Cleveland County herald., 1918-04-18
SUliyDNNISSQHDOuOqI LESSON
 (By REV. P. B. FITZWATER, D. D..
 Teacher of English Bible in the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.) Copyright. 1918. Western Newspaper I1nionn
LESSON FOR APRIL 21
JESUS TRANsFleuRED, OR A PORCELAIN OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
LESSON TExT-Mark s:2-2e.

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR EACHERS-Matthew 17:1-20; Luke 9:2S- 43; II Peter 1:1-21.
 PRIMARY TOPIC-With Jesus on the mountain
 INTERMEDIATE TOPIC-Meeting diff faculties with prayer.
 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL-James 5:15- 1S
 SENIOR AND ADULT ToPIC-vlsion and service.
 The hopes of the disciples were crushed when Christ announced his death on the cross. They were unable to see how victory could issue from death. Jesus took with him Peter, James and John, and went into the mountain apart by themselves. Ac- cording to Luke. they went there to pray Uuke 9:2S). While, doubtless, he longed for fellowship and sympathy as the shadows of the cross were fall ing upon him, his chief desire was to get the disciples apart and into state of receptivity, so that he might show them the methods of the kingdom. Be fore going into the mountain, he de- clared that there were some standing in his presence who would not taste of death till they had seen the kingdom of God come with power (v. D. That their dropping spirits might be revived and their confidence restored. he was transfigured before them. The disci- ples sorely needed such vision. If the faith of the disciples was to be kept through the dark hour of the cross which was looming large before them the light of the eternal must beam forth. The disciple now as then, needs a glimpse of the glory be yond the cross in order to face the is- sues of the hour.
 l. Jesus Christ Glorified on the Mountain (vv. ?. 3. He took his dis ciples 'by themselves" and was trans figured before them" This shows the purpose terminated upon the disciples and not upon himself Christs rebuke of Peter for his unwillingness to hear concerning his death apparently for a time estranged the disciples from him. To heal this breech, an unusual trans action was required. His shining raj ment" was typical of that glory which shall be manifest when he comes back to the earth.
 II. Peter, James and John Repre- sent Israel in the Flesh In Connection With the Kingdom (v. 9. Christ is peculiarly the King of Israel. Accord ing to Ezekiel 37 :21-27, they are to be the central people in the kingdom This people shall be gathered from among the nations, united as one in that kingdom in their own country.
 III. Moses and Elias Appeared in Glory With Jesus (vv. 4-13). These men in the gloriified state are typical of the state of the saints in glory. Moses, who was once denied an entrance to Palestine, appears now in glory, repre- senting the redeemed of the Lord who shall pass through death into the king dom. The thousands of the Lord who have fallen asleep, at Christ's coming shall be awakened and pass into the kingdom through translation Many shall be living upon the earth when thC 1%Oi VI NOIlCs anu tllty, NltI- out dying, shall be changed and pass into the kingdom q Cor. 15 :50-53 1; l Thess. 4 :14-1S).
 1. Peters foolish proposal (vv. 5, 6).
 Moses and Elias, who had been a long time in glory, would be III at home in a tabernacle on the mountain side. It would have been to Peter's credit to have been silent, since he knew not what to say.
 2. The Divine voice out of the cloud (vv. z, S).
 He is declared to be the beloved Son in whom God is well pleased When one desires to know what pleases God, look at his perfect Son, Jesus Christ.
 g. Jesus charge (vv. 9-13).
 He instructed them that they should tell no man concerning the things which they had seen until he had risen from the dead
 w. The Mighty Power of the Divine Servant (vv. 14-29). When they de. scended from the mountain, they saw a great multitude in state of per plexity. The immediate cause of their perpleXity was the grievous state of a young man who was possessed with a demon (v. 1S). The father of the the young man had appealed to the disciples to cast the demon out but they were unable. When they brought him to Jesus, the foul spirit was re- buked (v. 25), and came forth. This young mans state Is representative of the nations who are oppressed by the devil. The people were grievously op- pressed.
 There are times when the devil Is especially active in the op- pression of men. During Christ's so- journ on earth he seems to have been very active, and we have reason to be- lieve from the Scriptures that just pre- ceding his second coming he will be even more active: for he knows that his time is short. One of the ominous signs of the imminent coming of the Lord is the almost universal activity