The Dermott news. (Dermott, Ark.) 1910-1977, 1917-01-04
INTERNATIONAL
SUND6YS0nOOL
LESSON
(By f. o. SELLERS, Acting Director OF
the Sunday School Course In the Moody
Bible Institute of ChicagNl
Copyright, 1917 Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR JANUARY 7
JESUS THE LIGHT AND LIFE OF
MEN.

of John; the remaining portion or the
year TO ii Kings, Ezra and Nehemiah.
being study with the prophets One
year from now we begin the new
graded uniform lessons" recently
adopted by the reorganized lnterna-
tional Lesson committee.
John was younger than his brother,
James. and lived TO be the Oldest of the
apostles, dying somewhere between A.
d. % and 9S. His name means
peace" though he is surnamed the
"son of thunder" MARK $40. Five
of the New Testament books bear his
name. He blended the gentleness of
dove with the force and vision OF an
eagle" The purpose of his gospel is
clearly stated (ch. 20 :3D. Only about
S per cent of ii is found in the other
three gospels. Seventy times the
word witness" is used. The word
father occurs 140 times and the
name Jesus" 240 times.
|. The Word wv. 1-5). Words utter
thoughts n word Is an expression Of
an inaudibe and invisible thing. As
TIE W I'll II. I Ill I~t II y 'dA'A y a.. L =
$40. he is the source of light. The
word is cod heard the life is God felt,
and the light IS God seen Moody.
This eternally existing person is called
the Word because in him God fully eX-
presses or reveals himself. The Bible
Is the written word because in 1t God
speaks and reveals himself through
u, .,-l
NIeb. 81. The first verse brings out
the fact that there are ut least two
persons in the Godhead, the one divine
person in company with whom the
word was. and the word, himself, was
God: that IS, was also n divine per-
son. He who by his incarnation be-
came our brother and our savior WIS
first our creator and the creator of nil
things, and apart from him not any
thing came into existence. The Word
did not become the light of men by his
incarnation in Jesus of Nazareth. lie
was ever the Light of Men. The light
that shone In the Old Testament time
shone from him. When sin came, night
came.
II The Witness wv. 6-101. John the
Baptizer came for n witness. He was
not the light. Some might have
thought him 10 be the promised Mes
slah This he denied. He WAS lamp
which held forth light TO men concern
Ing the true light (which llghteth every
man that cometh into the world" He
reflected light u. 81. John told all that
he knew. Testimony viii expand as
experience enlargeS. The spoken
word OF man must confirm the expert
ence OF the word In our lives. John
WAS wonderful man. a man whom
God delighted to honor, but he WAS
man. Men are not asked 10 believe
hlndly. hut always upon an abundance
OF testimony.
III. The World wv. 1l.1D. This
world was created by Jesus, and
throughout its existence he has been
In the world though the world knew
him not. This living light had been
coming into the world and was not
fully come until he WAS manifest 10
Israel at the bnptismal act of John.
In order To be made manifest the
Word was made flesh" in the person
Of Jesus. The world did not apprehend
the light (y. - nor did the world which
he was in and which MAS made by him
". lul. Even his own people. literally
his owa household servants. /. =. Israel
received him not 10 themselves, but
whoever receives him, even the vilest
sinner Of earth, and takes him into his
heart to be all Jesus desired 10 be, sa-
vior, lord. teacher friend, that instant
he becomes child OF God. We cannot
attempt 10 explain this mystery, The
union of spirit and body was in one
person, sample fact: though unex-
planned, still true. The union OF God
with a human body. forming one per-
son, Christ Jesus, sometimes spoken of
separately. sometimes as Il whole.
sometimes as divine. sometimes as hui
man. We cannot divide his activities
into two sections and say this is divine
and this is human; they are inexpl-
cably blended into one. This Christ
really dwelt among us. He did not
merely appear to some persons, or
among US was only temporary. only
few years. and we beheld his glory, the
glory of the only begotten son. The
world expected a Messiah and his own
creation, his own inheritance received
him not, rejected him. opposed him,
crucified him, their lord, savior, king
and messiah. Those who received him
and believed on his name became sons.
To be child OF God we must be
born into the nature and character OF
God. into his spiritual life. We are
members of his family.
We are heirs OF all things through
him. his Joy, his love, his character and
his blessing aud the privileges of work
ing for him and with him. We become
heirs by being born of God. not OF
blood, physical descent nor inheritance,
for the best of parents cannot bestow
thgc e,ff ,,nnn THAR pbildran