The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-08-01
SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOE
AUGUST 8.
Lesson Text: ssThe Baptism Of JeS
sus," Mark l., 1-11-Golden
Text: Mark L, IL
Commentary.

I. 'The beginning Of the gospel OF Jesus
specially of service. In IT we are reminded
OF the words, "Behold. will bring forth my
Servant, the Branchr' while "Behold, the
Man whose name Is the Branch" Is seen
more clearly tn Luke's gospel Czech. ILL.,, 8;
w., 12). Here Jesus Is the patient servant
and sacrifice for others, spending and being
spent to serve the sons OF men. This gospel
is written that the same life Of unwearied
service may be IN some measure reproduced
in US QI Cor. w., 11), but as we are In this
first verse introduced to the Son of God so
we must be sons otGod before we can serve
God. ''Let My Son 90 that He may serve
Me, said the Lord OF Israel (Ex. w., 2S).
2. Gas 1t Is written in the prophets, Be-
hold, send my messenger before Thy face,
which shall prepare Thy way before Theer'
The whole story of his sufYerings and glory
Is written In the prophets q Pet. l., II Luke
XIV, 25-2T. They also spake Of the her
tist, In the spirit and power OF Elijah before
his first coming, and Elijah himself before
his second coming. Compare Nal. w., s,
Luke L., II; Math. xviii, 1918. As TO pre-
pairing His way, every believer can, in
measure, be His messenger to do that.
What an honor to be sent Of Him In His
name!
g. "The voice Of one crying in the wilder
His paths straight" When John was asked
il he was the Christ or Elijah or the prophet,
he said that he was neither. but only voice
proclaiming the Christ (John l., 23). He
sought no honors for himself, but rejoiced
to decrease that Christ might increase (John
ILL.,, 29, 30l.
4. 'John did bsptize in the wilderness and
preach the baptism Of repentance for the re-
mission Of SINS" A sample of his preaching
may be found In Math. i'll, 7-12 and Luke
ILL.,, 7-1S. He made 1t plain that unIesstheir
lives afterward manifested that they had be-
come new creatures their baptism would
amount to nothing. One OF the last COM
mandments OF Christ was that repentance
and remission Of sins should be preached in
BIS name among all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem Quke XIV. 17.
B. "And there went out unto Him all the
land OF Judea, and they Of Jerusalem, and
were all baptized Of Him in the river of Jor-
dan, confessing their SINS" There must be
asense Of sin, q true conviction Of sin, and
the deeper the better, before any one will
come to Christ, for He came not to call the
righteous, but sinners, to repentance. This
Is the work Of the Holy Spirit (John xvi, 8,
margin), and He uses the word and the lives
OF believers. In Acts ", 81 xi., 1s, Christ
Is said to give or grant repentance.
w o4o cOun HttS ClOtu0u Will CdlQ6R5
hair, and with girdle of skin about his
loins, and he did eat locusts and wild heney."
Thus was Elijah clothed (I Kings l., 81, and,
as to locusts, they were among the creatures
which God had permitted Israel to eat Nev.
H., 22). John was certainly not extravagant
In the matter OF food and raiment. What q
contrast was Isaac, who loved Esau because
ofhis ventson and would bless him only In
connection Herewith (Gen. XIV, % xviii,
3. ~ JagI1g has fanohl nof fo tbipH ron
much about either food or raiment (Math.
w., vi, 25), but has assured Us that II We
make His kingdom and His righteousness
our first concern He will see to all our need
In that direction (Math. w., 33).
2. "And preached, saying, There cometh
one m1ghtier than after me, the latchet OF
whose shoes am not worthy to stoop down
and unioose., John sought not to attract
| people to himself, but to the Lamb of God,
whom he came to herald. He had no ambt-
tion to make himself name, but only to
honor Him Of whom he said, HE must In
crease, but I must decrease" (John Ill, 30).
He sought not great things for himself Ger.
XIV, 81 but his watchword was "Not T.
| (GaL IL, 20; II Cor. xv., 10).
"l1ndeed have baptized you with water,
but He shall baptize you with the Holy
Ghost" Both Matthew and Luke add "and
with fire" (Math. ILL.,. IL; Luke ILL.,, 16),
which fire seems, from the context, to refer
| to the judgments OF His second coming as
King and Son OF Man. As the Servant,
which he Is peculiarly in Mark, He does not
| speak OF fire. But how much we do need to
be filled with the Spirit-in fact, it Is a COM
mand laid upon u.s. and as much q command
rs not to be drunken (Eph. ", 1S). Then
what comfort to know that He, who is our
Saviour, Brother, Friend, is the one who
| baptizeth with the Holy Ghost Cohn j., 33).
We naad fhfDly ar hoO md pDrraaf
| Him, but simply ask Him Guke xi., 13).
| 3. "And it ca.ls to pass in those days that
Jesus 9. e. nc from Nazareth Of Galles- and
i Eas baptized OF John in Jordan" II t1SSs
ill.,, %, 1t is written that BE was about thirty
years Of age. In Math. ill.,, IA, Is, 1t Is said
| that at first John forbade Him because of
| Johns greater need to be baptized Of Him.,
but Jesus said, "Suffer 1t to he so now, for
| thus 1t becometh us to fulfill all righteous-
| ness. - He humbled Himself from heaven
| down tothe manger OF Bethlehem, and the
home In Nazareth, and the life Of rejection,
even to Gethsemane and Golgotha. oil for
US, and surely 1t Is becoming In US to hum
Die ourselves for Him, yet 1t seems strange
to osayso, for whereas he actually came down
from great glory. we. being nothing, have
nothing to come down from but sinful
pride.
10. Sand straightway coming up ont OF
the water He saw the heavens opened, and
the Spirit like dove descending upon Him."
Here in this gospel we meet the first Gimme
diately," used about eighty times In the New
Testament, and forty times In this gospel,
and eleven times in this chapter, sometimes
translated canon" or "forthwitb." It Is the
word for good servant. The opened heav-
ems make us think of Eek. j., Math. ill.,,
John j., Acts vii. and K, Rev. iv. and XIX, in
each OF which chapters heaven sopened and
always concerning Christ or His church.
The Spirit coming as dove makes US think
Of the dove that found no rest except in the
ark while the waters OF judgment were on
the earth. Jesus. the true ark. Is the only
place where the Spirit can rest fully. five
are filled with Spirit. we will rest only in
Jesus.
II. And there came q voice from heaven,
saying. Thou art my beloved Son, in whom
I am we'll pleased" See also chapter tx, Z.
where the same testimony was given at the
transformation. In John viii, 90, Jesus
says, ''I do always those things that please
the Father" and in Rom. XIV. 3, IT Is said,
"Even Christ pleased not Himself" Since
the Father Is we'll pleased with Jesus, when
we are we'll pleased with Jesus and accept
and abide in Hin, God Is we'll pleased with
US for Jesus's sake. Let US abide in Him &
John H., 25).-Lesson Helper.
An Aquatic Sport.
Chicago is rejoicing in new aquatic
sport, which has proved very popular, and
Is bringing the happy originator q mint OF