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THE KING’S BUSINESS
enced: At Jerusalem, to the rulers; in Judea, to the Jews; in Samaria, intermediate; to the “uttermost parts of the earth.” This ultimate limit is not yet reached. 3. The Parting Attitude. How precious! how significant!— “He lifted up his Hands” and "while he blest them he was taken up into heaven.” In Cincinnati a public foun tain is surmounted by a colossal figure with outstretched hands, from the palms and fin gers of which refreshing streams are con stantly flowing. Such is the attitude of our blessed and blessing Saviour. IV. T he P romised R eturn B i O, 11. 1. The Heavenly Message and Messen gers. Angels announced His advent (Luke 2:14) and now His second advent to bring “peace on earth.” “Looking steadfastly into heaven as he went.” Long and longingly their eyes were riveted on the vision. “ Two men stood by them in white apparel.” White is the heavenly color. Jesus was taken into heaven, but heaven is not far off. As to long Jacob so to His bereaved disciples an gels descended by the “ladder” on which He ascended. “ IVhy stand ye gazing up?” There was no reproof in these words. What else should or could they do but stand with eyes riveted to the spot whence He van ished. They were not vain star-gazers as some say who would do better in following their example. Nor were they idling who were bade to “wait” for power from that very opened heaven. “ This same (iden tical) Jesus . . . shall so (identically) come in like (identical) manner as ye be held him going.” This stress on identity is on the embodiment of Jesus. All those in fallible “proofs” which identified the risen body were designed also to define the as cended and descending body. Of the risen body a writer, voicing the common opinion, says, “It seems to have been the same body He had before He gave up His life as Laz arus had his same body. Jesus’ , body was made up of ‘flesh and bones;’ bore the marks o f the nail and tlje spear; He ate material food. . . . We doubt not He took upon Him his glorified body at his ascension.” No word of the text hints at this indubitable opinion. ..“ This same Jesus” could mean to them only that same body certified from Easter to and in Ascension Day. Even the pre-resurrection body of Jesus needed no such change for glorifica tion. It became at will resplendent as the sun (Matt. 17:2), giving beside a dazzling radiance to His raiment. It overcame gravi tation and walked the sea as now the air,?; and was not subject to corruption (Acts 2:31). Whatever 1 Corinthians 15:44, 50 mean they cannot contradict, “ this same Jesus.” What change our “mortal” bodies may see is another matter. But they need not differ in quality or appearance from that of Jesus to be incorruptible, superior to lim itations now imposed by natural law, to shine as* the sun, to “ascend and descend upon the Son of Man,” to be “spiritual” or, absolutely subservient to the spirit, as Jesus was. Somewhere in the blue in the full glory of perfected humanity Jesus our fore runner has for us entered and sometime through the blue that same Jesus' shall come to sit on the throne of David and eat and drink in the Kingdom of God (Matt. 26:29; Luke 22:30). LESSON XIII.—December 27. —J esus t h e ; W o r l d ’ s S a v io u r a n d K in g .— REVIEW.—Read 2 Cor. 5:14-21. G olden T ext . —Far be it from me to glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ —Gal. 6:14. The quarters’ lessons have been based on days beyond the tomb. These lessons may the events of two brief periods in the Gos- be recalled by the following outline:
pel history, one of six and the other of forty days, divided by the days of sepulture; the last week before the cross and the forty
I. C hrist A nointed at B ethany . 1. The rulers resolved to kill Jesus. 2.
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