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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
March, 1935
APR IL 21, 1935 THE FUTURE LIFE (Easter Lesson) M a t t h e w 25:31-46; M a r k 12:26, 27; L u k e 24:1-12; J o h n 14:1-6; 1 C o r in t h ia n s 15:3-20, 50-58; 1 T h e s s a l o n ia n s 4:13-18; R e v e l a t io n 22:1-5 Lesson T ext: Luke 24:1-12; John 14:1-6.
the road to eternal ruin; to be out of Christ as the Truth is to be in fatal error; and to be out o f Christ as the Life is to be in death and corruption. We must be sure that we do not fail to see that Christ is not merely a Way- Shower, but that He is the Way itself; that He is not merely a Truth-Teacher, but that He is the Truth itself; and that He is not merely a Life-Giver, but that He is the Life itself. Hence, the way to the Father’s house is not found in merely obeying the dictates of the conscience, nor following the con clusions o f reason, nor acceding to the demands of the church; but the Way is a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. The teach er should stress the vital necessity of knowing that Way. Points and Problems 1. The chapter division between John 13 and 14 is a bit unfortunate, for there is a very direct connection between 13:36 and 14:1. Our Lord’s word to Peter, “Whither I go, thou canst not follow me n ow ; but thou shalt follow me afterward,” explains why He said, “Let not your heart be troubled” ; and’ it shows also why He spoke of the Father’s house and how they were to get there. 2. The latter portion o f John 14:1 pre sents an interesting problem of transla tion. In our Authorized Version, it reads: “ Ye believe in God, believe also in me,” making the first “believe” an indicative, and the second “believe” an imperative. Now the Greek verb is precisely the same form in both clauses, “pisteuete,” and may be either an indicative or an imperative. Which it should be can only be decided by the context. With the American Revised, I favor the imperative rendering in both clauses, “ Believe in God, believe also in me.” It is a command which, if followed, will bring healing to the troubled heart in every difficult experience. 3. But whichever translation y,o u choose, the passage is a great witness to the deity o f our Lord. W e are to believe in Him just as we believe in God. If Christ were not God in the absolute and highest sense o f that word, such a demand would be nothing but the sheerest blas phemy. 4. In answer to Thomas’ question, Jesus said: “I am the way." Out of this claim there arose the habit among the early churches o f speaking about Chris tianity as "the Way." It is interesting to note that nowhere in the New Testament is Christianity ever called “ a religion.” But five times in the book o f Acts it is called “the Way.” See 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22. The American Revision has capitalized the word “Way” in these texts because o f its apparent technical use as a name o f the new movement. Golden Text Illustration A Persian fable says that the earth was created a great barren plain, without tree or plant. An angel was sent to scatter the choicest Seeds on every spot. Satan, see ing the seeds on the ground* determined to destroy them. He therefore buried all the seeds in the soil, and summoned sun and rain to make them rot away. But the seeds sprang up, clothing the earth with beauty. And a voice from heaven said, “ Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened unless it die.” The burial o f Christ was thought by His enemies to be the end; but, in truth, the grave was but the necessary way to His final and glorious victory.— The Sunday Companion.
immediately afterwards, He said to His disciples: “ Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” That is, whatever they believed concerning God, they were to believe concerning Christ (v. 1). Had the disciples known what lay before them, this exhortation would have been more surprising than it seemed at the time. One of the number was to deny Christ, one would hestitate to believe in His resurrection, and all would forsaken H im ; but in spite o f all these defections, the disciples were to maintain untroubled hearts. Sorrow would be the portion o f Christ’s followers upon earth, failures would be re corded, and need of every kind would appear; but through it all, the days would be bright with this promise: “In my Fa ther’s house are many rnansions . . . I go to prepare a place for you” (v. 2). The promised blessing was to be more than a state, or a condition, or an influence; it was to be a place, and a place prepared by Christ Himself. Whatever might come to the Lord’s people on earth, their future was secure; they would at last enter and abide in that prepared place. And their daily expectation was to be that the Lord would come and receive them unto Himself, that where He is, they might be also (v. 3). This was the hope which would sustain their hearts, giving them joy and peace in the midst o f all dis tress. III. T h e W a y to t h e F u t u r e L if e (John 14:4-6). Having told them o f the future place, the Lord Jesus said: “And whither I go, ye know the way” (v. 4, R. V .). Perhaps His purpose was to draw them out in con versation. We notice that Thomas began to ask questions (v. 5). We, too, should not be afraid to ask questions about things we do not understand. W e should never be fearful of displaying ignorance before the Lord who desires always to enlighten us. Thomas voiced the thought of his companions, as well as o f himself, in their desire to know not only about the place, but also concerning the way to that place. The Lord replied: “ I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (v. 6). This is a most surprising statement when we con sider the claims o f other religious teachers, as well as the beauty o f some lives apart from Him. But, irrespective o f the piety and the beauty o f one’s life, no one can reach the Father except through Christ. And Christ’s declaration is a reasonable statement when one considers the Person who uttered it. Furthermore, it is a very solemn statement, revealing as it does that to be out of Christ as the Way is to be in BLACKBOARD LESSON
Golden T ext: “ I am the resurrection, and the l i f e: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). Outline and Exposition I. T h e A s s u r a n c e of t h e F u t u r e L ife (Lk. 24:1-12). T h e A s s u r a n c e of the future life is found in the resurrection of Christ from among the dead. When the Jews inquired, ‘‘What sign showest thou unto us?” the Lord spoke o f His coming resur rection as the crowning proof that He was what He claimed to be, and that His words were true (John 2:18-22). His was a res urrection unto life—He was not to die again as did all others who had been brought back from the dead. Other in stances were mere restorations, but Christ’s experience was true resurrection. The women, filled with compassion and love for the One who had died, came early to the tomb to express their tender thought, but they found the tomb empty (vs. 1-3). They were met by angels (cf. John 20:12), and the sight filled them with fear (vs. 4, 5). But the angels asked them why they sought the living among the dead, and reassured them by declaring that the Lord had risen according to His own word (vs. 6, 7). Remembering the words of the Lord, which, up to this time, they and the other disciples had wholly forgotten, these women went at once to inform the apostles (vs. 8-10). But the apostles, like the rest, had no hope of such a resurrection, and the report o f the women was to them as an idle tale (v. 11). What the disciples had forgotten, the enemies of the Lord had remembered, and they had taken steps to prevent the fulfillment of the Lord’s word (cf. Matt. 27:62-66). We can see that the early disciples were not so much different from disciples of today who are slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken (cf. v. 25). It is because we do riot thus believe, that we are sometimes disturbed and distressed by passing events and are tempted to think that the gospel has lost its power. Peter went to the sepulcher to test the word o f the women, and he found that conditions were as they had said. But instead o f believing that the Lord had risen, Peter left the scene, merely won dering about the matter (v. 12). He could have had the assurance at once. Belief in the future life rests upon the fact that as Christ rose from the dead, so shall those who put their trust in Him rise also. This is the great argument found in 1 Corinthians 15. “ If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first- fruits of them that slept” (1 Cor. 15:19, 20). This entire chapter from 1 Corin thians should be carefully read, that one may realize upon what a solid foundation our hope o f the future life rests. II. T h e P l a c e o f t h e F u t u r e L if e (John 14:1-3). The Lord had just informed Peter that he would deny-his Lord (13:38), and,
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