4M
December 1931 Approach: After Jesus had chosen His disciples, He began to tell the people that He was the Son of God, come to save them from their sins. These were strange words
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the beautiful daughter of King Pelias, lit tle dreaming how difficult it would be to find a substitute for him when his time came to die. When that hour arrived, he besought first his aged father and then his equally aged mother, both already near to death’s door. But each said, “No, life is precious even when you are old.” He besought his friends and kinsmen, but they were deaf to him. Among his soldiers, all of whom would gladly have died for him on the battlefield, not one was found who was willing to take his place upon the bed where he lay helpless in the presence of death. At last his beautiful wife came and said, “Admetus, I will die for you and gladly.” Admetus sought then a reversal of the decree, but to no avail; and proudly Al- cestis went down into Hades in his stead. There is a further touch of beauty in the story as it goes on to tell how Death was overcome by the mighty Hercules, and Al- cestis, rescued from its power, was brought again to life. It is impossible not to discover here certain ideas not far removed from what we see exemplified in the life, death, 4nd resurrection of Christ. The Greek was' not stranged to the idea of substitutionary sac rifice, this divinest of virtues that c.une to its perfect and all-prevailing expression in Jesus Christ. He is my Substitute. When there was no one else in all the univi rse who was able or willing, He stood in my place.—W. E. Biederwolf. Jesus Tells How Much God Loves Us J o h n 3:1-3, 14-17 Memory Verse : “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
BLACKBOARD LESSON
Of^ GOD SO 'LOVfcD tH'E W O RLD— i-o’v NOTTHAT WE LOVED GOD,BUT THAT HE LOVED U S
and hard for them to understand. S o me were even afraid to believe. L e s s o n Story: There was a man named Nicodemus. He was an impor tant man, because he was a ruler of the people. He had heard about Jesus a n d what He was teach
. . HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR, US HIS ONLY BEGÓ TTEN SON HE HATH PUTAWAV SIN BY THE SACRIFICE Of HIMSELF THATWHOSQEVER^— cqmp ^ COME UNTO ME AIL YE THAT LABOR- “ HE THAT COMETH TO GOO MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS i;:L5HOULDLNIOT>PEI^IS'K-SM>.^a5^? ?HOU HAST DELIVERED MY SOUL FROM DEATH , The words, “whosoever believeth in him should not perish,” imply that, without this life, there is the certainty of perishing. But “whosoever believeth” shall “have everlasting life.” Here, then, is the cure for discontent—simple faith in Jesus Christ, which results in the new birth. IV. T he R eason for the P ossibility of the N ew B irth (16). Because God loved the world, He de sired, first, that it-should not perish. What ever that ruin and failure may mean, God considered it not only a possibility, but a certainty unless He intervened. Second, He desired the world to have life, and nothing, from God’s viewpoint, could avert perishing and give life—other than the giving of His own Son to become the Sav iour of a world of lost sinners. Lesson Questions Vs. 1-3. To what religious group did Nicodemus belong? What was his occupa tion? What personal characteristics are shown in his visit to Jesus? Vs. 4-8. Do Nicodemus’ questions indi cate that he attempted to lower the truth of God to the level of natural reasoning? Show how Jesus’ answer gave instruction, enlightenment, and encouragement. Vs. 9-13. Did Nicodemus seek to ob tain salvation by works? Why did Jesus express surprise that Nicodemus did not understand about the new birth? Is this subject taught in the Old Testament Scrip tures with which Nicodemus should have been familiar (cf. Ezek. 11:19; 36:26)? Vs. 14-16. To what Old Testament expe rience did Jesus liken the new birth? How is everlasting punishment taught in these verses ? What was the only means by which eternal punishment could be averted and eternal life imparted? What remedy did God in His love provide? What is the condition upon which it may be received? Golden T ex t Illustration I like best that theory of the atonement which Barabbas must have had on the morning of the crucifixion. No one can read the beautiful story of Alcestis and Admetus and fail to see the place which the idea of substitutionary sacrifice occu pied in the mind of the Greek. “Ask,” said Apollo to Admetus, “what boon you most desire.” And Admetus answered, “Grant that I may never die.” But this was one thing that not even the gods could grant to mortal men. Apollo, however, prevailed upon the Fates to give consent on the condition that Admetus could find some one else willing to die in his stead. For many years Admetus lived in happiness and great love with Alcestis, BEUEVETH ON H IM .r- f ÂÏ th ~~W] î iUT.HAVE LEVER-LASTING GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL Lire' Viy/3ZBOft
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ing, and he wanted to hear more about it. But he was a little afraid. If this thing which Jesus was preaching was bad, he didn’t want his people to know about it, and he didn’t want them to know that he was interested in it himself. So he decided to make a visit "to Jesus by night. Jesus was glad to see Nicodemus and to explain things to him even though He knew that Nicodemus was afraid. But what Jesus had to say was hard for Nicodemus to understand. He didn’t know just what Jesus meant when He said He was the Son of God and that he, Nico demus, could become a child of God, too, if he would just believe in Jesus. Nicodemus thought that he had to understand all about a thing and how it happened bffore he could believe it. Then Jesus said to Nico demus, “Do you understand the wind that blows ? Do you know where it comes from? Can you see it?” Nicodemus had to say, “No,” and yet he knew that there was a wind and that it did blow. Then Nico demus knew what Jesus meant, and he was able to believe in Jesus although he didn’t yet understand just why it was that God had chosen this plan. stables, about which we' read in the first lesson this year. A few years ago, this was a deep well, similar to any other well. But the increasing rainfall which the Holy Land is receiving has caused the water in the well to rise to the surface. It is now running off in a clear, sparkling stream through the fertile fields of the Vale of Elah. Formerly it yielded its life-giving waters only after great effort on the part of man. Now it has risen to the surface so that travelers may refresh themselves in its cooling waters. Shepherds can now bring their flocks to drink from the waters of the stream. This beautifully illustrates the fact that one who is filled with the Holy Spirit will be overflowing with the Spirit, so. that his life is a blessing to all whom it touches. O utline and Exposition The Golden Text states that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” and the portion for special study shows Him engaged in this saving work. On this occasion, the object of His ministry was a woman of Samaria, a native of a section despised by the Jews.
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JANUARY 24, 1932- JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN John 4:1-12
Lesson Text: John 4:7-26. Golden Text: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15).
Living W ater ‘» t ' acob ’ s well was the source of water sup- A ply for Sychar, a little village nestling on the gentle slope of Mount Ebal, about a mile away. The well was about sev enty-five feet deep. It required considerable effort to draw water from its depths. Jesus, no doubt, had reference to this when He told the Samaritan woman that the water
which He gave would be as a “well of water springing up i n t o everlasting life.” Pal estine has its d e e p wells f r o m which water can be drawn only by great effort. It also has its wells which are “springing .
up-” One of the latter is near the hill of Adul- lam, near the caves which were used for
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