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43. The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.

44. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

45. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph.

46. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

Andrew in bringing St. Peter into a personal acquaintance with the Messiah, as recorded in St. John 1: 40-42.

They adopted two rules :- 1. That of prayer: To pray daily for the spread of Christ's Kingdom among young men. 2. That of service: To make an earnest effort each week to bring at least one young man within the hearing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They work it out in many ways, as each one can best do it, daily Bible reading, Bible classes, invitation cards, church attendance campaign, etc., etc. They have at the time of this writing 1384 chapters. Many good suggestions for Sunday schools and Churches can be found in the Brotherhood's Handbook, which can be had for 10 cts., 88 Broad St., Boston.

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III. PHILIP AND NATHANAEL BECOME DISCIPLES OF JESUS, vs. 43-51. TEN TIMES ONE IS TEN. The day following (Am. R., "On the morrow") Jesus would (Am. R., was minded") go forth into Galilee, that is from the East side of Jordan across the ford toward his home in Nazareth, about 25 miles distant. And findeth Philip, "lights upon him, as he was going home." The others had sought Jesus; Jesus, himself, finds Philip. He must have seen that Philip was ready for his invitation, and that there was something in him which would make him a useful disciple and a possible apostle, although almost nothing is recorded of his labors, except this, that he brought Nathanael to Jesus. He was one of the “ mute, inglorious Miltons," a gem of purest ray serene in " the dark, unfathomed caves of the ocean of history. We will find him again at the feeding of the five thousand (John 6 : 5, 7); on the day of the Triumphal Entry, introducing some Greeks to Jesus (John 12:21, 22; at the Last Supper (John 14: 8-12); and in the upper chamber after the Ascension. Saith unto him, Follow me, a call to accept Christ as a spiritual guide and teacher, and not merely to accompany him into Galilee." American Commentary.

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44. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, near where the Jordan enters into the sea of Galilee; the city of Andrew and Peter. "It seems probable that all these, Andrew and Peter, John and James, Philip and Nathanael, were disciples of John, from the same part of Galilee, and so were acquainted with one another, and accompanied Jesus to Galilee." American Commentary.

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45. Philip findeth Nathanael, "probably on the Bethany ford homewards. Nathanael means' The gift of God' (like Theodore), and is probably the same person as is spoken of in the Synoptical Gospels as Bartholomew." Expositor's Gk. Test. Almost nothing is known of his history. Like Philip, he was one whose deeds are written in heaven rather than on earth, in the book of life rather than in the book of history. But his portrait is charmingly painted in v. 47. We have found him (the Messiah) of whom Moses in the law. The Pentateuch, the five books of Moses, thus distinguished from the other books of the Old Testament. (See Gen. 49: 10; Num. 24: 17-19; Deut. 18: 15.) And the prophets, did write (Isa. 7:14; 9:6, 7; 52: 13-15; 53:1-12; Ezek. 34:23-31; Dan. 9: 24-27). Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. This is the language, not of the evangelist, but of Philip. Joseph was the reputed father of Jesus, and Philip supposed this was true. It was the common and necessary designation of the relation between Jesus and Joseph. We use the term continually with regard to adopted children. This method of breaking the news shows that Nathanael, as well as Philip, had studied the Scriptures, and was inspired with Messianic hopes.

46. Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? "Nazareth lies due west from the south end of the sea of Galilee, and about midway between it and the Mediterranean." Exp. Gk. Test. Nathanael's home was at Cana near Nazareth, only 4 miles away, and with the jealousy which frequently exists between neighboring villages, found it hard to believe that the Messiah, the great Deliverer and expected

47. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

48. Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

King, could come out of that little village which had hitherto given no signs of superiority, and is not even named in their scriptures, instead of from the Jewish capital, Jerusalem and its hill of Zion.

Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? There is much loss in the world from our not recognizing that good can come from Nazareth. Much of comfort and hope and encouragement comes to many souls discouraged because they live in Nazareth,

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from the assurance that many of the best and greatest things in the world have come from conditions which Nazareth represents. It is very noticeable in all history that many of the great men in every department have sprung from the common people, so far as the absence of wealth, or rank, or great ancestry can make them common. Saints have come from amidst the dregs of humanity. Men and women of talent and genius have sprung from parents who gave no sign of such greatness. In the moral world, too, there are what the biologists term "sports" in the natural world, unexpected and unexplainable developments.

