nurnrltiu 4tnlng Continuing CONTENTS

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1 nurnrltiu 4tnlng Continuing Iy LEHRE UNO WEHRE MAGAZIN FUER Ev.~LuTH. HOMILETIK THEOLOGICAL QUARTERL Y ~ THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Vol. XII March, 1941 No.3 CONTENTS Pag Th AltnbUl'g Dbat. P. E, I{rizmalllt Making th Srmon Intrsting. John H. C. Fritz 173 Th Rsurrction of Saints at th Dath of Christ. Martin Grabnr 182 Nw Validations of Thism, Thodor Grabnr,. 188 Outlins on th WUrttmbl'g Gospl Slctions,, 195 Miscllana ~ " 207 Thological Obsrvcr. - Kirchlich-Zitgschichtlichs. 219 Book Rviw. - Litl'atul' " "',,, 233 Ein Prdigr muss nicht allin widn, also dass r di Schaf untrwis, wi si rcht Christn solln sin. sondrn auch danbn dn Wolfn whrn, dass si di Schaf nicht angrifn und mit falschr Lhr vrfuhrn und Irrtum infuhrn. Luthr Es ist kin Ding, das di Lut mhr bi dr K1rch bhalt dnn di gut Prd!gt. - Apologi, Art. 24 If th trumpt giv an uncrtain sound, who shall prpar himslf to th battl? -1 Cor. 14:8 Publishd for th Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and othr Stats CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE, St. Louis, Mo.

2 195 insistnc on rason may yild God, dvoid of rligious significanc, and xprinc for th dmonstration of of th qustion and is vild in many th impossibility to distinguish btwn xprincs, thr is accumulating a grat th constitution of mattr and th phnomna th studnt of scinc to acknowldg th Bing, th Crator of all things. For th thr is a validation highr than that of any H knows God not only as th Absolut but Lord Jsus Christ, and that by an innr witcoms with an assuranc givn by th Holy witnss with our spirit that w ar th childrn 8: 16. THEODORE GRAEBNER.. 0 th Wurttmbrg Gospl Slctions Invocavit John 2:13-22 rlats a story about Jsus, vv.13, 19. Jsus mans is to dstroy sin and its corrupting influnc and prolif. To this nd H pointd out during His public what was wrong with th Church. Such sor spots wr tousllss, mchanical obsrvanc of th lttr of th Law of its spirit, prayr rducd to mpty babbling, and Our Gospl-lsson, too, shows Jsus taking issu with that wrck th Church from within. Dals with Two Ruinous Tndncis in th Church of His Day 1. H ousts th vidncs of commrcialism from th Sanctuary 2. H mts unblif with a rfrnc to th mi1'acl of His rsut'l'ction 1 Jsus' pious parnts annually journyd to Jrusalm for th Passovr, as commandd Ex. 23: 17; Dut.16: 16. Th vnts r Luk 2: took plac on such an occasion. Whn Jsus rachd manhood, H continud th practic in accordanc with His principl statd John 4: 34. For th bliving Isralit this pilgrimag had a dp spiritual maning and climaxd th rligious obsrvancs of th yar. Th laborat srvics in th cntral Sanctuary with thir maningful

