The independent., 1900-01-27
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON ~. JANUARY 2s:
MATT. 3: I3, 4: II.
The Baptism and Temptation of JesHs
this Is Ally Beloved Son, In Whom
+ 1 am Well PleAsed"-Matt. 8: IL
Prepare for the Best Life.

1S Then cometh Jesus" Probably in
January, A. D. q. after John had been
preaching six months; from Nazareth his
home In 'Galilee," being about 80 years
old Uuke 3: 2S). ITO Jordan" Probably
at the ford near Jericho and not far from
Bethabara John /: 2s). ITO be baptized
of Cby) him. Why did Jesus wish to be
baptized? 1t showed where Jesus stood in
relation to the preaching of John.
a. John forbade him." The imperfect
tense in the original implies that John
was about to forbid him, as r. ", would
have hindered him." II have need" l
am the sinful but repentant one. l am
the inferior, only the doorkeeper, the pre-
parer of the way.
Is. Suffer" Permit. Thus it becom-
eth us to fulfill Righteousness" For the
reasons given above ". 13). 1t was the
right thing to do.
ID. Went up straightway out of the
water" and up the bank Of the river. He
was praying as he went duke 3: 2D. Thus
il was when he was transfgured. THE
heavens were opened" In Mark, r. ",
rent asunder" All that had hidden
fr, IN him the view of his heavenly home
and his Father above was rent asunder,
and he saw into the very heaven of heav-
ems.
- lsO. al NOltt lIOIl HedEtll. III
times during our Lords earthly ministry
was heard a voice from the heaven: "a
at his baptism: (2) at his TRANSPORTATION
(Mark 9: y: 90 in the courts of the tenn
pie during Passion Week John II: 2S).
This is my beloved Son. in whom l am
well pleased" Thus God endorsed him
and his miss on and showed to the Jew
ish nation that he was the Messiah. 1t
must also have strengthened and con-
fin the hun IN his
and his work
j. Then was Jesus led up of the Spir-
ii. 1t was just after his baptism and he
w's full of the Holy Spirit duke 4: u.
1t was some impulse of this Spirit that
lmpelled him to 90 mark /: 12. Into
The Wilderness Where in solitude he
could be absorbed in intense meditat tion
and fight for himself the great battle with
temptation. Mark says he was with the
wild beasts" G @ without human com
nan.onship or help. ITO be tempted of
the devil" For the whole forty days, ac-
cor"ing 10 Luke. IT was not merely one
sudden assault. The three temptations
were ether a summary of the whole forty
days experience or the final assaults at
the close.
"Fasted forty Gays and forty nights"
Be nS tempted all the time mark, Luke.
He was probably thinking. praying. pan-
ming. He was afterward an hungered.
When the reaction has begun, hunger as
serts its claims with a force so terrible
that las has been shown again and again
in human eXperence) such moments are
fra usht with the EXTREMIST peril to the
soul.-Cam. Bible.
3 The tempter came to him. In this
hour, when his desire for food was
strongest, and his powers of resistance
weakest. If thou be (arO the Son of
God, If you really are Gods Son, and
hence are possessed of miraculous pow
ers, command that these stones" prob
ably pointing to one of the small round,
fiat stones lying near him. which looked
like their loaves ''be made bread" and
thus satisfy your hunger, and at the same
time prove that you have the powers of
the true Son of God.
4. 1t is written In Deut. S: 5, quoted
from the Greek transla ton. Man shall
not live by bread alone" BY food for the
body
) 'fTaketh him up into the holy city"
Jerusalem literally, or in spirit. "On n
Che) pinnacle" or rather, wing, ''of the
temple" 'Herod's temple had two wings.
the northern and southern, of which the
southern was higher and grander. hence
probably the wing
6 IF thou be the Son of God" Thus
planting a doubt in his mind. Cast thy
self down" Not into the valley of Hin
nom. but into the court of the temple
among the crowds. For it is written.
in Psa. 81: II, Septuagint (Greek) version
then in common use. The devil can cite
Scripture for his purpose HE shall give
his angels charge" etc Satan's mean
ing is You can do this act in perfect
safety, for you rest On Gods promise,
which cannot be broken. and you honor
God by your perfect confidence in his
Word.
Z 1T is written (Deut 6: 16) again -
On the other hand. as explaining the
words you quote Thou shalt not tempt
the Lord thy God" That is. "distrust
God or test his power presumptuously.
A case is described Ex u: 1-7.-Lutheran
Com 1t is to demand that God should
fulfill his promises TO those to whom they
are not made, and in circumstances in
which they do not apply or else appear
to have dishonored his Wc-3.
s. 1.-The devil taketh him up" probably
In vision or imagination, as there is no
mountain from which can he seen with
die ......laI eye an tne hIngdonIs or the
world. and the glory of them Not only
the splendid courts and cities like Rome.
but the kingdoms of literature, art and
culture in Greece; the 'barbaric pearls
and gold" of the Orient; and possibly a
vision of the future.
y. 'AIl these LnlIlRS VIII L give IneS.
In a measure Satan did have these things.
Christ later called him the prince of
this world" On everything he had
stamped his SEAL ''If thou wilt fall down
and worship me-" Satan does not mean
a bald act of worship, bending in out
ward reverence to the grim king of dark
ness.
10. Get thee hence. Satan" 1t was
by this proposal that Satan revealed HIM
self. This was the IthuriePs spear that
made everything it touched appear in its
true nature, as Milton represents 1T in
the temptation in Eden. For it is writ
ten Deut. 6: 13), Thou shalt worship the
Lord thy God.'' The first and great com
mandment There is none other worthy
of worship, and there is no other way Oh
gaining the true kingdom of God.
H. "Then the devil leaveth him" For
a season. duke A: 13). He was tempted
again and again; at last in Gethseman
and on the cross. And, behold, angels.
Spiritual beings; probably in visible form
on this occasion. "Ministered' most nat
ually means supplied him with FOODS
as in the case of Elijah Il Kings 10: 81
and with all spiritual support comfor