May 1928
T h e : K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
2 77
Christ and the Quickening of the Mind B y T he E ditor - in -C hief {An Anniversary Conference Message )
f e H E subject for our consideration at this time is rPS* "Knowing Jesus Christ in the experience o f the quickening and illumination o f the mind,” and in order to bring the subject vividly before us, let me read two brief passages from the Word First, Luke 24:44: “ These are my words which I spake unto yon, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law o f
is concerned, and could repeat large portions o f it from memory. In these Scriptures they had the story of the Messiah, including that o f His suffering, but they missed this part; and when Jesus faced the cross and submit ted in the article of death, they could not understand the meaning nor the significance o f what happened. I f they only had understood the Scriptures they could have seen that they were being fulfilled in the very events that they thought were defeating the purposes o f God in the estab lishing o f H i s Kingdom. They knew the
M o s e s , and the prophets, and the Psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their minds, that they might under stand t h e Scrip tures.” Second, John 16. “ I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them n o w. Howbeit when he, the Spirit o f truth, ■ is come, he s h a l l .guide you into all the truth : fo r he shall not s p e a k from himself; but what things soever .he shall, hear, these shall he speak; and he shall declare un to you the things that are to come. H e shall glorify m e : fo r he shall take o f mine, and shall de clare it unto you.” In these pass
Scriptures in a me chanical waylf-'and they were quite fa miliar w i t h the comments and tra ditions o f t h e Scribes and Phari sees, which were a misinterpretation of these, The thing they did lack was a living experience in which their minds might be quick ened, t h a t t h e y might understand the inwardness and final meanings of the . S c r i p t u r e s . Therefore, t h e y f a i l e d to under stand t h e i r own Bible. C hrist Q uickened T heir M inds Second, Jesus is talking to people w h o c a m e into
Photo by Adalbert Bartlett PALESTINIANS THRESHING AT VILLAGE NEAR SHECHEM, IN SAMARIA.
ages we are brought face to face with the quickening and illumination o f the minds of men in which Jesus Christ is made real through a study -of the Scriptures and in an experience of the ministry o f the Holy Spirit. First, let us look at the passage from Luke. The dis ciples were perplexed because o f what was- happening. Their air castles concerning the future were suddenly destroyed and their worlds seemed to be crumbling around about them. They had thought that Jesus was the Mes siah and that He had actually come to destroy their enemies and establish the Messianic Kingdom. But alas! He has now been crucified, has been put in the grave, and with Him were buried their hopes for the realization of their ideals. They had the Scriptures as contained in what we call the Old Testament, and they were good Bible stu dents. W e must not forget that the average Jew was a very much better Bible student than the average Christian o f our day. He knew the Old Testament so far as the law
quite an intimate relationship with the one who was the key to the Scriptures arid the fulfilment o f them. They knew Jesus Christ according to the flesh. They had lived with Him. They had worked with Him. They had talked with Him. Not only in these ways did they know Him, but they had heard all of these wonderful words that we have recorded, and yet, they did not know Him nor understand the Scriptures which speak o f Him. “Have I been so long a time with thee and dost thou not know me?” was the cry o f Christ’s heart in the presence o f these intimate friends. That is a cry that often comes from the hearts o f men in the midst o f their friends, How ever, it was in His heart in a way it can never be in the heart of any mere man. Even after the resurrection, when Jesus is talking to them, they are puzzled and per plexed, and it is at this point that we are told He opened their minds, He touched them some way. The method o f doing this matters little. The great thing is that He did something to quicken and illumine them. It was then
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