3 1 9 6 Outlins on th Wurttmbrg Gospl Slctions sacrifics, th havy odor of incns, th choirs, and th officiating prists and Lvits in thir ornat garmnts should hav guarantd a worshipful atmosphr for th Tmpl and its nvirons. Thr should hav bn nothing to kp th hart of th dvout pilgrim from choing th psalmist's songs of prais in honor of th grat Jhovah, th Savior of His popl. Jsus at th first Passovr of His public ministry found rality far blow th idal. Dut. 14: 22 ff. prmittd th Jw who livd at a distanc from th Tmpl to sll th articls constituting his tith and to us th sums which h ralizd for th purchas of sacrificial animals and of victuals for th sacrd mal".' Supplying ths and th xchang ndd by forign pilgrims bcam a lucrativ businss. With th connivanc of th grdy lmnt among th pristhood it had mad its hadquartrs in th vry prcincts of th Tmpl, v. 14. God and mammon, as it wr, rivald for th attntion of th worshiprs. An unbarabl situation for Him whos attitud towards th hous of God Ps. 69: 9 dscribs. Fird by holy zal, Jsus assrts His authority, v.15. It is not said that H struck any. Th scourg was symbolical of th powr H could bring to bar if ncssary. Jsus did not advocat rform by inflicting prsonal violnc. On this occasion His words, v. 16, addrssd to thos who sold dovs, but mant for all, struck so dp in th conscinc of th offndrs that thy offrd no rsistanc. Jsus' purg of th Tmpl strsss th importanc of kping commrcialism out of th Church. Commrcialism is symptomatic of a dclining Church. A glaring xampl is th commrc in indulgncs in th Roman Catholic Church and all th vils in its wak. But Protstant churchs, too, must b on thir guard lst thir commrcial ntrpriss ovrshadow th ral purpos of th Church. Fairs, bazaars, sals, supprs, and qustionabl financial schms for th bnfit of th Church ar not a halthy sign. Lt us b on our guard. 2 Jsus' scond ncountr in th Tmpl was with unblif in high placs. Th "Jws," vv.18, 20, apparntly wr not th mrchants whom Jsus had drivn from th Sanctuary, but thy wr th sam nmis who latr in His ministry systmatically opposd Jsus, namly, th prists, scribs, and Phariss, although thy prsumd to b th spiritual ladrs of thir popl. To thm Jsus was not unknown. Thy had hard John th Baptist's call to rpntanc, Matt. 3: 2, and his tstimony concrning Christ, John 1: 15, 30, 36. Howvr, thy had hardnd thir harts to both. Now thy rais th qustion v.18, not so much to rassur thmslvs, but rathr to discrdit Jsus bfor th popl. Thy wr unblivrs and sought to lad othrs astray.

4 Outlins on th Wurttmbrg Gospl Slctions 197 n- s ot r m.6, ~p. 19 ic l- ts st, tl ~t tl I, 1 1 knw that H was fac to fac with unblif and hypocand actd accordingly. H knw that no sign would satisfy n and bring thm to acknowldg thir mistak. Whrvr mt honst doubt and sarch for truth, H displayd infinit as with Nicodmus. But His unbliving opponnts Jsus in short words rfrs to His rsurrction, vv.19,21, as th stamp of approval for all His acts. That is th only sign has for thm. It is th irrfutabl proof that H is actually all H claims to b and at th sam tim warns thm of th judgthat will thn follow for thos who rjct Him. will to fac th glorifid Christ. Lt thm bwar. Ths mn wll undrstood Jsus' words; cf. Matt. 27: 63. Thir was scorn, v. 20. Th sign that confirmd th discipls' in thir Lord, v. 21, was maninglss to thm. Thy thir unblif and continud on th path which ld to thir doom. ths blind ladrs ld many to dstruction with How th hart of Jsus who cam to sk that which was must hav grivd ovr th hard-hartdnss of ths mn! Th Church of our day still has with it such unbliving Thy ar thos prachrs and tachrs who dny th divinity of our Lord, turn His soul-saving Gospl into a social,"'~~1c'--' rjct th truth that thr is salvation through Christ alon, sprad many othr soul-dstroying rrors. God has givn us on approvd mthod to oppos thm, and that is by th conpraching of His powrful Word, and thn to rmind ths nmis of our Lord that thy will hav to giv an account to th Christ for thir vil dds. In bhalf of ourslvs and of all othrs who lov th Lord Jsus Christ w pray that H would mrcifully stm all vil tndncis fostrd and ncouragd by Satan with th dsign to undrmin 'th Church. G. V. SCHICK Rminiscr Matt. 12:38-42 Som of th most frqunt harrs of Christ's praching whil was on arth rmaind unblivrs. Phariss and grat multituds, - all hard Him oftn, yt did not accpt Him. At all tims thr hav bn thos who outwardly hard Christ's Word but whos hart was far from Him. In our txt th Lord is daling with such unblivrs. Jsus' Warning to Unbliving Harrs of His WOl'd 1. H shows thm th ral rason for thi1' unblif. a) Christ had hald a man possssd with a dvil, v. 22, a miracl which His nmis promptly ascribd to Blzbub, v. 24.

