March, 1933
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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III. T he S ufficient P ower of J esus (25-29). The command was given for the demon to come out, and while there is always re luctance on the part of Satan to obey, obe dience must be rendered to that voice of power. W e are allowed to see the secret source of that power. It is not found in the essential deity of Jesus, but in the human ity of Jesus, dependent upon deity. That dependence is revealed in verse 29, “by prayer.” Prayer is the outstanding mark of the perfect man. It speaks o f full de pendence upon, utter confidence in, and ab solute obedience to, the living God. Lesson Questions Vs. 2, 3. Why do you think Jesus led His disciples to a high mountain? What other mountain top experiences can you mention?.: V. 4. In how many ways were the min istries of Moses and Elijah similar (cf. Ex. 3:1; 1 Ki. 19:8; Ex. 34:28; 14:21; 2 Ki. 2 :8) ? What blow to Spiritism is found in the fact that Moses and Elijah talked only with Jesus, not with the apos tles ? Vs. 5-8. What did the disciples in their ignorance propose to do ? How is this same mistake, in a spiritual sense, made today? Vs. 17, 18. What stark tragedy in the world o f reality faced the disciples as they returned from the mountain? Vs. 25-29. What secret o f power did Jesus disclose when He healed the af flicted man? Golden Text Illustration “One day I was to travel by train,” says a well-known minister. “ I met a friend of mine, and told him where I was going. He said: ‘ “ I am going the same way, but will you join me at an intermediate station?’ “ I looked out for him, and as he came forward I said, “ ‘What class are you traveling?’ “ He held up his first-class ticket. sslVWell,’ I said, ‘I have a third-class ticket, so if you are to travel with me, you must give up your first-class privilege.’ “He did so. I thought it gave us an illus tration of a greater thing. Christ Jesus gave up His first-class privilege to travel on earth among third-class sinners. He took the lowly sinner’s place and abode with him.”— S unday C ompanion . Memory V erse: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). Approach: In our story last week, Jesus asked His disciples who they thought that He was. Peter had answered for all of them that they believed Him to be the Christ, the Son o f God. In our lesson Jesus God’s Son M ark 9:2-9
BLACKBOARD LESSON
that intimate communion with and de pendence upon God which brings trans figuration. There is no other method for the Christian to become like Jesus than to be constantly engaged with Jesus, as He was with God. He set the Lord always be fore Him, He had no will but the will of God, and all He did had God as its ter minus. For the Christian, therefore, there is no other way to likeness to Christ than occupation with Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). The witnesses were feter, James, and John. Why they should have been specially chosen, it is hard to say; perhaps of all the twelve these three entered more fully into the Lord’s program (cf. 2 Pet. 1 :15- 18). The place was apart from all the sights and sounds o f earth. Probably Mount Hermon was the spot. The nature o f the transfiguration is re corded in verse 3. It would be well if the teacher would carefully consider such other passages as Matthew 17:1-9; Luke 9:28-36; Hebrews 2 :9 ; 2 Peter 1:16-18. There was a majesty about the person and appearance of Jesus in the transfiguration which speaks of the majesty of humanity, rather than of deity. Here was the true pinnacle for man as man to rest upon, the ultimate end of the perfect human life. The glory of the appearance was nothing more than the amazing beauty of the soul of Jesus, as a man, the moral glory pf His true humanity. The Only Begot ten, very God of very God, iould not be transfigured; it was the power and the honor and the glory of humanity that was here revealed to the eyes of the three apos tles. Perhaps we may say that this would have been true also of the first man, had sin not entered. 2. The revelation o f His freedom as Man (4). As Man, Jesus had touch with the un seen as with the seen. But this touch was not, and is not, for fallen man. While the disciples had the sight of these two from the other world, Moses and Elijah, they had no communication with or from them. They appeared to the disciples, but they talked with Jesus. It is o f interest to re member that Moses represented the law, as its founder and giver; and Elijah repre sented the prophets, as the vindicator arid reformer with the law. Hence, this event was on the ground of strict righteousness'; Both of these men had been with God on Mount Horeb (Ex. 3:1; 1 Ki. 19:8), both had fasted forty days (Ex. 34:28; 1 Ki. 19:8), both had divided the waters (Ex. 14:21; 2 Ki. 2 :8), and both had been mes sengers to kings (Ex. 3:10; 1 Ki. 18:1). This was no vision or dream that the apostles had, but a literal appearance. There were two men, Moses and Elijah, and they talked with Jesus about His de cease, soon to occur. These two from the other world were intensely interested in that decease, which would be to them as the signing o f the warrant which should open the doors of Hades to allow them to leave, and the door of Paradise to allow them to enter. It is significant that from this mount of transfiguration Jesus could have' stepped at once into the glory, as far as He per sonally was concerned. But if He did so, it would have to be without the kingdom and the people for which He had come. These could be secured only through the work of the cross. 3. The revelation of His supremacy as mMan (5-8). The need o f such a revelation is seen in the ignorance of the disciples. They thought that all—Moses, Elijah, and Jesus
—were upon the same plane. They pro posed to make a tabernacle for Moses, supposing they could meet the law’s de mands and do something which would give them acceptance with God; and a taber nacle for Elijah, supposing they could Un derstand the mind of God and know some thing of the truth without the prophets; and a tabernacle for Jesus, supposing they could be like Him, and hence were in no need o f the new birth. This ignorance is widespread today. The apostles, like men of today, “wist not what to say.” The very fear they felt should have warned them that they were upon ground which only a revelation from God could explain. But it is as true today as it was then: Man is filled with fear the moment he comes in to touch with the supernatural. This fear should teach him his need o f simple trust in the God of the supernatural. They were at once corrected by the voice of God Himself, “ This is my beloved Son” (cf. Psa. 2:7 ). Luke adds, “ In whom I am well pleased” (cf. Isa. 42:1). “Hear him” (cf. Deut. 18:15-18). The Law, the Proph ets, and the Psalms are all called upon to bear witness to this Man who supersedes all that .went before Him, not by contra diction, but by fulfillment. In the words, “This is my Son,” we have God’s acknowl edgment of Jesus; in the admission, “I am well pleased,” we have God’s acceptance of Jesus; and in the command, “Hear him,” we have God’s appointment o f Jesus. This is the true meaning o f the transfiguration: It is God’s acknowledgment, acceptance, and appointment of the Man Christ Jesus, to be the only channel by which God comes into relationship with fallen humanity. II. T he S upreme N eed for J esus (17, 18). Here is a picture of the power of Satan represented by a demon. It is very strik ing t o , notice how often the presence of Jesus soothed the sick and eased the pain of distressed ones; but whenever that pres ence came where demons held sway, they gave voice to bitter rage. The disciples could do nothing for such afflicted ones apart from the power of Jesus. It is just as - true today. “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). Old Friends and New I find I cannot do without T he K ing ’ s B usiness . I have taken it for many years. —P avilion , N. Y. I feel lost without it. As you know, I have taken it for several years. I thought I could read something else instead, but I like T he K ing ’ s B usi ness best. —D arlington , I daho . I thank God for the Loyalty Fund. I have never had the opportunity of reading T he K ing ’ s B usiness , so I am anxiously looking for the first copy. —M inneapolis , M inn .
today, God Himself tells the disciples that this is so. L e s s o n S t o r y . Six days after Jesus had been talking to His disciples about this, He took Peter and James and John up into a high moun tain. While they were t h e r e , they sud
denly saw Jesus’ face and garments shine as though He were no longer in this world. Another thing that made it seem as if « / v l s i o *
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