LESSON ra. JANUARY 16, 1910. BEGINNING OF THE GALILEAN MINISTRY. Matt. 4:12-25. Theme: The Gospel in Galilee of the Gentiles. OUTLINE. (1) Darkness and Death—Light and Life. (2) Finding Fishermen—Forsaking and Following. (3) Heralding the Message—Healing the Multitudes. Following the victory of .Jesus over Satan, we find the record of the early ministry recorded in John's Gospel— a record of the first disciples, first mira- cle, first cleansing of the Temple, first discourse (John 4:5). This first Judean ministry occupied about a year and a half. After the first call of the four disciples (John 1) they probably re- turned to their fishing nets for a season. The King's headquarters are now in Capernaum. The King's motto is, " I must work the works of Him that sent me ." (1) DARKNESS AND LIGHT. "The people which sat in darkness saw a great light." Galilee was the mixing of the nations —the trade route between Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean. "Large cities tinctured with Greek culture," using the Greek language, dotted the shores of the lake. Jesus oscillated between seasons of solitude with His Father and His ministry with men. John was im- prisoned and Jesus braved the risk of a like fate in taking up His public serv- ice in Galilee. The conditions existing in Galilee correspond to the prophetic portraiture (Isa. 9 :1-2; Isa. 42:9). Sit- ting in darkness and the shadow of death. It was a triple night, of ig- norance, superstition and vice. The in- fluence of the infernal regions shadowed the land. The grossest darkness was caused by the apostasy of Israel. There is a striking parallel between disaster, destruction and death and the spiritual calamity which befalls the sons of men Light Appears—Like a meteor, flash- ing the bright shining light of the Gos- pel, the Messiah appears. Jesus was in strong contrast with John, as was Elisha with Elijah. John was terrific in his denunciation of sin—scathing in his arraignment of the hypocrites. The message of repentance as voiced by Jesus had another note. The long night of darkness was broken by the dawning of a new day. The King Himself has
come and preaches to the people the gospel of the Kingdom. He was the light which lighteth every man tha t Cometh into the world (John 1:9). John bore witness to the Light (John 1:8 ), but Jesus was the Light. Steadily bi i surely the light has penetrated the dar k places of the earth. Light can only b e manifested where there is darkness- - the darker the night the more conspim >- ous the light. Woe unto him who re- jects such light (John 3:19). (2) F I N D I N G THE FISHERMEir. "Simon Peter and Andrew . . . f< it they were fishers." Simon, Andrew, James and John had become disciples of the Messiah, leai •- ing John the Baptist. They had nc t entirely abandoned their occupation, bi t had spent some time with Jesus i a Judea. Now He calls them to a definite service. When the Lord sought thos e who were to be His intimates durin y the three and a half years of His mil i- istry He found them among the humbl e toilers. They were not men of rani:, but men of character. The history o f the church is full of illustrious exair - pies of this character: Bunyan, th b tinker; Zwingle, the shepherd; Melam - thon, the smith; Luther, the miner' s son. They were not idlers. God never ealls an idle man. They were faithfu , following their vocation. Men ar s chosep for service who are working we 11 in their own sphere. Men who dreain of doing great things and who havip never done well the least things, will be left to their dreams. Moses wa 3 tending sheep. Joshua was a soldie r doing service under Moses. Gideon was threshing wheat. Elisha was plowin g corn. God wants men who know how to do things and then to do them. Saul, of Tarsus, as a persecutor was hot with hatred for the Christians and gave his best effort to put them in prison. When he surrendered and became a preacher he was full of fire for the spread of the Gospel, and went about as a flaming evangel telling the story of redeeming love. Christ found them busy wit i their nets and from their humble, homely service called them to the high- est honors in the Kingdom. Follow Me—Here speaks the King— He commands these disciples to follow r Him. The seal of prophecy is upon Him and He has the right to command. Borib at the right time (Dan. 2:44), in the right place (Micah v. 2), brought out of Egypt (Hos. 11:1), reared in Nazall reth (Judges 13:5), a prophet of Galilee (Isa. 9:1-7), with the testimony ot
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