5 198 Outlins on th Wurttmbrg Gospl Slctions Thrupon Jsus warnd thm of thir rsponsibility for vry idl word spokn, vv. 36, 37. Som of ths unblivrs, chafing undr th rbuk, procdd to th attack ("answrd Him") l ~"<'''~'''hliu! Him to prform a rally convincing miracl. (Th original this: "From you w dmand a ral miracl.") Th implication was that th rason for thir unblif lay in Christ, not in thm. Som popl today likwis try to put th blam for thir unblif upon God; thy say God's Word has faild to convinc thm, is too antiquatd and unscintific. b) Jsus pointd to on rason for this unblif among thos who hard His Word; H calld thm an "vil gnration." Thy lovd thir vil-doing, pt sins, and indulgnc of vry kind. Many an unblivr clings to unblif lst h hav to rform his vil lif which h has larnd to lov. c) Jsus also calld ths unblivrs an "adultrous gnration." This was spiritual adultry, bing unfaithful to God and stting affctions lswhr. Th unbliving Phariss lovd thmslvs and thir honor; thy would not curb thir prid and slf-rightousnss. Hr was a rason for thir unblif. Cpo Luk 18: This is a word of warning to all who har th Word of God and rmain in unblif. 'rh rason for such unblif is vr in thmslvs. 2. H shows thm that thir unblif is without xcus. a) Th Phariss of th txt dmandd a "sign," v.38; on anothr occasion a sign "from havn," Mark 8: 11, prhaps som majstic miracl in th world of natur. Jsus had just prformd a miracl by haling th man who had bn blind and dumb, a miracl which th nmis had xplaind away. If H now prformd a "sign from havn," thy would just as glibly try to xplain it away. But in th vild charg that Jsus had nvr prformd a rally convincing miracl thy think thy hav a lgitimat xcus for thir unblif. b) Jsus showd thm that thir unblif was without xcus in viw of His coming dath and rsurrction, th "sign of th propht Jonah." Jsus frquntly pointd to His coming dath and rsurrction as th which unblif could not argu away. Cpo John 2: 18,19; Matt. 16: 4. S also 1 Cor. 15: Clu'ist's rsurrction is th grat fact today which stands as th imprgnabl rock against unblif. Unblivrs oftn fl this mor than Christians and consquntly try to xplain away Christ's rsurrction. Unbliving critics who hav writtn books on th lif of Christ maintain that His biography must nd on Golgotha. Diffrnt typs of modrn unblif ar without foundation in viw

6 Outlins on th Wurttmbrg Gospl Slctions 199 in pht urohn th this ist's th tha. iw Christ's rsurrction. Th attacks of th thory of volution, of rason,. of a fals scinc - all ar shattrd at Christ's grav. HoW comforting to Christians is this fact sinc thy ar daily L'U~'U~'~- by a world which mobilizs all rsourcs against faith Christ! c) Th unblif of Christ's nmis was inxcusabl also b His mssag givn by His rprsntativs in th Old Tstahad bn ffctiv. Thus th vidnt succss of His Word vry justification from thir unblif. Th Ninvits had although an unwilling mssngr had brought thm God's Th Qun of Shba had com although sh but hard wisdom of on who was infrior to Christ. Likwis all th millions who through th ags hav found in Christ's saving Gospl ar an unbrokn chain of witnsss th truth of Christ's Word. Unblif opposs all ths witnsss th truth by branding as fals what th ags hav dclard to tru..~o'hpn 3. H shows thm th vntual rsult of unblif. a) Jsus prophsid that at som futur tim th most unxwitnsss would appar against His unbliving opponnts. th rsurrction, vv. 41, 42, th Ninvits and th Qun of Shba appar as condmning witnsss; for ths had listnd to lss abl mssngrs than Christ. Consquntly thos who r Christ whn H appard in prson could only b condmnd thir inxcusabl unblif. b) Unblif at all tims can only xpct a condmning sntnc Judgmnt Day. Cpo John 8: 24; Hb. 3: 19. Unblif rally rth on all-condmning sin. This whol txt is a warning to thos who rjct th Word of God which thy har. Also Christians must b on thir guard in this unbliving world. But to th tru Christian thr is also comfort in this, that for all tims Christ in His dath and rsurrction is th Foundation on which his faith is groundd. H. O. A. KEINATH Oculi John 6:47-56 This is truly a Lntn txt, bcaus, as w shall s, it rfrs to th suffring and dath of our Savior. Jsus uss figurativ languag in pointing to His grat passion. W rcall that whn H, for th first tim as far as w know, rfrrd to His dath and rsurrction, H likwis usd figurativ languag. It was on th occasion of th first Passovr which H during His ministry at-

