The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-01-23
IMPROVED 00"0~
UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
CUNDAy1
OcHotoL Lesson
BY REV. P. B. FITZwATER. DID.
Member Of Faculty, Moody Bible
Institute of Chicago.
9 western Newspaper Union.
Lesson for January 26
JESUS DECLARES HIS PURPOSE

LESSON TEXT-Luke 4:is.Se.
GOLDEN TEXT-The Spirit Of the
Lord Is upon me, because he hath
amounted me to. preach the gospel to
the poor: he hath sent me to heal the
broken-hearted. to preach deliverance
TO the captives, and recovering Of sight
10 the blind, to set at liberty them that
are bruised, to preach the acceptable
year Of the Lord.-Luke 4:1s, 10.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Jesus breaches to
His Home Folks.
JUNIOR ToPIc-Jesus' First Sermon.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR
TopIC-Choosing q Life Purpose.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT
;ToPIC-What Jesus Came to Do.
J. Jesus In the Synagogue ". 16).
On the Sabbath he went into the
synagogue according to his custom.
He no doubt went that day with
new and definite purpose, but how re.
ifreshing to know that it was according
to his habit Many young people have
been safeguarded from the pitfalls of
the world because Of the habit Of read
Ing the Bible, praying and going to
church.
u. Jesus Reading the Scriptures
wv. 1919.
1. The book handed to him ". ~.
1t was not only his custom to attend
the place Of worship, but to take part
lin 1t. This privilege was not confined
ito the rabbis (Acts 13:15). Jesus,
therefore, used the liberty accorded
him.
2. The passage read Elsa. 81 :1,2).
1t Is not entirely clear as to whether
this was, prOvidentlally, the Scripture
reading for the day, or whether 1t was
specifically chosen by him for that
occasion.
8. The content of the passage wv.
10, 1917.
a. The mission Of the Messiah
". 1S).
~ To preach the gospel to the
poor The good tidlngs which Jesus
proclaimed are peculiarly welcome to
the common people. BY "poor" in this
case is primarily meant those who
were poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3).
(2) To heal the broken-hearted. The
gospel Of Christ meets the needs of
those whose hearts are crushed by the
weight of their own sins or by a bur-
den of sorrow and disappointment.
(3) To preach deliverance to the
captives. This meant deliverance from
the bondage of the Devil (John S:36).
az Recovering of sight to the
blind. Christ did actually make those
who were physically blind to see
(JOhn go, y and also opened the
eyes of those who were spiritually
blind Il John 5:2O).
(5) To set at liberty them that are
bruised. The power of Christ can
free the most utterly hopeless ones.
(6) To preach the acceptable year
of the Lord. The primary allusion is
to the year of jubilee (Lev. 25:S-10).
b. The special enduement of the
Messiah ". 49,. He was the anointed
one predicted by Isaiah, the Messiah.
III. Jesus Expounding the Scrip
lures wv. 20, 2D.
l. He closed the book and sat down.
1t seems to have been the custom of
the Jewish teachers to sit while teach
ing.
2. "This day is this scripture full
filed" This statement is o.doubt but
the gist of what he said. He thus de-
elared that he was the Messiah.
w. Jesus Reception by the People
wv. 22-3O.
The critical hour had come. The
people were amazed. They admitted
his gracious words but were unable
to admit his claims. His reception
was characterized by
1. Ignorant prejudice ". 22). They
said, as not this Joseph's SOM" as
if to say, "This Is our fellow towns
men with whom we have been &C.
quainted for years. Surely, he cannot
be the Messiah"
2. Unbelief as to his supernatural
power ". 23). They challenged him
to exhibit examples of divine power,
8. Personal jealousy ". 24). Jeal-
ousy often prevents us from seeing
the essential worth of men in our midst.
Jesus adduced two outstanding ex-
amples of the willingness of foreigners
to believe God.
a. Elijah was sent to a widow at
Serepta wv. %, 26). Many widows of
Israel were passed by, doubtless be-
cause they would not have received the
prophet.
b. Naaman, the foreigner, Of the
many lepers, was the one cleansed.
". 20.
4. Violent hatred wv. 2s-30). This
comparison of the Jews with foreign
ers so offended their pride that they
tried to kill him. He showed them
that just as Elijah had brought bless
ing to one who lived in Sidon, and
Elisha to one in Syria, while the people
Of Israel went on suffering, even so
the Gentiles would receive the blessing
Of his saving power, while they, the
chosen nation, would suffer in unbelief.