Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1917-04-05
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNDGSOOOL
LESSON
LESSON FOR APRIL 8
JESUS RAISED LAZARUS FROM
THE DEAD-EASTER LESSON.
By r. o. SELLERS, Acting Director OF
the Sunday School Course in the Moody
Bible Institute OF Chicago)
Copyright, 1917, Western Newspaper Union.)


| 11:25.
This lesson occurred about two
| months before the CruciflXiOn, Jesus
| being in Bethabara at the time of this
call (Sce John 0:40; :25). There
are four recorded cases of resurrec-
ton from the dead: Jhirus' daughter
Matt. 81, the son of the widow of
Main duke y, Lazarus, and also Je-
| sus after his crucifiXion Uohn 20).
I. The Lesson Of Unbelief. Bethany.
| the home of Lazarus, is on the south
/ eastern slope Of Mt. Olivet, two miles
| from Jerusalem. Christ and his dis
ciples were on the east side of the Jor-
dan, having been driven there by the
! hostility of the Jews (JOhn 10:3D. He
! purposCly delays his stay in that place
that this event might give an Oppor-
! tuuity for the manifestation of his
woodworking power. This delay
was in face Of his supernatural knowl-
| edge that Lazarus sickness had been
fatal, for he said plainly to his disci-
! pies, Lazarus is dead" Philosophers
have often called death a sleep, but al
I WAYS one from which there was no
awakening; hence the skepticism of
these sisters is not surprising. "a
They limited the power of Jesus to his
/ persOn--"If thou hadst been here" (2)
( They also limited his power to a GER
tain pIace, ''If thou hadst been here"
/ ". 21).
/ u. The Lesson Of Pain. The suffer-
| ing Of these sisters produced sacrifice
and sclf-devotlon. Suffering brings
[ blessing to others. 1t is also n means
Of self-culture Suffering drives US to
| the Christ, and reveals to us the I'M
realized side of Christs character
| ". 25). Jesus is often never more
| kind than when he seems to be least
kind. In the midst of her skepti-
cism and pain Jesus gave Martha n
new and glorious thought about the
J resurrection. II am the resurrection
| and the life" If we desire that, all
we haze to do is to get Jesus himself
! Il John 5:12). Resurrection has TO
with the spirit John 1873. All will
ultimately experience resurrection, but
| only those who believe on him re-
ceive life (John 1850. There is
resurrection of life and there is
resurrection of damnation John
. :29). Martha answered, Yea Lord,
1 believe that thou art the Christ, the
Son of God" 1t is all-impOrtant that
we should really believe that John
20 81; John 5:1-5).
III. The Lesson of Love. Love al
ways manifests itself in deeds. Mar
tina secretly and quickly arose and
left the wailing friends to go and
meet the waiting Master. "The Mas
ter is come" He still comes, and
calls to us, and, if, like Martha, we
spring up gladly to meet him, he will
fill our lives with blessing and joy. Je-
sus came to these sisters individu-
ally wv. 81, 2e). He had entered the
danger zone in order to be there
". 81, and it was Thomas, the
doubter, who wanted to accompany
him ". 16). "Jesus wept," not with
the wailing of professional mourners,
but with the silent, grief-stricken sis
tiers.
w. The Lesson of Power. Jesus
had let natural causes work to their
fullest extent. Coming to the tomb
Jesus said ". 39), "Take We away
the stone" 1t was four days after the
death Of Lazarus before he came
forth. Jesus was soon to die and
rise in three days after his entomb-
ment. The stone had to be removed
from the tomb of Lazarus; it rolled
! itself away from the tomb of Christ
The restrictions which Christ placed
upon his exercise of power, viz, that
he allowed Lazarus to die, to be
buried, and his body to reach the
point of putrefaction, and not to come
forth until Jesus himself, in his body
was present at the tomb, emphasizes
the lesson Of the restraint of power
] for the glory of God. Out of sucl
extreme circumstances of seeming i'm
S possibility God manifested his glor!
l (ROm. 1929.
, Browning has given us a wonder
!, fully imaginative picture Of his re
newed life on earth:
3 And oft the mans soul springs into hi
I face
As II he saw again and heard again
His sage that bade him rise,
And he did rise.
G The effect of the miracle was two
fold. Many who were present be
J lieved on Jesus, others did not.
T Some went to the Pharisees t
{ relate what they had seen, only t
meet with rebuff.
The remainder of the chapter is OF
o cupied with the plotting of the Phar
hees against Jesus, and from thi
u grave there stretches the shadow G
cross upon the path of Jesus.
This miracle ranks next to Christ
n owP resurrection as a demonstrate
i of immortality.
Are we on resurrection ground
u Has the stone been rolled away?