7 200 Outlins on th Wul'ttmbrg Gospl Slctions tndd in Jl'usalm, whn H said: "Brak this tmpl and in thr days I shall rais it up," John 2:19. Th Jws did not undrstand what H mant by th braking of th tmpl, nor did His discipls. If thy had inquird at th tim, undoubtdly H would hav told thm. This rminds us that in th prophcis th suffring and dath of Christ ar oftn spokn of in figurativ languag and ar rfrrd to in typs and symbols, lik that of th paschal Iamb, th brazn srpnt, th sacrifics in th Tabrnacl and latr in th Tmpl, tc. Th cntral dclaration of our txt is that Jsus Is th Brad of Lif 1. Just as manna cam down from abov, so Jsus cam from havn 2. As b1'ad is atn, so Jsus is put to dath, ofj1'ing Himslf as a sacrific 3. As brad nou1'ishs our physical lif, so our 1'civing Ch1'ist through faith mans spiritual and trnal lif for us 1 In this grat discours Jsus wishs to show th Jws what kind of hlp and bnfits H bstows. Thy had wishd to mak Him king bcaus H had just fd thm with fiv loavs and two fishs whn thr was a multitud numbring far mor than fiv thousand. What thy dsird was that H should fd thm vry day without troubl or work on thir part. H maks it plain to thm that H is not an arthly but a spiritual King. Thr ar highr things than brad and mony, and ths highr things H provids. His languag is most H calls Himslf th Brad of Lif. In Jwish history brad that had bn givn in a suprnatural way had playd an important rol. It was th manna givn th childrn of Isral in th dsrt, whn thy journyd from Egypt to Palstin; for forty yars God had miraculously fd thm with this brad. Six tims a wk it cam down from havn. Jsus was lik this manna. H likwis cam down from havn. According to His divin natur H had bn in xistnc from all trnity. W bring out this truth whn w say that H cam down from havn and took upon Himslf our human natur, uniting th divin and th human natur in on Prson, John 1: 14, That Jsus is not only human but divin is somthing that is offnsiv to our rason. It was offnsiv to th Jws. But w must not lt our rason dictat to us. How foolish it would hav bn for th Isralits in th dsrt if thy had rfusd to at th brad that had falln down from havn bcaus thy could not xplain

