T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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A fter the" Baptism of Jesus th e re fol lowed th e fo rty days and fo rty nights of S atan’s tem ptation in th e wilderness. Then we have th e testim ony of John th e B aptist in John 1:19-36, th e mar riage feast a t Cana (John 2 :1 -1 2 ); the visit to Jerusalem when Jesus goes to the Passover F east, casts out th e money changers, and gives His discourse to Nicodemus; ta rrie s in Jud ea; passes through Samaria and brings a knowl edge of th e tru th to th e woman a t the well (John 4 ); heals th e nobleman’s son; teaches and heals in Galilee and from th ere goes to H is home in Nazar eth. Outline (1 ) His Home-Going: Announcement, of His Ministry, Luke 4:16. (2) Himself and th e Word: Adaptabil ity of th e Gospel, vs. 17-22. (3) H atred Rendered H im : Arousing Antagonism , vs. 23-32. m ent of His m inistry, 4:16. Jesus had been anointed for service. The Holy Spirit of God rested upon Him according to prophecy. He had been born of th e Spirit. He was baptized by th e Spirit. He was filled w ith th e Spirit. He was led by th e Spirit. He was vic torious through th e Spirit. He preached in the power of th e Spirit. These seven things should be tru e also of every believer, for our lives, as be lievers, should ru n parallel w ith th e life of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God was on Him for testim ony (John 1 :33) ; in Him for te st ing (Matt. 4 :1 ) ; th ro u g h Him for teach ing (Jo h n 6 :6 3 ). The Lord had proven H imself as a prophet th rough His m inistry of teach ing and healing (Deut. 1 8 :1 8 ). His fame preceded Him so th a t when He reached N azareth, th e home of Mary and Joseph, a g reat th rong gathered to wel come Him. We are, of course, perm itted to use (1) HIS HOME-GOING: Announce
th e 25th ch ap ter ot Matthew, a portion of th e passage being tak - en from its context w ith the evident design
WESSON
EXPOSITION T, O. H orton
of making it teach something th a t is no t m eant to be ta u g h t by th e passage. The whole passage (Matt. 25:31-46) refers to the judgm ent of th e living na tions. I t cannot be th e judgm ent of be lievers for th e ir works, as described in 1 Cor. 3:11-15; nor th e judgm ent of th e G reat W hite Throne, which occurs a t th e close of th e Millennium. If th e in te rp re tatio n evidently in th e m inds of th e Committee were to be given th is passage, it would mean th a t salvation was by works, b u t we are told very definitely th a t we are saved “ not by works of righteousness which we have done, b u t according to his mercy he saved us, by th e washing of regeneration and renew ing of th e Holy Ghost,” (T itu s 3 :5 , 6) and th a t “By th e deeds of th e law shall no flesh be justified in his sigh t” (Rom. 3 :2 0 ). On th e other hand, th e lesson as given us, makes no allusion to those who are sent into everlasting punishm ent be cause they did no t do good works. As a m a tte r of fact, many unsaved people are perform ing more good works th a n some Christians, b u t th a t fact does no t insure them etern al life. In order to in h erit etern al life, a man must have a new life — th e life of God-—which means th a t he m u st have a n atu re like God’s in order to -live w ith Him forever. In view of these facts, we have deemed it wise no t to attem p t to teach a lesson of th is character, which would requ ire th e whole tim e of an ad u lt class, — b u t to devote ourselves to a lesson concerning Christ’s visit to Nazareth. In neith er of th e passages given is there any suggestion as to “Making th e Social O rder C h ristia n /’ and we have tak en for th e them e of th e lesson “The ' E arly M inistry of. Jesu s.” In troduction
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