KB 303
September, 1944
Internat iona l Lesson Commentary
Outline and Exposition B. B. S utcliffe Points and Problems H omer A. K ent Golden Text Illustration A lan S. P earce Blackboard Lesson G retchen S ibley Children s Division - M ildred M. C ook Object L isson E lmer L. W ilder
OCTOBER 1, 1944 JESUS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
I saiah _ .! £ ;. M atthew 4:12-16; J ohn 1:4 ; 8:12i 9:1-41; 12:35, 36, 46; 2 C ownihians 4:6; E phesians 5:14; 1 J o jw 2:8; R evelation 21:23
G ladys B owman , I llustrator Lesson material is based on outlines of International Sunday School Lessons, copyrighted by International Council of Reli gious Education; used by per mission. in. T he R ejection of the L ight ' (13-41) The Pharisees were too proud to ac cept the testimony of this man, which necessarily condemned them, and “they cast him out.” The man was a living witness to the power and grace of Jesus Christ, and he was a credit able witness because of his personal experience of that power and grace, but they would not receive his testi mony. Jesus heard that'the man had been cast out, “and when he found him”— suggesting that the Lord Jesus had cared enough to search for him—He asked the man whether he believed on the Son of God. This- question brought revelation that Jesus Him self was the Son of God, and the man believed; confessed his faith in Jesus, and worshiped Him. For Jesus to have accepted this worship, unless He were in very truth what the man con fessed Him to be, would be blasphemy of the highest order. Jesus Christ was either what the Pharisees declared Him to be, a blasphemer worthy, of death, or else He was the very Son of God, worthy of the worship of all men. ! The purpose of Jesus in coming into the world was also for judgment. Both those who accepted and those who rejected the testimony were being judged. The Pharisees were blind be cause they, too, were connected with the fallen human race, and for such blindness no blame was attached to them. But they were judged for reject-’ ing the light that was the only remedy for their blindness. For this cause
Jesus clearly revealed that blame was upon none of them. The blindness was merely one of the effects of the racial sin from which comes every deformity, whether physical, mental, or spiritual. Every individual bears some mark of the sin that afflicts the whole race. The presence of Light in a world of darkness is God’s answer to the pri mal sin by which every man is af flicted (vs. 4, 5). Jesus declared the purpose of His coming to this world: to "work the works of him that sent me.” He acknowledged Himself under authority of “him that sent me.” And He would fulfill the purpose while He had opportunity, or "while it is day.” The Lord’s method was simple and satisfactory (vs. 6, 7). It involved something on the Lord’s part, and something on the man’s part. The Lord gave the light, and the man re ceived it; We cannot analyze ' the Lord’s part, but the man’s is clear: he was told to do something; he did that thing, and "came seeing.” n. T he T estimony to the L ight (13) Because of the astonishing character of this miracle, the neighbors were divided in their opinion of what had taken place. Some said it was the same man, some said that he was like the man, but he himself said, “I am he.” Then they brought him to the Pharisees, who were their leaders, and thus the Pharisees had testimony borne to them that God was present in their midst. But the Pharisees would not admit that God was present, and they sought to refute the testimony. of this man. They called him into their company to tell his story, and he did tell it, in a s i m p l e and straightforward manner.
John 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that ^ie was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no^man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7 And said unto him, Go wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. 13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. 34 They answered and said unto^ him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? 36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? 37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 33 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. 39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. 40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? 41 Jesús said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. LESSON TEXT : John 9:1-7, 13, 34-41. GOLDEN TEXT : “ Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life“ (John 8:12). DEVOTIONAL READING: Isa. 43:1-7. Outline and Exposition I. R eceiving the L ight (1-7) HE FAMILY of the blind man, I. as well as the neighbors, all 1 knew that his affliction *had been with him from his birth. As to Who had sinned, this man or his parents that he should be born blind,
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