Rockingham post-dispatch., 1920-11-24
IMPROVED UNIFORM iNrERHATioAAI
SUNlXYSCIlDOL
LESSON
tBy REV. p. b. FITZWATER. d. D..
Teacher Of English Bible, In the Moody
Bible Institute OF Chicago.)
e. 1929. Western Newspaper union-)
LESSON FOR NOVEMBER 2s
HOW JESUS THE KING WAS RE.
cElVED.4

that labor and are heavy laden, and will
slve you rest-Matt 1l:2S.
| ADDITIONAL. .MATERIAL.-Luke 7:1s-
%: O:lS-15, q, %: l1!14-26, 90, 80.
1 PRIMARY ToP1C-The Kind Deeds of
| Jesus.
3tNIoR TOPlC-Friends and Enemies
| OF Jesus
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
-lhoosing Jesus as Our Teacher.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT Topic
-Ihe Response of Men to the Ministry
| of Jesus.
The teacher should keep in mind
the progress Of thought in Matthew
and present these lessons accordingly.
III chapters to Z we have the laws
OF the kingdom; chapters 8 and 9. the
mighty works to demonstrate the
Kings ability to administer the affairs
OF tl!e Kingdom; chapter 10, the prop
agai.on OF the kingdom through the
sending forth Of the twelve; chapters
IL and IL, how the kingdom was re-
| ceived. ,..
l. Four Classes of Hearers (ch. 11).
1. PerpleXed hearers like, John the
Baptist III 1:2-11). John believed that
Jesus was the Christ ". p, but was
somewhat perpleXed as to the manner
of the establishment of the kingdom.
In the Old Testament predictions there
were two lines In the Messianic
prophecies; the one set forth Christ
as the suffering one, as In Isaiah 80,
and the other, as the invincible Con-
| quer0r, as in Isaiah 63. Indeed, in
Isaiah G01, we have the two adj
1 vents in one view (See Matt. 3 :10-12).
| He said that the ak is laid unto the
root of the trees and that there was
to be a separation of the chaff from
| the wheat and a burning of the chaff,
but now the King was occupied mere
! ly with the opening of the eyes Of the
blind, etc. John saw Christ as the
one who would remove the sins of the
people by the shedding of his blood
(John l :29), but he failed to see the
interval between the time Of his suffer-
ingS and the time of his triumph.
Since this interval between the first
and second comlngs-the nature of the
| age in which We liye-was not known
until Christ revealed it in the parallels
of the thirteenth chapter, we do not
wonder at Johns perplexity. Johns
faith was not failing him, neither did
he send this deputation to Jesus for
the sake of his disciples. He was a
true prophet and faithful man, but
he was perpleXed. -
2. Violent hearers III :12-19). These
were willing to receive the kingdom
according to their own way, but were
unwilling to conform to its laws. Their
ears were closed to everything but
their own carnality. They would not
repent when called upon to repent by
John, nor rejoice when called upon by
Christ to rejoice (vv. 1919.
8 The stout-hearted unbelievers
I'll :20-24). In Chorazin, Bethsaida,
and Capernnum, Christ had done most
of his mighty works. but the people
deliberately set their hearts against
1 him and his message. 1t was not for
lack Of knowledge and opportunity
that they were unsaved, but for their
purpCseful rejection Of Christ. Tyre
and Sidon, Sodom and Gomorrah were
filled with immoral profiigates and
1 idolaters, but they will be more toll
erably dealt with in the day Of judg.
| fhnn hn NuiI fnlI
Christ.
4. Hearers who are babes in spirit
I'll :25-30). There were some among
those who heard Jesus with childlike
faith, who believed that Christ was the
Messiah, and they opened their hearts
to receive him. Christ invites those
who have the babe-liks spirit to come
to him, and to all who come 10 him
and receive him he gives rest.
| u. The Ansassniem Of the kinoAsm
Cch. 12l.
i In chapter II we saw the slsameful
indiGeTeHce ,ef TIE. JeNs to the1r Kizs.
In this chapter we zee positive and
bittef antageRisn maRifesting itseli
sgaiRst him. They are not only with.
cut q heart fer him. bat de- their best
to destroy him. The Immediate oe-
caslon Of their wicked determination
was Christ's relation to the Sabbath,
Because the hungry disciples plucked
corn and Jesus healed the withered
hand on the Sabbath day, they sought
to destroy him. They accused him OF
being in league with the Devil. Jesus
with unanswerable logic showed them
that they had blasphemed against the
Holy Ghost. and were therefore guilty
Of an objectionable sin. They did moi
deny the miracle but sought to account
a for it without owning him as the Mes
siah.
What Tenderness ls.