The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1921-03-04
LESSON FOR MARCH s
JESUS AMONG HIS FRIENDS.

JESUS AMONG HIS FRIENDS.
LESSON rExT-Matt. 1s:l-l3
GOLDEN TExT-she hath done what
she could.-Mark l4:A
REFERENCE MATERIAL-Mark 1875;
Luke 1850: John 12:1-s.
PRIMARY ToPIc-showing Our Love
for Jesus
JUNIOR TOpIC-Giving Our Best.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Our Best for Christ
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Tho Liberality of Love.
!. The Jewish Authorities Plotting
the Death Of Jesus wv. 1-5).
/. Christ's Fourth Prediction Of His
Death wv. !, y. He, with divine
insight, predicted not only the fact
of His death. but its time and man.
Der. Death was no surprise to Him.
For this He pre-eminently came into
the world tHeb. 2:14). He calmly
walked up to death.
2. The Authorities Plotting (vv. 3-5).
In secret conclave they were plotting
how they might silence His voice by
putting Him to death. 1t was the di-
vine purpose that He should go to
death. They in their wickedness were
plotting to do that which the divine
plan had ordained. They try by sub
tility to take and kill Him. Their
! plan was to do this after the Pass
| over feast. lest there be an uprising
among the people. Satan. through
his conspirators, was trying to him
der the offering of the sacrificial Lamb
at the appointed time.
II. Jesus Anointed by Mary Of Beth
! any (vv. G, y.
For the identification of Mary see
John 12:1-8 and Mark 4:3-9. This
amounting occurred when Jesus was at
meat in Simon's house. Mary had
the keenest spiritual apprehension Of
all the disciples. BY sitting at His
feet in loving fellowship she obtained
grasp of truth which none of the
other disciples did. She saw that His
body was to be broken and that His
precious life was to go out. She en-
tered into fellowship with His suffer
ings and the joys of His resurrection.
This is shown in this wonderful SYM
bolic act of bringing her most precious
| BOSSCsSiOn uHu uPOu A1llHs
Knowing that no loving hand could
minister to Him in that dread hour.
she did this service in loving anticipa-
ton. 1t was the highest expression
of love. Genuine love takes no ac-
count Of COSTS not calculating.
III. The indignation Of the Disei.
pies wv. s, 81.
The utter baseness of the disciples
is in strange contrast with Mary's
love. Judas Iscariot is the leader, but
the whole apostolic company are led
over The spirit Of fault finding is
very contagious. The one whose heart
Is filled with base purposes can offer
such plausible reasons for things that
whole company can be swept off
their feet. not perceiving the real pur-
pose underlying it all. The real thing
that hurt Judas was the losing of the
money which the ointment might have
been sold for, not that he cared for
the poor.
~. Mary Defended by Jesus (vv. TO-
13).
Jesus, would not allow His most ap-
preciative disciple to lie under the CEN
sure, so He came to her rescue.
Though all the disciples censured her,
| He had nothing but the highest praise.
If we can but have His praise, what
need we care for the censure of men!
| He bestowed upon her the very high
est praise possible when He said, "She
hath done what she could" (Mark
| 14:8). In this defense Jesus teaches,
! acr1rdtpu W nopfor Erf1man.
1. That no gift to Him can be too
great II made in grateful love ". 1O).
"She hath wrought good work on
me-"
2. Care for the poor and other du-
ties which are of perpetual obligation
may give way before an opportunity
for service which cannot recur ". 10)
"The poor ye have with you always"
Sometimes even charity is not the
highest expression Of Christian devo-
ton.
3. Jesus appreciates the meaning
and motive of our service tv. 12). He
estimates them at their highest pOssi-
BILE value and interprets them in the
light of His own love and knowledge.
He declared that the ointment poured
upon Him was preparation Of His
body for burial.
4. The influence of an act of Chris
tian service will never cease ". 13).
The example of Mary is still filling the
earth with the fragrance of loving
service Through this act of uncalcu-
lating love Mary's name has become
immortalized.
AS the result of this defense Judas
is so stingingly rebuked that he has