The Glenwood post., 1923-07-19
LESSON FOR JULY 22
JOHN THE APOSTLE

LESSON TEXT-Luke S:4s-5s; John
1e:25-27; John AT. 8.
GOLDEN TEXT-"God IL love; and
he that dwelleth in love dwelleth In
God. and God in him."-I John 4:1s.
REFERENCE MATERIAL - Mark
1:1620: John 13:21-25; Acts 4:13-3o;
Rev. 1:9.
Whom Jesus Loved.
JUNIOR ToPIc-Jonn. :he Beloved
Disciple.
INTERMEDIARY AND SENIOR TOP
IC@John. the Bosom Friend of Jesus.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
"A Character Study of Jshn.
|. His Intolerance Of Irregular Serv-
Ice Q1lke 9:49, 5O).
John was conscientious in his intol-
erance of this disciple. There seems
to have been no question but what the
man was really casting out devils,
even though he did not possess the
same credentials as the twelve apos-
ties. There seems to have been no
question as to the reality of the truth
which this disciple taught or the work
he did. The same spirit has been man.
ifested all through the Christian cen
turtles. Whoever witnesses truly of
Christ and does His work has Gods
recognition. Christ rebuked Johns in
tolerance and declared that "he that
IL not against us is for u.s." May we
everywhere show the same considera-
ton to those who are doing the Lords
work even though they are not menu
bers of our particular church.
n I~L
duke 9:51-5e).
1. Jesus Face Set Toward Jerusa-
lem wv. b1-bs). He knew what was
before Him. He knew the awful fate
awaiting Him at Jerusalem. Even
though the dark shadow Of the Cross
hung across his path He resolutely
nerved Himself for the ordeal. The
Cross was no accident. The supreme
purpose of His coming was to save
the world through His sacrificial
death. This was In the plan OF God
from all eternity. The cross is the
grand center Of the Christian religion.
Everyone who follows Jesus must take
up his cross.
2. The Inhospitable Samaritans ".
59). The Lord was to pass through
that city on His way to Jerusalem.
When the people discerned that His
face was set for Jerusalem they re
fused hospitality to Him. This insult
to the Lord so aroused the anger of
John and James that they desired to
call down fire from heaven to destroy
the Samaritans. 1t was Johns love for
LIS Lord that prompted this sugges-
ton. Christ rebuked him and cor
rected his spirit, but He knew that 1t
proceeded from a heart Of love. Love
will brook no insult to its object.
Mistaken love has done much harm in
the church. The pages of history are
red with the blood of heretics, to the
everlasting shame of the prosecutors.
Persecution is not the way to deal
with those who differ with vs.. The
spirit is not only wrong, but 1t 10 fu-
tile, for the blood of the martyrs has
always become the seed Of the church.
May Christ's rebuke to John take from
our hearts the spirit Of intolerance
and revenge. Jesus came not to de
stroy men, but to save them.
III. Johns Care of Christ's Mother
(John 10 :25-2O.
l. Jesus Saw His Mother ". 26).
Perhaps His physical suffering had so
dimmed His vision that He had not
seen her before. But even His death
agonies did not cause Him to forget
her. While engaged in the redemption
of the world, He displayed His tender
human interest in this beautiful act.
The cross is the center from which
love flows.
2. John Took Mary to His Own
Home ". 2T). The same John who
wished to call down fire upon the in
hospitabe Samaritans now was en-
gagged in the tenderest act of human
affection. He was caring for the
mother of his Lord. The reason Jesus
entrusted her to John was that He
knew his real heart of love. He knew
that Johns experience was such that
he could enter into full sympathy with
her in her great sorrow.
~. Test Of Divine Birth u John
4:7,S
Johns experiences in life were such
that now near the close of his life he
declared that the supreme test of fel-
lowshlp in the divine life is love. Love
Is the bond of perfection-the cord
that binds nll virtues into one harmon
ious bundle. All the fruits of the
Christian life spring out Of this root.
God is love. All that Is good and
beautiful in our lives is but the very
lfe of God flowing through US.