Lesson 9 · August 28, 1909
The Centurion's Servant; the Widow's Son; John in Prison; Anointing of Jesus
Lesson Scripture: .
Related Scriptures: .
Lesson Helps: chapters 32, 22, 62.
Places: Capernaum; Nain, a town about twenty-two miles southwest of Capernaum.
Persons: Jesus and His disciples; the centurion, a Roman captain having command over a hundred men; the Jews whom he sent; the widow of Nain and her son; John and his disciples; Simon the Pharisee, and the forgiven woman.
Questions
The Centurion's Servant.
- 1.Where did Jesus go after His Sermon on the Mount? .
- 2.Whose messengers did He there meet? What plea did they make? What reasons did they give why Jesus should heed their request? .
- 3.How did Jesus respond to this call? Whom did He meet on the way? .
- 4.What message did they bring from the centurion? .
- 5.What did Jesus say concerning this message? What was the result of the centurion's faith? . Note 1.
Notes
The Widow's Son.
- 6.Where did Jesus next go? What did He meet? .
- 7.How did this scene affect Jesus? What did He say to the mother? What did He do? What was the result? .
- 8.What was the effect of this miracle upon the people? .
Notes
John in Prison.
- 9.What messengers next met Jesus? What was their mission? .
- 10.How did Jesus answer John's questions? . Note 2.
- 11.What searching questions did Jesus ask the people concerning John? . Note 3.
- 12.What testimony did He bear to the divine origin of John's mission? .
- 13.What two classes did the preaching of John develop? . Note 4.
- 14.What did Jesus say of that generation? . Note 5.
Notes
Anointing of Jesus.
- 15.What occurred as Jesus was sitting in the house of a Pharisee? .
- 16.What questions and doubts came into the heart of the Pharisee? .
- 17.What conversation occurred between Jesus and Simon? .
- 18.What comparison did Jesus draw between Simon's conduct and that of the woman? .
- 19.What comforting words did He speak to the woman? .
- 20.As the doubters began to whisper among themselves, what further assurance did ⟦He?⟧ give her? . Note 6.
Notes
1. The disciples of Jesus truly believed on Him, but their faith had not gone beyond His personal presence, beyond the aid of the natural senses. The centurion comprehended to some extent the great and perfect government of God. Even as in the Roman system, he, the centurion, could send soldiers to execute his commands, so Jesus had control of power and agents far beyond ordinary men. Jesus could say, "Go," and His servant would go. The Roman recognized the great unseen working of God. And Jesus "sent His word and healed" the child, as Matthew intimates. We may not see the physical form of Jesus, but He is just as able to cleanse and help and heal to-day as He then was when visible.
2. Jesus showed before John's messengers what He had previously declared. . God's word, John's testimony, and the work of our Lord all agreed, and constituted the strongest kind of evidence. Note the tender appeal in the assurance of verse 23, sent to the prophet in prison.
3. John was a type of the last-day messengers of God. Those who know God's message to-day will not be reeds shaken in the wind, "carried about with every wind of doctrine." They will not be concerned about wearing soft raiment, nor will they live luxuriously. They will be content to be voices of God, crying in the wilderness of sin. .
4. John's message, as every other great message of God, developed two classes, the believers and the unbelievers. The believers were obedient and were baptized. The unbelievers were God's enemies and their own. The believers, in the great judgment-day, will reveal by their presence in the kingdom of God that John's message was sufficient to save, and God was justified in its giving. So will it be with God's last message.
5. What a picture of the present generation is that which Jesus draws of that generation. How uncertain is religious belief! How men criticize every good! But there will be some who will fear and serve the Lord. These are the truly wise. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
6. Let us not dwell on the physical details of the parable. Let us not discuss the question as to whether the woman was Mary, the sister of Lazarus, and the occurrence the same as that recorded in . There are arguments on both sides; let that phase of the matter stand as it is. Note the tender mercy of God in His message to the woman and to us also.
Bible texts in this lesson
Luke 7 · Matthew 8:5-13 · Matthew 11:2-19 · Luke 7:1 · Luke 7:2-5 · Luke 7:6 · Luke 7:6-8 · Luke 7:9 · Luke 7:10 · Luke 7:11 · Luke 7:12 · Luke 7:13-15 · Luke 7:16 · Luke 7:17 · Luke 7:18-20 · Luke 7:21-23 · Luke 7:24-26 · Luke 7:27 · Luke 7:28 · Luke 7:29 · Luke 7:30 · Luke 7:31-35 · Luke 7:37 · Luke 7:38 · Luke 7:39 · Luke 7:40-43 · Luke 7:44-47 · Luke 7:48 · Luke 7:49 · Luke 7:50 · John 5:36 · John 1:23 · John 12:1-8
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