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THE K I NG ’ S BUS I NES S
September, 1942
the living God” (v. 69). Thus testify ing to His power as the Son of God,- Peter added, “To whom shall, we go?- thou hast the words of eternal life” (v ./68). Peter knew—and we must know also—-that nowhere else can the - words of eternal life be found, and- by no other means can the living God be found. Against the general trend of the times, against popular opinion, anc* against the public denials of Jesus that rwere being made, Peter could stand out courageously and avow his belief in and his loyalty to Jesusy Christ, his Messiah. His example should stir into action all silent be-- lievers who are afraid to show their allegiance to Jesus Christ. III. S een in P aul (Phil. 3:7-l 1) Paul’s loyalty to Jesus Christ is ap parent in this passage. From a human standpoint, he had much to count as gain: ancestry, zeal, righteousness be fore the law, great learning,' etc. But 3 he counted all this as losg. He would ’ “win” Christ; that is, he would have Christ as' the gain of his life rather than the things he possessed. In com-" parisjon with Christ, all good things were loss, and even the better things ■ were as the refuse of the street (vs. 7, 8). Paul wasr already saved, but his -longing as expressed -in t h e s e verses was to experience in his own iife the righteousness of God in Christ (v. '9). In Paul’s mind, this relation ship was so desirable that to obtain it he had “suffered the loss of all things.” The thought is not that it was Paul’s sih that was driving him to Christ, but rather that the excellen cies of Christ were strongly attracting him. « It is harder to seek deliverance from • one’s own goodness than from one’s sinfulness. But Paul would “know” Christ-as'his only source of goodness and power, so that he would attain to the out-resurrection from among the dead, knowing in practical living the life of the' risen Christ (vs. 10, 11). Points and Problems 1. "From that time many of:his. dis ciples went back, and walked no more with liim" (John 6:66). This is one of the most- remarkable Statements in the New Testament. We should' be careful to notice first that the term “disciples” is used in a very wide sense in the New Testament. It was used Of all who followed Christ, re--’ gardless of motive, whether'true or false disciples. That they are false disciples h e r e ' is indicated by our- Lord’s words in verse 64, “There are, some of you that believe not.” Th'” "'. are the ones which went back walked no more’with Christ. They ^ - never been really His. They had g r after Him because of tfie loaves and fishes (v. 26), not because they wanted to eat of the Bread from heaven. They y
has humbled himself at the foot of the cross and has received Christ as Saviour, He no : ,longer sees SIN—He sees His SON, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul had this truth in mind when he said, “Being now justified by his blood, we' shall be saved from wrath through him.”
goes bn to tell «us .that if the big “I” will humble itself, it can be changed. [Bend the “1” into an “O” and hook the ends together.] The ^middle lettej: is now an “O” instead of an" “I.” The letters together spell “SON,” instead of “SIN.” When God looks at the sinner who
OCTOBER 11, 1942 LOYALTY TO CHRIST M ark 2:14-17; J ohn 6:66-69; P hilippians 3:7-11
Certain scribes and Pharisees came also to the dinner, always ready to find occasion to criticize Jesus. They objected to His eating with publicans and sinners.