Middletown transcript., 1920-10-16
pQleyrp ualTolN INTERNATIONAL
SO(l|q'hZYS0lO0L
LESSON
By REV. P. B. FITZWATER, D. d.
Teacher Of English Bible In the Moody
Bible Institute OF Chicago)
g. 1920. Western Newspaper Union)
LESSON FOR OCTOBER II
JESUS BEGINS HIS GALlLEAN
MINISTRY,


LESSON TEXT-Matthew APPS
GOLDEN TEXT-Repent. for the king
dom Of heaven is at hand.-Matt. All.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL Mark
PRIMARY TOPIC-Jesus Chooses Help.
ers
JUNIOR ToP1c-Jesus Teaching and
Healing.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
The Call Of the First Disciples.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Jesus enters upon his mission.
!. The King His Own Herald wv.
12-1D. y
l. The reason for ". 12). The news
Of the Imprisonment of John the Bap-
fist caused Jesus to forsake Judea
and 90 into Galilee. The fate Of John
he accepted as foreshadowing his own.
Because of this, he withdrew from
the metropolis and went to the re-
mote regions where his work would
attract less attention. When the peo'
pie wilfully reject the truth and at
tempt to do violence to the messen-
ger, he should turn from them unless
:pecially directed otherwise.
2. To whom the proclamation Is
made wv. 13-16). The people In
Capernaum. This was done in fulfill
ment Of a prophecy in Isaiah 81, 2.
These people did not enjoy such priv
lleges rs those around Jerusalem.
This was one Of the darkest and most
corrupt Of the provinces, and now 1t
is getting the light first. This fore
shadowed the present age when the
grace Of God would reach out to the
Gentiles. But this is just like the
Lord. He did not come to call the
righteous. but sinners to repentance.
It should be our business. like the
Master, to go to the most benighted
souls with the message Of light and
life.
Bills message ". ~. "Repent.
for the kingdom of heaven is Mt
hand.'' This is the same kingdom
which John the Baptist and the Old
Testament prophets proclaimed. 1t
means the Messianic earth rule Of
Jesus Christ. This is not our mes
sage. for ours is the gospel of the
grace Of God through faith in the fin
ished work Of Christ. We should call
upon men to repent and believe the
gospel of Christ's death for their sins
and resurrection for justification. The
time is coming when heralds will again
announce the coming Of the kingdom,
and the King himself will come forth
from the heavens to establish his
mediatorial kingdom. For this we
pray when we intelligently say. ''Thy
kingdom come"
u. The King Summons Servants to
His side wv. S:22).
l. His command Of authority " 1917.
He did not use arguments, but issued
the mandate The Kings voice Is
autocratic To command is the Kings
prerogative. not to argue or e2treat.
2. The station of the servants called
(vv. IS. Ply. They were men of lowly
birth-fishermen. God chooses the
foolish things Of this world to put to
shame the mighty that no flesh might
boast before him Il Cor. :2G).
3. They were called to definite serv-
ice ". 19) Il will make you fishers
of men," He had previously called
them to he disciples Uohn l :364o).
He now called them to service. This
call. then. was not the gospel call to
&C., o1v N
me-" but the call to service. of those
who had already needed the call to
discipleship. The qualities which
made them good fishermen-patience
bravery to face the storm and the
night, the perseverance which toi,ed
all night though no fish were caught.
would make them good fishers of men.
4. Their prompt obedience wv. 20.
oo). They gave up their business and
homes, not even inquiring where their
salary was to come from. They put
their trust in him who called. believ
ing that he was able to supply their
needs.
I'll. The Kings TriumphaI Progress
wv. 23-25)).
He went the whole rounds Of Galflee
teaching the Scriptures, preaching the
gospel of the kingdom, and healing
all manner of diseases. He did a
threefold work:
1. Teaching the Scriptures in the
synagogues ". 23). The revelation Of
God needed to be explained. This is
what he was doing at Nazareth duke
4:16-22).
2. Preaching the glad tidings of the
kingdom ". 23). The King who was
present and was heralding his own
mission was ready to establish his
kingdom if they would have been
willing to receive him.
3. Healing all manner of diseases
e.. 23). There was no form of dis
ease which he could not cure. So
abundant was his success that This
fame went throughout all Syria; and
they brought unto him all sick peo-
ole that were taken with divers dis
eases and torments. and those who
were possessed with devils, and
those which were lunatic, and those
who had the palsy; and he healed
them. And there followed him great
multitudes of people from Galilee. and
from Decapolis. and from Jerusalem.
and from Judea, and from beyond
Jordan" (vv. "a. 25).