jesus, himself
 then he reaches the highest point in
 that he does not believe alone, for his
 whole house believed with him.
 (4) Faith is the source of all
 Christian gifts and graces. We have
 an advantage over these Galileans ot
 nearly nineteen centuries of what
 Christ has wrought among the peoples
 of the earth among those who have
 believed on him. He has been tried
 and proved, and the gifts of Gods
 grace, eternal life, the gifts of the
 Spirit are all conditioned upon on