News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
THE |. S. s. LESSON.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JANUARY 6.
the Baptist" Mark i, 1-11-GoId-
en- Text: Mark i, 3 Com
mentary on the Lee son.
INTRODUCTION.

|
INTRODUCTION.
The writer was Mark, the companion OF
Peter Il Pet v, 49,, who caught much of
Peters spirit. He is called John Mark in
Acts xii, H. and John in Acts xiii, ), and
Mark in Acts XIV, 80, and was the son of
Mary Acts xii, 12) and the cousin of Barna-
has. He was probably connected by his
father with Italy. He was at one time a
cause of trouble between Paul and Barnabas
| Acts XIV, 1888, but Paul afterward had
him for companion Col. w., 10Y.
The Gospel of Murk.-This Gospel shows
us the Son of God in action, putting down
| forces of evil 1t does not give so many
| heightened addresses as Luke, nor SO many
| quotations from the Old Testament as Mat
thew. Mark enters upon his narrative with
the briefest introduction. His style is terse,
simple, graphic; the grouping picturesque;
favorite and characteristic word. The lion
has long been the symbol of Mark. The mar
| rative is vivid Events are sometimes put
in the present tense, as though we were ook-
| ing at them. There is also frequent abrupt
ness in passing from one thing to another.
In Acts x, IS, we have a summary of this
Gospel
| THE LESSON.
| Preaching by John Tvs. 1-6.-The ''be-
| ginning ". u does not refer to the book,
I
| dictates the commencement of the new d S.
| pensation by the labors of the Baptist. The
| gospel here stands for the work of Christ, as
| in Tim. l., 10. See summary of 1T in
! Cor. XIV, IA by Paul. The dignity of Christ
is dcclared-the ''Son of God" not made
son by adoption, as saints are, but made of
| the seed of David" and declared to be the
| Son of God" by what He did and by His
evangelists deemed it of the last Importance
that we should know this. Mark begins and
John ends with it John XXX, 2D.
John is the messenger ". y called Eli jah
in Nal. ill.,, from being in his spirit and
| power" (see Luke j., l5-10. The prepsr ng
| of the way relates to the influence on mems
minds of the Baptist's teaching. Christ was
| to appeal to mems conSciences, and the work
of preparing men for Him is a moral work
Y. quotes Isa xl, 3: The voice of one
that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the
way of the Lord see Revised NersonJ. In
the wilderness of Judea," it is called in
Matt. iii, l. John preached IN a wild, rocky,
rugged region in the eastern part OF Judahs
territory. 1t is called WILDERNESS" because
not cultivated land, but used for
pastures, and with spots titled. So
far was it from being uninhabitet,
that, even in Joshua's time, it had
towns like Engedi Josh XIV, G2; Judges l.,
16). Its natural features would suggest the
figures employed lisa xL, A. to describe a
great moral change. 1t was only few hours
Journey from Jerusalem. As. in order to
make roads in this difficult region, leYeIlng
must be done, so, for the making of way
to mems hearts, the pride and naughty, i'm
penitent spirit of the stony heart must be
brought down. Hence Johns preaching of
repentance
Greek word, metanoia, change of mind. 1t
means much more than another word con-
fused with it in the Authorized Version tSee
2 Cor. Z, s, 10. Paul regretted, but the Co
rinthians repented.) it is far more than re-
. ~ 81 oIr r oil hot
thinks and feels in us. Judass repentance
was not metanoia. 1t is the other Greek
word for it. He rued his deed. He did not
change his mind in the wide sense of the
Gospel.
TIE Jewish people needed to change their
mind as to life and its ends. as to duty, and
as to the Messiah and the reign they ex-
pected. Every soul that Eecomes religious
has to change in the same way, to be re-
volutionized. All religion that makes re-
pentance mere keen regret for soul destroy
ing sin is imperfect Repentance is a change
of mind regarding God, self, time, Christ,
and the very end for which we are made.
A sense of sin is but the first result of this.
John fulfilled the prophecy. He would
have men break up cd associations of Phar-
isees, Sadducees, and the like, and begin
anew, with a changed mind which would be
owned by fitting rite baptism with water.
Hence it is called the baptism of repent
ance." And as one was coming to put away
manned unchanged, and receive if it were
changed, 1t is added 'for" or unto 1.-THE re-
mission of sins.n
His audience was ''all Judea"-not
every inbabitant, but people from every part
of it-and ''of Jerusalem ". 81. The Jordan
was near. They who did change their minds
and adopt the new truth he set forth were
baptized of him in the river of Jordan, con
Tossing their SINS A true sense OF sin is the
first practical result of the changed mind.
Baptism of Jesus Tvs. 6-lll.-The striking
appearance of the preacher is described in
V. q. His dress recalled, as did his tones, an
Old Testament prophet e Kings l., 81; camers
hair the material of his simple robe, and a
leathern girdle about his loins; his food the
locusts, not cakes or fruits, but the locust,s
bodies, the legs and wings being thrown
away, and the body eaten with salt, as
among the poor OrientalS till this day.
Honey that was gathered from the rocks or
from the trees was the other element in his
simple diet.
V. gives the Baptist's announcement of
the Messiah. He draws attention, but it is
to turn it to another coming after him,
greater that he, and more worthy of atten-
ton, as he express by whose shoes, etc.
This needs no explanation.
The baptism of John with water ". 81 was
preparatory. The higher baptism of the
coming one should be with the Holy Ghost.
The facts of our Lords teaching, promise,
and gift OF tn Spirit, explain this.
The baptism OF our Lord ". 81, who came
understand in part, and much conjecture re-
garding it is useless, or worse. All we can
certainly say is that it was His willing identi-
ticatiOn Of Himself with men. with the Jews
and His acceptance of that new dispcnsation
for which Johns work was a preparation.
He had no sin to confess, as John the Baptist
felt. (See Matt. iii, a. He desire to ''ful-
fill all righteousness, even as He was c!rcum-
clsed. Omitting PARTICULARS rot in the line
OF his main object, Mark hastens to the super
natural testimony.
Christ, coming up out of the water, saw
the heavens opened ". 1O, as did John also
John l., 32, and the descending Spirit,
whether in the form or with the motion of a
dove is not clear This marked off His bap-
t.Sm from that of all the rest What re
latiOn it bad to the mind of Christ We cannot
tell, because the inner experience of the Col |
man we can only know from Hims IF, and He
has not told US
The Father in heaven sets HIS seal on the
Redeemer in this act of HIS humiliat on and
declares Himself well pleased" ". III with !
the position He takes. 1t is the beginning |
and pledge of His finishing the work God |
gave Him to do. Great trials often follow |
great privileges. As with the Master, so it |
will be in measure with His people.
POINTS TO REMEMBER.
l. John is the connecting link between the |
old and the new dispensatlon.
=. joan forgets self, exaitS Christ fears |
not man, does as he is directed, leaving the |
results with God. So should all the Lords |
ministers
3. His influence, judged by numerical re- |
suits, was not great There were great alarm |
immense transient excitement, much baptiz- |
ing and high expectation. Anything like it |
in our day would have made stir in the |
religious world" but how small the number
who accepted Jesu, in consequence!
4. The divine Voice calls to us now fHsar |
We Him Let us gladly obey, take Christ |
for our Saviour, aud follow Him as Lord |
World
Four times Henry BIackman, con-
victed of the murder of StonewaI |
Fondee, in Schley County, Georgia,
hos been prepared for execution, the