•"Timely Topics for 4
Young People's Meetings
By T. C. HORTON
Lesson XXII—June 4th.
J E S US T H E GOOD S H E P H E R D.
door s t a n ds open. It swings upon t he Cross. F o ur things a re here promised. 1. Salvation. The simplicity of it is ex- pressed by t he figure of passing t h r o u gh a door; equivalent to bowing to t he will of God in a c c e p t a n ce of Christ. 2. Security, Go in and out. P e r f e ct freedom f r om bond- age of t he law; liberty of the sons of God. 3. Satisfaction, '¿here is p a s t u re w h e re the sheep can feed until satisfied, P s a. 23-2. All needs a re supplied in Christ. 4. Sancti- fication. Life and more a b u n d a nt life. The unhindered s t r e am of eternal life. (3) The Good Shepherd, Vs. 11-16. In t e r se words we h a ve t he c h a r a c t e r i s t i cs oi t he shepherd. 1. He owns t h e m, vs. 3. They a r e a gift f r om God, Jno. 17:6. H is m a rk is on them, Vs. 14. 2. He knows them, Vs 14. The Lord knoweth, Psa. 1:6; 2 Tim 2:19. 3. He calls t h em by name. H e in- dividualizes them. The life of a shepherd is spent in k n o w i ng his sheep. H e h as a n a me for each. 4. He leads t h em. He never drives ; he goes before. Vs. 4. He k n o ws t he way. H e traveled it Himself. T h e re is no u n c e r t a i n ty c o n c e r n i ng the w ay P s a. 78:52. 5. He gives His life for the sheep, Vs. 10. T he blood of the good Shep- herd was freely shed. The sheep know Him They have been brought into fellowship with H im and h a ve learned to love H i m. They know His voice. They have trained ears and have learned to k n ow His "Come unto Me. They follow Him. The m a rk of a t r ue sheep is absolute confidence a nd sub- mission to the Shepherd. c omme n c i ng with the w o m an of Samaria, Jno. 4:26, a nd Just previous- t o this lesson to t he blind m a n, Jno. 9:37-38, aj)d had received worship f r om t he s a me blind m a n. The a t t i t u de of t he J e ws toward Christ w as such t h a t t h ey were unwilling to r e- ceive testimony; they w e re determined upon His death. They would not come to H im for life, Jno. 5:40. In reply to their ques- tion, H e said, "I have told you before b ut you will not believe." H e told them, Jno. 5:17, "My F a t h er wo r k e th hitherto and I
Jno. 10:1-18
This lesson m u st be viewed in t he light of t he Context. T he P h a r i s e es h a ve ex- coihmunicated t he blind rtian for confessing Christ, C h a p t er 9. THis » a r a b le is given to show t h em their position. (1) The Guarded Sheep Fold. 1-6. T he figure of t he Shepherd and sheep is old a nd familiar to t he J e ws a nd is full of helpful suggestions. T he P h a r i s e es were self-appointed shepherds. T h e re w as no sanction in t he law for their position. T h ey gained and m a i n t a i n ed their place by evil practices, as a thief by subtlety or / as a robber by force. A wall surrounded t he sheep-fold and it had b ut one door. A por- ter w a s on duty, t he shepherd led t he flock through this door a t night for safety. T he door w as the only legitimate e n t r a n c e; thieves and robbers climbed up other ways. T h e c o n t r a st is between the t r ue a nd false s h e p h e r d s; between Christ and t he P h a r - isees. (2) T he Gate of t he Sheep-fold. 2-10. T he parable is followed by a clear-cut s t a t e- ment. "I am t he door of t he sheep." The w ay into t he sheep-fold (kingdom) is by Me. Through H im we both h a ve access by one Spirit (porter) unto the F a t h e r. The
Lesson XXIII—June 11th.
T H E DEITY OF CHR I S T.
John 10:22-42.
It w as in J e r u s a l em at the f a e st of dedi- cation, when t he J e ws pressed H im for a definite avowal as to H is Messiahship. They were anxious not to know t he t r u t h, b ut for some c h a r ge by which they m i g ht a p p r e h e nd H i m and p ut H i m away. Our Lord had r e- peatedly revealed Himself sis t he Messiah,
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