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December 2, 1914.
A EAMILY PAPER.
thing that we have a whole day for the study of
LESSON FOR THE CHILDREN.
it. As the resurrection from the dead was the picture
and promise that we would rise into life Lesson XII. December 20, 1914.
bthe Sabbath School
By Anna Pritchard George.
Lesson XU. December 20, 1914
who have lived in him here so the ascension of
THE ASCENSION.
THE ASCENSION.
Jesus into heaven is the picture and promise that
Luke 24:.50-53; Acts 1:1-11.
By the Rev. Owen F. Thompson.
we who have died and risen again in him will Today we will talk about the last time Jesus
Golden Text.—He was taken up; and a cloud be taken up with him into glory.
was seen on earth by Ms disciples, and how
received him out of their sight. Acts 1; 9.
The ascension is tbe picture of every Christian Jesus went home to heaven.
Lesson Text.—Luke 24; 50-53, Acts 1;1-11. death bed scene. It is the mountain top from The disciples have come back from. Galilee to
Time.—May, A. D. 30.
which we lay down our load and take our Jerusalem. On the table pile up the sand for the
Suitable Psalms.—24, 47, 110, 23.
flight into the glorious regions of immortality. Mount of Olives, and the surrounding hills. These
Exposition.—When you hear about the missionaries
who spent their whole lives in strange minently as we think of the ascension of Jesus. of Bethany on the side of the Mount ol Olives.
There are two things that stand out very pro­
boxes mark Jerusalem and these the little town
lands and in constant hardship and loneliness One is what he was leaving behind and the otheiis
what was awaiting him as he looked ahead. first "Twelve." How many has he now, George
Mary, how many disciples did Jesus have at
and disappointment, and when you read how they
longed for their home land and the friends who How much there was that he was leaving behind.
How long the road through life had seemed clothespins in Jerusalem are the disciples. It
"Eleven. Judas killed himself." These eleven
meant so much to them, then the return of the
missionaries has a different meaning.
to him. There would be many pleasures but the is now lorty days since Jesus rose from the dead.
We often think of the return of the missionaries
from our own standpoint. We think how more of the satisfaction in the realization that ho these forty days, Alvin "Nine."
pleasures that he would experience would be How many times have his friends seen him in
glad we will be to see them and how many interesting
things they will have to say and how temporal blessings on which we count so much. suddenly Jesus is with them again, just the same
was doing his duty and saving men rather than As the disciples are talking among themselves,
many things they will bring to show us and some.
Jesus as walked and lived with them so many
times we forget what it is going to mean to the
years before cruel men crucified him.
missionaries themselves who come back again to
Jesus walks out of Jerusalem with his disci-
their homes and their friends.
In the same way we often think of the ascension
of Christ from our standpoint. We think of
the loneliness of the disciples here on the mountain
and how they would feel his absence, for they
had depended so much on him for everything
and we forget what it was going to mean to the
Son ot God to go back to his Father's house and
to the glory that he had before the world was.
Perhaps you could picture the return of a
missionary from their far off field. The work has
been hard. They have not seen the faces of their
friends for years. There have been many disappomtments
and discouragements. They have
labored on through it all till at last the work has
been blessed and the time has come to go back
to see once again the friends they have left and
to live for a while in the old home that they left
years before.
How hard they work getting ready for the .'•eturn
trip. They want everything finished up so
their presence will not be missed any more than
can be helped. At last every thing is completed
and they board the ship and begin the long voyage
to the home land.
When the voyage is over and the home laud
appears in sight, their joy is almost complete, for
they can see their friends standing there on the
wharf and as they crowd out they are received
into the arms of the ones they have longed to
see for so long. It may be that an old father and
mother have waited long for this day of returning.
^ , .
Could we not think that Christ's return to hia
heavenly home would be something like that only
infinitely more wonderful. What a long journey
it was for him when he left his Father's house
and came down here to this land of darkness and
the shadow Of death. We pity the missionaries
who leave their homes to go to the land of heathenism
and degradation, but how much more
should we wonder at the love of Jesus wuo came
from heaven to earth, from God to man, and lived
as one of us and sacrificed his life after he had
endured the shame of sin.
But at last it is all over. The price has been
paid. His people are saved. The world has received
the message and the time has come for his
going home. What a glad time that must have
been for the Savior. His joy was complete. What
a glad time it must have been in the Father s
house with God and the holy angels as they saw
him preparing to come home. It was a great
separation that was made in heaven when Christ
came to earth to do his missionary work.
With me the ascension has not had as large or
important place as it ought to hold. It is a gooi1
He had few of them. If he had had all that the
world could offer it would have fallen so far below
what he had in the Father's house that it would
have been as nothing.
