December 1927
817
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V. 5. Seeing their pious, hypocritical attitude, Jesus looked round about on them with anger, being grieved at the hardness of their hearts. His attitude was. one of righteous indignation. He hated their sin but loved them because they had,immortal:souls to be saved. Then Jesus said, “Stretch forth thy hand," which thing the man did and it was re stored. “God’s commands are God’s en-; ablings” was verified in this. case. Hu manly speaking it Was impossible for him to put forth his hand, but being com manded by Christ Whom he believed, he received power to do that which was im possible for him. Thus God always gives power to do any and everything which He commands His people to do. V. 6. Being silenced by the overwhelm ing proof of the divine power of Jesus, the Pharisees and Herodians would not accept the truth, but being enraged, they went forth and took counsel how they might destroy Jesus. From this! time on there were various plots:, for the destruc tion of: the life of Jesus. Jesus and the Law Mark 2:18-3:6. Memory Verse: “I came not to destroy; but .to fulfil.” Matt.,5:17. Approach: The following illustration will help in making* this-lesson helpful to the* little, folk. Pass a small mirror around and ask the children to look into it. Now*,
FRED S. SHEPARD ’S BLACKBOARD OUTLINE L o r d of AW and I F E Come to fulfil.—Matt. 5 :17.
the Atheistic1 grofip. They saw an oppor tunity to oppose Fundamentalism, which had* been championed by“ William Jen nings Bryan. But what bedfellows 1 In spite of all the plotting, the growing multitudes; fallowed after Jesus. Wher ever He went, the crowds “from Galilee and from Judea and from Jerusalem and from Idumea and from beyond Jordan" trailed after Him. His Gospel is still the world’s greatest drawing power. The Spirit-filled preach ing of the Word never lacks for a hear ing. Any novelty- may win a transient crowd, but the Gospel has an endüring in fluence. The Christian congregations of the world are a marvelous spectacle. Think of the number of people through out the world who are found assembled in places of worship' on the Lord’s Day, to say nothing of unnumbered thousands who lift their hearts in adoration of Him and the study of His-; Word, in other places. The Gospél has this effect because it deals ,with fundamental-issues of life. There were many attracted to Jfesus be cause “they had heard what grèat things He did" (v. 8); There* were some mere curiosity-seekers, but -there were others who longed to experience some of those “great things.” The testimonies of those whose lives have been* transformed by Him, still constitute sufficient reason why every man should seek unto Him and desire His touch of forgiveness and healing. “ So-great became the crowds that Jesus “spaUe in -His disciples that a small ship 'should wait on Him, lest they should throng Him” (v. 9). Those desiring heal ing1of body pressed upon Him and those possessed of demons at the very sight of Him “fell down and cried out, Thou art the Sdh of God" (v. 11). ■ Some of' the earliest* confessions of His1Sonship camé from those indwelt by foreign spirits. ' They recognized that they were in'* the presence of the divine Son Of God when His own disciples had not awakened to it. It is a peculiar spectacle to see the deity of Christ ar gued down today by' some professing Christians, while confession of it has been so often wrung from sinful men, who yet refuse to submit to His touch. The word “plagiées" in verse 10 is in teresting. The original word means “corrections or chastisements.” We can not doubt that sickness is Often designed to that end. It* is to rrtake men smart for sm. Some sinners do ho tget sorry until they smart. But for such warnings, many would have continued their1 rush toward perdition unchecked. Let Us riot miss the point that those who *were* under1 such scourgings “came to * Jesus."' ; ; That man is wise who lets his sickness send him to the Savior. All sickness, whether in saved or unsaved, should quicken men to inquire after Him. He is “the great Physician” and while it may not be His purpose to heal instantly all who come to Him, as in the day when miracles were the necessary credentials by which the Messiah was to be recog nized, He will be to every surrendered child of His, the source of grace where by thorns in the flesh," may be borne for God’s glory-. Another point worthy of note in this brief passage, is that Jesus sought no ap plause for Himself for those “great things ’ which He did. “He straitly charg ed them that they should not make Him known" (v. 12). Were His earthly min
Lesson Story : Does our Lord Jesus care whether people are sick and suffer ing? Who will tell us a story thát shows how Jesus felt when He saw them suffer ing? (Review, emphasizing the love and sympathy of the Lord Jesus for those sick physically and spiritually.) In the days when Jesus lived here on this earth; there were people who criti cized and found fault with. Jesus, as many people do today. -Jesus told them the things they did would -be dll right if their hearts were clean and pure, .and so we, too, will think the right kind of thoughts and do the right things with our hands and feet if our hearts-are pure and clean. We. cannot make our hearts clean ourselves, apd that; is.:why God gave us His Son, Jesus, , to come* down to earth and die, that when: we believe on Him as; our;:Lord,iand Savior, He washes all the sin away and makes us clean. He knew we could not see the sin ourselves, so He. gave us the Bible, His precious Word, to. -show,- us that; the sin was there. ' Th"e Biblegis God’s Mirror, and when we obey its word, it will make us Clean. One; of, the things in the world that is causing so much suffering is strong drink. Another is tobacco. God gave us a won derful body, and mind, and it is an awful sin to do anything...that will injure them. He knew people were weak and could not make their hearts, clean, and that is why He came to help us,.’ because He loves every boy and gill, every man and woman in the whole wor,ld, and wants them to know Him as'. Savior! (The little folk will be able to under stand the essentials of this lesson; love, purity and self control, and the avoidance o f; all evil.. They should be taught the terrible peril of strong drink and smok ing. These are days when it is doubly héceásary to teach total abstinence, if we would perpetuate national prohibition.) Jesus Was the only One who kept God’s Word perfectly, and when we belong to Jesus, we too, will have His power in our hearts and lives and will love to obey His Word. (Prayer.)
boys and girls, what did you see as you looked into «the mir ror? You saw your selves; Would the mirror show us if our faces w e r e di r t y? - ' Yes, it would. Would the m i r r o r wash the dirt, off? No, it
would show ‘us the-s d irt' was there, and then when we *knew it was there we would wash: it off with water. Did you know that was why God gave the people the law or commandments, to show them their sins?,: It was their mirror to show them the dirt* on their hearts which they could not see with their eyes. The Law could not take away the sin, as the mir ror could not take away the dirt on the face. Only God can take away sin, when we take His Son Jesus as our Savior? (Prayer,)
sfe* Is* J anuary 29, 1928 The Growing Fame of Jesus Text: Mk. 3:7-12: 6:53-56 gfe
JTOLLOWING * the healing of the man with the withered hand, the Pharisees had gone forth and straightway “taken counsel with the Herodians” (3:6). They
leaders of orthodoxy. If they chose to associate with any religious party, it would be with the Sadducees, the Lib- eralists of the day. The Pharisees could not tolerate either Herodians or Saddu cees, yet we find them joining hands with both of these parties in order to oppose Jesus: We may find plenty of parallels in our own time. When the Scopes trial, backed by Atheistic money and lawyers, was un der way in Dayton, Tenn., it was notice able that some men wearing the garb of ministers of Christ rubbed shoulders with
must find some way to rid the country of this Preacher a n d Healer w ho spake with such authority. It is a remarkable
fact that the Herod ians, the p o l i t i c a l party, had no use or dinarily for Pharisees, the self-styled
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