stood up to read from the Old Testa ment. One of the helpers in the syna gogue handed to God’s Son the book of Isaiah. The Lord Jesus opened the book and found the place where the Holy Spirit, had told of His coming to the earth. After Jesus had finished reading, He closed the book, gave it to the helper, and sat down. Everyone in the syna gogue was watching Him. Jesus told them that He was the One of Whom the prophet Isaiah had written. The people were amazed at His words. Some asked, “ Is not this Joseph’s son?” The Saviour told the people that they would not re ceive Him as He had been received in other towns. Even those who were friend ly that day soon turned against the Lord. Their unfriendliness did not cause Jesus to stop teaching about God. Nothing could keep Him from doing His Father’s business. Have you found it harder to live for the Lord Jesus in your own home than in your school or at your work? Is it easier for you to speak about Him to strangers than to your family or your friends? Sometimes those whom we love best make it hardest for us to wholly follow the Lord. Our God is with us as He was with His Son, asking us to honor Him however hard it may he. Then we, too, like our Saviour, will be found doing good, for our God will honor us with the richest of His bless ings. THE BOOK OF G O D “ WHAT FIRST LED you to become a Christian?” The reply of Is’ekae, an elder at Lotumbe (Africa) long ago, was some thing like this: “ The first time I went to church at Bolenge where I had gone to work, I saw Mr. Eldred open a book which he said was the Bonkanda wa Nzakomba — the Book of God. I was sitting at the back of the church, but I got on the edge of the seat and listened spellbound. I didn’t know that God had a Book, and - if He had, I didn’t know that a white man could make that book speak my own language of Lonkundo. How could I but believe what I heard and agree to what I saw? That day I knew that I would soon he a follower of Yesu.” When a missionary goes on his itin erary, books make up part of his equip ment. The demand is so great that he could almost dispose of them in the first village, but he has to reserve some for the villages farther on. The fact is that there is a new urge in the heart of the African, and the printed page is much wanted. Many young Africans went north to Egypt and Palestine during the war. Now, if they open a New Testament, they say, “ I know that Book is true because I visited Jerusalem and I saw the Jordan River and I crossed over the Nile River. That Book isn’t a storybook. The things it tells about really happened up there.” The World Call. Submitted by Ruby E. Grimes T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Pointers on the Lesson, H omer A. K ent , T. h .D. Helps for the Children, A llison A rrowood
Lesson material is based upon outlines of the International Sunday School Lessons copyrighted by the International Council of Religious Education; used by permission.
February 6, 1949 THE TEACHING MISSION OF JESUS Mark 1:14, 15, 32-39; Luke 4:16-21
in tune with God at the beginning of the day. (2) He prayed alone (35). Public gatherings -alone would not suf fice. He must bare His soul before God alone. And, (3) He prayed before preaching (38, 39). He went into His work bathed in the atmosphere of prayer. The result was, He “ east out devils [demons]” (39). Can His servants today expect to succeed without a similar devotion? The Preacher in God’s House (Luke 4:16-21) When Jesus came to the synagogue, He opened the Bible at the place where the prophet speaks of His own min istry, Isaiah 61: 1, 2. A study of the lat ter passage will reveal that it speaks of Christ’s ministry in both of His ad vents. However, when the Lord read from this passage He closed the book when He had finished reading about “ the acceptable year of the Lord” which re lated to His first coming and was perti nent to the time when He read, whereas the rest was not. For us there is this meaning, namely, we ought to be preach ing and teaching continually until Christ comes about His willingness to save all who will hear His voice. This is the mes sage that should be pre-eminent in this dispensation. Memory Verse: “Jesus of Nazareth . . . went about doing good . . . for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38). How excited the family and the friends of the Lord Jesus must have been! Jesus was coming home to Naz areth ! For a time He had left Nazareth. Stories of His fame and of His teaching in the synagogues of Galilee had come to those in His home town. Now His family and His friends were to see Him again and to hear Him teach about His Father. When Jesus returned to Nazareth, He went into the synagogue upon the Sab bath day (this was His custom) and Helps for the Children Jesus Begins to Teach (Luke 4:16-24)
Pointers on the Lesson Glimpses of Jesus’ ministry following His baptism and temptation are seen in this week’s lesson. The nature of His work and the power of His person are clearly seen in the passages selected. One cannot earnestly meditate upon these words without being made to see that Christ is the Lord from heaven. The Content of True Preaching (Mark 1:14-15) True preaching recognizes the source of the Gospel. It is “ of God” (14). Jesus came preaching “the gospel of the king dom of God.” His message was in no sense of this world. It was heaven horn. No other Gospel can lift men. Further more, the Gospel centers in the second person of the Trinity. Jesus said “ the kingdom of God is at hand” (15). In what sense? In the sense that Jesus was now in their midst. He is the heart of the Gospel. It is impossible to preach the true Gospel without making Christ central. Then, too, we see from this pas sage that preaching includes emphasis upon repentance and faith (15). Thus Jesus picked up where John left off in his preaching. There is no lack of har mony between the two. The Power of the Master Preacher (Mark 1:32-34) Jesus here shows Himself to be master over every manner of disease and over demons. He forbade even the demons to speak because their testimony might in jure His cause. This is all suggestive of the fact that the One whom we serve is sufficient to heal every disease of sin and to cast out every demon of destruc tion that may fasten itself upon men. In His name and clothed with His power, the servant of God should go forth to minister. The Secret of Successful Preaching (Mark 1:35-39) The Master Preacher suggests at least three things to His servants about prayer in these verses: (1) He prayed in the morning (35). He got His soul
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