T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
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call th é chapter in th a t way. The seventeenth chap ter of Matthew tells us of th e T ransfiguration of Jesus, one of the most rem arkable things th a t ever happened on earth. How easy to recall it by th e words “ Queer or Quaint scene on the m ountain,” th e le tte r “ Q” always fixing th a t chapter in th e mem ory as th e seventeenth. There are hut few words also beginning w ith the letter “X ” hu t we have become so accustomed tc w rite “C h rist” w ith an “X” and “ Christm as” “Xmas” ; th a t we quickly find something about the Master in every tw enty-fourth chapter and recall it by associating it w ith Him. In the tw enty-fourth chap ter of Matthew Christ tells us of His Second Coming and we easily recall the chapter by th e words “X” (Christ) tells us of Has Second Coming, th e le tte r “X’’ fixing th e chap te r in the memory as th e twenty-fourth. The first record of th e Gospel was w ritten by Levi, or as he is known as one of th e twelve apostles, Matthew. It was w ritten in th e Hebrew language to pre sent to the Jews Jesus as th e ir king in the fulfillment of th e prophecies of th e Old Testament. Like warp and woof the words “T hat I t m ight he fulfilled” and “R ighteousness” or th e qu ality of being rig h t run th rough th e entire hook.. The book readily divides into:.— 1. Announcement and p reparation for th e coming king and kingdom. 2. Beginning of the preaching of th e kingdom by Jesus. 3. Continued preaching of th e king dom by Jesus and His disciples. 4. Death of the king and th e rejection of the kingdom by th e Jews. 5. E xaltation of Jesus as king w ith all au tho rity while disciples are g ath ered from all nations. I t will be noted, th a t our outlines or g reat divisions of th e books of the Bible are also easily recalled by th e le tte rs of the alphabet. The contents of the twenty-eight chapters of Matthew can quickly be
gathered about th e following twenty- eight sentences. Abraham to Jesus. Chapter One. contains th e Genealogy of our Lord. Levi goes back only to Abraham as the history of th e Hebrew people begins w ith him and th e g reat covenant w ith th a t people was made through Abraham . B ethlehem to Egypt. In Chapter Two we read of th e b irth of th e Babe a t Bethlehem according to th e words of th e prophet and the call ing of th e son out of Egypt th a t th e A fter His baptism Jesu s meets the devil in th e desert place and where the first Adam fell when tempted the Second Adam wins a g reat victory. There was only one place th a t would meet th e conditions of prophecy and a t Capernaum th e g reat ligh t m ust spring up from those th a t sat in th e region and shadow of death. In th e Sermon on the Mount found in Chapters five, six and seven of Matthew we see the g reat light shining. E a rth ly life of th e blessed ones. In every age certain men and women are to .b e happy w ith a joy none others know. They are in itiated in to the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. They are th e sa lt of th e earth , the ligh t of the world th a t cannot be hid, they teach and obey the commands of God, they live w ithout anger, lust, or oaths, and are full of love towards all men. Form s or outw ard m anifestation of th e ir inner life. They give alms, pray, and fast, quiet-' ly as unto God and no t man, lay up treasu re in heaven, serve only one Mas te r and are free from all anxious though t and worry. Good things of th e ir life. They are not censorious and fau lt finders, they ask for and receive good things, do unto others as they wduld be Scriptures m ight be fulfilled. Cry of John in the W ilderness. D esert to Capernaum.
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