The Yale expositor., 1917-03-15
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDNS01OOL
LESSON
(By u. o. SELLERS. Acting Director OF
Sunday School Course OF Moody Bible
Institute.)
Copyright. 1917 Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR MARCH 18
JESUS SAVES FROM SIN.

Teachers should sketch rapidly In a
chronological way the events In the life
of our Lord, (See any good harmony
and show that this lesson belongs to
the period of the Galilean ministry of
Jesus when he had gone up to Jerusa-
lem to attend the feast Of the taber-
nacle (John 1852. Let us be sure
to load our guns with temperance am
munition, be familiar with facts, take
careful aim, concentrate all we have
to say upon one definite aim, and then
pull the trigger e. &. be sure to shoot
a temperance charge and make tenn
perance application.
I. The Slavery to Sin. Jesus previ-
Gus references to water (Chs. and y
and to bread (ch. 6) were Occasioned
by outward occurrences; so with this
reference to light. In the treasury ".
20) near to Jesus as he spake were two
colossal, golden lamp stands around
which when lighted the people gath
cred with rejoicing. Amid the blaze of
this illumination, Jesus exclaims: IL
am the light of the world" What Is
more beneficent than light as 1T re-
veals, cheers and brings life, health
and happiness to mankind? Without
light there is no vision. Without Jesus
there Is no spiritual wisdom. Without
light we know not whittier we are go
ing. Without Jesus we grope in the
darkness. Every ray of light, of truth,
of holiness and love comes from him,
for God is light and in him is no dark
ness at all Il John :15). Some think
that these words were occasiOned by
the onlookers, seeing what Jesus had
written in the sand (vv. LID. The
first step in the slavery of sin is blind
ness; the second is habit; and the
third is that of absolute slavery prov.
5:22). Jesus was the incarnation Of
the light of God. We cannot con-
ceive of Jesus making such an asser-
tion as this, and being merely a good
man.
II. The Possibility of Freedom (vv.
31-36.) These words were spoken TO
"those which had believed on him." and
as the result they were to know the
truth, and the truth should make them
free. knowledge and liberty come from
n continuance (abiding) in the word of
God (John IA 10; 16:12-13). Many men
reject Jesus Christ because they claim
| they wish to have their liberty, and by
, so doing they lose their liberty. A dis
ciple is learner; Jesus is the teacher
! the entrance examinations to the
} school of Christ are the simple and
necessary condition of believing or ac-
Z cepting him as Lord and teacher. The
scholars are all the disciples who con-
tinue under his instruction. The OBJ
ject of the schooling is to make per-
, feet men, "untO the measure of the
> stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph
, q %; Col. :12). Christ's school is moi
, only in the church and in the Sunday
{ school and Young Peoples society, but
, 1t is everywhere, in the home, in the
: Office, at work and play; wherever one
: is trying truly to live according tC
: Christs will, he is in his school, ant
I that school is open both day and night
: there are no vacations and no recesses
4 The text book is the Book of books
\ We need not argue as to the necessit!
9 of sin, but realize the fact that all ar'
n under sin (Rom, 5:12), but being un
; der sin does not necessitate our abid
O. ing there, nor is sin necessary to on
being. This freedom here is from sill
and the love of sin and the curse ant
the penalty Of sin and the bondage ant
> corroding care of sin. It is also menta
freedom, freedom for Christian &C
tivity. A knowledge of the Englisl
y L. nd hrfn nor
true liberty to those who are thus edu
Gated. AS contrasted to that we hav
the slavery of sin (vv. "a, 36). TIL
IL drunkard is q slave because he is re
70 strained from doing what he knows h
u ought to do. He cannot even do wron
q freely for his conscience constantly VI
~ braids him. He is a slave because h
is compelled to bear the consequence
- Of sin against his will. The way c
y escape ". 36) is through the son.: 81
70 the son therefore shall make you FREE
We shall be free indeed"
3 ~. The Authority (vv. So, 58). Th
" Jews took exception to the words {
Jesus 1855. When did Abraham sc
~ Jesus2 Read the 18th and 10th chapter
~ three who visited Abraham was diffe
e' ent from the other two, and RENAME
10 behind while two went on to Sodor
w The one who remained was the Lor
~ Jesus, Jehovah appearing in huma
form before his later incarnation {
- Jesus of Nazareth.
81 Am" is the name of Jehova
'u Jesus here takes that name to himsel
81 There was a time when Abraham can
u to be or was ". 5S), but there WI
IN no time when our Lord ever came
~ be for he is the eternal 81 Am BelI
W thus one with God, he has the pow
to set men free.
- We have in this chapter the pictu
which Jesus draws of the character
the devil as the enemy of mankind u
= der two aspects: First, he is a mt
derer ". Az.
ht / NJ ..,o~ hoe clotx x.,1,of int y,