Middletown transcript., 1922-04-15
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
.Sl11aldayScfloe!l 2
' Lesson '
(By REV. r. y. FIrZWAIkK, d. D..
Teacher OF English Bible In the Moody
Bible Institute Of Chicago.)
Copyright, 1922. Western Newspaper Union.
LESSON FOR APRIL is
EASTER LESSON


LESSON TEXT-John 2O:l9-sl.
GOLDEN TEXT-The Lord Is risen In.
oeed.-Luke 24:34
PRIMARY AND JUNIOR ToPIC-The
First Easter
INTERMEDIATES AND SENIOR TOPIC
why We Observe Easter Day.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
the Effect Of Belief in the Resurrec-
ton.
!. Jesus Manifests Himself to the
disciples, Thomas Being Absent wv.
1920.
He appeared to several Of His dis
ciples at several different times during
that day. This is the first appearance
10 the disciples us u body. The rumors
OF His several appearances OH that day
caused the disciples to assemble to
taiR over the matter. For fear Of the
Jews, they met In Il private room and
barred the door. While they were dis
cussing the strange happenings Of the
day, the Lord mysteriously appeared
before them with the greeting Of good
cheer. Peace be unto YOU" He did
mol come with censure for their fail
ure and desertion. At His birth the
angels announced Peace" Just be-
fore he took His departure, He said:
Peace l leave with you; my peace /
give unto you" (John IA :27) LET not
your heart be troubled" (John 14:1;
ana now the first word after His resur-
rectlon is "Peace." Having calmed
their fears, He gave them an unmis-
taxable evidence of His resurrection.
And when He had so said, He showed
| unto them His hands and His side.
Then were the disciples glad when
they saw the Lord" Their doubts
Heeded to be scattered, and His peace
needed to be upon them. Consider:
| 1. The disciples commission ". Ply.
las my Father hath sent Me, even SO
send you" This commission was not
simply to a class. as the eleven, but Is
to all Christians. In Luke "a :33 we
find that there were others there In
that meeting besides the eleven when
Jesus showed himself to them and
commissioned them, showing that the
commission is not confined to class
or order, but Is wide as the Christian
body itself All Christians, therefore,
are ENJOYS and representatives Of
Christ. The exercise of this great
function Is not merely optional with
the individuc, but is obligatory upon
him. The Lord placed it upon plane
with His own commission from the
Father-"As my Father hath sent me,
so send l you"
2. The disciples equipment ". 22).
HE breathed on them, and saith unto
them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost"
The mission of the disciple Is very
great one, but every one who goes
forth in its execution He clothes with
the power of new life by the bestow-
ment Of His spirit. No one who has
this equipment shall ever fail. The
Lords representatives have His life in
them. The barrenness Of our efforts
Is due to our failure to take by faith
our equipment.
3. The disciples authority ". 23).
"Whose soever sins ye remit. they are
RENTED unto them and whose soever
sins ye retain. they are retained" This
authority was not by virtue of office,
but by virtue of having the Holy
Ghost. This would give the spiritual
discernment to know who had or who
had not repented, and consequently,
to pronounce pardon or not.
II. Jesus Manifests Himself to the
Disciples, Thomas Being Present (vv
26-29).
Thomas was absent at the first ap.
pearance of Jesus His absence de
prived him Of n vision of the Lord. Abb
sence from the assembly of believers
always occasions loss. The other dis.
cIples go to Thomas at once with the
glad news of the resurrection, but he
will not believe. His stubborn disbe-
lief is such that he doggedly declares
that unless he sees the prints of the
nails, ETC., he will not believe. 1t Is
right to demand evidence, but to pre-.
scribe terms Is rank unbelief. Note:
1. The Lords kindness to those who
have difficulties. Thomas deserved re-
buke, bHt the Lord kindly supplied the
evidence which he demanded.
2. The revelation of the Lord trans
forms doubter into a possessor.
III. The Conclusion Of the Gospel
(vv. 30-3I.
In these verses Johns arguments are
summarized, and an explanation IL
given as to why he wrote this Gospel
Many other things could have beer
written, but these that he wrote he
judged adequate to prove his point
To prove that ~ Jesus of Nazareth
was the expected Messiah: (2) thai
He was divine-the very Son of God
(3) that those who believe on Him as
Gods only Son-the Messiah-wouf
receive eternal life. Eternal life Is ir
Him and only MS He is appropriated by
faith can men be saved.
God Is Victorious.
re ~ Ioo,l II;s ,,,aoly baol 70 ,,,or