Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-11-26
IMPROVED UNiFORM INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAYSQIOOL
LESSON
(By REV. T. B. FITZWATER, D. D.,
Teacher of English Bible in the Moody
Bible Institute Of Chicago.)
tS. 1920, Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR NOVEMBER 2s
HOW JESUS THE KING WAS RE.
CEIVED.

LESSON TEXT-Matt. II and I2..
GOLDEN TEXT-Coma unto me all We
that labor and are heavy laden. and will
give you rest.-Matt. 11:2S
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL-Luke 7:1s-
90; N:Io-lo, 4, p; 11:14-26, 29, S2
PRIMARY TOPIC-The Kind Deeds of
Jesus.
JUNIOR ToPIC-Friends and Enemies
Of Jesus.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
choosing Jesus as Our Teacher.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
me 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.
In chapters 5 to we have the laws
OF the Kingdom; chapters s and 9. the
mighty Works to demonstrate the
Kings ability to administer the affairs
OF the kingdom; chapter 10. the prop
agation OF the kingdom through the
sending forth of the twelve: cbapters
IL and T.. how the kingdom was re-
ceived.
|. Four Glasses of Hearers Cch. 11).
1. Perple1ed hearers like John the
Baptist I'll :2-1D. 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 So,
and the other, as the invincible Con-
queror, as in Isaiah 63. Indeed. in
lsalah o0:1, ? we have the two ad-
vents IN in one view (see Matt. 8 :10-12).
He said that the az is laid unto the
root OF the trees and that there was
to be separation Of the chaff from
the wheat and burning of the chaff,
but now the King was occupied mere
Iy 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 1 :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 comings-thp nature of the
age in which we live-was not known
until Christ revealed it in the parallels
OF the thirteenth chapter, we do not
wonder at Johns perrlexity. Johns
! faith was not failing him, neither die
he send this deputation to Jesus fol
the sake Of his disciples. He was 6
true prophet and faithful man, bur
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. The,
seized it with violent hands. Chris
told them that before the preachin.
Of John the Baptist, the prophets ant
the law were the sources of ascertain
ing the Divine will, and that if the,
would receive John, he would be tn
Elijah to lead them into the kingdom
age. Elijah is to appear fmmediatel
before the coming Of Christ in judg
ment (Mal. 4 :5, g., and direct tn
hearts Of the people to the King. Thei
ears were closed to everything bu
their own carnality. They would no
repent when called upon to repent b
John, nor rejoice when called upon b
Christ to rejoice (vv. 17-191.
8. The stout-hearted unbeliever
I'll :20-24). In Chorazin, Bethsaids
and Capernaum, Christ had done mos
of his mighty works, but the peopl
deliberately set their hearts agains
him and his message. 1t was not fo
lack of knowledge and opportunit
that they were unsaved, but for the
purposeful rejection of Christ. Tyr
and Sidon, Sodom and Gomorrah we1
filed with immoral profigates an
idolaters, but they will be more to
erably dealt with in the day of JUDI
ment than those who wilfully rejet
Christ.
4. Hearers who are babes in spir
I'll :25-30). There were some anon
those who heard Jesus with childlik
faith, who believed that Christ was I'll
Messiah, and they opened their hear
to receive him. Christ invites thos
who have the babe-like spirit to CON
to him, and to all who come to hi
and receive him he gives rest.
II. The Antagonism of the Kingdom
(ch. 12).
In chapter IL we saw the shamefl
Indifference of the Jews to their KIM
In this chapter we see positive an
bitter antagonism manifestfng itse
against him. They are not only wit
out heart for him, but do their be.
to destroy him. The immediate O.
casion of their wicked determinatio
was ChEist's relation to the Sabbatl
Because the hungry disciples plucke
corn and Jesus healed the withere
hand on the Sabbath day, they sougl
to destroy him. They accused him
being in league with the Devil. Jesl
with unanswerable logic showed the
that they had blasphemed against ii
Holy Ghost, and were therefore gull
of an objectionable sin. They did n
deny the miracle but sought to accoul
for it without owning him as the Me
Siah