8 Outlins on th Wurttmbrg Gospl Slctions 201 d s. Id d r ~lf st at c fo ~y to l' [ l 3.1 l )t h ls g n d s.t 1- :l how it could com from th skis! Thy at it, and thir physical lif was prsrvd. So w must not lt th dictats of human rason influnc us but tak Jsus as a prcious Gift and bliv in Him and rjoic. 2 Whn w think of th figurativ languag that Jsus mploys, calling Himslf th Brad of Lif, w must say that it is vry apt. Brad is atn, which mans that its outward form is dstroyd. Jsus, in spaking of th srvic that H rndrs, points to somthing similar, saying that His flsh is to b atn l;ind His blood is to b drunk. It must not b thought that this is a rfrnc to th Lord's Suppr. This Sacramnt had not yt bn institutd, and still Jsus says that vrybody must at His flsh and drink His blood to hav ral lif. How, thn, could H b rfrring to th Lord's Suppr, th institution of which was still a whol yar rmovd? Bsids, whn H institutd th Lord's Suppr, H did not spak of th ating of His flsh but of th ating of His body. Th trminology is diffrnt. No, what Jsus is rfrring to hr is simply this, that H will lt Himslf b put to dath and hav His blood shd, so that our sins will b paid for and th grat sacrific that is rquird b rndrd. Jsus in ths words points to what is th cntral fact in th Christian rligion: His suffring and dying, th substitutionary sacrific which H offrs. It must b grantd that His languag is vry fitting. H had spokn of Himslf as th Brad of Lif, and now H continus mploying figurativ languag blonging to th sphr of food to mak plain that H would hav to suffr and di; H spaks of th giving of His flsh and th shdding of His blood. Ths xprssions harmoniz with th gnral thm, stating that H is th Brad of Lif. That Jsus must di to hlp us is likwis offnsiv to human rason. Cf. 1 Cor. 1: 18, 23. Lt us not listn to its dictats. 3 Jsus is th Brad of Lif in a third sns. If brad is to hlp a prson, it has to b rcivd. It must b atn and digstd. Th mr fact that a prson has brad in his hous will not kp him aliv. Looking at brad will not giv him any strngth. If Jsus, th Brad of Lif, is to furnish us any hlp, w must rciv Him. Th mr fact that H offrd His sacrific for mn dos not put th whol human rac into havn. H must b appropriatd by th individual. How is Jsus rcivd? H tlls us, v.47: "H that blivth on M hath vrlasting lif." It is clar, thn, that whn Jsus spaks of th ating of this Brad and of th ating of His flsh and of th drinking of His blood, H points to our rciving Him by

9 202 Outlins on th Wurttmbrg Gospl Slctions faith. W spak of this ating and drinking as a spiritual ating and drinking. Is it not vry xtraordinary that Jsus should call rciving Him in faith an ating of His flsh and a drinking of His blood? Not at all. H mrly continus th figurativ languag with which H bgan whn H calld Himslf th Brad of Lif. It furthrmor statd forcfully that Jsus would actually hav to b rcivd into th harts of mn as th grat Savior and Sin-barr and that mr outward contact with Him, th mr looking at Him, was not sufficint. Lt us larn th lsson. Jsus vry Sunday, in th Word, is placd bfor us as th Brad of Lif. In this sason of Lnt H is with spcial mphasis prachd to us as th sacrificial Lamb whos flsh and blood, that is, whos sacrific, man lif to us. Lt us raliz that th mr listning to this mssag dos not suffic; that w mrly har it dos not man lif to us. Jsus must actually b rcivd into our spiritual bing as food is rcivd into our physical constitution. If this truth is mad vry vivid to us by th txt, thn its contmplation has not bn in vain. W.ARNDT Latar John 6:57-69 Our txt is th continuation of last Sunday's Gospl slction and strsss th sam lsson, so immnsly important: th vicarious sacrific of th God-man for th salvation of our soul. At th sam tim it brings out th rcption which th Rdmr God mts among th sons of mn. Lif through th Living Son 1. That is an offns to many 2. That is OU?' only salvation 1 Vv. 57, 58. Onc mor Jsus stats dfinitly th maning and purpos of His coming into th world. H who from trnity was th Son of th Living Fathr, cpo Ps. 2: 7; Micah 5: 2; H whos human natur th Fathr had miraculously cratd through th Holy Ghost, Matt. 1: 20; Luk 1: 35,37; H, th Son of Man, to whom th Fathr had from th momnt of His concption as Mary's son givn to hav lif in Himslf, John 5:26, to liv by th Fathr, H had bn snt as th living Brad from havn, that vryon who "atth Him," maks Him his own in faith, shall liv by Him and liv forvr. Hr is th xact opposit of God's Word in Edn, Gn. 2: 17. Thr God spok of an ating unto dath. Hr Christ spaks of an ating W1to lif. Vv. 60, 61. That sms to this day a hard saying, surpassing

