Bible Readings for the Home Circle Part 42

"According to your _faith_ be it unto you." Verse 29.

15. To another whose sight He had restored, what did Christ say?

"_Thy faith_ hath saved thee." Luke 18:42.

16. Why did not Christ work many miracles in His own country?

"And He did not many mighty works there _because of their unbelief_."

Matt. 13:58.

17. What lesson did Christ design to teach in healing the man sick of the palsy?

"But _that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins_, (He said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house." Luke 5:24.

NOTE.-By His miracles, therefore, Christ designed to teach faith in the power of G.o.d not only to _restore the body_, but to _heal the soul_.

18. What effect did Christ's miracles have upon the individuals restored, and the people who witnessed them?

"And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, _glorifying G.o.d: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto G.o.d_." "And all the people _rejoiced_ for all the glorious things that were done by Him." Luke 18:43; 13:17.

19. What message did Christ send to John the Baptist while John was in prison, to strengthen his wavering faith?

"Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: _The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them._ And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me." Matt.

11:4-6.

20. In what miracle did Christ bring to a climax His works on earth?

"And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, _Lazarus, come forth_. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go." John 11:48, 44.

21. What was the result of this great miracle?

"Then _many of the Jews_ which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, _believed on Him_." Verse 45.

22. Because of the interest which this miracle created in Him, what did the Pharisees say?

"Behold, _the world is gone after Him_." John 12:19.

23. What did Jesus present to the people as a basis of confidence in Him?

"If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not. But if I do, though ye believe not Me, _believe the works_: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." "Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else _believe Me for the very works'

sake_." John 10:37, 38; 14:11.

24. Did Jesus ever make use of ordinary means in performing His miracles?

"When He had thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He _anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay_, and said unto him, Go, _wash in the pool of Siloam_, (which is by interpretation, Sent). He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing." John 9:6, 7. See also Mark 7:33-35; 8:23-25; 2 Kings 5:1-14.

25. Why were the miracles of Christ recorded by the inspired writers?

"And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: but _these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of G.o.d; and that believing ye might have life through His name_." John 20:30, 31.

Christ's Miracles

Miracle Matt. Mark Luke John I. Recorded in only one Gospel Two blind men healed 9:27-31 A dumb demoniac healed 9:32, 33 Piece of money in mouth 17:24-27 of fish Deaf and dumb man healed 7:31-37 A blind man healed 8:22-26 Pa.s.sed through throng 4:28-31 unseen Draft of fishes 5:1-11 Raising the widow's son 7:11-17 Healing woman with 13:11-17 infirmity Healing man with dropsy 14:1-6 Healing ten lepers 17:11-19 Healing ear of Malchus 22:50, 51 Turning water into wine 2:1-11 Healing n.o.bleman's son 4:46-54 Healing impotent man 5:1-16 Healing man born blind 9 Raising of Lazarus 11:1-46 Draft of fishes 21:1-11 II. Recorded in two Gospels Healing centurion's 8:5-13 7:1-10 servant Blind demoniac healed 12:22-30 11:14-26 Healing Syrophenician 15:21-28 7:24-30 maiden Feeding the four 15:32-39 8:1-9 thousand Cursing the fig-tree 21:17-22 11:12-14 Demoniac in synagogue 1:23-28 4:33-37 healed III. Recorded in three Gospels Healing the leper 8:2, 3 1:40-42 5:12, 13 Healing Peter's 8:14, 15 1:30, 31 4:38, 39 mother-in-law Stilling the storm 8:23-27 4:35-41 8:22-25 Legion of devils cast 8:28-34 5:1-20 8:26-37 out Healing man sick of 9:1-8 2:3-12 5:18-26 palsy Healing woman with issue 9:20-22 5:25-34 8:43-48 Raising Jairus's 9:18-26 5:22-43 8:41-56 daughter Healing man's withered 12:10-13 3:1-5 6:6-10 hand Walking on the sea 14:22-33 6:48-51 6:16-21 Curing demoniac child 17:14-21 9:14-29 9:38-42 Curing blind Bartimaeus 20:30-34 10:46-52 18:35-43 IV. Recorded in four Gospels Feeding the five 14:15-21 6:35-44 9:12-17 6:5-14 thousand

Sufferings Of Christ

[Ill.u.s.tration.]

Christ In The Garden. "There appeared an angel unto Him from heaven strengthening Him." Luke 22:43.

1. For what purpose did Christ come into the world?

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world _to save sinners_; of whom I am chief." 1 Tim.

1:15.

2. What constrained G.o.d to give His Son to die for man?

"For _G.o.d so loved the world_, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 3:16. See 1 John 4:9, 10; Rom. 5:8.

3. What did the prophet say Christ would be called to endure?

"He was _oppressed_, and He was _afflicted_, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was _cut off out of the land of the living_: for the transgression of My people was He stricken." Isa. 53:7, 8.

4. Did Christ know beforehand the treatment He was to receive?

"Then He took unto Him the twelve, and said unto them, _Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by __ the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished_. For He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be _mocked_, and _spitefully entreated_, and _spitted on_: and they shall _scourge Him_, and _put Him to death_." Luke 18:31-33.

5. How heavy was the burden which rested on His soul on the night of His betrayal?

"And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith He unto them, _My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death_: tarry ye here, and watch with Me." Matt.

26:37, 38.

6. What prayer of Christ shows that the redemption of a lost world trembled in the balance in that terrible hour?

"And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, _O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pa.s.s from Me_: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt." Verse 39.

7. How great was the agony of His soul?

"And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Luke 22:44.

8. After He had prayed this remarkable prayer three times, what occurred?