The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-12-26
SUNDAY MEDITATION,
A Study of The International Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for Jan.
5, 1896.
Subject: The Birth of st. John Baptist Fore
told to Zacharias by an Angel st. Luxe,
1;5-1s.

Subject: The Birth of st. John Baptist Fore
told to Zacharias by an Angel. st. Luke,
1;5-1s.
zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
| indicated above!
INTRODUCTORY
We are now to study for some time the
Gospel according to st. Luke. 1t is plain he
was companion of st. Paul. See COL, a: IA I;
Philemon. "a; 2 Tim. 4: IL. 1t is thought he
is referred to i'm 2 Cor, 8: IL. lie IS called
Lucas. which is a contraction of Lucanus.
Philem., "a. 1t is thought from Col. a: IL,
that he was not Jew. from the fact he is not
mentioned as one of the circumcised. lie
wrote the third Gospel, and it is named from
him. He also wrote the book of the Acts OF
the Apostles. 1t is not thought he ever saw
Christ. Tradition says he was painter, and
| Christian art represents him symboically by
the figure OF au OK. His Day in the Church
Kalsndar is Oct IS. We are sure of very little
of the personal characteristics of the Evangelist.
| We know he lived many years, was n d1ligent
worker for the Church, suffered many hard
| ships. Some traditions declare he died mar
! tyr.
The BIRTH OF ST. JOHN BAPTIST PRoPHE-
CIED.
Data
We have the single account of St. Luke,
/: 5-17. The story is told in very simple,
tender way.
Time.
We date three fourths of year before tho
birth OF St. John BAPTIST. ID months before the
advent of the Messiah Jesus. Our Bible mar
gins say Before the common account called
Ammo Domini the sixth year "-B c. D to O.
about 900 years ago.
The visit of the angel to Zacharias was made
at Jerusalem in the Holy Place of the Temple
OH Mt. Moriah. The room was dark. lighted
only by a candelabra. In 10 was the table. or
! altar, of incense aud the sacred bread used in
| the religions services. When the people were
! PRAYING in the more exterior part OF the
! Temple Xacharias, as the then officiating
/ priest, offered incense on the altar in the Holy
| Place. He was unattended. Alone in that
/ sacred place, engaged in holy rite, quite alb
! sorbed in his religious feeling, he must have
/ been amazingly surprised when there appeared
| a form, most likely human in shape. Then
when words were uttered in that Place, which
/ was not given to conversation, no wonder he
| was so deeply impressed.
Tie Parents.
! Elizabeth. They had been married many
| years, but had no children There was no ex-
| pectstion of parentage. The priest and his
! wife advanced in years. So much more
! surprised was Zacharias when told by the
/ Angel that som to be born to him.
There was great fitness in the fact parents of
son destined to such distinction the
forerunner Of Christ were so consistent in
their lives. Both were righteous. The tidings
OF parentagc were welcomed by both. 1t was
in fact. in accordance with an earnest prayer
of their earlier married life. Aud the event
was the more gratefel since the son was to be
so honored-to become great help TO the
Messiah-and to rcceive such renown during
all time. 60
The Son.
BY Oriental custom, when n great charac-
ter was to appear he was heralded by crers,
who went in ad vance aud prepared the people
TO receive the royal person. The Office work
of St. John Baptist was 10 act as forerunner of
Jesus. Fifty he was born one-half year be-
fore the Messiah; fifty he entered on his career
six months before Jesus began His ministry.
lie baptized Christ and introduced him TO the
world. We see he was of the Levitica tribe
son of priest. His mother. too of Aaronic
origin. His name was given from heaven,
John. V. Is. When the parents came to give
the son name, the father, Iacharias. recalled
this fact and insisted his son should BIO named
John. lie is often called ST. John Baptist to
point out a large part of his work, which was
to baptize. He passed his first years at Juttah
near Hebron He probably studied much with
his father. Sometime before he was 30 years
old he went out into the wilderness of Jndea
and began to stir up the people. declaring to
them the speedy coming of the Messiah-urg
ing them to suitable spiritual PREPARATION
meeting great success. When Jesus came his
forerunners work was practically completed.
..tI Gntf Il
decreased while Christ increased. He met
great persecution at length and became n
martyr His head was cut off by order of
Herod Antipas.
Explanations.
]. Herod. VS.. Herod the Great. He con-
tinued TO rule till the Infant Jesus was, we
may suppose one year old. His sons succeeded
him, dividing up the territory and adding to
IT, We remember the Jews were then sub
jected people. under the rule of Governors APP
pointed by the Roman authority. This was
great grief to the Jews. and the idea of saliva
ton i'm their minds was rescue from such
heather control.
2. Course Of Abba (Abijah). The priests were
divided up into "a classes or courses and rem
dered service successfully for two weeks. Zach
aras belonged to the course of Alba, which
officiating at the time the Angel appeared
to him. The time was probably fitted to the
place. Gabriel could have called Zacharias
when the priest was in some humble spot at
Juttah. but it was very fitting the communica-
ton, which was so important impressive, sig
nificant for time and eternity, be made in the
Holy Place.
>. Righteous before God. 6. They were
righteous in the sense in which God interprets
that word. God would call them righteous.
There are different standards of right. The
standard of God is more delicate than that of
man, and the human standard is not uniform.
They not righteous God is righteous,
but they were righteous according to their
knowledge of right and their ability to match
by conduct their ideal of right.
4. Walking. v. 5. Living, in their conduct.
The paths Of their lives were along the avenues
of religious duties as prescribed by God.
5. Commandments and ordinances. Y. g. We
are responsible creatures. God holds us to the
Divine law. Special reference may be made
TO the Ten Commandments known as the Moral
Law. But Zacharas and wife observed also
the ceremonial or Levtical laws They kept
sacredy all the rites which God prescribed
through Moses. 5 o
g. Blamcless. V. g. We cannot imagine the
parents of st. John were perfectly sinless. Had
they been, they could have dispensed with the
ceremonial law They had. if absolutely holy.
no need to offer sacrifices. When men and