January, 1937
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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Object Lesson A H e l p f u l H e a d lig h t
ing was especially wonderful, for the man had been born blind. Some of the neigh bors of the man brought him to the Phari sees. Now the Pharisees were enemies of Jesus, and they had said that whoever be lieved in Jesus should be put out of the synagogue, and could no longer worship God there among the other Jews. The Pharisees asked the man about the miracle. He told them how wonderful it was. Once he had been blind, but now he could see! Jesus had healed him! But the Pharisees would not believe, and they put him out. Jesus found the man and spoke to him: “ Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” When the man saw that the Lord Jesus Himself is God’s Son, he gladly said: “ I believe.” Jesus showed this man, and all of us who believe in Him, that He is the Light of the World. ^9
3. “ Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him” (John 8:31). A careful study of the Scripture following the refer ence shows very clearly that those Jews were not saved men, the climax of the battle of words coming in verse 44 where the Lord says: “Ye are of your father the devil.” It is evident from this Scrip ture that there exists a mere intellectual be lief which falls short of saving faith. That Christ questioned the saving quality of the faith mentioned in verse 31 is evident from His rejoinder, “ I f ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.” Again in verse 36, the same thought appears: "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” ’' Notice the “ if” in each case. Many a man is intellectually convinced that Jesus is the Christ, but can not endure having his sin uncovered and dealt with. There is the possibility that such a man may become a bitter enemy of the Son of God. See verse 59: “They took up stones therefore to cast at him” (R. V.). Golden Text Illustration J ohn 8:12 Harry Lauder, the famous Scottish come dian, once said: “ I was sitting in the gloamin’, an’ a man passed the window. He was the lamplighter. He pushed his pole into the lamp and lighted it. Then he went to another and another. Now I couldna’ see him. But I knew where he was by the lights as they broke out doon the street, until he had left a beautiful ave nue of light. Ye’re a’ lamplighters. They’ll know where ye’ve been by the lights.” The first burst of light that the world had was the lamp lighted by Jesus, or rather, He was the Light Himself. He said truly, “ I am the light of the world.”— lflOO Acts and Facts, by Hy Pickering. When Jesus Passed By J o h n 9 :1 -4 1 Memory Verse: ; “The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind” (Psa. 146:8). Approach: A few weeks ago we had a story about Jesus’ feeding a great many people. After they had had enough to eat, He told them that they should have the
Objects: A strong flashlight and two- china dolls. (Make sure that the dolls are not “ baby” dolls, as the children will be more interested in dolls representing their own ages. If dolls cannot be ob tained, cutouts made from cardboard and colored will be satisfactory.) Lesson: Do you boys and girls know what headlights are used for? “ So people can see to travel in the dark.” Yes, that is a good answer. People could not travel as fast and with as much safety were it not for powerful headlights. Do you boys think you could use this big flashlight as a headlight on your bicycle? Yes, I think it would work very well. It gives a strong, steady light. Did you know that Jesus spoke of Him self as being a light? He said: “ I am thé light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). The light from this flashlight makes a bright path for these dolls’ feet. As long as the dolls are thus close to the flashlight, they are, not in darkness. This is a dark world in which we are living, and the only safe way for us as Christians to walk is to follow Christ closely. The parable should have been clearly un derstood by the Pharisees, but they “ under stood not” (v. 6). Shepherds and sheep were familiar figures in their Scriptures, and the many allusions to and direct proph ecies concerning the Messiah as the true Shepherd should have been in their minds' (cf. Psa. 80; Isa. 40:11; Zech. 13:7). II. T h e O p e n D oor (7-10) The Lord immediately followed the par able with the direct assertion that He Him self was the door of the sheep (vs. 7-9). The clause, “ All that ever came before me” (v. 8), refers to authority, not to time. Christ certainly did not condemn such predecessors as Moses, Isaiah, and others of like character. He was referring to all who exalted themselves above Him and His authority and who sought to exercise ownership over thé sheep instead of recog nizing the ownership o f God over both the sheep and themselves (Zech. 11:8). Declaring Himself to be the door (v, 9), He announced that all who entered by Him would be saved. Being saved, they would go in and out, enjoying a freedom never theirs under former shepherds; they would find abundant pasture and would never lack. This verse is widely used as a text for the preaching of the gospel, for it clearly sets forth the way of salvation. The thief (v. 10) came only to destroy. What was needed was life. This life the thief could not give; he killed. The Lord came to give life and give it abundantly. III. T h e T r u e S h e p h e r d (1 1 -1 6 ) The Lord said: “ I am the good shep—
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FEBRUARY 14, 1937 JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD J o h n 10:1-42
Lesson Text: John 10:1-16. Golden Text: “ I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Outline and Exposition I. T h e P a r a b l e of t h e S h e p h e r d (1-6) T HIS parable should be read in the light of the previous chapter, with the background of the healing of the blind man, and with reference to the attitude of the authorities toward the heal ing. The sheepfold was Israel. The blind man was one of the sheep for whom the Messiah came. Jesus definitely placed the Pharisees, and all who so reject Him, in their proper category when He spoke of the thieves and robbers. The porter who opens the door represents the Holy Spirit who admits the true Shep herd of the sheep (vs. 1-3). The sheep always hear the Shepherd’s voice; and, hearing, they recognize it and answer the call. The true Shepherd takes them from the bondage of their legalistic leaders into the freedom of the sons of God. He Him self was going out from the sheepfold and was taking His sheep with Him, He going before them and they following Him (vs. 4, 5). The sheep “ follow” Him—His path becomes theirs; wheresoever He goes, they follow in His footsteps, whether the path is beset by sorrow and gloom, or by joy and gladness. The sheep refuse to follow strangers, fleeing from them and recogniz ing that the strange voice does not reflect love and tenderness nor lead to eternal safety by grace.
Bread from heaven. Then He explained that He Himself was the Bread of Life. Just as they needed b r e a d that they might live on earth, so they needed Jesus that they might have eternal life, and live forever in heaven. T o d a y , in our
story, we find the Lord Jesus working an othermiracle and telling the people of another name by which He was called. Lesson Story: Jesus was always looking for ways of helping people. One day, as He was passing along the road, He saw a blind man. Because Jesus felt sorry for the man, He wanted to help him. Too, Jesus wanted the people to see God’s power working through Him and to understand what He, the Son of God, could do for them if they Would believe in Him. Jesus healed the blind man. This heal
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