day He would arise from the dead (Matt. 16:21; 17:22, 23; 20:17-19). Had His disciples believed Him they would have awaited joyfully the arrival of the third day and would have been expecting Him to burst the bonds of death. How often do we miss God’s blessings because we fail to believe Him fully! The Fact of Easter was Missed Because of Failure to Investigate, vv. 1, 2 When Mary saw the stone rolled away from the tomb, her heart should have leaped for joy. She should have recalled the Saviour’s promise. Instead, she failed to follow through, failed to enter the tomb and to confirm her faith through the fact that it was empty, even as He said it would be. Every man ought to investigate the claims of Jesus Christ carefully. Many people are not now be lievers because they have never taken the time to peer into the tomb and to convince themselves that what Christ said is true. Christianity has nothing to fear, nothing to be ashamed of. The Christian may be assured that the Bible is the Word of God, Christ is the Son of God, and the resurrection is a great historical fact. The evidences for the Christian faith are impregnable. 2. The Fact of Easter Realized w . 14-18 Mary was weeping while the risen Saviour desired to dry her tears. How much like many of us who sometimes live as if Christ had never risen from the dead! Christ Himself is the Indisputable Proof of Easter He stood there before Mary! He was tangible, physical, real! Mary’s tears were turned into triumph when she saw Him. Let the honest man study the evi dences for the resurrection and still deny the fact of Easter! Let him ex plain the empty tomb, the post-resurrec tion power of the disciples, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the estab lishment and triumph of the Church —let him explain these things apart from the resurrection of Christ, if he can. Christ Experienced in the Heart and Life is the Full Assurance of the Fact of Easter, v. 18 Mary had seen the Lord; her own eyes had feasted upon the One she loved. Not all the demons in hell could convince her that Christ was not risen. So it is with every believer. Christ lives in his heart; He influences the life; He walks and talks with him. That Christian has seen the Lord. April 24, 1952 The world is power-conscious today. Whatever does not demonstrate power is not likely to be noticed or heeded. The Lord Jesus Christ promised power to His Church through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). The Apostle Paul recognized the power of the gospel (Rom. 1:16). The same Apostle urged believers to be strong in the might of Christ (Eph. T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S FAITH IS POWER Heb. 11:1; Phil. 4:8-13
the world’s awful sin. Herein is the love of God made evident. Jesus’ Love was Real Love Because He Suffered for Those who Killed Him 14:32-34; 15:16-23 There is not a language known to man the vocabulary of which is adequate to describe the suffering of our Lord. His mental and spiritual anguish in the Garden was so great that drops of blood oozed through the pores of His body, staining the ground around Him a deep crimson. Christ’s suffering on the cross was excruciating beyond anything we can know. All this He endured because He loved us and would save us from the guilt and power of our sin (Rom. 5:1-11; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; Isa. 53:1-6). Jesus’ Love was Effective Because by it He Brought Many Sons Unto Glory Jesus’ death opened wide the gates of Heaven for every man who will enter in (John 10:10). Thank God, He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall one day be satisfied (Isa. 53:11). Are you doing all in your power to bring His salvation to those around you? April 13, 1952 EASTER— DAY OF VICTORY John 20:1-18 To most Christians the Easter season is the most joyous season of the Chris tian calendar. We know, of course, that every Lord’s Day is Easter Sunday, be cause on the Lord’s Day the people of God remember the resurrection of Christ. But Easter Sunday comes with special influence on our hearts as we single out the central doctrine of the Christian faith—the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. In the paragraph which constitutes the basis of our lesson note two things: first, the fact of Easter missed; second, the fact of Easter realized. 1. The Fact of Easter Missed w . 1-13 The death of Christ came as a severe blow to all of His disciples. They had truly believed that He had come as God’s Messiah to establish His King dom spoken of by the prophets through the centuries. But now that He was dead, they thought He could not have been that promised One. When Mary came on that first Easter morning before dawn and found the stone rolled away, she supposed someone had stolen away the body. When Peter and John investigated more thoroughly they were baffled and mystified although they did concede that something miraculous had taken place (v.8). Let us observe why it was that these disciples missed the fact of Easter, that is, the bodily resurrection of Christ. The Fact of Easter was Missed Because the Word of Christ had Not Been Taken Seriously, v. 9 On many occasions our Lord had plainly stated to His disciples that He was to be killed and that on the third
Y OUR prayerful assistance needed our growing Christian orphanage min istry. Confused, homeless children in Hong Kong, Lebanon and The Jordan plead for admittance to our homes. Glorious oppor tunities to win these "leaders of tomorrow^ for Christ.
rrlte for details and Dept. 11 free literature.
H O M E O F
O N E S I P H O R U S 3939 N. Hamlin Ave., Chicago 18, lll.^
Pastors, Tell Your Women Leaders MONEY FOR YOUR TREASURY OVER 1,500,000 SUNFLOWER DISH-CLOTHS were sold in 1949 by members of Sunday Schools, Ladies’ Aids, Young People’s Groups, etc. They enable you to earn money for your treasury, and make friends for your organization. Sample Free to Official. SANGAMON MILLS Established 1915 Cohoes, N. Y. LINDA VISTA BAPTIST BIBLE COLLEGE AND SEMINARY Liberal Arts Theology Christian Education APPROVED FOR VETERANS SAN DIEGO 11 CALIFORNIA BROWN FIVE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS John Brown University Siloam Springs, Arkansas “Training Head, Heart, and Hand“ Brown Military Academy San Diego, California Junior High thru Junior College Junior School—1st thru 6th grades Southern California Military Academy Long Beach, California Pre-kindergarten thru 9th Grade Brown School for Girls Glendora, California 1st Grade thru High School Brown Military Academy of the Ozarks
Siloam Springs, Arkansas 1st Grade thru High School WHITE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION
^¿VCHURCH-PAC! PROGRAN
,, R om a n Cal
— f ' / a l,ireat to ] L freedoms? What
C i s v d ex priests thoroug
. i ed, ‘» discuss f, fearlessly a gr facing Protestant WRITE TO D A Y for open date; Christ’ s Mission, 160 Fifth Avenue, New Yor Page Twenty-six
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker