The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-08-03

international Lesson for August d 1906
baptism Of Jesus-Mark I; TAI.

GOLDEN TExT.-Thou art my beloved SON. IN
whom am well pleased MARK III.
TINE The baptism Of Jesus was probably IN
January. A. d. "a. The ministry Of John the
Baptist bcs,an IN the summer Of A. y. 20, and
continued till March, A d, y, when no was i'm
prisoncd by Hcrod.
PrAcE~-Thc baptism OF Jesus was doubtless
81 the fortis of the Jordan. called Bcthabara.
I'VE miles northeast OF Jericho. The preach
ing OF John the Baptist was In the wilderness
OF Judca "A Wild. h.lly. thinly Indebted region,
mot DESERT lyiug west OF the bead sea and
the lower Jordan. Johns ministry extended
a. far north as Anon. near Salim two-thirds OF
the way up the Jordan from the Dead sea.
JESUS. at His baptism. was about thirty years
old.
john THE BAPTIST was six months older
RULERS. -~1ibcrius Cesar emperor 81 Rome;
Johns preaching lcgan In his thirteenth year
as sole ruler Pontius plate, governor OF
Judea (nrst Year,. Eerod Antipas, OF Galilee
ana I'erca uhirticth) Hcrod Philip. OF Tracnon-
tits Idunea and the northern regions beyond
Jordan
JOHN THE BAPTIST.
John the Baptist Preparing the Way
for Christ.--Ns As. Studying these
verses in connection with the dcscrip-
ton of Johns work as given in Mat
| thew and Luke, we note several ways
in which John prepared the way for
the work Of Jesus Christ.
First. John called the attention OF
the people To the fact that the new
kingdom OF God was at hand. His
preaching would set them to searching
the Scriptures and watching the signs
If the times Matt 3:s).
second lie led the people To deep
conviction Of sin, and thus made the
people feel the need of q Saviour.
Third. lie awakened general In
terest among the masses There was
wide extended ferment of thought and
feeling and hope. and this was great
and necessary preparation for the re-
ccption of Christ. To come 10 people
without thought of or interest In reil-
gious things is like sowing good seed on
the frozen ground Of winter or the
sands Of Sahara.
What Drew the CrOwds?-tp Inc
wonderful influence which men OF
| thought exercise over men OF action.
The two are necessary to each other
| (2) 1t was a ministry of terror. Fear
has peculiar fascination. You could
not 90 among the dullest setand preach
graphically and terribly OF hell tire
without insuring a large audience 90
Men felt he WAS real Reality Is the
secret of all success. He spoke as men
speak when they are in carnest.-F W.
Robertson. 4 \ consciousness OF sin
and need. and the hope that here was
help and salvation. 90 There was
general expection. such as drew the
wise men from the east. that the time
of the Messiah must he near. Thus
their personal needs, their patriotism,
their interest in the welfare of their
country awakened an interest which
prepared their minds to consider the
claims of the Gospel; just As now, in
our country. the connecting Of moral
questions with political interests causes
nultitudcs to think about and to discuss
the great moral questions Of the day.
and thus becomes one of the greatest OF
our educating forces.
Fourth. Large numbers were brought
to repentance. and SO prepared to be-
lieve in Jesus. And were all baptized
of him in the river of jordan" the
II. V. removes the ALI and places 1t
before '.thcy of Jerusalem The place
five miles northeast of Jericho) was
known as Bcthabara. .'thc House Of the
Ford" Fords do not change in a river
like the Jordan: roads are never altered
in the east. and this must always have
been, as it is now, the place Of passage
from Jericho to Gilcad. Here probably
the Israclites first crossed into Canaan
cTristam's Land of Israeli; and twice
afterward was il miraculously opened
by Elijah and Elisha G. Kings, rs, ~.
s.Confessing their sins" The very act
of baptism was a confession of sins and
. n promise Of repentance, but doubtless
they also. as Afford says, made IA par
ticular and individual eonfcssion;" not,
however. made privately to John, but
before the people. No one truly re-
penis who does not also confcss-to
God the sins against God, To man the
sins against man., ever also making
restitution as far as possible.
Fifth. Johns appearance as a prophet
aided him in his preparatory work. lie
was Nazarite from his birth; his hair
was uncut, his beard unshaven. and he
lived life Of the strictcst sclf-denial-
sixth. John preached Christ TO the
people. :. 'And preached" John did
much more than baptize; he warned,
' and entrcatcd and persuaded men "a
repentance. and proclaimed the coming
J Christ There cometh one mighticT
than l." lie called attention away
from himself who was but man, 70
the Divine Saviour, who was able t.
save them from their sins. who could
!. WELD all influences and conquer al
! enemies THE latchet cf whose shoes
or rather, sandals "Latchet,' word
now obsolete. was the "thong" or lace
with which shoes or sandals were fast
encd.- Plumptre. II am not worthy
7 TO unloosc:" 1t was the business OF thu
Q lowest servants TO bind on. to loose
and carry about their masters sandals
The general sense is: II amnot worthy
70 perform for him the humblest OF
0 fees impriss Johns humility i
) rs marvellous as his greatness -Glovcr
= PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
The unrepcntant heart, the col'
3 church. the masses of men. are like
=. wilderness, with many beautiful thing
p therein. but full Of obstacles TO tn
y coming and the reign Of Christ
n p,ll EARNEST prcachcrs cOndemnlnt