The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-07-26
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
international Lesson for August 3, 1904
Baptism of Jesus-Mark 4. Ill.

. GOLDEN TExT-Thou art my beloved Son, In
whom Inn well pleased-Mark l:ll
TIME-The baptism Of Jesus was probably in
January, A. d. "a. The ministry Of John the
Baptist began in the summer Of A. d. 26, and
continued till March, A. ID. 2s, when he was i'm
prisoned by Herod.
PLAcE.-The baptism of Jesus was doubtless
at the fords OF the Jordan called Bethabara.
Ave miles northeast Of Jericho The preach
ing of John the Baptist was in the wilderness
of Judea-a wild, hilly, thinly inhabited region
mot a desert) lying west Of the Dead Sea and
the lower Jordan. Johns ministry extended
as far north as Enon. 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.-Ttberius Cesar, emperor Of Rome;
Johns preaching began in his thirteenth year
as sole ruler; Pontius PLATE, governor OF
Judea (first year,; Herod Antipas, Of Galilee
and Perea (thirtieth); Herod Philip, Of Trachon-
tits Idumea, and the northern regions beyond
Jordan.
JOHN THE BAPTIST.
John the Baptist Preparing the Way
for Christ.-Vs 4-s. Studying these
verses in connection with the descrip-
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
of the times Matt. 3:2l
Second. He led the people 10 deep
conviction of sin, and thus made the
people feel the need of Saviour.
Third. He awakened general in
terest among the masses. There was a
wide extended ferment of thought and
feeling and hope, and this was great
and necessary preparation for the re-
ception of Christ To come to people
without thought of or interest in reli-
gious things is like sowing good seed on
the frozen ground of winter or the
sands of Sahara
What Drew the Crowds?-W The
wonderful influence which men OF
thought exercise over men OF action.
The two are necessary to each other.
(2) 1t was ministry of terror. Fear
has peculiar fascination. You could
not go among the dullest set and preach
graphically and terribly of hell fire
without insuring large audience. (3)
Men felt he was real. Reality is the
secret of all success He spoke as men
speak when they are in earnest.-F. w.
Robertson. (D A consciousness Of sin
and need, and the hope that here was
help and salvation. (5) There was a
general expection, such as drew the
wise men from the east, that the time
of the Messiah must be 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
multitudes 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
r. V. removes the "all" and places it
before "they of Jerusalem The place
five miles northeast of Jericho) was
known as Bethabara, ''the House of the
Ford" Fords do not change in 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 Gilead. Here probably
the Israelites first crossed into Canaan
(Tristam's Land of Israeli; and twice
afterward was it miraculously opened
by Elijah and Elisha e Kings, 2:S, l4).
"Confessing their sins:r The very act
of baptism was a confession Of sins and
promise of repentance, but doubtless
they also, as Afford says, made ''s par
ticular and individual eonfession;" not,
however, made privately to John, but
before the people. No one truly re-
pents who does not also confess-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. He
was NaZarite from his birth; his hair
was uncut, his beard unshaven, and he
lived a life of the strictest self-denial.
Sixth. John preached Christ to the
people. Z. "And preached" John did
much more than baptize; he warned,
and entreated and persuaded men to
repentance, and proclaimed the coming
Christ. There cometh one mightier
than IT, He called attention away
from himself, who was but a man, to
the Divine Saviour, who was able to
save them from their sins, who could
WELD all influences and conquer all
enemies 1.-The latchet of whose shoes"
or rather, sandals. "Latchet," word
now obsolete, was the thong" or ''lace"
with which shoes or sandals were fast
ened.-Plumptre. II am not worthy
to unloose:" II was the business of the
lowest servants to bind on, to loose,
and carry about their masters sandals
The general sense is: Il am not worthy
to perform for him the humblest Of
fces."-Mimpriss. Johns humility is
as marvellous as his greatness.-Glover.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
The unrepentant heart, the cold
church, the masses of men, are like a
wilderness, with many beautiful things
therein, but full of obstacles to the