Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-01-11
LESSON FOR JANUARY Is
JESUS BEGINS HIS WORK.

rEACHERS-Matt. tl-ii s:ls-22: Luke g.
ia; s57-62; Heb 4h-le, Acts al-s. John
lsi-S
PRIMARY ToPIC-Jesus chooses four
helpers
MEMORY vERsE-come We after me =
Mark Ill
INTERMEDIATE TOPIC Overcome
temptation
MEMORY verse; Cor 1913
SENIOR AND ADULT ToPIC-How Je-
sus faced his task.
| Introduction wv. 10 l3). Mark de-
votes little or no attention TO the early
Incidents Of the life Of Jesus. and only
suggests the events Immediately fol-
owing his baptism. Indeed for the
record Of the Temptation and the Ser
mon on the Mount, we have to look to
he other Gospel writer's In teach
ng the lesson we must not. however,
overlook making some reference to
these two outstanding events in the
life OF our Lord
II. John the Bsptizer tvy IL 80.
This section not only dispoSes OF John
rs having been put into prison. hut
Immediately plunges Jesus into his
public ministry. Jesus entry into
Galilee was pnrt Of his connection
with John. lnasmuch as he withdrew
himself to that place (See John 4 :l-0.
and made Capernaum his headquar.
trrs Matt. :l3). The message here
recorded as proclaimed by Jesus was
the Identical summons which John the
Bnptlzcr had uttered. Jesus speaks
Of this new kingdom IA being already
come, referring. Of course. to his own
person and ministry, but In It's actual
establishment ii was not really at
hand" until he shed his blood upon the
cross and the Holy Spirit descended on
the day Of Pentecost, when there was
opened the fountain for sin ana I'M
cleanliness for the world at large.
~. His Helpers Called. wv. 1920.
IN this record. we have the call OF
four Of his helpers. Simon, Andrew
his brother James and John his
brother the latter being the sons of
Zehcdee. Luke tells Us (j:@ that
Jesus was teaching. Those called
were certainly at work and God al
ways issues his call TO those whose
time ana effort are being occupied,
even though perhaps for selfish pur-
poses There is no place for IN idler
In the spiritual kingdom. This call
was to come We after me" e.. 10,
the purpose being that they might be-
come "hShers Of men" Notice he be-
san upon the common familiar ground
OF fishing. something mutually and
thoroughly understood. and led them
from that TO a spiritual truth. In this
we see good pedagogical hint and n
wise suggestion TO the preacher and
teacher, VIZ that we must begin to
teach our lessons through the medium
Of past experience and Of present In
terests. Simon duke 8 ~ appears TO
have been douhter when Jesus
called him Nevertheless, he was will
Ing 10 try Christ at least once, and so
al his word. he let down the net. The
evidence Of obedience is found In verse
~ and Matthew 4:S) also Luke %:
~ tells us that when they left their
nets. they left ALL"
~. His Helpers Trained wv. 81,
22). The result Of this call was (See
V. ~ that MS they went Into the city
they entered INTO the synagogue,
where Jesus taught them The infer
ence. Of course, Is plain Whenever
God calls man into his kingdom, he
begins at once to teach him the du-
ties and responsibilities Of the king
dom. Notice that In becoming fishers
Of men. then began close at home.
Brother sought brother. This was not
the first time that Jesus had called
these brothers. (Sce John 40, ~.
In the call ms accorded by ST. John,
we are led to believe that John tthe
nnmcntioned dlSciple) first sought an
interview with Christ. The question
Of hnrmonlzing the various calls which
Jesus gave to his disciples Is an in
teresting one and one which has given
rise TO a good deal of discussion. The
one recorded in the first chapter OF
John occurred in Judea; this one oc-
Cured in Gallee. As 10 whether this
is the one recorded In the fifth chap
ter of Luke, there seems 10 he a gen
eral opinion that II Is not the same,
though we can with profit compare
the two calllngs in teaching this les.
son. The probabilities are that there
were three calls: First the one re-
corded in John ;35 40; second, that
one recorded In Matthew 4:lS:22 and
the third and last was that which oc-
cured Just before their appointment
to become apostles, the one recorded
In Luke five.
Conclusion. When Jesus faced his
great task. he did not face II alone. He
had first Of all the approval Of God
the Father. He also had the annolnt'
ing OF God the Holy Spirit, and he
called in the cooperation and help OF
human agents. Jesus met his tempta-
tion and his tasks not In his own
strength hut I'm the strength OF the
Spirit of God. AT the same time be
ing God. he called to his side those
who in turn were to become fishers OF
men. leaders of others. His call to
these disciples was three-fold; ta),
to disclpleship namely, they were to
become learners %, to fellowship
for they were to enter into and have q
part of his toll. tasks, temptations and
sorrows (Phil. $40 and (c), to serv'
Ice. They were to go out as his am