TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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If 'w e really love the Lord J&sus, we must ask Him daily to help us to dò His will. Object Lesson T ried and T rue or T ried and B l u b OBJECTS: A^ capital “W,” a paper heart, and a pair of scissors. (A slit about 1 inch long should be made in the heart. Make the “W” by using a piece of white paper 8% x 11 inches. Fold in the middle, making the size 8 V 2 x 5% inches. With the fold on the left, cut down along a line % inch from the fold to within 1% inches of the bottom. From this point cut on a slant 4 inches toward the upper right-hand corner, then slanting'down to within 1% inches of the bottom and % inch from the right Side. From here, cut up the right side to the top. When cutting out the bottom to finish the “W” make a point on each side. Open the “W”' and write the ‘word “SORROW” on the inside of the folded bar. Make the inside black. Attach the “W” to the blackboard with thumb tacks.) LESSON: This large “W” reminds me of the word “WATCH,”,which was spoken by Christ to His disciples in the garden when He said, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temp? tation” (Matt. 26:41). The disciples did not obey this com mand of Christ. They fell asleep and did not keep watching. We will take these scissors .and cut the “W” to show how they, failed to obey in an hour of great need. [Cut 1% inches from the bottom, and % of an inch from the fold, through the slanting bar, parallel with the folded side. When unfolded, this will make an ar row with the word “SORROW” writ ten on it,] Now we s e e h ow the disciples caused Christ sorrow by not watching and praying with Him. We will ■let this arrow of “SORROW” pierce the heart, showing how sorrow reached Christ’s h e a r t when His disciples failed Him. * [Reverse the top piece taken from the right'side of the “W,” placing the slanting piece over the one re maining, and you will still have a “W.” ] We still have a “W” but it is black, speaking of the times of weep ing through which the disciples may have gone because of their failure.- They were tested and had an op- R' D*M 4 (ft .45
Golden Text Illustration M atthew 26:4i
nies of Calvary were already begin ning to be felt in H is p u r e soul. 'Through the deep shadows of the gray olive trees can be seen the cruel outline of His cross. . 2. Thè Sorrow: "He . . . began to be sorrowful and very heavy" (v. 37). On this memorable occasion our Lord left eight of His disciples at the edge of the garden. He took three of them, Péter, James, and John, with Him far ther into its recesses. Then it appears that His sorrow began to press upon Him as an unbearable burden. It was a sorrow “ even unto death." In what did His sorrow consis't? What hurt Him so? (1) Doubtless He'began at this time to experience something of what it would mean to be separated from His Father. At Calvary, God’s face was turned away from His Son because He was made to be sin for us. The shadows of that dread experi ence were already falling across His path. (2) In addition, Jesus began at this time to feel the awful weight of the world’s sin. As individuals, we are .expected to be sorry for individual sin. I He, being sinless, was to bear the weight Of a world’s sin. His was the sorrow of a world of sinners. In reality, only Christ has ever had a Gethsemane experience. Nothing we ever endure is comparable to it. 3. The Loneliness: "He went a little further" (v. 39). He went beyond His inner circle of disciples. He had a battle to wage that must be waged alone. This is always true of Christ in spiritual matters; He goes “fur ther” than we do. This was certainly true at Calvary. He suffered alone. No one élse could pay the price of Sin. The loneliness of Gethsemane, of the experience in Pilate’s judgment hall, of Calvary stands" out as an aw ful part of His sufferings. But let us thank God that “he went a little fur ther.” 4, The Prayer: "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass fronr me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt" (v. 39). What was this cup? Some believe that it refers to the Saviour’s suffering in the garden; In view of thé bloody sweat (Lk. 22:44), they hold that Satan was try ing to kill Him there before the cross. But our Lord was not subject to death. Satan could not have taken His life from Him. It was Christ only who had the power of death over His life (John 10:17, 18). Furthermore, this passage must be interpreted in the light of John 18:11, which shows the cup still to be in the future. The cup doubtless refers to Christ’s com ing separation from His Father on the cross, and the b u r d e n o! the world’s guilt which He was to bear there (Matt. 27:46). In view of this coming event, the perfect servant of Jehovah offers a perfect prayer.» IÉÉI
A plain countryman who had been led into thè light by means of Zech- ariah 3:2 was solicited by an old companion to accompany him to the public house. He resisted every per suasion, s a y i n g , “I a m a brand plucked out of the fire.” His old associate could not qnder- stand this, so the man explained it to *him thus: “L o o k ye,” he said. “There is a great difference between* a brand and a green stick. If a spark flies upon a - brand that has been partly burnt, it will soon catch fire again; but it is not so with a green stick. I tell you I am that brand plucked out of the fire, and I dare not venture into the way of tempta tion.’^ “Enter not into the path of the wicked” (Prov. 4:Ì4).—Selected. Surprised Peter M atthew 26:36-46; J ohn 18:10-12. MEMORY VERSE: “Be ye kind one to another” (Eph. 4:32). APPROACH: Last Sunday we stud ied about the three men who went up into a mountain with. Jesus. What were their names? Who would like to tell us what happened on that wonderful day? Today our lesson is about the Lord Jesus and the same three men, Peter, James, and John, in the Garden of Gethsemane. LESSON STORY: A f t e r the Last pened. (Read Matthew 26:38-46 to the1 children, stopping to explain Christ’s prayer in verse 39, and any other difficult passages.) How many times did Jesus go away to pray? How many times did He find the men asleep? Right after that, Judas and a great multitude came from the priests and elders to get Jesus to take Him to trial. Peter had a sword with ‘him, and he cut off the right ear of the high priest’s servant. J e s u s didn’t want him to do that, and so He said, * “Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” (Explain.) Then the Lord Jesus healed the man’s ear.. The Lord Jesus knew that -the time had come for Him to suffer and to die' for us. Wasn’t it strange that it was so easy for Peter to do the wrong thing, and yet so hard for him to do a little thing like staying awake and praying when Jesus wanted him to?' Supper, Jesus took His di s c i p 1e s to this g a r d e n to pray there. He told eight of them ' to sit add Wa i t for Him while He took Peter a n d James and John with Him a little further. Let us see what hap
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