The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1945-06-08

LESSON TExT-Mark 1.14, IS; Luke ID
1921; Mark 8:27a. 20. 81.
GOLDEN TEXT am come that they
might have life. and that they might have u
more abundantly. 1910. 4
The dawn of new day had comell
The Compromised and expected
Messiah came to break the 400 years
of silence by His personal presence.l
We learn of His coming, His
life and ministry, His death and
resurrection, and find the prom
Use of His coming again in the four
Gospels. They are our complete les
son for this Sunday, but we obvious
ly cannot review them in their en-
tirety in our limited space.
Our Scripture references speak Of
His ministry in presenting the good
news of the gospel to needy man.
kind.
1. The Good News Preached
Mark 1:14, 15).
Jesus always honored preaching
as the primary and the effective
means of spreading the good news
of the gospel.
The forerunner, John the Baptist,
had borne his witness. Jesus had
come, had been baptized, and as
John was cast into prison, He began
to preach, Repent We and believe
the gospel" The key verse of Mark
is 10:45: ''For even the Son of Man
| came not to be ministered unto, but
to minister" The characteristic
words are "straightway, forth
| WITH" and Immediately" The
| Greek word thus translater APP
pears about forty times in the Anok.
\ The Servant of God went quIckly
| about the Fathers business. Chri-.
tians, can we say the same for our
selves?
II. The Good News Practice
duke 4:16-2D.
| The daily ministry of Jesus as He
lived here on earth is summarized
IN the prophecy of His coming
which was given by Isaiah the
prophet. AS we read these words,
we realize that we who profess
| to follow Him need to learn more Of
His spirit Of tender and loving serv-
| ice to others.
It is significant and appropriate
that Jesus declaration of Himself
as the fulfillment of Isaiah GIL, 2
was made in the synagogue on the
Sabbath day. He met with the people
in the house and at the time set
apart for Gods worship. He opposed
spiritual deafness, the misinterpre-
tation Of the truth, the distortion Of
religious principles; but He was not,
as some would have us believe, a
religious free lance who despised
the established worship of His peo-
ole.
| Having been prepared by the thirty
years of privacy, and more particu-
larry by the baptism and the
temptation in the wilderness, He
appeared at the synagogue in Naza-
reth to declare Himself as the full
fillment of prophecy.
Those who teach that Jesus was
only young Jewish teacher with
new philosophy of life have evident
ly not read the Scriptures. He knew
Himself to be Gods Son come into
the world to bring the good news of
salvation by His own blood to poor,
sn-captive, blinded and bruised hui
mainly. He is the Saviour
Look at Isaiah GIL, and note
that Jesus stopped reading before
the end OF the sentence. ''The day
of vengeance of our Cod will come
when Christ returns. This is the day
Of grace. Sinners are urged to ac-
cept Gods love now, and thus to
escape the terrible day Of judgment
which Is to come. ~
III. The Good News Prepared
| mark 8:27a, 20, 31). p
Jesus preached the gospel Of the
kingdom. He went about doing
good, but always He knew Himself
to be the Christ, the One who was
to die for the sins of the world and
to arise again for the justification Of
those who put their trust in Him.
Even those who deny to our Christ
the recognition Of His deity, and the
| devotion of life which is His Just
due, must, if they are at all intel
| uSGnt, dOIIlIL CLldL no IIldn ever
lived who has made such an impact
on human history. Even now, un-
believing men speak Of Him as the
founder of Christianity, a mighty
leader, wonderful example, or al,
unequalled teacher.
1t Is not enough that we stand with
the mass Of humanity who may thus
admire Him, but who do not count
Him as Saviour and Lord. The ques-
ton comes to US as it did to the
disciples, Whom say We that
ann" ''Thou art the Christ
alone sufices as the foundation for
Christian testimony and conduct.
Although Jesus was not yet ready
to have His Messiahship pro-
claimed to the public, He was pre-
pared to teach His disciples concern
ing not only that important truth, but
Of His rejection and death.
| Note the divine must" ". 81.
| While il is true that wicked men