The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-01-09


who shall be the expected Messiah When
Jesus appears st. John Baptist recognizes him
and baptizes him. The conduct Of the fore
runner of Christ is so admirable that it will
always prove a useful study for old and young
alike.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
Data
St. Matt. 3: IL, 10; St. Mark, L: g.. st.
Luke, 3: 1918.
The Facts
All the time ST. John Baptist magnifes his
Principal. The gap between the two was great
St John felt unworthy to adjust the latchet Of
Christ's shoes Christ was mgi.tier than ST.
John Baptist When we remember in how
high esteem he stood, the people must have got
ten the idea that his successor was indeed To
le sublime parsonage. He did not claim
credit for the distinction OF being the herald
for such royalty. Ho felt it too great honor
to engage as slave of Christ. St. John baptized
with water. but his successor was baptized with
the Holy Spirit st. John used only the sign
of the sacrament, but Christ impaired what
the sign implied. 1t is the duty of all to
magnify Christ
Suggestion.
Point men to Christ. Never magnify your
self at the expense of the Messiah. When the
people asked ST. john Baptist " Whether lie
were the Christ not? he answered, saying
unto them all, / indeed baptize you with
wafer; but one mightier than ] cometh, the
laichet OF whose shoes / ain not worthy to I'M
loose; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost
and with fire." This humility on the part Of
St. John Baptist is the more remarkable, wo
contrast it with the valoTons. daring. defiant
attitude assumed by him when he hurls that
metaphor at the publicans (St. Luke. 3: ~,
Generation of vipers." Men who have n low
opinion of themselves in Gods sight are often
est bra ,yit hpin m at
titude as to Christ was very reverential. The
late Bishop Phillips Brooks wrote: " Eface
yourselves; and the only way to do il is 10 stand
in the presence of God. and be so possessed with
Him that there shall be no space or time for
the poor intrusion of your own little person
atty"
THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST.
Data
st. Matt, 3:13-17; St. Mark. l. Oil; st.
Luke, 3: q, %.
We may date August, a. D. % St John Bap-
tist was 30 years and six months OF age. Jesus
30 years old. t3:23)
We find the age when1the Levies began their
services first mcntioned in NJ, 4: 3. % They
began at 80 years of age, and served till 30
years old Later, as we in M, 81 81, %
the age 1t beginningwas %, and that at ceasing
80 years. David fixed 1.-THE age of commencing
,,
Jews returned to jerusalem after the captivity,
and re- established Temple services, the term Of
service was from 30 years old TO so Ezra,
3:s 8ss
We find that Jesus was not Of the Levitical
family, and was not obliged 10 follow any laws
established to priests Levites.
1t was very fitting that one setting out on
such an important mission as that which en-
gagged Chrst's attention should be as old as
30 years. We may saythe same as to his fore
runner. I no n-Is
ain those days" fst. Mark, /: 81 refers to
the time when Jesus was 30 years of age.
If there fixed age for person to
begin his priesthood. analogy might suggest
that any great religious teacher could fifty set
out at that specified age. But this may not
have governed at all as TO Christ's age for hap
ism aud Inauguration into his mission as the
Messiah.
Where.
We learn from the account by st. Mark that
Jesus left his home at Nazareth aud went TO
Bethabara for the purpose of meeting st. John
Baptist and being baptsed by him. Nazareth
to Bethaba-a so miles.
Nazareth was the residence OF Jesus from the
time he two years old until be was 30.
ST. Matt, 223; St. Luke 9: 81. Some think
he worked during part of said time a
penter. st. Matt. 10: 80; st. Mark. 6: 3; st.
L., 3: % A Nazareth he increased in stature,
wisdom, and favor st. L., 9: 40 SO. His resi-
dcnce in Nazareth diverted from him the |
jealous rulers under Archelaus and his sue /
cessors. The last they knew Of him he was a |
babe at Bethlehem.
While Jesus passing childhood, youth, and |
early mani hood i'm Galilee, St. John Baptist was |
living at Juttah making many excursions out
into the surrounding deserts.
The wilderness Of JuG9a, in which John
lived his life of retirement and afterward be-
gan his prophetic preaching, covers tho whole
eastern part of Judea. beginning almost at
Jerusalem, and reaching away under d itfeTent
names to the Dead Sea aud the southern
desert 1t was not desert. but in some parts
wild, hilly. thinlyinhabitcd region; in
others, according TO Geikie. dreary waste of
rocky valleys, in places stern and terrible, the
rocks cleft and shattered into riffs and gorges
sometimes thousand feet in depth, though
only 80 or 40 in width"
The place of baptism of Jesus was Bethabara
five miles northeast of Jericho. st. John, 1:
%. Probably Bethabara is practically the
same as Bethany. and the place was a Bethany
in Perea instead of Judea The word means a
ford a ferry. 1t there many people
crossed over from Judea to Perea, or the re-
verse.
The Baptism Of Christ.
Priests were washed an Inauguration cere-
mOny. Lev. 8: 6. Christ would become in
all points like his brethren. Heb, 9: II God
came a man (EmanueD, he would himself
recognize the propriety and the validity OF his
own laws. st. John Baptist preached reforma-
ton, holiness, repentance, and Christ would
side with these qualities and so sustain the
work of ST. John Baptist. In certain sense
Christ was not himself while incarnated on
earth, but he was we; acted for us; received
the ordinances needed by mankind; suffered
infections due to sin by coming into cl.tions
with us sinners. He was the representative of
the human race. He would not only be our
Savior, but our Example. Heb, A: 10; 3: 10.
Christ was Jew. He was related to an un-
clean people, though himself holy. Levitically,
ceremonially, legally by race, he was among
the unclean OF Hag., 9: IA. 1t was becoming
". Isl then for him, to be baptized with the
rest. Further, Christ, as our High Priest,
must be consecrated to his office Baptism to
Christ was in some sense an equivalent for the
amounting by oil of prophets, priests, and kings. !
among the Jews Baptism was proper righte-
Gus. seemly ordinance and not uniting for
Christ
Jesus insisted on Baptism, and that though
the baptism of ST. John Baptist was nomi-
nally at least, unto repentance. But no inbred
sin necessarily attaches itself to the word re-
pentance. 1t may have spiritual and ecclesi-
astic Specification. The highest idea Of the act
indicated by the word repentance is increase in
perfectness. Though divine, Christ could grow
physically and mentally. Such growths are
characteristics of humanity, and Jesus was
surely human. He could repent in the sense
lac could ascend from lower to higher attain