Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-04-12
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
LESSON
(By REV. +. b. EITZWATER, D. D.,
Teacher of English Bible in the
Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.)
Copyright, 1918, Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR APRIL ia
JESUS REQUIRES CONFESSION
AND LOYALTY.

LESSUN run AfhlL 1T
JESUS REQUIRES CONFESSION
AND LOYALTY.
LESSON TEXT-Mark S:27-3S.
GOLDEN TEXT-Whosoever will come
after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow me.-Mark S:A.
DEVOTIONAL NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
10:8-10; Hebrews 12:1-2, 12-15.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR
TEACHERS-Luke 9:18-27; 57-62.
PRIMARY AND JUNIOR TOPIC
Jesus and the Blind Man.
LESSON MATERIAL-Mark S:22-26.
PRIMARY MEMORY VERSE-He hath
done all things well.-Mark 1871.
The time has now come for Jesus
to take account of his ministry. Hav-
ing been rejected by the rulers, he
goes into retirement with his disciples.
His primary object in his teaching
during this time is to prepare the dis
ciples for the tragedy of the cross,
which he knew was SO near. His
teaching gathers around the great
cardinal doctrines of the Christian
faith. He i%nstructs them touching his
person, atoning death, resurrection
and glorious coming again. He knew
that in the measure that they intelli-
gently apprehended these things they
would be able to pass through the
ordeals before them. The same is
true today. Those who clearly appre-
bend the Divine Person, the vicarious
atonement, the glorious resurrection,
and second coming Of Christ, are un-
disturbed by the world tragedies of
the present hour.
l.. Peters Confession of Christ wv.
27-3O).
Two questions of Christ provoked
this confession:
1. "Whom do men say that I am?"
wv. q, 2S).
This question referred to the opin-
ions of the people regarding Jesus.
Some believed him to be John the
Baptist, some Elijah, and some n of
the prophets. They all recognized him
to be a teacher or prophet with more
than human authority md power. To-
day, as then, there is a diversity Of
opinion among people as to Jesus
Christ. Some think that he a only
a man, others that he was a great
teacher, but nothing more. Jesus was
not content with this acknowledgment.
Had he been satisfied with this, he
would not have been molested in
Jerusalem, for the Jews willingly &C.
knowledged him as much more than a
human teacher.
2. "Whom say We that I amp wv.
%. 30).
Jesus persistently claimed to be the
Goldman, the very Son of God. He
wanted the personal opinion of the
disciples concerning him. To be able
to tell what others think of Jesus is
not enough. There must be definite,
correct and personal belief in him.
which is worth infinitely more than
what others think, for upon it hinges
destiny and character. Some say il
matters little what we believe, just
so our conduct is all right. The fact
is, u conduct is the expression OF
u belief. What we believe, we al.
ready are or are fast becoming. Doc
trine and ethics are ~inseparable. The
doctrinal belief concerning the person
of Christ, which entities one to the
name Christian, is that he is the God.
man, God manifest in the flesh. May
each one hear him putting the persona.
question, "What think We of Christi
II. Jesus Teaching Concerning the
Cross wv. 31-33).
Christ charged the disciples not tt
make public his Messiahship, as thai
would precipitate the crisis. The dis
ciples needed much instruction yet tt
prepare them for the crucial hour Of
the cross.
1. What he taught ". 81.
~ THE Son of Man must suffel
many things"
He suffered physical WEAKNESS ant
hunger, ridicule and contempt, ant
even misunderstanding and lack of ap
probation on the part of his friend.
and disciples.
(2) BE rejected of the elders, chic.
/: priests and scribes."
These were the nations official rep
resentatives, the very ones who shoult
have known and received Christ ant
recommended his reception on the par
of the nation. Truly, he came to hi
own, and his own received him not
John Ill. To be rejected by one
own friends and relatives is doubl,
painful.
(3) BE killed"
This announcement was startling t
%ha lSco;11oc Tharv Io5 -o+ 49,.
to realize that redemption was to b
accomplished through the passion an,
| the cross. Jesus now states wit
definiteness and certainty that b
must die on the cross. This ~necessit
was due primarily to the fact that j
was the divine purpose to make tn
death of Christ the heart and core O
the atonement; and also, to huma
hatred and opposition.
, (4) Rise again"
Though this was utterly incompre
hensible to the disciples, he show
? them that this would be the gloriou
+ issue of his death. Life out of, O
, through, death is Gods universal la,
4 in nature and grace.
I 2. How the disciples received hi
4 teaching ". 32).
: So unwelcome was his teachin
touching the cross that Peter, tn
/ spokesman of the disciples, rebuke
4 him. Victory through death is sti
E the stumbling block to many.
III. The Cost of DiscipIeship ". "a,
The law of the Christian life
suffering. To follow Christ means t
turn ones back upon the world. 7
repudiate the world means to incu
the hatred of the world. To be Chri
3 tians, therefore, means to shar
Christ'S Sufferings.