The Winslow mail., 1923-07-20
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
SllrnldaySchool 3
' Lesson '
LESSON FOR JULY 22
JOHN THE APOSTLE
(By REV. P. B. FITZWATER, D. D.,
Teacher Of English Bible in the Moody
Bible Institute of Chicago)
co. 1923, Western Newspaper Union)

JOHN THE APOSTLE
LESSON TEXT-Luke 9:49-56; John
i9:25-27; John Al. s.
GOLDEN TEXT-"God is love; and
ne that dwelleth in love dwelleth in
God, and God in him. John 4:16.
REFERENCE MATERIAL - Mark
1:16-2O; John 19:2125; Acts 4:13-2O;
Rev. 1:9.
PRIMARY ToPIc-The Disciple
Whom Jesus Loved.
JUNIOR TOPIC-John. the Beloved
Disciple.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
IC-John, the Bosom Friend of Jesus.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
"A Character Study Of John.
I. His Intolerance Of Irregular serv-
Ice (Luke 9:49, 50).
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
Is not against US is for u.s." May we
everywhere show the same considera-
tion to those who are doing the Lords
work even though they are not mem
bers of our particular church.
II. Johns Righteous indignation
Ouke 9 :51-56).
!. Jesus Face Set Toward Jerusa-
lem (vv 51-53). 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 sacrifcial
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 ".
53). 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
his Lord that prompted this sugges-
ton. Christ rebuked him and cor
rected his spirit, but He knew that it
proceeded from 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 us. The
spirit is not only wrong, but 1t is fu-
tile. for the blood of the martyrs has
always become the seed of the church.
May Christs rebulle 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 chrlst's Mother
John 10 :25-2O.
1. 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 ". 27). The same John who
wished to call down fire upon the in
hospitable Samaritans now was en-
gagged in the tenderest act of human
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.
w. Test of Divine Birth Il John
AT, 81.
Johns experiences in life were such
that now near the close of his life he
declared that the supreme test of fell
lowship in the divine life is love. Love
is the bond of perfection-the cord
that binds all 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
life of God flowing through us.