Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 August 1912 — THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES

DELIVERANCE TO THE CAPTIVES. Luke iv, 16-30—Aug. 25. “He came unto Hi# own, and they that were Hi# own received Him not."—John », 11. CHE people of Nazareth would of course feel a certain sense of pride in their fellow-citizen whose fame was spreading throughout all Galilee and Judea. They could scarcely believe what they had heard about Jesus. He never did such miracles in all the years that we knew Him, said they. They did not, of course, understand that He bad received His power as a special benediction when He was thirty years of age, as a result of His consecration of His life to the Divine service, symbolized by H:s immersion in Jordan. At length He came to Nazareth. It was on a Sabbath day. For long years He had done Jthe congregational read-

ing of the Scriptures. This was therefore just what they expected Him to do on His return. He went into the synagogue and read the lesson for the day. Th us far all went well; but when Jesus began to comment there were whisperings

of disapproval, and finallyt au outburst of wrath against Him. Ah! they thought, this young man has lost His head.

They drove Him out of the synagogue with angry demonstrations. They led the way toward the brow of a hill, that they might push Him over. For a little way Jesus went, but then He turned and passed thrbugh their midst, overawing them by the dignity of His presence.

The Truth That Angered.

At first we read, “All bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth.” What made the change? It was the plain declaration that they did not believe in Him fully, therefore it would not be God’s will that He should perform any miracles for them. He backed up His statement with illustrations the past which angered them still more.

Instead of the people of Nazareth getting angry and resenting these things, they should have said, Tell us, then, of our faults and help us to overcome them. If God has blessings, surely we, as Israelites, may have our share if we will but come into the right attitude of heart.'

The Lesson From Isaiah. The lesson for that Sabbath was from Isaiah Ixi, 1-3. It was an excellent text, and the sermon on it was from the ablest of teachers. How His hearers should have rejoiced to know that they were living in the day of the fulfilment of these words! Jesus, had been anointed by the Father with the Holy Spirit, that He might declare good tidings to the poor. Surely many of them were poor and needy! We read further that Jehovah sent Jesus to heal the broken-hearted. How

those words would have api>ealed to any that were broken-hearted ’ The declaration further was that the blind would receive their sight, that liberty would he granted to the captives, that the bruised and injured would be heal-

ed, aud that “the acceptable year of the Lord’’ would be proclaimed. “Deliverance to the Captives.” This part of the message might have been applied in part to themselves. Were they not captives, bound by the fetters of sin, the fetters and chains of heredity, sickness, imperfection and death? Were not they actually blind also, as respected the eyes of their understanding? Evidently the time had not arrived for them to receive the blessing of the anointing of their eyes of understanding. Were they not all bruised by the fall—mentally, morally and physically! But the work that Jesus was doing was merely the proclamation of these things, with a few examples of healing, etc. The real time for Him to accomplish the deliverance of the captives, the liberating of the sin-bruised, and the giving of sight to the blind, belonged to the Messianic Kingdom time. What Jesus was doing was merely a foreshadowing <of the great things to be accomplished future—“in the Times of Restitution of all things which God hath spoken by all His Holy Prophets.”—Acts lii, 19-21. Proclaiming “the Acceptable Year.” This brief expression, so little understood, pointed out the special work of Jesus, far more important than the miracles. The term,, “acceptable year,” or acceptable time, refers to this Gospel Age of more than 1800 years. No opportunity had been granted in the past to become dead with Jesus, to walk in His steps. The proclamation of this opportunity waited until Jesus had made His own consecration, and all who accepted His Message and became His followers did so under this invitation or proclamation. It was the privilege of becoming the sons of God. by a begetting of the Spirit— John 1,13. :

In the synagogue at Nazareth.

"They led him to the brow of the hill.”