231
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
April 1927
BLACKBOARD STUDY B y F red S. S hepard
went out and wept bitterly. Jesus had warned Peter that he was going to be tried, but Peter thought he was strong. The great lesson for us to learn from this sad story is that we are all very weak, and we, like Peter, will fail unless we ask Jesus to help us. all the time. We can deny Jesus by keeping still and not let ting on we belong to Him. Not to be for Jesus is to be against Him. We deny Him by following the gang, by cheat ing in lessons or in our games. We have all grieved Jesus. Are we sorry? Peter was sorry. Prayer.
of Galilee.” But Peter denied it, and said he was not. Then he went out on the porch and the cock crew. Then another maid saw him, and said to those who stood by, “This fellow also was with Jesus.” And again Peter denied it, say ing, “I do not know the Man.” After awhile, one of the servants of the high priest said, “Did I not see thee with Him in the garden ?” Then Peter denied it again. And the second time the cock crew. Listen! And Jesus turned and looked upon Peter. And Peter remem bered the words which Jesus had spoken to him. And when he thought of it, he
T 'lO A S T E D l - C RINGS V k IN AND 1 JIT T ER B o r r o w \ t r e n g t h
Take heed lestlgll Cor. ¡§0:12
saith to Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lov- est thou me more than these?” (v. 15). What questions He might have asked! Have you found out what a Wretch you are? Have you been sufficiently humbled? Do you still think you are superior to the rest? Are you satisfied that you can not stand alone ? Such questions might have come from Peter’s companions, but not Jesus. Jesus puts the deepest question of all— “Lovest thou me more than these?” Love carries everything with it. He seeks the surrender of the affections first. All else will follow. He didn’t ask “Believest thou in me?” Correct creed is necessary, but it cannot be a substitute for a heart filled with love to. Christ Himself. This , was Jesus’ last question' to a be liever while He was on earth. Let it be put to every Christian. We may be able to answer many theological questions, but if we cannot answer this in the affirmative, there is something wrong. Peter’s answer was simply, “Thou know- est.” It is blessed to know that Jesus is able to look beneath all our failures and sins and to see that our hearts in their depths long to be true to Him. That con fidence in His knowledge will save us many times from despair. The word Peter uses for “love” simply means “to be fond of.” Note, also, that Peter. omitted the words “more than these.” Failure had taught him humility. There were to be no more comparisons. Jesus repeats His question, using the strong word for “love” and omitting the words “more than these” (v. 16). Peter replies, still using the weaker word for ,“love^ai The third time (even as Peter denied his Lord a third time), Jesus asks the question, but this time He takes Peter’s word for “love.” The boast was all gone from Peter. How often our Lord has condescended, to our low estate and meager capacity, and graciously accepted what we were able to give, evefi though it was infinitely less than He deserved or than we. should have given. Do not put down your Bible and say, “That was remarkable about Peter.” Take the Master’s question to yourself. Ask the fellow in the mirror if he really loves Jesus, or why it is that he is doing nothing toward feeding Christ’s sheep. Let us not dodge the issue nor invent any lies to answer it. ——o— P ith and P oint “Early when it was yet dark” (v. 1). God is always earlier than we are (Isa. 65:24). As Jesus arose in the “morning star”
M ay 8, 1927 Peter and th e R isen Lord Lesson Text—-John 20:1-10; 21:15-17
It is not likely that any one would have stolen a naked dead body, especially when we are told that* the grave clothes were of “fine, new linenffj( Mk. 15:46). Peter and John imrriediately began to run to ward : the sepulchre (v. 4). Evidently some hope began to revive in their fast beating hearts. Possibly some of the_ say ings of Jesus began to crowd in again on their memories as they sped toward the garden. An interesting detail is that John out ran Peter (v. 4). Being the younger, he left Peter lumbering on behind. True to his nature, when he reached the tomb, his feelings of awe;, and perhaps fear, kept him from entering. When Peter arrived, With characteristic impulse he dashed into the tomb and John followed (v. 8). What a strange sight met their gaze! The napkin that had been about his head was in a place by itself (v. 7) “wrapped together" (lit. “rolled around”)—as it had been around His head. Jesus had not found it necessary to be loosed from His grave clothes like.Lazarus (Jn. 11:44)— He had simply vanished out of them. It was clear that the body had not been taken away to be interred elsewhere. Whatever had been done had been done in a deliberate and orderly fashion. It was enough for John •, “he saw and believed” .-•in this he got the start of Peter (cf. Lk. 24:12)— “he departed wondering in him self at that which was come to pass." How strange that we should still read that even yet they did not grasp the Scripture that He was to rise again from the dead (v. 9). Even With Christ to teach the Scriptures to them, and with such evidence as the open tomb before them, much remained sealed. No wonder the risen Christ said, “Oh fools (wanting in thought) and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scrip tures the things concerning Himself” (Lk. 24:25-27). How much we too miss be cause we do not reflect upon His words! Peter and John “went away again unto their own home” (v 10). Our lesson now jurrips to Galilee where Jesus had bidden His disciples meet Him (Matt. 28:7), and we see Peter, who but a few days before had denied his Lord, being re stored and recommissioned (Jn. 21:15- 17). These verses record a little talk after breakfast-liriT'fiew they Had dined Jesus
CINCE we have dealt quite thoroughly with the subject of the resurrection in a recent lesson, it will be our purpose in this lesson only to emphasize some de
tails brought out in John’s account, and especially those relat ing to Peter whose c h a r a c t e r we are studying. The winter time of humanity, which' had begun in Eden, the
dark time of alienation between God and men, came to an end with the dawning of the resurrection day. It was ;'evidently night when the Saviour arose, and with His rising, came the bright new day of salvation and grace to men. It is fitting that with the rising sun came the news of the new spiritual day. Remember that He whose body rested in that tomb saw no corruption (Acts. 2: 27). The tomb had never before been tenanted, and He who first rested in it for a season could not be holden by the bands of death. His spirit returned from its three-day sojourn in Paradise, and no heavy stone could prevent its entrance into the tomb to again possess His body which immediately became glorified. He had originally come into the flesh through the miracle of the virgin birth. It is not strange that it should be through the miracle of the resurrection that He should resume His life in human form. If we admit the miracle of the resurrection, we need have no difficulty with any other miracle. Furthermore, it should be remembered that resurrection had to da with the resumption of the body, not simply with the existence of His spirit, as some modernists attempt to teach. “He bore our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Pet. 2:24). If He did not resume it, it does not appear that the ransom He gave was accepted. This lesson graphically depicts the ex citement and amazement with which the resurrection news filled the disciples. Mary Magdalene, who had followed Jesus to the last in His humiliation, and who met Him first in His exaltation (v. 1), brought the news to Peter arid John. “They have taken away the Lord out of the >sepulchre" (v. 2). Could she too have, forgotten His prediction that He would rise again? Our conduct in the face of what we are supposed to know is often astonishing!
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker