Lesson 18: Truth Invincible
By G.R. Balleine
[Warning: Balleine was writing in the 1920s and 1930s, and his views and language reflect many at that time. However, as a time capsule of the prevailing beliefs, this can be very useful for the historians of that period.]
LESSON FOR EASTER DAY.
PASSAGE TO BE READ : St. Matthew xxviii. 1-15.
TEXT TO BE LEARNT : " We can do nothing against the truth " (2 Cor.
HYMNS: “Jesus Christ is risen today," and “The strife is o'er, the battle done."
COLLECTS for Easter and Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity.
AIM : To show how Easter proves that Truth will always prevail.
I. CAIAPHAS AT EASTERTIDE.
(a) To understand a Bible story it is a good thing to put ourselves in the position of one of those who were alive at the time. Let us try to think what Easter looked like from the point of view of Caiaphas. Caiaphas was the High Priest of the Jews. He wore on his forehead a golden plate with the words, " Holiness to the Lord." He superintended the Temple Services. Once a year he entered all alone into the Holy of Holies, while the people stood waiting eagerly for his return. When he came back, he blessed them in the Name of God, and sent them home feeling that they were forgiven. Caiaphas' whole life was given up to religion.
(b) Our Lord had not been teaching long before Caiaphas heard of Him, and the more he heard, the less he liked the news. He grew jealous. The people never flocked round him as they flocked round Jesus. He never asked whether what Jesus was teaching was true. He tried in mean underhand ways to turn the people against Him. He said that He must be a bad man, or sinners would not be so fond of Him. He said that He probably did His miracles by the help of the Devil.
(c) One day. there came to him the startling news that in a village just outside Jerusalem Jesus had raised a man from the dead. Caiaphas called together the Council. Something must be done. If this went on, every one would believe in Jesus. He did not ask whether it was right that people should believe in Him. He only felt that believing in Him would disturb a lot of old customs, and Caiaphas was anxious to keep things as they were. He persuaded the Council that the best thing would be to have Christ put to death.
(d) We know how he succeeded. On Good Friday he went to Calvary, and mocked at Jesus, saying, " He saved others : Himself He cannot save " (St. Mark xv. 31). That evening he set a guard of soldiers to watch the tomb, and went home feeling that a troublesome business was satisfactorily ended.
So the Nazarene is dead !
Caiaphas the High Priest said,
His wonder-working deeds are o'er ;
He will trouble us no more.
(e) Early on Easter Morning he discovered that he was mistaken. Some of the soldiers came knocking at his door with an extraordinary story of an earthquake, and the huge stone rolling back with a crash, and a bright light streaming from the tomb, and their discovery that the tomb was empty. The Body of Jesus had mysteriously disappeared. Caiaphas did not know what to do. He hurriedly consulted some of his friends ; and then he gave a big, bribe to the soldiers, saying, " Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole Him away while we slept." Read Passage.
(f) But further difficulties followed. The rumour spread that Jesus had been seen alive : that He was meeting His friends secretly. Caiaphas never saw Him, but plenty of other people did. The Christian Church, that Caiaphas thought he had killed on Good Friday, grew stronger every week. Many of Caiaphas' own priests became Christians (Acts vi. 7). He spent the rest of his life in a vain and weary struggle to stop the growth of Christianity (Acts iv. 6 ; v. 17 ; vii. 1 ; ix. 1). Before he died, he had discovered that it is useless to fight against Truth. Let all repeat Text.
I. TRUTH WILL PREVAIL.
(a) The Apocrypha (1 Esdras iii. and iv.) has a curious story as to how Zerubbabel obtained permission to lead the Jews back from Babylon. It says that he was one of the young men of the bodyguard of the King of Persia. One night, while the King slept, these young men had an argument as to what is the strongest thing in the world. They decided to write down their opinions, and to slip them under the King's pillow, and to ask him to judge which was right. One wrote Wine, another wrote Women, another wrote the King, Zerubbabel wrote Truth. Next morning the King made them argue the matter before him. One said, " What is stronger than wine ? It causeth all men to err that drink it. It makes even the King behave like a baby. It makes the best of friends draw swords against one another." Another said, " What is stronger than the King ? If he command to kill, they kill. If he command to spare, they spare. If he command to make desolate, they make desolate. If he command to build, they build." Another said, " What is stronger than women ? Without women men cannot be. They persuade all men, even kings, to do what they want. Men labour and toil, and bring it all to the women." But Zerubbabel said, “Truth is stronger than all things. Wine perishes. Kings die. Women pass away. Truth endureth, and is always strong. It liveth and conquereth for evermore." And he supported his views with such wise arguments that all the people shouted, “Great is Truth, and mighty above all things!” The King was so pleased with him that he told him to choose what reward he liked, and he chose to be allowed to lead his people back to rebuild Jerusalem.
(b) Was Zerubabbel right ? Is Truth the strongest thing in the world ? Many of our Proverbs say so " Great is Truth, and it will prevail." " Truth may be blamed, but it cannot be shamed." " Truth will always out." " There are not enough shovelfuls of earth in the world to bury the truth " (Swiss proverb). " Truth like oil will come to the top " (French proverb). " A lie has no legs."
(c) Take one of the simplest of truths, 2 + 2 = 4. This is always true, whether we are speaking of cabs or cauliflowers or kangaroos. Anyone who asserts that 2 + 2 sometimes = 5 has fallen into error. If he tries to build anything on that false theory, it will collapse.
(d) Two prisoners, a father and son, were imprisoned in a lofty tower. They unravelled the threads of their sheets to make a rope to escape. One had a ring which he knew weighed half an ounce. He found that one thread would support his ring. He also knew his own weight. So he worked out the number of threads necessary to make their rope strong enough. When the rope was ready he began to climb down it, but the rope broke. As he lay with broken legs at the bottom of the cliff, he pulled out the bit of paper on which he had done his sum, and saw that in the addition he had forgotten to carry one. The sum was wrong. The answer was not true. So all his work had been in vain.
(e) In 1666 there was a great stir among the Jews in all parts of the world. It was reported that the Messiah had at last appeared, and was waiting to meet the faithful at Constantinople. Rich merchants in Spain and Holland sold their businesses, and set out to meet him. Poor Jews from Poland and Germany started to walk the whole way with their wives and children. When the pilgrims arrived, they found that the man who was supposed to be the Messiah had turned Mohammedan, and become a doorkeeper at the Sultan's palace. They had given up everything for a lie.
(f) Our Lord said to His disciples, " I am the Truth " (St. John xiv. 6). He said to Pilate, " To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the Truth " (St. John xviii. 37). St. Paul declared, " Truth is in Jesus " (Eph. iv. 21). This was why neither Caiaphas, nor anyone else, could overthrow the cause of Christ. Truth must prevail.
(g) Remember our Lord's Parable of the Two Houses (St. Matt. vii. 24-27). They both looked equally strong while the weather was fine. But one day " the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew." Then one house crumbled into ruins, while the other stood unmoved. What was the secret ? One was founded on the rock, while the other was founded on sand. And He said that a life built on His teaching was a life built on rock; a life built on anything else was a life built on sand.
(h) Easter shows us Christ triumphant over all His enemies. Easter makes it foolish to doubt in the truth of the cause of Christ.
Death's mightiest powers have done their worst,
By G.R. Balleine
[Warning: Balleine was writing in the 1920s and 1930s, and his views and language reflect many at that time. However, as a time capsule of the prevailing beliefs, this can be very useful for the historians of that period.]
LESSON FOR EASTER DAY.
PASSAGE TO BE READ : St. Matthew xxviii. 1-15.
TEXT TO BE LEARNT : " We can do nothing against the truth " (2 Cor.
HYMNS: “Jesus Christ is risen today," and “The strife is o'er, the battle done."
COLLECTS for Easter and Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity.
AIM : To show how Easter proves that Truth will always prevail.
I. CAIAPHAS AT EASTERTIDE.
(a) To understand a Bible story it is a good thing to put ourselves in the position of one of those who were alive at the time. Let us try to think what Easter looked like from the point of view of Caiaphas. Caiaphas was the High Priest of the Jews. He wore on his forehead a golden plate with the words, " Holiness to the Lord." He superintended the Temple Services. Once a year he entered all alone into the Holy of Holies, while the people stood waiting eagerly for his return. When he came back, he blessed them in the Name of God, and sent them home feeling that they were forgiven. Caiaphas' whole life was given up to religion.
(b) Our Lord had not been teaching long before Caiaphas heard of Him, and the more he heard, the less he liked the news. He grew jealous. The people never flocked round him as they flocked round Jesus. He never asked whether what Jesus was teaching was true. He tried in mean underhand ways to turn the people against Him. He said that He must be a bad man, or sinners would not be so fond of Him. He said that He probably did His miracles by the help of the Devil.
(c) One day. there came to him the startling news that in a village just outside Jerusalem Jesus had raised a man from the dead. Caiaphas called together the Council. Something must be done. If this went on, every one would believe in Jesus. He did not ask whether it was right that people should believe in Him. He only felt that believing in Him would disturb a lot of old customs, and Caiaphas was anxious to keep things as they were. He persuaded the Council that the best thing would be to have Christ put to death.
(d) We know how he succeeded. On Good Friday he went to Calvary, and mocked at Jesus, saying, " He saved others : Himself He cannot save " (St. Mark xv. 31). That evening he set a guard of soldiers to watch the tomb, and went home feeling that a troublesome business was satisfactorily ended.
So the Nazarene is dead !
Caiaphas the High Priest said,
His wonder-working deeds are o'er ;
He will trouble us no more.