« Though they themselves would take no good from Him, they sought to hinder all. who might re ceive blessing from Him (v. 16)> They were’ chronic objectors to anything that came from. God, .even though they professed to honor and serve God. The memorable answer of Jesus to, their criticism is a passage that every person should memorize. It fully an swers the question as to why Jesus mingled with publicans and sinners, and it reveals Him also as the Great Physician of souls. As such He is com petent in His diagnosis because He understands all cases. He fS able to prescribe the'correct remedy. And He is willing to effect the perfect dure. As touching every need of the soul, the only hindrance .to complete healing lies in the patient's own .will. II. S een in P eter (John 6:66-69) After the miracle of feeding the five thousand,-many people followed Jesus, not because they believed He', was their Messiahy. b u t b e e a u s e they thought He could supply all their ma terial needs. While He could supply these, He had come for another and greater purpose. He had Come to give them bread from heaver, for their' souls and spirits. But wh e n they, heard that, they- “w e n t back, and walked no’more with him” (V. 66). Then Jesus turned to the innér cir cle of disciples and asked whether they, too, would leave Him (v. 67). Peter declared h i s . l o y a 1t y and his belief in the Person of Jesus Christ by saying, “Wfe believe and are sure that' thou art that Christ, the, Son of BLACKBO ARD LE SSON
M ark 2:14 A nd a s he passed .by, h e sa w L ev i th e son o f A lph eu s s ittin g a t th e r ec e ip t o f cu stom , and said un to Mm, F o l lo w m e. And h e a rose anil fo llo w e d him . 15 A nd it cam e to pass, th a t,'a s J esu s s a t a t m eat in h is h o u se, m an y pu blicans and sin n ers sa t a ls6 to g e th er w ith J esu s and h is d iscip les; fo r th ere w ere m any, and th e y fo llo w ed him . '1 6 And w h en th e scrib es and P h a risees sa w h im e a t w ith p u b lica n s and sin n ers, th e y said u n to h is d iscip les. H ow is it th a t h e e a te th and d rin k eth w ith p u b li ca n s an d sin n ers? 17 W hen J e su s heard it, h e sa ith u n to th em , T h ey th a t are w h o le h ave n o n eed o f th e p h y sicia n , b u t th ey th a t a re sick t I cam e n o t to c a ll ilie rlgh teou ?, b u t sin n ers to rep en tance. John 6:66 F rom th a t tim e m an y o f h is d isc ip le s w en t back, and w a lk e d no m ore w ith him , 07 T hen sa id J esu s u n to th e tw e lv e , W ill y e a lso go' a w a y t 68 T hen Sim on P.eter a n sw ered him . L ord, tp . w hom sh a ll w e g o ? th ou h a st th e w ord s o f e te rn a l life. 69 A nd w e b e lie v e and are su re th a t th pu .h it th a t C hrist, th e Sou o f th e liv in g God. * P h ilip plan s 3:7 B ut w h a t th in g s w ere- g a in to. m e, th o se I. cou n ted lo ss foy C hrist. . , . 8 y en d o u b tless, and I co u n t a ll th in g s b u t lo ss fo r th e e x ce lle n c y o f th e k n ow l* e d g e o f C hrist J esu s m y Lord,: fo r w hom I h a v e su ffered th e lo ss o f a ll things* and. do co u n t th em b u t d u n g, th a t I-m a y w in C hrist, f 9 A nd b e fou n d In him , n o t h a y in g m in e ow n rig h te o u sn e ss, w h ich is o f'th e la w , b u t th a t w h ich is th ro u g h th e fa ith o f C hrist, th e rig h te o u sn e ss w h ich is of God b y .fa ith : _10 T h a t I m a y k n o w him , . and th e p o w er o f h is resu rrectio n , and th e fe llo w sh ip o f h is su ffe r in g s, b ein g m ade con fo rm a b le untfr h is d e a th ; 11 I f b y a n y m ean s I m ig h t a tta in u n to th e resu rrectio n o f th e dead. GOLDEN T EX T : «W hat th in g s w ere g a in to m e, th o se 1 cou n ted lb ss fo r C hrist” (P h il. 3:7). DEVOTIONAL R EAD ING : Eph. 3:14-21. Outline and Exposition ' I . S een in M atthew (Mk. 2:14-17) B EVI (his Hebrew, name) or Mat thew (his Galilean name) was J a publican^ a member of a class despised by Jews' and scorned by Ro mans. Often publicans sold everything that decent men hold dear, in order to obtain money. But when Matthew heard Jesus say, “Follow me,” he for sook all and “arose and followed him” (v. 14). Matthew lost no time in making public his acceptance of Jesus as his Leader. Immediately he gave a dinner, to which came publicans and sinners. In his promptness to testify to his trust in Christ, he became a fine ex ample for all who receive Christ as Saviour (v.; 15).
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