Passaic City record., 1896-01-18
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JANUARY 19.
Lesson Text: "The Ministry of John
the Baptist" Luke ill.,, 1922
Golden Text: John l.,
29-Commen ntary.

Is. "And as the people were in expectation
and all men mused in their hearts of John,
whether he were the Christ or not.'' John
was in the deserts till the day of his showing
unto sIsrael (chapter. l.. 80). Then in Gods
appointed time the word of God came unto
John in the wilderness, aud he went forth to
preach the baptism of repentance for the re-
mission of sins (chapter ill.,, 2. 81. The effect
upon many OF the people was simply that of
suspense and debating as to whether John
was the Christ or not. See margin. Some of
them asked him if he was the Christ or
Elijah or that prophet. They need not have
debated the question, nor have remained in
suspense, had they been subjects to the
prophets Isaiah and Malachi. nor would
they nave reasoned much as to who John
was had they been truly expecting Him
whom John preached.
16. John answered, saying unto them all:
indeed baptize you with water. but one
mightier than cometh, the latcher of whose
shoes am not worthy to unloose. He shall
baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with
fire." John said that he was neither Elijah
nor Christ nor the prophet, but only a voice
to be heard and not seen-crying, snake
straight the way of the Lord" And so he
cried. "Behold the Lamb of God!' (John j..
81. 23, 29, 36.) When afterward they told
John that all were following Jesus, he said:
"This my Joy, therefore, is fulfilled. He must
increase, but must decrease" (John ill.,, 90,
3U). This beautiful spirit of John which
seeks nothing for self. but aims only to mag
nifty the Lord, is very much to be desired and
is within our reach, for it is the Spirit of
Christ Himself who never sought His own
will nor His own glory (John ", 30; vi, SO;
viii, 50). He is ready to fill us with His
Spirit duke XII, 13), and He will when we
are ready by His grace to live His life Q[
Cor. iv., 10, 1D.
II. s'Whose fan is in His hand, and He
will thoroughly purge His floor and will
gather the wheat into His garner, but the
chaff He will burn with fire unquenchable."
The baptism of Israel with the Holy Spirit
and with fire will be at the harvest time. the
end of this age (Math. xiii, 40-43; Isa. Xiv.
8; Nal. ill.,, q, but individual believers may
and should be filled with the Spirit now, and
they may also know somewhat of the ex-
perience of fire. for there is much dross in
US to be consumed. The unquenchable fire
ic, however, the same as the Lord Himself
reterred to in Mark tx, 43-48; Math. xiii, AZ.
See also Rev. xiv, Oil.
18. "And many other things in his exhor-
tation preached he unto the people," In
John ill.,, 1886. we find that, among the
other things, John preached that Jesus is
the Son of God (see also chapter j., 34; that
He was sent of God; that He spake the words
of God; that whosoever receives the Son
hath life, but he that receives not the Son
hath no life, but abides under the wrath of
it be given him from heaven, and that it is
great honor to be a friend of the Bridge
groom even of Jesus Christ. Elsewhere He
taught that repentance is nothing unless it
is proved to be real by works corresponding
thereto. We may listen to preaching as
sound and Christ honoring as that of John,
but we read that even the word of God will
not profit those who hear it unless they be-
heve it (Heb. iv., q.
19. "But Herod. the tetrarch. being re-
proved by him for Herodias, his brother
Philips wife, and for all the evils which
Herod had done" The particulars of this
will be found in Mark vi, 1920, where it is
also written that Herod believed John to be
a just and holy man. heard him gladly and
did many things.s Some would say, therefore,
that John might have done more for Herod
if he had kept his favor and been gentle
with him and not rebuked his sin, but the
true servant of God has no thought of pleas
ing men so as to keep their favor, even
though they be as great as Herod (Gal. l.,
20). Our one and constant aim must be to
please Him who has given US so great a trust
as His gospel QI Thess. H.. A..
20. "Added yet this above all-that he
shut up John in prison." This was no new
experience for prophet of the Lord, as a
king of judah put Hanani in prison because
of the Lords message through him. Mi
caiah was smitten, put in prison and fed on
bread and water because he was faithful to
God. Jeremiah also was smitten and i'm
prisoned in the dungeon (II Chron. xvi, 10;
xviii, 23, 26; Jer. xXxvii., 15). The Lord
Jesus told His apostles very plainly that
they must not fear tribulation, imprison-
ment or even death (John xvi, l. 2, SO; Rev.
H., 10; Math. X. 2S). In Jas. ", 10, we read
that the prophets are to us an example OF
suffering, affection and of patience, and in
II Pet. H., 21-23, our Lord Himself is spoken
of as our example in these things.
21 "NOw when all the people were bap-
tized, it came to pass that, Jesus also being
baptized and praying, the heaven was
opened" Luke is the only one who speaks
of Jesus praying at His baptism. He spent
much time in prayer. How can we do His
works without it2 Matthew tells us that
John at first objected to baptising Him on
account of his (John's) greater need but that
Jesus replied, saying, "Suffer it to be SO now
to fulfill all righteousness" (Matn. ill.,. IA,
15). Jesus was and is righteousness itself
and becomes our righteousness when we ac-
cept Him (Rom. x. 4: II Cor. ". 21). See
heaven opened in John l.. !; Acts vii, x; Rev.
iv., XIX, and Ezek. i.
90 "And the Holy Ghost descended in a
bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a
voice came from heaven which said: Thou
art My beloved Son. In Thee am well
pleased" He was and is the true ark, where
only the dovelike Spirit finds perfect rest.
At Pentecost we read of tongues of fire in
connection with the SPIRIT coming upon the
disciples, but Christ needed no fire. He was
always and in all things we'll pleasing to
God. If we are willing to live His life, He
will by His Spirit work in us that which is
well pleasing in Bis sight Ii Cor. iv., II; W,
8: Rom. xiii, 1, 2; Heb. xiii. 21). His life
had but one aim-to glorify God.-Lessop
Helper.