Review

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 10, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 10.

Lesson XIII.—Sunday, March 27, 1898.

Review

Note.—We have been studying the life and works of Christ from His baptism in Jordan at the hands of John to the speaking of the parable concerning the tares and the wheat and the death of John at the hands of Herod. The first year of Christ’s work was a “year of beginnings.” The second year was a “year of development.” From the middle of the second year to the end of His ministry the opposition to His work grew constantly stronger among the Jews. Note the length of the work of preparation (thirty years) for the actual work of three and one-half years. Note the work of John in connection with Christ’s ministry, how it prepared the way, continued till the work of Jesus was well established, and then came to an end. The teacher will find it

profitable to take a map journey with his class from place to place visited by the Saviour, from the journey to Egypt down through Christ’s ministry as far as we have gone.

Golden Text: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matt. 16: 16.

Lesson 1.—Jesus and John. Matt. 3: 7–17. Golden Text: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matt. 3: 17. This quarter’s lessons began with the preaching of John and his warnings to the Pharisees and others to flee from the wrath to come. John tells, in the scripture of the first lesson, with what and unto what he baptized, and foretold the work of Christ and the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Jesus was baptized at this time, and God bore witness to His Messiahship.

Lesson 2.—Jesus Tempted. Matt. 4: 1–11. Golden Text: “For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted.” Heb. 2: 18. The lesson includes the three temptations by Satan: bread to appease the hunger of a forty-day fast; the temptation of presumption, to cast Himself from the pinnacle of the temple; and the temptation to receive the kingship of this world in another way than God designed. Christ triumphed over all, and was then ministered to by angels.

Lesson 3.—Beginning of the Ministry of Jesus. Matt. 4: 17–25. Golden Text: “The people which sat in darkness saw great light.” Matt. 4: 16. “From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, ‘Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” The lesson records the call of Peter and Andrew, James and John; Christ’s teachings in the synagogs in regard to the kingdom of heaven; and His work in healing the diseases of all who came to Him, great multitudes following Him to hear the Gospel.

Lesson 4.—The Beatitudes. Matt. 5: 1–12. Golden Text: “Ye are the light of the world.” Matt. 5: 14. The lesson contains one of the most beautiful and comforting portions of the Bible.

Lesson 5.—How to Pray. Matt. 6: 5–15. Golden Text: “Pray to thy Father which is in secret.” Matt. 6: 6. The Saviour’s instruction upon this subject of the attitude, publicity, and object of prayer, are of vital importance to the Christian, and should be studied carefully. The lesson scripture includes the Lord’s prayer.

Lesson 6.—Our Father’s Care. Matt. 6: 24–34. Golden Text: “He careth for you.” 1 Peter 5: 7. In this wonderful sermon on God’s care for His creatures, Christ shows by illustration of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, how tenderly attentive He is to the needs of His children. It is a good lesson on the folly of worrying.

Lesson 7.—The Call of Matthew. Matt. 9: 9–17. Golden Text: “Follow Me.” Matt. 9: 9. Matthew heeded the Saviour’s call and followed Him. Soon after, the Saviour sat at meat in Matthew’s house, where had gathered many of Matthew’s old associates. This aroused the animosity and criticism of the Pharisees who looked on. The lesson also includes the visit of John’s disciples to Jesus, and their question in regard to fasting, and closes with the forcible illustration in regard to putting new cloth upon an old garment, or new wine into old bottles. The illustration shows the futility of attempting to be a Christian while still clinging to the world.

Lesson 8.—The Twelve Sent Forth. Matt. 10: 2–15. Golden Text: “Freely ye have received, freely give.” Matt. 10: 8. The lesson scripture opens with a list of the apostles, and contains the instruction which He gave them in regard to their work, how they should conduct themselves in the different circumstances in which they would be placed. They were not to go to the Gentiles; their message was first to be given to the Jews.

Lesson 9.—Warning and Invitation. Matt. 11: 20–30. Golden Text: “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11: 28. Christ foretells the woe that shall come upon the cities in which He had done His many mighty works, but whose inhabitants had refused to repent. The section closes with Christ’s statement of His knowledge of the Father, and how that knowledge may be received by others,—through the revelation of Christ.

Lesson 10.—Jesus and the Sabbath. Matt. 12: 1–13. Golden Text: “The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.” Matt. 12: 8. The lesson opens with the criticism of the Pharisees in regard to the action of Christ’s disciples when passing through a field of grain. The Saviour uses the opportunity to brush from the Sabbath the dust of error and tradition which the Jews had heaped upon it, that the Sabbath itself might stand out clearer than it ever had before. He came to “magnify the law and make it honorable.” He did not change it (Matt. 5: 17, 18), nor did He “merge” the Sabbath day into some other day. Let not the teacher who would teach the truth as it is, advocate that Christ changed the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day. It is not true; neither did His apostles ever teach such a thing.

Lesson 11.—The Wheat and the Tares. Matt. 13: 24–30, 36–43. Golden Text: “He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man.” Matt. 13: 37. The Saviour here gives the parable of the wheat and the tares, and afterwards explains it to those who sought the explanation.

Lesson 12.—John the Baptist Beheaded. Matt. 14: 1–12. Golden Text: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Prov. 4: 23. The martyrdom of John is the main subject of the lesson, but it also includes incidentally a temperance lesson, and directly a lesson upon the folly of making rash vows.