His life was full ol suffering and sorrow and
disappointments. His life had been full of opposition
clear to the end, and the end of the great
struggle that he carried on was what the world
called defeat. His friends failed him. His disciples
denied him and betrayed him and he learned
by that as he could have learned in no other way
the great weakness and need of those he came
to save. The ones for whom he died refused
to be saved. He had been heralded as the coming
Messiah and the conqueror of the world and
after three years of struggle he died on the cross
between thieves.
Those are some of the things that he left behind
in the world when he went to his Father.
He knew that he had come out the victor in the
end, but the fear and despair of those dark days
would seem to us to be always associated with
his life on earth.
It was not all dark, however, for the last sight
of earth he had as he went up to his Father was
that company of faithful disciples on the mountain
side looking steadfastly up into heaven alter
him with wonder in their eyes and longing in
their hearts.
Now what was ahead of him We cannot answer
that. We will not know till our time comes to go
to be with him and to enter into his glory. We
know that he received all authority and power
and that he was made the Judge of the universe.
He was glorified and seated upon the throne at
the right hand of God. He was praised by the unnumbered
host of heaven and the shouts of that
great company would reach out beyond the farthest
spheres telling every created thing, "^\orthy
is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and
riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and
glory, and blessing."
Perhaps it is well that we do not know, for we
would talk of those things as though they were
common-place and forget the real meaning of
them. We have enough to think of now and ii
we get the meaning of what is revealed we will
be better prepared to look into those wonderful
things that are ahead.
Is it not something like this story of the ascension
for us when our time of leaving the world
comes It will be the valley of the shadow of
death, but it will be the passing out of death into
life. It will be leaving behind all that is distressing
and troublesome and all the pain and sorrow
and trial that brings us low. This is all to be
left behind and w.e are to be taken over to that
better place where there is every joy and opportunity
to please God with nothing to hold us
back. There will be no weakness, no sin, no
temptation to sin and nothing for which we will
be ashamed or disappointed.
death is of it teaches glory ciples ation In Every is true trouble the Ecclesiastes beyond. to is that for us beginning death better make the and tnere Christian, Christ's and disappointment than we of ascension that yet the are eternal ascension work there day for told it happiness to of is and that a one's not do hope taught beloved suffering and only the birth. of with his day prepar­
eternal the friend God. That but dis­
ot
plies, down over this brook Kedron again. Are
they happy, Elmer Yes, for they have their beloved
Master with them again. They pass Gethsemane
and their minds go back to the night
when Judas betrayed Jesus and the soldiers led
him away, and they remember with sorrow how
they all ran away. But they look at the love
for them shining on Jesus' face and are happy
again. Now they walk along this road as far
as Bethany, and gather around Jesus on this
mountain side.
Ruth, when your mother went away for a
month last summer, did she just walk out without
telling you what to do while she was gone 9
"No, she told me a lot of things." So Jesus
tells his disciples what be wishes them to do
after he leaves them. "Do not depart from Jerusalem,"
says Jesus, "but wait for the promise of
the Father." This is the Holy Spirit which Jesus
will send to comfort and to strengthen them after
he has gone. The Holy Spirit is the part of
Jesus which we cannot see, but which lives in
our hearts if we are good, and helps us do right.
Then Jesus says, "Ye shall receive power, after
that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and
ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto
the uttermost part of the earth." Just wait in
Jerusalem till their hearts are lull ol the Holv
Spirit then go all over the world telling folks
about Jesus and begging them to come to him.
Now Jesus, standing here on this mountain,
stretches his hands out over his disciples and
blesses them. And while be blesses them, Jesus
slowly rises up from among them and a bright
cloud surrounds him and carries him on up into
heaven.
Do you think the disciples watch that cloud,
Jeanne Yes, they gaze and gaze, hoping to
catcli one more glimpse of Jesus. Suddenly two
men stand by them. They are angels in shining
white. "Ye men of Galilee," they say, "why
.stand ye gazing up into heaven This same
Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen
him go into heaven."
So the disciples go back slowly to Jerusalem.
Jesus has gone to heaven, but he is a living
Jesus. And both they and we have this living
Jesus for our friend in heaven. Gladys, why do
you like to hear about Philadelphia "Because
my Daddy goes there." And why do you like
Pittsburgh, Charles '-• "Because my Grandma lives
there." So because Jesus is in heaven, we want
to go there to live and see him face to face,
don't we Jesus is there now, watching over
us, and is fillingcur hearts with his Spirit. Some
day he will take us home to live with him forever
in heaven il we love him now and obey
bim. Montclair, N. J.