Natural science presents abundant examples in its realm. Lord Kelvin, the distinguished scientist,

lately said that he thought

the most remarkable and useful recent invention was

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the conversion of garbage into light. One, on entering a perfumer's shop, might naturally ask, Can these exquisite odors come from the refuse of petroleum? or, in a jeweller's ask, Can these diamonds be transformed charcoal, and these sapphires and diamonds be of the same material as the mud of a factory-village street? Some of our most beautiful flowers have been developed from common weeds. The most luscious apples are the transformed offspring of the common crab-apple. Whitest paper fit for a queen's message or poet's inspiration is made from beggar's rags. Roses grow out of the vile ground.

Come and see, was Philip's natural reply. Test my statement by facts. Prejudice is not overcome by arguments, but by the facts. This is the universal Christian experience. See what Christ has done for the world. See what wonderful changes He has done for many persons. Test Christ by your own experience.

47. Nathanael accepted Philip's invitation, and was going toward Jesus. As he approached, Jesus said of him in the presence of the other disciples, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile. Absolutely true, honest, sincere in his motives, with no selfish ends to gain by his allegiance to God. Sincerity is like a plate-glass window, showing things just as they are, while insincerity is like the common window glass that has twisted and distorted places in it.

49. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

48. Nathanael saith unto him, whence knowest thou me? "Naturally Nathanael was surprised by this explicit testimony from one with whom he had no acquaintance." - Exp. Gk. Test. Jesus answered, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. The fig tree was the favorite garden tree of the Jews. Such a tree formed a natural arbor with its large thick leaves for shade, and were often planted by the wayside. The New Century Bible thinks Jesus may have heard in his youth of the reputation of this prominent man of Cana only 4 miles from Nazareth; "though it is quite conceivable that the knowledge of character and life which here shows was entirely due to his supernatural powers.'

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49. This is implied by Nathanael's response, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel. He was fully convinced that he had found the expected

Messiah.

50, 51. Jesus seeing his faith promised that he should see still greater things, — (Am. R. omits "hereafter "), but the greater things would necessarily be hereafter.

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Ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. When? How?

The American Com. answers: "If we draw an answer to this question from the probable import of Jacob's vision at Bethel, it will be to this effect: You will have the clearest evidence that heaven is near, and open to the Son of man, and that the angels of God are ever ready to do his will.'"

The Exp. Gk. Test. answers: "The announcement describes the result of the incarnation of Christ as a bringing together of heaven and earth. . . . It is made in terms of Jacob's dream (Gen. 28: 10 ff.). What Jacob had dreamt was in Christ realized, an open communication with heaven, a ladder reaching from the deepest abyss of an earth submerged in sin, to the highest heaven of purity, Jesus tells him is actually accomplished in his person."

Others refer it to the second coming of Christ.

Ten Times One is Ten. Edward Everett Hale's capital story. Ten Times One is Ten, shows us clearly how the religion of Christ may be made to fill the whole earth

by the personal effort of Christians. Adding to his motto "Look up, not down; look out, and not in; look forward, not back; and lend a hand," in the name of our Master and loyalty to his Kingdom, each Christian may lead others to Christ, and each of these lead some one else and in time the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the seas. The chapters of the book move on in this way, IO X IO = 100. 100 X 10 = 1000. 1000 X 10 = 10,000. 100,000 X IO = 1,000,000. 10,000,000 X 10 = 100,000,000. "Look up "legions, "Ten times one is ten "societies have sprung up in many places. This was the plan of the first six of Jesus' Disciples.

LESSON IV.- January 28.

REVERENCE OF JESUS FOR HIS FATHER'S HOUSE. John 2:13-22.

MEMORIZE vs. 15, 16.

GOLDEN TEXT. My house shall be called a house of prayer.

THE TEACHER AND HIS CLASS.

It is well not to pass over without notice the marriage at Cana; because it brings together two contrasted sides of the work of Jesus with a peculiarly happy effect.

It is the union of the two that is needed in every life. The beautiful ideal of home with its simple but joyous life of love and friendship that comes nearest to heaven on earth, must be combined with the strong, heroic work of overthrowing the evils that would mar and destroy the best of life. It takes both to make a good man, or a good woman, and both are needed in the training of the young.

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MATT. 21:13.

LEARN BY HEART.
Phil. 44; Eph. 6 : 12, 14-17.

THE ROUND TABLE.
FOR RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION
The possibilities of the Home.
Wedding customs in the Orient.
The value of a joyous, happy spirit.
The Temple and its courts.

