Kansas City observer., 1900-01-27
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON Nv, JANUARY 2S:
MATT. 3: 13, r; II.
The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus
-"Tdis Is My Beloved Son, In Whom
am we1 Pleased"-Matt. 3: If
Prepare for the ,B7st Life.

1S "Then cemeth Jesus" Probably in
January A. D. q. after John had been
preaching six months; from Nazareth, his
home in "Galilee," being about 30 years
old duke 5: 23) ITO Jordan" Probably
at the ford near Jericho and not far from
Rethabara John 1: 29. ITO be baptizeG
of (by) him." Why did Jesus wish to be
baptized? It showed where Jesus stood in
relation to the preaching of John.
IA. John forbade him." The imperfect
tense in the original implies that John
was about to forbid him. as r. ", would
have hindered him." Il have need"
am the sinful but repentant one. L am
the inferior. only the doorkeeper, the pre-
parer of the way.
10. Suffer" Permit. THUS 1t becom-
eth us to fulfill righteousness" For the
reasons given above ". 49,. 1t was the
right thing to do.
16. went up straightway out of the
water" and up the bank of the river. He
was praying as he went Quke 3: 2D. Thus
it was when he was transfgured. THE
heavens were opened" In Mark, R. w.
rent asunder" All that had hidden
from him the view of his heavenly home
and his Father above was rent asunder,
and he saw into the very heaven of heav-'
ems.
Il. 10 a voice from heaven" Three
times during our Lords earthly ministry
was heard a voice from the heaven: ID
at his baptism; (2) at his TRANSPORTATION
Mark 9: ~: (9 in the courts of the tenn
pie during Passion Week John II: 2S).
This is my beloved Son, in whom l am
we'll pleased" Thus God endorsed him
and his mission, and showed to the jew
ish nation that he was the Messiah. II
must also have strengthened and con-
firmed the human Jesus as to his nature
and his work.
1. ''Then was Jesus led up of the Spir-
It," 1t was just after his baptism and he
was full of the Holy Spirit duke a: D.
1t was some impulse of this Spirit that
impclled him to go mark 1: 1N. Into
the Wilderness" Where in solitude he
could be absorbed in intense meditation,
and fight for himself the great battle with
temptation. Mark says he was with the
wild beasts" g. e. without human COM
panionship or help. ITO be tempted or
the devil For the whole forty days, ao-
cording to Luke. 1t was not merely one
sudden assault. The three temptations
were either a summary of the whole forty
days experience, or the final assaults at
the close.
q "Fasted forty days and forty nights"
Being tempted all the time mark, Luke.
He was probably thinking, praying. plan
ming HE was afterward an hungered"
When the reaction has begun, hunger as
serts its claims with a force so terrible
that (as has been shown again and again
in human experience such moments are
fraught with the EXTREMIST peril to the
soul.-Cam. Bible.
8. '"The tempter came to him." In this
hour, when his desire for food was
strongest and his powers of resistance
weakest IF thou be (arD the Son or
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
flat 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: 3. quoted
from the Greek translation. Man shall
not live by bread alone" By food for the
body.
5. "Taketh him up into the holy city"
Jerusalem. literally, or in spirit. "On
(the) 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"
G. "If thou be the Son of Cod" Thus
planting 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.
I. 1T is written Oeut. G: 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. IL 1-7.-Lutheran
Com It 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 Word.
s. "The devil taketh him up" probably
in vision or Imagination. as there is no
mountain from which can be seen with
the natural eye "all the Kingdoms of 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. All THESE lIllIlBS VIII give IHPe
In a measure Satan did have these things
Christ later called him the prince of
this world" On everything he had
stamped his seal. eff thou wilt fall down
and worship me-" Satan does not mean
a bald act of worship, a 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 Ithuriels spear that
made everything it touched appear in its
true nature, as Milton represents it In
the temptation in Eden. For it is writ
ten Deut. 6: 19, 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 OF
gaining the true kingdom of God.
II. "Then the devil leaveth him." 'Fo1
a season" duke 4: 13). He was tempted
again and again; at last in Gethsemane
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 q Kings 10: -.
and with all spiritual support, comfort
and companionship.