The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-01-16
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

Ministry OF John the baptnt--Luke
8,1B-ss.
Specially Arranged from Peioubet's Notes
ooIprN Trxr.-Behold the Lamb of God
which taketh away the sin OF the world
John 1:2s.
whole life Of John as the forerunner OF
P1SAIss. LEI Acsoyrrs. . & q s;i-i7; Mark
EsSssnGlcs,ss sSss g; ss s 81 ss 81 Msrk
6: 1873.
TrMp.-John began to preach in the sum-
mer of A. D. 26; preached nearly two years.
of which year and three months were CO.
incident with the ministry Of Jesus.
PLAcE.--John preached in the wild, thinly.
Inhabited region lying west Of the Dead
Jesus was at Rethabara, the fords @ Of tho
Jordan. f1ve miles northeast OK Jer1cho.
EXPLANATORY.
JOHN POINTS Our THE MEssIAH.-He
does this in three ways. N) To the peo-
pie by description, as here. (2) BY
a declaration, to the deputation Of the
priests from Jerusalem John 1: 1920.
(a) To his disciples, after the baptism
of Jesus John /: 35, 36).
Is. "Were in expectations: waiting to
see what was coming, who and where
the Messiah was. "Mused:" reasoned,
questioned, argued. Whether he were
the Christi" John was such great
prophet, the greatest of all prophets.
with such noble and kingly qualities,
that they questioned whether He were
not actually the expected Messiah.
16. Il indeed baptize with water:" l
administer the outward ordinance and
sign. 1.-THE latchet:" The lace of thong
by which the sandals were fastened.
"Of whose shoes (sandals) l am not
worthy to unloose." AS stockings were
not worn, the feet would become soiled;
and when persons entered house the
sandals were taken off and laid aside,
so that the feet might be washed. This
work belonged to the very lowest serv-
ants, and thus John expressed how
much worthier the Coming One was
.han he. He shall baptize you with the
Holy Ghost:" ("Ghost" is old English
for spirit.) The mightiest power in the
universe for renewing the heart and
bringing in the Kingdom of God. "And
with fire." The symbol of the Holy
Spirit. The sun is fire, the source of
all light and heat, purifying. health
giving, the source of beauty. comfort,
life, fruitfulness. and all cheer, and all
power.
II. "Whose fan is in His hand:" The
fan is not a fan in our sense; it is
broad, light, wooden shovel, with which
the grain is thrown up to the breeze,
so that the wind may carry off the light
er chaff while the heavier grain sinks
down clean. "And He will thoroughly
purge:" Cleanse, separate the good
from the bad. "His floor" Threshing
floor, which is usually a circular area
of beaten earth surrounded by low
bank. Here the grain is separated from
the straw by sledge drawn by animals.
1s. "Many other things:" He used
every possible form of expression, illus
tration and point of view, in order to
impress the truth upon the people.
preached he:" The word means
preached good things" preached the
Gospel"
19 "Herod :. being reproved by
Him." This storyis placed here by Luke
to complete the account of John before
entering upon the ministry of Jesus.
A fuller account is given in Mark
6:14-20 "Reproved -. for Herodi-
as :. and for all the evil things"
Herod was then living in open adul-
terry. He had gained Herodias by the
basest perfidy.
20. "He shut up John in prison." ac-
cording to Josephus in the castle of
Macherus, seven miles northeast of the
Dead sea.
We uurn back again in the history
to the sixth or seventh month of Johns
ministry, probably January A. D. 26,
at Bethabara, a ford of the Jordan.
21. snow when all the people were
baptized" Either after the baptism
of the great crowds during the early
portion of Johns ministry, or at the
close of some day when John had bap-
tized all the multitudes who desired
it. "Jesus also being baptized" He
came from Nazareth at this time
(MarlS). Matthew says that Jesus was
baptized in order "to fulfill all righteous
ness:" by His baptism Jesus took
public stand on the right side. 1t was
public remuneration of sin and profess
sion of religion. "And praying" Note
how two great blessings came to Jesus
during prayer. The descent of the Holy
Spirit, and the transfiguration. "The
heaven was opened" Probably there
was some supernatural appearance in
the sky; not during, but after the bap-
tism.
22. "The Holy Ghost descended in a
bodily shape like a dove:" 1t was not
dove, but in the form of
dove. 1t was "a most capti-
waiting symbolism. All along the
ages it is the power of His gentleness,
and tenderness, and dmeekness-Hisl love,
in short-that has been victorious."-
Morrison. "A voice from Heaven"
Three times during our Lords earthly
ministry was voice heard from Heaven:
G) At His baptism; (2) at His trans
figuration Mark 9:O; (3)in the courts
~ hn Tor nj