How had the Temple been defiled?
Note in what spirit Jesus cleansed the Temple.
How does this apply to our behavior in church and
Sunday school?

defiled?

By what means may God's temple of our souls be
By what means can they be cleansed?

PLAN OF THE LESSON.
SUBJECT: Two Signs which revealed
the Character of Jesus and His
Mission.

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THE TEACHER'S LIBRARY.

The Commentaries on John. Dr. Trumbull's Studies in Oriental Social Life, on the Cana wedding. Riggs' The Messages of Jesus According to the Gospel of John (pp. 103-107) explains this episode very fully. Dr. Pratt's The Deity of Jesus Christ, "a careful study of the Fourth Gospel "" (50 cts. Sun. Schl. Times). Wescott's remarks in the Bible Commentary (pp. 40-46), especially in the concluding note regarding the writer's purpose and the Lord's knowledge, are keen.

THE LESSON IN LITERATURE.

Joseph Cook's Monday Lectures. The volume on Conscience gives many examples from literature, which illustrate how Jesus alone could do this work in spite of all the authorities of the Jews.

Scott's Marmion illustrates the same truth. Carlyle's French Revolution on enthusiasm in the Reformation.

Two chapters in Dr. A. J. Gordon's

How Christ Came to Church, "The
Temple of God is Holy," and " Cleansing
church of Christ's coming.
the Temple," showing the effect upon the

THE LESSON IN ART. Casting out the Money Changers, Giotto, Hofmann,* Kirchbuck,* Venusti. Jewish Money Changers, Photo.*

The Signs which Jesus Wrought. We now stand at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, the peculiar characteristics of which are Signs and Witness to prove that he was the Messiah, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. In the common version the word "miracles" is used, where in the original Greek the word means Signs, and is so translated in the Am. Revision. In this lesson we study two of these signs; and it is well to keep in mind all through our studies how these signs help us to understand the ministry of Jesus as applied to us.

Professor Wendt of Jena states the meaning thus (greatly condensed): What is the meaning of the term Signs in the Fourth Gospel? I. The most important element is this, that the signs are miraculous events. Hence lies their significance as credentials of Jesus' Messiahship; and John uses "signs" instead of "miracles," i.e. wonders. They are wonderful occurrences, and in their wonderful character their evidential force is specially to be found.

2. This fact, of their wonder, does not prevent the " signs " of Jesus from being at the same time works of love, help for the needy, the sick, the sorrowing.

3. In many cases these wonderful signs were also allegories of the spiritual events of which Jesus speaks in the discourses bound up with them, as in the cases of the blind man, and the multiplied loaves.

These principles apply to the two signs we are studying to-day. They are
Signs witnessing to the divine power of Jesus.

Signs of Jesus' loving helpfulness.

Signs with a symbolic and allegorical teaching.

At

I. THE WEDDING IN CANĂ OF GALILEE, VS. I-II. Jesus and his disciples would not require more than one day and part of another to reach Nazareth. They walked through a most beautiful region, "the unparalleled Garden of God." Nazareth they all received an invitation to go the next day (the third day) to a wedding at Cana, where the mother of Jesus had already gone, and where was Nathanael's home.

Jesus went with his disciples to the wedding, for he had many things to teach them by means of it. The disciples knew but little about Jesus as yet; their faith had not been tested. Here was a splendid opportunity to confirm their faith, and open their eyes to new visions of life.

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The story of the wedding is familiar to us. Oriental weddings often lasted several days, were the occasions of much ceremony, of unbounded feasting," and the joys of social life.

The household were probably in moderate circumstances, the guests and neighbors were many, and in a few days, the well-watered mild wine of the day gave out. The mother of Jesus spoke to him about it. Somewhere in the cottage were six large stone water jars necessary for the purifying of Jews. "The urgent importance of this will be seen from the fact that the Jews in those days used at their meals neither spoons nor knives and forks, but only their hands and fingers." Sears. They were also used for the washing of sandaled feet. The unusual number of guests would have soon drained these stone jars dry.

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Jesus bade them fill up these water jars with water to the brim. Then he told them to draw out from the jar, and bear unto the Governor of the feast, who to his surprise found it to be the wine of the feast. There could be no collusion. The water was transformed by a miracle into the pure juice of the grape.

"The conscious water saw its God, and blushed."

"The modest water, touched by grace divine,
Confessed its God, and blushed itself to wine."

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