The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1940-01-04

Many outstanding miracles had
been performed by our Lord during
His ministry in Galilee, and now
as that period of His, earthly work
was drawing to close He went with
the disciples north into the great
heather center, Caesarea Philippi.
Here He asked them LIES greatest
question, "What think We of the
Christi" and Peter, blessed of God
with true utterance, became the in
strument for that confession of
Christ upon which He could found
His Church. Then there came from
His blessed lips the prophecy of His
death and resurrection which would
make it possible for all who believe
to become the sons of God and mem
bers of that Church.
1. The Question-WhO is the Son
of Man? wv. 13-lO.
The question of Christ was general
at first, and in the answer we find
that the peope of our Lords own
day had a very high opinion of
Him. They saw in Him the COM
bined merits of the outstanding char
acters of their generation. They
knew that He was no ordinary indi-
vidual. He had made striking
impression on His own age, as in
deed He has on every age of human
history.
Observe carefully that such con-
Of Ca 1e IF
It is not enough to acknowledge
Him as the great teacher, the per-
feet example, or the way-shower.
To deny His divinity, to take from
Him His place as Son of the living
God is to make of Him an impostor
and a fraud.
The personal question which fol-
lows, "Whom say we that 1 amp"
is the supremely important question
from which no man can escape.
Neutrality is impossible. Whatever
we do or fail to do declares our
position. "What think We of Christi"
is the touchstone which determines
character, condition and destiny.
Peter by the grace of God had
come to the place where he recog-
nized the one with whom he was
having blessed fellowship in service
as the Messiah, the Amounted One,
the Son of the living God. We too
should be so responsive to the guild
ance and control of the Holy Spirit
that He may be able to teach us
spiritual truth, which flesh and blood
can never reveal.
III. The Church-Its True Founda-
ton wv. 1920.
Christ, the Son of the living God,
is the rock upon which the Church
is built. The confession by Peter
of this fact is in response to the
question of Christ, "Whom say We
that I ann" and hence clearly re-
lates to Christ, not to Peter, or to
anything in Peters personality. He
was indeed blessed in his confess
sion of Christ, but it is Christ who is
the rock upon which the powerful
and glorious Church is founded.
1t follows without possibility of de-
NAL that only that organization which
truly represents Jesus as the Christ,
the Son of the living God, has any
right to call itself a church. Count
less are the groups calling them
selves churches which are nothing
but social or intellectual clubs with
possibly slightly religious flavor,
for they deny the deity of Christ.
Why are they not honest enough to
take their proper names and their
rightful places in the community?
Is it because they wish to have the
financial support of Gods people
and bear the good name of the
Church?
iii. The Cross-fOr Christ and
for Me wv. 21-24).
The shadow of the cross falls
across the little gathering of disci-
pies as the Lord tells them of His
impending death on the cross. Note
that He rightly coupled with the
fact of His death the truth of the
resurrection, which gives it true
meaning and which carries us be-
yond the darkness of Calvary to the
light and beauty of Easter morning.
Peter who had a moment before
spoken for God, now becomes the
mouthpiece of the devil. From con-
Tossing his Lord, Peter turned to
tempting Him to avoid the cross.
That he "meant well'' does not ex-
cuse Peters folly, nor does it ex-
cuse the laundering though we'll
meaning instructions which many
are giving to the souls of men in
our day. Had Jesus yielded to the
solicitation of the Evil One through
Peter, there would never have been
any redemption from sin wrought
out on Calvary's cross.
But we observe in verse "a that
there is cross for the Christian
as well as for Christ. Obviously
we can never bear His cross, He
alone could do that, but we are to
take up our own cross and deny
ourselves and follow Him. Self on
the cross-Christ on the throne
such is the secret of real disciple
ship.