The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-27
THE sUNDAY-sCHOOL LESSON.
Jan. %, 19OO-Matthew fiji, 13; Nv. IL
baptism and Temptation OF Jesus.


Jesus consciousness OF His divine mission.
which had first been quickened into life in HIS
fathers house eighteen years before. had nov
Powered out into the full apprehension OF hi
Messianic character and work. He wiped IN
sweat OF manual labor from His brow for the
last time. He laid down the tools OF His craft
and closed the door of the carpenter shop behinfs
Him forever. His forerunner had come
more than half way up the Jordan valley TO
meet Him. Indeed, he was scant twenty miles
away. With what sacred emotions Jesus went 10
His epiphany. His Inauguration in the sight OF
heaven and earth AT the close OF
days preaching when perhaps the torch OF truth
had famed most fiercely and the last conscience
stricken sinner had taken upon him the seal OF a
new life. the Nazarene approached the Baptist
BY signs infallble John knew the Messiah stood
before him. . There nothing for
tuitous in Jesus request He left his Galilean
home for the express purpose OF receiving bap-
tism of his forerunner 1t seemed incongruous to
John that the less should bless the greater He
was in the act OF hindering him. He who had
been father-confessor to the nation now turned
confessionist and cried, II have need TO be bap-
tized OF Thee!'' A mock humility would have
persisted in the refusal. John showed his faith
by obeying a command that was Incompetent
sbe. Jesus reply is the second recorded
utterance OF His lips-the first of His public min
Suffer 1t to be so now" That now" signines
the transformers OF His humiliation. "For thus
il becometh to fulfill all righteousness the
perfection Of His Identification with humanity.
What was obligatory man was binding upon
the Man Christ Jesus. Well said the
fathers. Go to Jordan and thou shalt see the
Trinity" Out of the cleft heavens came the in
effable voice of the Father. In bodily shape the
Holy Ghost descended while In those lustrous
st he Son. he first time
and the last in the earth's history, there was a
simultaneous manifestation of the Triune God
Father. Son and Holy Spirit. With such a triple
omen was the Messiah inaugurated.
The temptation OF Jesus has been declared the
most difficult Of all tho events OF sacred history
to interpret. but the difficulty is reduced 10 a
minimum IL one keeps in mind that Jesus had
true human SOUL with all its natural appeten-
cies. I'm this fierce conflict" Presence says
Jesus raised himself from the state OF natural
and instructive innocence to holiness OF
choice-a perilous transit. in which the first
Adam fell. but in which the second Adam con-
quered by the sole arms of faith and prayer
and not by girding on impenetrable pam
oply His eternal godhead." Jesus had
become aware of the mighty miracle working
power with which He was invested; also OF the
lowly and suffering way in which His messianic
kingdom was to be established. These disclos-
ures were enodgh to impel Him to some unin-
habited place, where, free from interruption He
might adjust himself to His calling and develop
plan of procedure. The forty-day noun
tain. II that was the site of Jesus trial. was
place strangely in harmony with His expert
ences- Just as Jesus emerged from His long pc
Rod Of absorbed meditation and His physical ma
ture asserted its claims. the tempter interjected
the thought, If you really are, as yoa imagine.
the Son of God, command these loaf-shaped
stones to be changed into bread. and by that
means assure yourself Of your divinity and ap-
pease your hunger But Jesus reasoned: 1.-The
Israelites were forty years learning the depend
ence upon the simple word and promise OF God.
With their example L ought to learn the lesson
in forty days. Again Jesus felt himself 20 be
standing on a dizzy height. The devil wanted
Him to entertain in His mind the purpose of cast
ing himself down. but Jesus considered that to
make emergency for the sake OF display
would be despicable. Finally, Jesus knew He
was to set up a kingdom on earth-slowly and
by His own suffering. Now, the kingdoms dis
played to Him i'm a panorama offered to
Him instantaneously by the god of this world II
He will serve him as well His Father. and
make His mission temporal one, such as the
Jews were expecting. The moral nature of
Jesus rises to its full height. as with holy wrath
He scorns the very suggestion and cries
"Avaunt"' to the tempter
THE TEACHERS LANTERN.
In His baptism Jesus both identified with
and separated from sinners. After all the people
had been baptized He apart from them, received
the rite. And John expressly affirmed that he
stood in no need OF it as sign OF repentance or
cleansing. but for exemplary purposes he on his
own part proposed to submit it. Having been
circumcised-' redeemed by His parents-having
offered HIS sacrifices and attended the feasts so
would He be faithful to this latest ritualistic
requirement and thus fulfill all the ceremony
that typiied the desire for righteousness.