The Carlisle independent., 1918-04-18
SUNIl6YSC[l()OL,
 LESSON
 (By REV. P. 5. FIrzWArER D. D., Teacher of English Bible in the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago) Copyright, 1918. Western Newspaper Unfon)
LESSON FOR APRIL 21
JESUS TRANSFIGURED, OR A
 PORCELAIN OF THE KINGDOM
 OF GOD.
LESSON TExT-Mark s:2-2s

ASi1h'SO4N IEAl-1aTK S.Z-ZS
 GOLDEN TEXT-This is my beloved Son; hear ye Him.-Mark 9:7.
 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR. TEACHERS-Matthew 17:1-20; Luke 9:2s~ 43; II Peter 1:1-21.
 PRIMARY TOPIC-With Jesus on the mountain.
 INTERMEDIATE TOPIC-Meeting diff hculties with prayer.
 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL-James 5:15- IS
 SENIOR AND ADULT ToPIc-vision and service.
 The hopes of the disciples were crushed when Christ announced his death on the cross. They were unahle 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 Guke 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 tos 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. f1. That their dropping spirits might be revived and their confidence restored. he was transfgured before them. The disci- ples sorely needed such a vision. EE 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 isr sues of the hour.
 1. Jesus Christ GIorfied 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 Christ's rebuke of Peter for his unwillingness to hear concerning his death apparently for g time estranged the disciples from him To heal this breeeh. an unusual trans action was required. His shining raf-- 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 Connectiorn With the Kingdom (v 9. Christ fa 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 irr 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 fine 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 the Lord shall come, and they, with out dying, shall be changed and pass into the kingdom q Cor. 15 :50-53 q 1 Thess. 4 :14-1S).
 l. Peters foolish proposal Cvv. 5. g.
 Moses and Elias, who had been a, long time in glory, would be i'll 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. ', 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.
 8. Jesus charge (vv. 9-13l.
 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. 14-2e). When they dc scended from the mountain. they saw a great multitude in a state Of per
 
 plexity. The immediate cause of their perplexity was the grievous state of at young man who was possessed with sss demon (v. 1S). The father os 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- huked (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 Ghrist's So- iourn on earth he seems to have beeTs very active, and we have reason to be- lieye from the Scriptures that just pre- eeding his second coming he win be