10 Outlins on th Wurttmbrg Gospl Slctions 203 rason of man, xcding th undrstanding vn of Christians,.,.~f >... i<'" which no human mind can fathom, 1 Cor. 2: 7-9; 1 Tim. 16. Th formr discipls wr offndd that H who smd no than a man (vv. 41, 42) should lay claim to trnal Sonship. Is that not still an offns to many in outward Christndom? And for this rason thy ar offndd also bcaus H claims to b th only Brad of Lif, th only Way to salvation. Why should so many "good" popl, "nobl" charactrs, b lost mrly bcaus thy cannot bliv that Christ alon savs? Ths mn know nithr thmslvs, Gn. 8: 21; J r. 17: 9; Matt. 15: 19, nor thir nd of a Savior, nor th tru natur of this Jsus. Vv In an ndavor to rgain thos "many discipls," v.60, Jsus shows that thy hav no rason to b offndd. H points forward to a still gratr miracl to b prformd by Him whos ascnsion provs that H was all that H claimd to b, v. 62. H warns thm against following th rasonings of thir own flsh. Th flsh is unprofitabl, wak, Matt. 26:41; sinful, Rom. 7:25; 8:5-7; spiritually dad, Col. 2:13; lads straight to trnal damnation, Rom. 8: 13. Why follow that unprofitabl flsh? On th contrary, th Spirit quickns, and this Spirit is found in Jsus' words. In ths words, rcordd in th Bibl, livs and pulsats th lif and spirit of Him who is Lif and Spirit. H had spokn ths words to thm, and thy had xprincd thir Havn-born natur, thir lif-giving spirituality, thir divin powr to sav and to sanctify. Why cast away ths words simply bcaus thy surpass undrstanding? Thus Jsus sks to rcall thm from th cours thy hav takn, which will unfailingly lad thm to vrlasting dstruction. H, th loving Savior, knw from th bginning that with many this pla would srv only to hardn thm, b a savor of dath unto dath to thm, v. 63. "Thr ar som that bliv not." As Christ dircts ths words to us, lt us not think of othrs but ask, Lord is it I? Lord, kp m from unblif. And lt us thn hd His warning, v. 65. Most Christians hav grown up in Christian homs and communitis. It sms th natural thing for thm to b mmbrs of th Christian Church. Thy forgt that it is a miracl of divin powr ("My Fathr") and of divin grac ("wr givn"). Lt us always b gratful to God for having mad us His childrn. V.66. Th words of Jsus rousd th antagonism of "many of His discipls." Thy did not want to b told th truth. Thy wnt back, litrally, wnt away toward that which was bhind, to thir pharisaic satisfaction with thir own rightousnss, to thir Sadducan njoymnt of lif and its joys. Thir disintrstdnss in Jsus gradually bcam nmity, hatrd, mockry. Thy wallcd no mor with Jsus, but with whom?

11 204 Outlins on th Wurttmbrg Gospl Slctions 2 Vv. 67, 69. Whithr shall w go? With Jsus w hav th words of trnal lif; words that sooth th hart, rfrsh th anguishd and famishd soul, and call it back to words whos lif-giving, justifying, sanctifying powr w xprinc vry day; words that vn in th vally of th shadow of dath point forward and lad us to th vrlasting light and lif trnal. Laving Jsus and His Word, w hav only dath, spiritual dath, tmporal dath in all its bittrnss and hoplssnss, trnal dath. Ought th choic to b hard '? Jsus is that Christ, th Mssiah, who brings us all thos blssings promisd throughout th Old Tstamnt, Is. 61: 1-3, tc. Without Him Is. 1: 6 applis; captivity to crul fos without hop of librty; brokn harts and non to bind thm up; ashs to fd on instad of th Brad of Lif; mourning, wping, gnashing of tth, instad of joy and vrlasting bliss. What will you choos? Jsus is th Son of th living God. In Him and through I-lim w ar all childrn and hirs of God, Gal. 3: 26; 1 John 3: 2. Shall W lav all that and go back to th bondag of sin, th tyranny of Satan, th darknss of hll? Forsak Th, Jsus? Go away from Th? Nvr. Hymn 327. But lt us rmmbr v. 65 and lt our prayr b: Hymn 340. TH. LAETSCH Judica John 12: Whn Jsus appard in Juda, many askd, Who is this man? cr. Matt. 16: 14; 11: 3; 14: 2. Jsus rfrrd all such to th signs, which answrd thir qustion. It is a lgitimat qustion to ask: How did Jsus Hims1I Look upon All that H Exprincd During IDs Earthly Lif? Our txt supplis th answr: 1. H saw in all of this a fulfilmnt of th Old Tstamnt prophcis 2. H rcognizd ach of ths OCCU?'rncs as a proof that th?'maining p?'ophcis would also b fulfilld 1 a) Our txt tlls us that Grks applid to Philip for an intrviw with th Lord Jsus. Ths Grks wr Gntils who through th Old Tstamnt prophcis had com to bliv in th Mssiah and wishd to s Jsus that thir faith might b strngthnd. Th Hbrws of th Old Tstamnt wr th chosn popl of