(e) Early on Easter Morning he discovered that he was mistaken. Some of the soldiers came knocking at his door with an extraordinary story of an earthquake, and the huge stone rolling back with a crash, and a bright light streaming from the tomb, and their discovery that the tomb was empty. The Body of Jesus had mysteriously disappeared. Caiaphas did not know what to do. He hurriedly consulted some of his friends ; and then he gave a big, bribe to the soldiers, saying, " Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole Him away while we slept." Read Passage.
(f) But further difficulties followed. The rumour spread that Jesus had been seen alive : that He was meeting His friends secretly. Caiaphas never saw Him, but plenty of other people did. The Christian Church, that Caiaphas thought he had killed on Good Friday, grew stronger every week. Many of Caiaphas' own priests became Christians (Acts vi. 7). He spent the rest of his life in a vain and weary struggle to stop the growth of Christianity (Acts iv. 6 ; v. 17 ; vii. 1 ; ix. 1). Before he died, he had discovered that it is useless to fight against Truth. Let all repeat Text.
I. TRUTH WILL PREVAIL.
(a) The Apocrypha (1 Esdras iii. and iv.) has a curious story as to how Zerubbabel obtained permission to lead the Jews back from Babylon. It says that he was one of the young men of the bodyguard of the King of Persia. One night, while the King slept, these young men had an argument as to what is the strongest thing in the world. They decided to write down their opinions, and to slip them under the King's pillow, and to ask him to judge which was right. One wrote Wine, another wrote Women, another wrote the King, Zerubbabel wrote Truth. Next morning the King made them argue the matter before him. One said, " What is stronger than wine ? It causeth all men to err that drink it. It makes even the King behave like a baby. It makes the best of friends draw swords against one another." Another said, " What is stronger than the King ? If he command to kill, they kill. If he command to spare, they spare. If he command to make desolate, they make desolate. If he command to build, they build." Another said, " What is stronger than women ? Without women men cannot be. They persuade all men, even kings, to do what they want. Men labour and toil, and bring it all to the women." But Zerubbabel said, “Truth is stronger than all things. Wine perishes. Kings die. Women pass away. Truth endureth, and is always strong. It liveth and conquereth for evermore." And he supported his views with such wise arguments that all the people shouted, “Great is Truth, and mighty above all things!” The King was so pleased with him that he told him to choose what reward he liked, and he chose to be allowed to lead his people back to rebuild Jerusalem.
(b) Was Zerubabbel right ? Is Truth the strongest thing in the world ? Many of our Proverbs say so " Great is Truth, and it will prevail." " Truth may be blamed, but it cannot be shamed." " Truth will always out." " There are not enough shovelfuls of earth in the world to bury the truth " (Swiss proverb). " Truth like oil will come to the top " (French proverb). " A lie has no legs."
(c) Take one of the simplest of truths, 2 + 2 = 4. This is always true, whether we are speaking of cabs or cauliflowers or kangaroos. Anyone who asserts that 2 + 2 sometimes = 5 has fallen into error. If he tries to build anything on that false theory, it will collapse.
(d) Two prisoners, a father and son, were imprisoned in a lofty tower. They unravelled the threads of their sheets to make a rope to escape. One had a ring which he knew weighed half an ounce. He found that one thread would support his ring. He also knew his own weight. So he worked out the number of threads necessary to make their rope strong enough. When the rope was ready he began to climb down it, but the rope broke. As he lay with broken legs at the bottom of the cliff, he pulled out the bit of paper on which he had done his sum, and saw that in the addition he had forgotten to carry one. The sum was wrong. The answer was not true. So all his work had been in vain.
(e) In 1666 there was a great stir among the Jews in all parts of the world. It was reported that the Messiah had at last appeared, and was waiting to meet the faithful at Constantinople. Rich merchants in Spain and Holland sold their businesses, and set out to meet him. Poor Jews from Poland and Germany started to walk the whole way with their wives and children. When the pilgrims arrived, they found that the man who was supposed to be the Messiah had turned Mohammedan, and become a doorkeeper at the Sultan's palace. They had given up everything for a lie.
(f) Our Lord said to His disciples, " I am the Truth " (St. John xiv. 6). He said to Pilate, " To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the Truth " (St. John xviii. 37). St. Paul declared, " Truth is in Jesus " (Eph. iv. 21). This was why neither Caiaphas, nor anyone else, could overthrow the cause of Christ. Truth must prevail.
(g) Remember our Lord's Parable of the Two Houses (St. Matt. vii. 24-27). They both looked equally strong while the weather was fine. But one day " the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew." Then one house crumbled into ruins, while the other stood unmoved. What was the secret ? One was founded on the rock, while the other was founded on sand. And He said that a life built on His teaching was a life built on rock; a life built on anything else was a life built on sand.
(h) Easter shows us Christ triumphant over all His enemies. Easter makes it foolish to doubt in the truth of the cause of Christ.
Death's mightiest powers have done their worst,
And Jesus hath His foes dispersed ;
Let shouts of praise and joy outburst.
Alleluia
Let shouts of praise and joy outburst.
Alleluia
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