Studies in the Christ-Life at Brother Eldred's by Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · May 22, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 21.

Studies in the Christ-Life at Brother Eldred's

By Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle

Fourth Evening's Study.—Jesus in the Temple.

"BEFORE going further," said Sister Eldred, "let us listen to the verses Alice has learned thru the week, about the Christ-child in the temple;" and without further ceremony, Alice began:

O'er Judah's plains sweet spring had thrown Her flowery robe of living green, And Nature in her gala robes Was mantled like a fairy queen. The day was balmy, bright, and fair, And flowers blossomed everywhere. High o'er the temple's burnished towers, The sunshine fell like molten gold, And flamed and flashed from glittering spire, From pinnacle and turret old; While thru the city's busy street, Echoed the tread of countless feet. Afar o'er Judah's hills they came, From shepherd lad to stately priest; To ancient Salem's gates they haste, To keep the sacred Paschal Feast. Look, who is He, that youthful Lad, Standing within the temple fair? Why do not Israel's sages know That He—the Paschal Lamb—is there? Strange blindness! that they knew Him not,— Those gray-haired men, those learned seers; Useless the Rabbi's studied lore,— The vain philosophy of years. From out those sacred, youthful lips Flowed wondrous words of heavenly lore,— Such words of purity and grace As man had never heard before. And now, a kind obedient Son, No thought had He of earthly fame, But 'mong the hills of Nazareth A humble carpenter became; He took our fallen nature, He Who made the hosts which roll above, Of Abraham's frail seed partook In Godlike sympathy and love,— O, depth of love beyond degree,— That gave a Christ for you and me!

"That is true, Alice," said her father, "we shall never be able fully to comprehend this great love. Now, Jack," he continued, "will you tell me where Joseph and Mary lived when the Child Jesus was found in the temple, and why they went up to Jerusalem at this time?"

"I think they lived at Nazareth, father, and they went to Jerusalem because they wanted to attend the feast."

"What was the name of this feast, Florence? You may read the forty-first verse of the second chapter of Luke."

" 'Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.' "

"Who can tell me when and where the very first Passover feast was kept, and what is the real meaning of the word Passover?"

"I can tell that, papa," declared little Margaret, raising her chubby hand very high, "Tillie told me all about it. They called it 'Passover' because when the angel saw the blood on the doorposts, he passed over the house and did not slay the oldest child; but I can't tell when it happened, nor where, because that's all Tillie told me."

"You have done very well for a little girl," replied her father, gently laying his hand on the curly head, "one of these days you will be able to read the story yourself, in the eleventh and twelfth chapters of Exodus. But we will ask Jack to give a few more facts about the first Passover."

"I'll do the best I can, father," smiled Jack. "The very first one was held just before the children of Israel all marched out of the land of Egypt to go into the land of Canaan. But I forget the name of the city from which they started,—Tom knows."

"Rameses," prompted Tom.

"Yes; then the first Passover was held at Rameses, Egypt, on the night when the Israelites were led out of bondage."

"Tom, can you tell me why there is no record of the Child Jesus ever attending these yearly feasts at Jerusalem before He was twelve years old?"

"I think it is because this was the first time He ever attended the Passover. Jewish boys were not expected to attend these feasts until they were twelve years old. At this age they received especial instruction in the Jewish law, and in the religion of their fathers."

"But, father," interrupted Alice, "do you not think that Jesus received instruction at any of the schools, before He was twelve years old?"

"He was certainly instructed by His mother, but I think we are plainly given to understand that He received no instruction at the schools of the rabbis. Indeed, upon one occasion they asked, 'How knoweth this Man letters having never learned?' They knew that the wonderful Child had never attended their classes, and so they were puzzled to know how He had gained such a thoro understanding of the sacred Scriptures."

"Do you think our Saviour had brothers and sisters?" asked Alice.

"If you will read Matt. 13:55, 56, your question will be fully answered, my child," replied her mother.

" 'Is not this the carpenter's Son? Is not His mother called Mary? and His brethren James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? and His sisters are they not all with us?' "

"Do you think, Jack, that these brothers believed in Jesus as the Messiah?"

"Really, father, I suppose they must have believed, because, you see, they never saw Him angry, and they never knew Him to do a wrong act. They must have seen that He was not like them."

"Indeed, I am sure they must have acknowledged this," replied Brother Eldred, "but we read that 'neither did His brethren believe in Him.' But even tho their cruel words of unbelief must have pained Him deeply, the divine One never uttered one word of complaint. Do you think, Tillie, that Jesus understood His divine mission at the time of His first visit to Jerusalem to attend the Passover?"

"I think so, father, from the reply which He made to His mother, 'Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?' I think He well realized that His Father's business was something which would make His life-work quite different from that of other people."

"Yes," interrupted Sister Eldred, "we are given to understand that the wonderful mission of the holy Child gradually unfolded to His mind, and that, as He for the first time witnessed the solemn rites of the Passover, the Holy Spirit was leading Him, and He was being taught of God." Brother Eldred continued, "Can you tell me what happened, Florence, when the Passover feast had ended, and Joseph and Mary started on their return to Nazareth?"

"I know," declared Margaret, her dimpled cheeks flushing, "I know, papa; mama read it to me. They got to visiting so fast—I mean Joseph and Mary and the other people who were acquainted—that they traveled all day long before they really missed their Son! I don't believe my mama would ever be so careless as that—you wouldn't lose me and never even look for me all day long, would you, mama? and it's a good deal worse to lose Jesus than it would be to lose me," concluded Margaret sagely, as she slipped down from her chair and crept into her mother's lap.

(To be continued.)