Evening star., 1919-10-04
John and Peter become dis
ciples Of Christ.-John 1.2s-42.
Golden text-Jesus said unto
him, Follow me.-John 1.43.
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.

During the new quarter we are to
study the training Of the Apostles John
and Peter by the Master, as narrated in
tso gospels This is, however. only the
first half Of a course of six months
study of the lives of Peter and John
which will run through the first quarter
in the next calendar year. The second
half of the course consists OF review
of the manner in which they applied
their training in the important work
of winning others to a'belief in the
Christ and the salvation offered through
Him. 1t will probably seem at first
that the lessons of the quarter are not
quite ss well connected as is customary,
bit ~ the quarter progresses the pur-
pof7es ynd unity Of the various subjects
will be more apparent. We are. in fact.
t1 spend three months in finding out
how trese two lives were transformed
,plder she influence of great leader
and teacher. how they came to follow
Him, and through following came them
selves to be worthy and efficient leaders
of others in the service of their great
Leader.
Every beginning is significant and
wonderful. In every plant or tree, in
every creature is found link that
stretches back to the source of life. In
OF the mystery and divinity of creation
itself. If this is true of beginnings in
the physical world. it is even more pat
ent of Intellectual or spiritual starting
points. 1t was a significant and far
reaching conception when Copernicus re-
ceived the vision of the order and har-
mony of the solar system. Such mo-
ments. when truths undiscovered be-
come known to man, are real milestoneS
in human progress and history. And in
the first chapter. of John we have the
beginning of Christ's public ministry
and the establishment of the Christian
church.
The lesson opens with John the Bap-
tist pointing out Jesus to His disciples
with those well known words, Behold
the Lamb Of God that taketh away the
sin Of the world" Stop and measure
the enormity of the task The world
from almost the very beginning had
been corrupt: vice was rampant. 1.-THE
sin Of the world Is an all-inclusive
term. Here was one who was to stamp
out of human hearts the very desire to
do wrong. He was not a crusader to
condemn some great national evil, no
reformer bent on wiping out one of the
long list of the iniQuities Of human So
ciety-drunkenness. lust. slavery, war,
gambling, greed, blasphemy, cruelty,
idolatry-rather His program called for
the determination of the evil root of
which they all spring. Such was the
program proclaimed by the .forerunner
who had come to prepare the way and
to announce One who was to come after
Him. The scope Of His work was wider
than the bounds of His own nation-it
was to include the uttermost parts of
the earth. Indeed, 1t is characteristic
OF the gospel Of John to portray the
universality OF Christ's appeal. Here is
vision worthy Of great leader Of a
great cause.
Johns announcement also points out
the method by which. the deliverance
from sin was to be wrought. His power
is the power of sacrificial love- The
speech and language of John testify to
the fact that his mind was saturated
with the writings OF the Prophet Isaiah
The dafIy sacrifice of q lamb was con-
tinually before the Jews, teaching the
meaning Of all the sacrifices and stead
lily reninding them Of their need of an