56
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
February, 1941
INTERNATIONAL LESSON Commentary Outline and Exposition Blackboard Lesson Children s Division Object Lesson Golden Text Illustration By B. B. S utcliffe By G betchen S ibley By M ildred M . C ook By E lmer L. W ilder By A lan S. P earce Points and Problems B y A lva J. M c C lain , President of Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, Ind.
MARCH 2,1941 THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST L uke 19:1 to 20:8
Both Isaiah and Jeremiah had de clared the .purpose of the temple. But these people had disregarded its in tended use. However, any one who de sired could still use it as a place of prayer, as did the publican (cf. Lk. 18: 9-14), and God would still hear and answer. HI. D ealing with S ettled U nbelief (19:47 to 20:8) Our Lord’s teaching was heard by the common people with gladness and with attention. But this response served only to arouse the anger of the religious leaders, and they "sought to destroy him,” though they refrained from laying hands upon Him at that time because they feared what the common people would do. Later on, as He was teaching, these leaders came asking by what authority He taught and acted. His®reply might appear to be ungracious if one looks upon it without remembering that at this time the Lord Jesus was dealing with determined and settled unbelief. At the first clèansing of the temple, He did give them a sign, but now He would give nothing further, because nothing He could say would move them from their settled determination to slay Him. However, before they were allowed to have their own way, He revealed to them their true spiritual condition. He asked them about the teaching of John the Baptist, whether they thought it was from heaven or of men. They knew that John’s teaching was of God, but they had rejected it. They also knew that the common people held John in reference as a true prophet. Hence, they could not answer the Lord’s ques tion without condemning themselves. Jesus therefore said that neither would He tell them from whence His authority came. They, already knew, as they knew also the truth concerning the source of John’s ministry. Rejecting our Lord’s authority, they were rejecting God, and were hurrying on to the doom of which the Lord Jesus had spoken. Their his tory for nearly two thousand years proves the truth of His prediction. We should not leave this lesson with out understanding that by giving at tention to the prophetic Scriptures we may be preserved in quietness and con fidence in the midst of the passing events of history.
though He was compassionate, He had to pronounce the impending doom, and He did -so with tears. Jesus wept over both the hardness of unbelief and the hopelessness of apostasy which the people manifested. The “days” to which He referred in verse 43 are those occurring after the sixty-ninth week of Daniel’s prophecy of severity weeks (Dan. 11:25, 26). Ac cording to the prophecy, the city would be destroyed, and the citizens would meet the terrible experiences herein described. A partial fulfillment already has taken place. The city was destroyed, in A. D. 70, but the citizens did not then neces sarily have to meet the full extent of the predicted judgment. Individuals could escape by means of repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Likewise today, the world’s pre dicted and certain doom does not need to involve every individual; any one may escape the world’s judgment by turning to God With repentance and faith. n . D ealing with the T emple (19:45, 46) Once before, at the beginning of His ministry, the Lord had cleansed the temple of those who defiled it by avari cious practices. At that time, He had given the people a sign (cf. John 2:13- 22), but this time no sign is given them. The temple, that should have been a house of prayer continually, was de filed by the greedy pursuit of business —trading, buying, selling—while its main purpose was forgotten or disre garded. The authority of Jesus was dis played when He drove out the defilers, who instinctively recognized His author ity and went without a question.
Lnke 19:41 And wkèn to* was eome near» he beheld the city, and wept ever It, 42 Saying, I f thou hadfct known, eren thon, a t least in this thy day, the things which belong nnto thy peace! bnt how they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall east a trench ahent thee, and compass thee ronnd, and keep thee in on every side, 94 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone npon another; because thon knewest net the time o f thy visitation. 45 And hë went into the temple, and began to cast ont them that sold therein, and them that bought; 46 Saying nnto them, It Is written, M y house is the house of prhyèr; bat ye hate made it a den of thieves. 47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, 48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him. 20:1 And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came npon him with the elders, 2 Ana spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things! or who is he that gave thee this authbrlty! 8 And he answered and said!» unto them, X will also ask you one thing; and ahswCr m e: 4 The baptism* of John, was it from heaven, or of m en! 5 And they reasoned with themselves, say ing, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, W h y then believed ye him notl 6 B ut and if we say, Of m en; all the people will stone u s: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet. 7 And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was. 8 And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. LE SSON T E A T : Lk. 19:41 to 20:8. GO LD EN T E X T : “ W hy call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say!*’ (Lk. 6:46). D E V O T IO N A L B E A D IN G : M att. 7:21-29. Outline and Exposition I. D ealing with the C ity (19:41-44) HE COMPASSION of our Lord was stirred as He saw Jerusalem, the city chosen by God and blessed above all others, unrepentant and in rebellion against God. But even [These lessons are developed from outlines prepared by the Committee on Improved Uniform Lessons of the In ternational Council. The outlines are copyrighted by the International Coun cil of Religious Education and used by permission,. Scripture portions quoted are from the King James Version un less otherwise stated . I
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