The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-01-06

S6NDMS0l0Nl
LESSON
CBy e. o. SELLERS, Acting Director
the Sunday School CouTse IN the MOoS
Downright, 1917. Western N,vs0aper Cnls.
LESSON FOR JANUARY 7
JEsUS THE LIGHT AND LIFE a
MEN. .

of this year are devoted % the gus
of John; the remaining portion Of h
wear TO II Kings, Ezra and Nehenh Fl
being a study with the prophets
wear from now we begin the a
"graded uniform lessons recg.I
adopted by the reOrganized Inten|
tiopal Lesson committee.
John was younger than his bruts
James, and lived to be the oldest I'D
apostles. dying somewhere betwes
ID. % and IS. His name mn
peace" though he is surnamed i
"son Of thunder" Mark 3:1O. e.
of the New Testament books beGs
name. He blended the gentlenessh
dove with the force and vision q
eagle" The purpose of his gospel
clearly stated (ch. 20 :3D. Only abb
s per cent of it is found in the OsNA
three gospels. Seventy-SiX times
word witness" is used. The wd
father" occurs 40 times and u
name Jesus" 240 times. Il
|. The Word wv. 1-5). Words urI
thoughts; word is an expression
an inaudible and invisible thing
the Word, Christ is Creator (ch. IA
S:19), he is the source of light. II
word is God heard; the life is God fst
and the light is God seen"-MOOcf
This eternally existing person is CALI
the Word because in him God fully q
presses or reveals himself. The BIZ
is the written word because in 1t Go
speaks and reveals himself throuT
this person who is the eternal WGN
Heb. ~. The first verse brings "a
the fact that there are ut least tFt
persons in the Godhead, the one dlvnf
person in company with whom U
word was, and the word, himself, w&
God; that is, was also divine pei
son. He who by his incarnation h
came our brother and our savior WI
first our creator and the creator Of d
things, and apart from him not any
thing came into existence. The WTI
did not become the light of men BY h
incarnation in Jesus of Nazareth. 81
was ever the Light Of Men. The LID
that shone in the Old Testament nd
shOne from him. When sin came, night
came. Conditions of the world since
the fall have been that of dense spirit
ual and intellectual darkness, but Ii
the midst of this universal DARKNESS
there has always been light. 0T&
viOr must first of all be divine having
all knowledge and power. BE ulst
have also life which can create md
maintain existence. He must alN h
light, for dead minds cannot know I'd
dead souls see.
u. The Witness wv. 6-1O). John
Baptizer came for a witness. lie Vi
not the light. Some might hls
thought him to be the promised Ne
siah. This he denied. He was Lam
which held forth light to men concen
ing the true light (which lighteth eys
man that cOmeth into the world"
reflected light ". 81. John told all td
he knew. Testimony will expand
experience enlarges. The spoka
word of man must confirm the expcx
ence of the word In our lives. Ja3
was wonderful man, a man who
God delighted to honor. but he was
man. Men are not asked to beleF&
blindly, but always upon an abundant
OF testimony.
Ill. The World wv. 11-14). II
world was created by Jesus, AZ
throughout it's existence he has bed
In the world, though the world knet
him not. This living light had bee
coming into the world, and was %
fully come until he was manifest e
Israel at the baptismal act of JOh1
In order to be made manifest u
"Word was made flesh" in the persf
Of Jesus. The world did not apprehelf
the light ". 81 nor did the world Wild
he was In and which was made by h1
". 1O). Even his own people, literslN
his own household servants, /. e. IsrssI
received him not to themselves, n
whoever receives him, even the vilSi
sinner Of earth, and takes him into n
heart to be all Jesus desired to be, =
vlOr, lord, teacher, friend, that instS
he becomes a child of God. We cam
attempt to explain this mystery.
union Of spirit and body was In on
person. a sample fact; though une'
planned, still true. The union of Go
with a human body, forming one pe
son, Christ Jesus, sometimes spoken
separately, sometimes as q Who'll
sometimes as divine, sometimes as b
man. We cannot divide his activini
into two sections and say this is divi1
and this is human; they are inexpl
cably blended into one. This Chr
really dwelt among US. He I'D d
merely appear to some persons,
come In a vision, and yet his abot
among us was only temporary. only
few years. and we beheld his glory, D
glory of the only begOtten Son. 7
world expected Messiah and his 0E
creation, his own inheritance receive
him not rejected him, opposed BIZ
crucifed him, their lord, savior, Iii
and messiah. Those who received b
and believed on his name became son
To be a child of God we must
born into the nature and character
Cod into his spiritual life. We
members of his family. We are I'M
peculiar, loving care, dwelling I'm
the shadow of his almighty wing.
have a share in his beautiful home,
n