12 Outlins on th Wurttmbrg Gospl Slctions 205 f r from whom truth and salvation wr to go forth to all, John 22. Thy wr th popl from whom th Mssiah was to com. wr also th first who wr to b invitd to rjoic in this But thy w1' not to b th only ons, God's grac was.jn1ttilau also for th Gntils. In our txt w hav a dmonstration of this fact. Th Gntils cam to th Lord. Jsus rcognizd this, and whn H hard of thir dsir, H dclard, "Th hour is "tc. Jsus saw in this occurrnc a fulfilmnt of th prophcy of Isaiah, "Th Gntils shall com to thy light and kings to th brightnss of thy rising," tc., Is. 60: 3. b) Thr wr othr occurrncs which dmonstratd tllis sam truth. Evn at Jsus' birth th angl proclaimd that this birth was to b a joy "to all popl," Jws and Gntils alik. Thrfor not only Jwish shphrds cam to His mangr, but also th Wis Mn from th East, Gntils. (Th fstival of Epiphany.) Evn in th tim of th Old Tstamnt thr wr many convrts from th Gntil world: Rahab, Naaman, th Qun of Shba, and many mor. All ths occurrncs wr corrctly rgardd by Jsus as a fulfilmnt of th prophcis of th Old Tstamnt concrning th Kingdom of God in th Nw Tstamnt. Application. - W also should mak a carful comparison of th prophcis with thir fulfilmnt in Jsus, so that with full confidnc w may say to Him, "Thou art th Christ, th Son of th living God." 2 But th Lord Jsus also saw in ach of ths occurrncs a proof that all ls which had bn prophsid concrning Him and His kingdom would com to pass. Thrfor H answrd Andrw and Philip: "Th hour is com," tc. H said this with an y to th futur. a) Evn at that tim all prophcis had not as yt bn fulfilld. Jsus nvr doubtd that God would prform all that H had promisd, and vry fulfilmnt of a prophcy supportd this conviction. Jsus lpiw that H was to b btr~yd by on of His discipls, that H was to b brought bfor th council of th Jws, tc. Jsus frquntly spok of all this. H wantd all to larn and to not just this. Mn wr slow to grasp th full maning of His arthly lif, Matt. 16:21 sq. Cf. John 12:32. This is xactly what H mant whn H said, "Th hour is com," tc. Whil Jsus' suffring was a humiliation, yt His prfct obdinc to th will of th Fathr glorifid Him in th sight of His Fathr and all th holy angls, glorifis Him also in th sight of all thos who lmow what H accomplishd through His suffring and dath. Morovr, Jsus knw that th prophcy had bn spokn con-

13 206 Outlins on th Wurttmbrg Gospl Slctions crning His rsurrction, and His rsultction crtainly was a fication of th Son of Man. Jsus assrtd with grat again and again that H would ris again from th dad. H also that it hljld bn prophsid that H should b in control havn and arth and all powr was to b givn to Him, Matt. 11: Ys, Jsus knw that His words would not pass away, Luk 21: Thus H was sur of His glorification. b) And just so w should look upon vry fulfilmnt of prophcy sinc Pntcost Day as assuranc that all othr ds will also b fulfilld. As yt all prophcis hav not bn filld, but w should b sur that thy will,b. And as Jsus, Had of th Church, gaind an trnal victory aftr suffring dath, so w, you and I, th mmbrs of His body, shall follow to glory and to vrlasting lif and blssdnss. Application. - Just as Jsus, whn facing His trials, spok His coming glory, so w Christians, whn passing through should say: Th hour is at hand whn Jsus is to b in m. God's promis assurs m of this, and I will bliv with all my hart. That is th faith which ovrcomth th