The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1918-01-11
LESSON FOR JANUARY 10
JESUS BEGINS HIS WORK.

LESSON TEXT-Mark 1:12-22.
GOLDEN TExT-Repent We, and believe
In the Gospel.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR
TEACHERS-Matt. ALL; 8:18-22: Luke d:
1-1s; 9:57-62; Heb. 4:14-16; Acts s:1-s; John
44-32
PRIMARY ToPIc-Jesus chooses four
MEMORY vERsE-Come We after me-
Mark LII.
INTERMEDIARY TOPIC Overcome
temptation.
MEMORY verse; Cor 1913
SENIOR AND ADULT TOPIC-How Je-
sus faced his task.
!. introduction wv. IL, 1877. Mark de-
votes little or no attention to the early
incidents of the life Of Jesus. and only
suggests the events Immediately fol-
lowing his baptism. Indeed, for the
record Of the Temptation and the Ser
mon on the Mount, we have to look to
the other Gospel writer's. In teach
ing the lesson we must not, however,
overlook making some reference to
these two outstanding events in the
life Of our Lord.
10. John the Baptizer wv. IA, 15).
This section not only dispOses of John
as having been put into prison, but
Immediately plunges Jesus into his
public ministry. Jesus entry into
Galilee was part Of his connection
with John, inasmuch as he withdrew
himself to that place (See John :1-3),
and made Capernaum his headquar-
snters Matt. 4:13). The message mere
recorded as proclaimed by Jesus was
the Identical summons which John the
Baptizer had uttered. Jesus speaks
Of this new kingdom as berg already
come, referring, of course, to MS own
person and ministry. but In its actual
establishment it 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
onened the fountain for sin and UNI
cleanliness for the world at large.
III. His Helpers Called. wv. 1922.
Tn this record, we have the call OF
four OF his helpers: Simon, Andrew
his brother, James and John MS
brother. the latter being the sons OF
Zebedee. Luke tells us (5:3) that
Jesus was teaching. Those calieo
were certainly at work and Coo al
WAYS issues his call to those whose
time and effort are being occupied
even though perhaps for selfish pur-
noses. There is no place for an 1dler
in, the spiritual kingdom. This call
was to "come We after me" ". 10,
the purpose being that they might be-
come "fishers of men," Notice he be-
gan upon the common, familiar GROUND
of fishing, something mutually ana
thoroughly understood, and led them
from that to a spiritual truth. In this
we see good pedagogical hint ana
wise suggestion to the preacher ana
teacher, viz, that we must begin to
teach our lessons through the medium
of past experience and of present IN
terests Simon (Luke 5 :5) appears to
bave been dOubter when Jesus
called him. Nevertheless, he was Will
ing to try Christ at least once, and so
Mt his word, he let down the net. Tne
evidence of obedience is found inverse
10. and Matthew (4:S) also Luke 70:
III tells us that when they left their
nets, ''they left all"
~. His Helpers Trained wv. IL
22). The result of this call was (see
v 21l that as they went into the city
s&A< hn CUnQU0QI11.
where Jesus taught them. The lnIer-
ence. of course, is plain. whenever
God calls a man into his kingdom, ne
heqins 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. (See John :4O, All.
In the call, as accorded by st. John,
we are led to believe that John tine
unmentioned disciple) first sought an
interview with Christ. The question
of harmonizing the various calls when
Jesus gave to his disciples Is an IN
teresting one and one which has given
rise To a good deal of discussion. Inc
one recorded in the first chapter OF
John occurred In Judea; this one ocN
Cured I'm GaIilee. As to whether TINS
Is the one recorded in the fifth chap
ter of Luke, there seems to be gen
eral opinion that 1t is not the same
though we can with profit compare
the two callIngs in teaching this les
SON. The probabilities are that there
were three calls: First. the one re-
corded in John SO 40; second, that
one recorded in Matthew 4:1s:22; and
the third and last was that which oe-
-. g. hofora their appoiutment |