The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-01-13
GHE SUNDAY SCHOOL
3rERNATIoNAl LESSON COMMENTS.
FOR JANUARY ~.

ject The Baptism and Temptation OF
lJesus, Matt. ILL.,, IS to w., 11-Golden
Eext, Matt. Ill.,, 17-Memory Verses, iv.,
b,4-Commentsry on the Days Lesson.
IL The baptism Tvs. 1910. 10. "Com-
eth Jesus" So far as We know this was
His first public; act since ;, He was twelve
Aen| on near to Salim John 8: 2, 81, a days
jour |ney from Nazareth "Unto john y
Although John was His cousin we are told
John !: 33) that he "knew Him metz"
JESUS to be the Messiah. ''To he bap-
tized." ANY confession of sin was Of course
out .Iof the question. There was only a
prof ession on the part of Jesus that as
an i;raelite He became subject to the
law, and that He was connected with hu-
manity by the ties of blood, of suffering
and Of love: This act was an endorsement
Of IJShn and a solemn Inauguration OF his
"a. 'iForbad." Earnestly and pressing
Nv 6Hposed Him. ri have need" etc. Al
..tSurh John was filled with the Holy
Ghost from his birth (Euke l: l5l. yet
he needed the baptism of the Holy Ghost
and fire. He NEEDED to receive larger
measure of the gifts and graces of the
Holy Spirit. Is. Suffer it to be SO now"
These were the first words of .Christ's
public ministry. In this Jesus hImbled
righteousness" To leave nothing undone'
which would be honoring to the require
men ts of God. "He suffered Him. The
san, e modesty. which led him at first to
decline the honor Christ offered him now
caused him to perform the service Christ
enloined upon him.
16: "The Heavens were opened. Luke
says that .Tesns prayed asesoon as He was
baptized luke 8: 2n. Here is the first
recorded prayer of Christ and it's answer.
It Was. when He was praying that the.
all probability it. was this. that He was
praying for. A threefold sign was given:
J.. The Heavens opened. 2. The dove
descended. g. The Father snake. He
saw Christ saw it Mark Il: l0l, and
John saw it (John 1: SO. 34). aud: it .
probable that all who were present saw lt,.
for this was intended to be HIS public
inaug uration. Like a dove" There has
Sa been "a difference G opinion sa.s as t1 Theses
Luke 3: 22). il. :Mv beloved Son"
Jesus Christ is the Son of God from eter.t
nifty. He never began, to be His Son., He
was also His Son because OF His SUPER
natural birth, and He was His Son by
special designation to the work OF the
worlds Redeemer." -
II. The first temptation Tvs. l-4) ].
"'Theh." Immediately after. His baptism.
Such are the violent alterations of human
experience; baptized and tempted; Ts ap,
devil. "Of the snirit." Luke says BE was
"full Iof the Spirit" Mark says, the Spirit
driveAh Him. A divine influence led Him
on. 'tInto the wilderness" Tradition has
fixed hppn hieh'ridge called Quarantania,
near Jericho. Mark says He was with the
wild beasts. "To be tempted" Christ
begins His work with personal encoun-
te" with Satan. To temnt Is, literally, TO
stretch out, to, try the Strength OF.
Q. Forty days" Moses; Elijah and our
LAd could fast forty days because they
heavenly life. Luke says He was tempt
ed during the whole forty days. The
strugg,fe was powerful. personal and in.
tenselv real. Christ for our sakes met
and conquered the tempter's, utmost
strength. "Afterward an hungered;" After
the forty days were ended. 3. Iempter
came How Satan appeared to Christ
IN i've bodily not form nn0T L 11s must have S BEEN
as an angel Of light: "1f Thou be-"
BewareI Of Temptation that comes with an
if in it'd month "The Son of God" The
consciod sness of His divine Sonship may
now inj a, measure have been Wlthheld;
Alone In the wilderness and weak and
worn rlom fasting, Satan saw his chance.
"Stonesl ! bread" You are hungry;
now if tYon are the Son of God use the
power You have to supply Your necess,, n
this this fr5t I taaa temptation RtSo Satan tempts our
Lord, a3 he did Eve, by the bodily appe-
tite. He appeals to the animal nature
first. Bty this avenue he approaches ana
conquersI the great majority Of mankind.
Beneath this temptation of bodily appetltes
all glutdons, drunkards and debauchees
have fallje and become the devils prey.
4. "It 1s written" Deut. 8: 3. jesus
answered. the devil by using, the sword OF =
the Spirit. "Not live by bread alone =
Human sfpport depends S not on bread, asd,m;us 6us
and pledge of all needful providentiai
III. The second temptation Svs. 80.
S. "Pinnac,e Of the temple" The scene
changes f1om. the wilderness to Jerusalem.
Some we'll known pinnacle must. have
been intended, probably. the royal porch
on the southern side OF the temple. o.
Cas- thyfelft down" In HIS tIrst rePg
to the devil Jesus had shown his nn.
DOunQeu ct0nf1Qence Ill Oou'. wv GSS''
takes Himl all that very point. If Thou
be the Soa of God cast Thyself from this
pinnacle. lAll the world will wonder at
SO grand ah exploit. This was tempta-
ton to presumption, or as Mr.. Farrar
says, to spiritual pride. tFor. it is writ
ten" The devil has Bible, but he mis-.
quotes andi misapplies. "Give his angels
charge" A mutilated quotation Of Pa.
81: II. Z, Tempt. Deut; 6: le. TO
tempt God fs to put Him to the prooft-tc
demand ev1 dence of His power and OF
His will to fulfil His promises, instead OF
waiting patiently and trusting. This temp
tation appealed to the love of show. Those
carried awa4 from God by worldly pleas
ures or the anities of fash hion fall here.
w.. The Third temptation Tvs. 8-1l): g.
Exceeding ,high mountain" Some high
mountain inl .JuGea, where a general view
could be haf of the country. "Sheweth
kinl lgdoms of the world" The
root of the Third temptation lay in the
supposition that the Kingdoms OF the
he could dispose of them. g.. Worship
character. Christ was probably asked to
worship mot BY an external act of hom-
age, but by using force and establishing a
temporal kingdom"
10. "Get thee hence" Jesus parleys
with him no longer, but with authority
commands him I'd go to his own place. The
third temptation appealed to the ambi-
tion. By this temptation the great men
of the world have fallen in myriads. II.
"Devil leaveth Him" Satan had made
the strongest effort cf which he was capa-
bic and had been bafled at every. point.
ANGELS /. niinistered." Brought that