Evening star., 1926-03-27

1 AVli.l-S.
During the past quarter all of our
lessons with one exception, the quar-"
ter's temperance lesson, nave been sfr
lected from Johns gospel. Our golden
text informs us concerning the mo-
tive that inspired him to write and the
method used by the evangelist in writ
ing his gospel that is Considered to
be the supreme literary work of the
world" He sought to produce Il
gospel that would convince his readers
that Jesus was the Christ and the
Son of God. knowing that the fruit OF
such conviction concerning the
Master would enable them TO enjoy
eternal life as His followers.
The synoptics presented the great
moral and spiritual principles that
the Great Teacher had given to men
John in his work did not seek to give
q complete biography of Jesus, for he
omitted much that he could have
written from his personal knowledge
lie selected the material for his gospel
with definite plan to present conclu
slVe evidence concerning the Messiah.
ship and Deity of the master Nearly
half of his work is taken UP with
some of the incidents connected with
the Lords last week and those con
nected with His resurrection and His
life after lie had risen from the dead.
The remainder is made up largely OF
conversations that We're connected
with His miracles and that helped 20
demonstrate the reality OF the Mas
ter's Deity and Messiahship. The
apostle recognized that Christianity.
which differs from all Of the other
great religions in the world. rises and
tails with the personality of its
founder.
One can trace the appearance Of
three elements-revelation reception,
and rejection--in all the lessons we
have studied thar were taken from
Johns gospel. They appear more
clearly when the book is considered as
q whole. The gospel appears 10 have
three divisions that treat the life Of
Jesus under these three ideas. Christ 5
revelation Of God in the terms of hui
man life, His reception and rejection
by men. appeared in the opening chap
ters, which contained the introduction
OF Johns gospel. The people had failed
TO grasp the idea of God, as Father,
in the revelations that Jehovah had
given to Himself prior to the coming
Of the Lord Jesus. Christ revealed
Himself to- men in His messages and
miracles.
Christ Revealed.
beginning, where we learned of the
Lords existence as the Word. who in
the fullness of time became human by
entering the life of men, His life from
the hour Of His birth up 10 His resur-
rection had but one motive--to reveal
God to men. About one-half of the les
sons showed us how He was made
known to individuals, whose lives
came into personal contact with the
Lord, who revealed Himself unto them
by His life labor and lessons. John
pointed Him out as the Lamb OF God.
Christ revealed Himself to the five
men, whom He signed up as His fol
lowers. the first DAY of His ministry.
He revealed His sonship to Nicodemus
and His Messiahship TO the woman
at the well of Sychar. He revealed
the Fathers love for sinners by His
death uDon the cross. He demonstrated
beyond question His deity by His vic
tory over death in His resurrection
His three miracles testified TO His
Of Himself as the Christ
and His diety. They established His
claims They We're signs of His DIVINE
power. They were symbolical of the
life He imparts to men. His 1eedlng
of the 5000 revealed His unlimited
resources and power to care for men.
In opening the eyes of "the one born
blind Jesus revealed Himself as one
who can take away the 'dimness OF
our souls" In the discourse follow
ing this miracle the Healer asserted
His deity by claiming to be the
Light Of the World in raising
.azarus, who had been buried four
days, He compelled the dead TO come
forth from the grave in obedience 70
His command. His power over death
revealed in raising Lazarus ana his
own triumph over the grave demon
strated His deity.
Christ revealed the practical results
that followed faith nj Him as the Mes
siah in the lessons He taught the dls-
cjples concerning Christian life ana
labor. His claims TO be the Goou
Shannerd" was revelation OF His deity
In the parable of action, when lie
washed His disciples feet. lie hlaue
the lesson more impressive by preced-
ing His performing the service OF
s1aya nv claiming the rank OF oeltI.
He asserted His pre-eXistence WIN
the Father and claimed that JehoFah
had intrusted all power into his MINUS.
The disciples. who were ulVldeo oNeI d
thair desire for place, prestige ana
'~a,,,ar coI,Id never forget that lesson
of humility. -, s.e.;,.,>, fo,.
rho dark trials that they faced IN ms
. death, the Master insist
ad in His lessons contained III the laSl
lords that He was not only the source
nf life hut also that only by tnelr
dwelling deep in Him could they INe
= f,.,1itful Christian life. His asserlloh
of His pre-eXistence and ftls piVli,11d
to send the Holy Spirit, VINO Wouiu
comfort them in their trials anu ui"e
them into all truth, was cia.ii ~
His possessing the power OF Deity
Christ Received.
Iohn never failed to present tne
fact that when Jesus was recelNeu ps
,11en He gave them 1.-The rignt W po
ile a~r,a the sons of God" In the les
.ons of the quarter this was ehl-
s,bas;zsd We saw it when AndreW'
Deter Tohn. Philip. Nathanel ana the
~ Woman of Sychar came by per
s.,,,,ol interviews and experience 10
t,el;eve i'm Him as the Messiah. lie
,,,,t il IN suuarely to NicodeInuS. II
tras evident in the experience oil
lowing faith in 1.-The man porn
Find ;, It was demonstrated III tne
axnerience of the women ana the
Anostles in believing in their Master $
resurrection. .1,o
Jews after Christ had declared thas
He was the Good Shepherd. Many OF
them believed upon Him as the Mes
siah and proved it by plotting to make
Him a temporal ruler after lie led the
multitude. The testimony OF the Sa-