The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-03-25
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Prepared Especially For The Repub-
LEANS Readers by Rev. U. S.
Wright, DID,.

IIeVe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God; and that believing We
may have life in his name.-JOhn
20:31.
THE MOST WONDERFUL BOOK
IN THE WORLD.
No book has the hold upon the heart
of the world like that of the Bible.
And if you ask almost any reader of
it, "What is your favorite Bible
book" the answer will be, "John's
Gospel" 1t is the select of the select
and in this fact alone gives justifica-
ton to the heading above. To attain
such popularity is unique distinc-
ton. One reason is its artistic per-
lection. Excluding everything that
does not minister to its main purpose
it paints picture of a Christ-like God
that satisfies the heart, the reason and
the aesthetic sense. 1t is pictorial and
conversational in style, both of which
popularize page. 1t is intensely hui
man in its presentation of Jesus and
no other setting forth is quite so Win
some as the one given here. Its pur-
pose and its passion is to throne Him
as Lord of the hearts of men and
this is never lost sight of anywhere
in the message.
Every word of it was spoken many
times before line of it was penned,
and it represents the preaching in
that Church in Ephesus that stirred
the whole city and added greatly to
the growth of the Christian church
there. The golden text declares what
he was attempting to do. First he
wished to unite Jesus and the Christ.
They had become separated in the
thinking Of many so that Jesus was
held to be merely the body in which
the Christ Spirit lived, the two having
no vital connection. Therefore the
material body and its appetites might
be INDUCED without affecting the
Spirit impaired at Baptism, licentious-
ness resulting. Therefore Christ did
not suffer, God does not, and the
passion" became nothing more than
a painted pageant. These are written
that We may believe that Jesus is the
Christ. More than that, He is the
"Son of God" and bears the family
likeness so that knowing Him one
comes to know the Father also and
finds them both making "Their abode
with him." And belief in Him opens
the door to life. John always insists
that the "now" life and the eternal"
life are all of one piece, differing
only in the circumstances of its liv-
ing; one within the body Of flesh and
the other outside of it. In his mind
belief was not an emotional or men
tai matter, these were accompani-
ments, but in itself it was the active
daring to project the whole life along
the lines indicated by Jesus. 1t was
the actual launching of the ship and
the setting out upon the voyage under
the plotting of our acknowledged Lord.
The evangelistic purpose is always
clear. Much of it concerns the meth
DDS OF Jesus in dealing with inquir-
ing minds. AS John might have said
''This is the way Jesus did it-now
you do it," For he would have an
evangeIistic Church. Peter was
gained by insight into the inner
most desire, Philip by simple COM
mand, Nathaniel by praise, Nido-
demus by shock and so the cases may
be studied and applied to stimulate
the 1ion-Christian to acceptance be-
cause of the appeal of this other man
or woman's act and to arouse the
Christian to follow Jesus in the active
winning of men to Him by the prac-
tice of the habits of Jesus in using
every opportunity to guide the CONVEX
sation toward a full surrender to the
truth presented.
PRIMARY: BEAUTIFUL STORIES
TOLD BY JOHN.
Use the beautiful pictures provided
by Wilde or Perry 600 cents for a Sc
lected lot for the year,; no money
can be better invested. They may be
given as recognition of well recalled
work or they may be used as guides to
the story. Placed on a screen thew
may be all exposed at once or a single
one taken. One may be described by
pupil, the others not seeing it, while
they guess the lesson story. A dozen
ways of using will be thought of bv
every teacher.
JUNIOR: THE GREATEST THINGS
IN JOHNS GOSPEL.
Here again pictures may serve as
point of recall. Drill work will need
to be given and it will depend upon
what has been done by the class dur
ing the quarter. If time-stick has
been kept it will very we'll serve for
this part of the review. Map work
will do the same thing. If little
copies of the Gospel have not been
used during the quarter then it would
be well to get copies from the Ameri
can Bible Society (from one cent to a
nickle) and give each member a COPY,
IF nota honkc howe boo,, lo,,4 IL