The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1917-01-25
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNllAYSC[IO0L.
LESSON
LESSON FOR JANUARY %
REVERENCE OF JESUS FOR HIS
FOLLOWERS HOUSE.
LESSON TEXT-John 2:l3-22.

| ohippinB tite ueluilS Ol SenealOSy, |
birth and boyhood, John punges into
the work and ministry of our Lord.
Our previous lessons have taken up
the matter of his eternal Godhead, the
word made flesh, the witness Of John.
i Jesus and John the Baptist, his first
disciples and the wedding ut Canaun.
Some Of these events have been skipped
Oves without much consideration, vet
the teacher should review them briefly.
The wedding ut Canaan probably oc-
Cured In March, A. d. 27, and the
events Of this lesson in April of the
Passover week Of that year. both
events occurring enrly In the first year
of the ministry of our Lord. Jesus
went to the wedding for he had many
things to teach by means Of 1t. The
story is familiar, and yet God is per-
forming the same miracle every year
except by somewhat slower process.
John lays strong emphasis upon the
"signs" which Jesus performed ns evil
dcnce of his office. This miracle Is an
allegory. 1t also throws light upon
Jesus relation to the home.
|. Jesus Applies the Word Of God
wv. 12-17). AS The son of the Law"
Jesus observed all of it's requirements
and therefore went to the Passover
(Deut. 16: :1G; Luke 2 :4I. We would
suggest the reading of Edcrshcims
"Life Of Christ" ut this point, especial
ly his description Of the feast. Jesus
found much Of interest, and also saw
that which filled his spirit With indig-
nation as he entered the temple ".
1D. Great numbers of oxen and sheep
and doves We're required for the sacrl-
fees. Every family must bring for
sacrifice lamb, the sacrifices being
lain in the inner court near the great
altar. Those living nearer the city
could bring their own sacrifices, but
those who came from far distant points
found 1t more convenient to purchase
their sacrifices nearer the temple. Thus
n business had grown up within the
courts, which gave rise to an immense
! amount of covetousness and selfish
) ness. The yearly tax due from every
p Jew could not be received except in
; the native coin; hence the money
changers within the courts. The re-
suit was that the temple had become q
"dcn of thieves" (NIark II ~. This
a had undermined the power of religion
l. and turned men away from the truth
e This place, made to be house OF
j. prayer Ger. Z III; Isa. SGD had be
l. come vanity fair; show, and the
n very object Of the temple was sncri-
. feed to the greed Of gain. The de-
: fense often made in our day, Of buy
> Ing and selling in the house of God
: that 1T has to do with the cause Of
worship Will not bear scrutiny In the
light of this passage. Into these sur
rodndings this young reformer enters
and places his finger upon the heart
Of the matter when he quotes the scrip
ture. The reason Of his action was
what the scripture said about the
house of God. Present day followers
Of Jesus can learn lesson from these
words.
u. Jesus FuIfiIls the Word Of God
. Wv. 1S-22). Jesus spnke rs one hav-
Ing authority, and these merchants
knew they were In the wrong. He en-
bodied In himself. as prophet, the
moral sentiment OF the nation, and cx-
erted his authority 1t looked like high,
handed usurpation unless Jesus were n
prophet sent from God; therefore the
demand for his credentials ". 1S).
Jesus gave sign. sign which they
did not understand at the time (v. 10 {;
Matt. 12:3S-4O; 1G:1-4). The resur-
rcction of Jesus Is Gods seal to all of
the claims Of Jesus. He also spenks
OF his body as n symbol and tyne OF
what is to take place in their national
temple. an event which occurred some
forty years later, though they at The
time DID not understand It, Jesus fore
saw that these leaders would destroy
MS Dody on the cross, and that for the
same reason they We're at the present
time opposing him in what he had
done. The Jews, thinking only of their
temple, in whose courts they were
standing, referred to the time spent in
the erection Of the building (v. 20).
, and thought that their argument was
invtnciblc, but they did not know what
was to take place. Not even the dis
ciples of Jesus understood his words
at the time, but after his resurrection
!, they remembered them and their full
, fillment. The death and resurrection
of Jesus was in accordance with the
word Of God His whole life. birth and
works can be traced in the Old Testa-
ment In type and prophecy.
Young people should be taught to be
, reverent in the Sunday school and in
, all religious meetings.
, The bodies and souls are temples O
Cor. 3:1G; GID.
Church buildings are the temples Of
God Wcad A. j. Gordon's book on
> "IIow Christ Came to the Church").
The Sunday school Is n temple of
> God