Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-12-30
TIE SUNDAY scHooL.
International Lesson for January =,
Isa---Jesus and JOHN matthew
a.-s-
LArraneed - Pe.oaLet.s Notasl


! Christ's life UP 70 the Temptation Matt,
chaps 1-S; Mark 1.l-II: Luke 1-3; John
BIS
j TIME-John the Baptist began 10 preach
N the summer Of A. T. Is. The baptism Of
Jesus was about January, A d. e.
4 PLACE.-The preaching of ohm the Ban
1 list was in the wilderness of JuGea-a wild
hiily, thinly Inhabited region mot a desert)
i lying west Of the Dead Sea ard the lower
Jordan. Johns ministry extended as far
/ north as Enon, near Salin1, two-thlrds Of
the way up the Jordan from the Dead Sea
The baptism OF Jesus was doubtless at the
{ -ds OF the Jordan, called Bethabara, FIVE
{ miles northeast Of Jericho.
EXPLANATORY
+ Work Of john the Baptist.-Vs.
7-12. John the Baptist was borr
il the summer Of II. c. 5. six
months before Jesus, probably at Heb
ron. lie was brought NJ III a retired
way in the wilderness, till he was 80
/ years old. Then six months before the
public appearance of Jesus He began
to preach repentance in the wilderness
of Judea. John the Baptist prepared
the way by awakening a great religious
interest among the people. Great
multitudes crowded to hear him. The
whole nation was stirred to the depths
with fear, repentance and hope.
z When He saw many Of the Phari-
sees and Sadducees:" The two leading
religious sects of the Jews, including
the principal men of the nation. Come
to his baptism:" Why? Possibly
With a half-conscious feeling of sin
and need. If the new Kingdom was
coming, they might want chief places
in it. They would be baptized Luke),
if by so easy form they could he par
takers in the kingdom. 20 generation
of vipers:" The most venomous and
dangerous of the many poisonous
snakes of Syria. 1t is of small size, gives
no warning rattle and elC y resembles
the gray rocks where it ges. 1t darts
upon its victim unawares. This treach-
erous habit of the viper and the deadly
poison of its bite gave point to the
comparison. who hath warned you
to flee from the wrath" They had
come to be baptized, not to repent, to
go through form, not to change their
natures. Who had told them that the
outward form would save them? 1.-The
wrath to come" The punishment that
must come upon the guilty nation, and
the sinful individual, unless they for
sock their sins.
5. Bring forth therefore," if you
really wish to be saved, and to escape
If you wish to be baptized. Fruits
meet for repentance
II. Il indeed baptize you with wa
ter" / give you the sign and symbol.
l call you to repentance; but | cannot
give you new life. | point you to one
that cometh after me-" whose fore
runner | am, but who is so much great
er, better, more worthy than /, that
his "shoes | am not worthy to BEAR
| am not worthy to perform the low
est, most humble service for Him.
He shall baptize you with the Holy
Ghost, and with fire." of whom and of
whose work fire is the symbol; enlight-
ening, purifying, life-giving, health
giving, comforting, consuming impuri-
ties, full of power.
IL Whose fan is in His hand:" A
winnowing fan. I'm His hand" all
ready for use. And He viii thorough
ly purge (cleanse) His foor,'' separat-
ing the chatf from the wheat, the bad
from the good His wheat" The
good, the true members of His king
dom. Into the garner" Granary;
the right place for the wheat; the king
dom of Heaven; Heaven. But i
the chaff:" The refuse, the useless. rep
rcsenting all who continue in sin. unre-
pentant, good for nothing. harmful.
He will burn with unquench-
allie fire" that no power can put out
OF enable them to escape.
Baptism and Descent of Holy Spirit
VS. 1917. 3D. Then cometh jesus"
Probably in January, \. d. 81. after
John had been preaching six months.
TO be baptized of him" As the other
people were doing.
H. "John forbade Him." He protested
against il. Il have need" He recog
nized in some degree who it was.
is. THUS it becometh rs to fulfil all
righteousness: So that He would be
prepared for His great work. (1) As
a teacher of the law acknowledgements
its authority and obey it.
10 went up straightway out of the
water" and up the bank of the river.
He was praying as He went. Luke SEQ.
Thus il was when He was TRANSPORTED.
ne heavens were opened. IN MARX y.
-. rent asnnder." "Ie (Jesus) saw so
did John John 1890, and doubtless
all who were looking. The Spirit Of
God descending like dove" The dove
was historically connected in the Jew
ish mind with the abatement of the
waters after the flood. and has become,
as we'll as the olive branch, symbol of
peace among all Christian people.
II. 10, voice from Heayen:" Three
times during our Lords earthly minis
trY was voice heard from Heaven: ()
ait His baptism: t2l at His transtigura-
ton mark a:7l; l3l in the courts Of
the temple during Passion Week John
1a:2sl. This is my beloved Son, i'll
Whom I am Well pleased:" Thus God
Endorsed Him and His mission, aud