Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-01-14
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
International Lesson Comments For
January II.
Subject The Baptism and Temptation OF
Jesus, Matt hi , Is to w., ll--Golden Text,
Matt ILL.,, H-Memory Verses, w.,
), documentary on the
Days Lesson.

| ]. The baptism Tvs l3l1. I3 Com.
| 9th Jesrs." So far as VIC know this was
His first pubic act since lie was twelve
years old. "To Jordan" Probably at
Aenon near to Salim (John 3: 2, O, a days
| Although John was His cousin we are told
John ]: 33) that he '"kncw Him not"
which may mean that John did not know
! Jesus to be the Messiah. "To hc hap.
| tlzed." Any confession Of sin was Of course
out of the question. There was only
! profession on the part Of Jesus that as
N I]raeiite He became subject to the
law, and that Hc was. connected with hn.
manitv by the ties OF blood, Of suffering
md of love This act was an endorsement
| Of John and solemn Inauguration Of hls
ministry.
a. "Forhad" Earnestly AND pressing
| " opposed Him 81 have need" etc Al.
| though John was filed with the iIov
| Ghost from his birth Mnlic y l5,, yet
| 1c needed the baptism Of the Holy Ghost
md fire. He NEEDED to receive Iafgcr
Holy Spirit. Il "Sufer it TO hc 80 now -
| These were the first words Of Hhrist's
public ministry. In this Jesus hn'nhcd
| Himself at the very outset. 'Fn'it all
righteousness" To leave nothing nndon"
which would be honorinq to tho require.
nents of God. "lIc suffered Him" The
,amc modcsty which led hin, At first to
leclinc the honor Christ offered hin" no"
,aused him to rorform the service Christ
.nioined upon him.
Is. "Thr Heavens were oncnod." Luke
,avs that .Tesns rravcd as soon rs He vas
baptized (Lukn 5: 2N. Here is the first
recorded prayer of Christ and its answer.
It was when He was pray"r that the
Shirt was sent down unon Vim, and N
Ill probability it was This that IL" was
,raving for. A thrcefo!d sign v.ns given;
descended 2. The Father snake. ~,
mw." Christ saw it Mark l: lhl, and
Tohn saw it Hohr ]: -. 81. and it j.
probable that all who we're nrcs"nt sNw y.
or this was Intended to be Us ouNfr
inauguration. Like dove" Th~re ha'
,oon difference Of opinion as to whether
his was real literal dove. Luke saws
i was in . bodily sshapc like a ,do",",
Nuke 2: 2?N. II. "Mv beloved Son"
Jesus Christ is thc Son Of God f"om et"r-
,itv. Hc never boqan to be lIis Son Hr
! was also HIS Son because Of His Sunor-
natural birth. and lie was His Son by
special DESIGNATION to the work of the
| worlds Redeemer'
ri. The first temntation fvS. l-l). |.
"Then." Immediately after His Ean'lSm.
Such are the violent alterations Of human
experience; hnptizc,d and temptedi Sn,
proved Of God and handed over 70 The
devil "Of the snrt" Luke says lie was
full If the Spirit" Mark says, the So,rt
lrivcth Hin. 4 divine influence led i'm
IN. "Into TIE Wilderness" Tradition h'S
ixed upon a hich ridge called puRrantaN,a,
ncar Jericho. Mari; says He was wit ~"
wild bnasts "To ho tempted. Christ
begins His work with personal cM""our'
.e" with Satan To temnt is. literally, t.
l. ,,,, tpr G vp1nBf a Ot.
Temptation is tho tns,inr nf person
. Forty davs." Moses. Elijah and our
Lord could fast forty days because they
we're in communion with God and living
, heavenly life Luke saws lie was tcmmt-
I'd during the whole forty days. Tho
struggle was powerful. personal and IL.
.cnsely real Christ for our sakes lnet
,trength "Afterward an hungered;,. After
.hc forty days were ended, ,. "Temntcr
,ame." How Satan appeared to Christ
we do not know. but ii he came
n bodily form it must have been
,s an angel Of light "If Thou be"
Beware of temptation that comes WITH an
# in its mouth The Son of God. Inc
Consciousness of His divine Sonsh1lp' may may
aow in measure have been withheld;
Alone in the wilderness and wea * and
worn from fasting, Satan saw has chance,
Stones bread" You are hungry;
now If You are the Son of God Use the
oower You have to supply Your necesSl'
lies. and thus prove Your divinity. IN
.his first temptation Satan temptS our
Lord, as he did Eve, by the bodi!y appe-
tite. He appeals to the animal ratniG
first. By this avenue he apprs9acnsS, AM anp
lonquers the great majority OF mahK'no,
Beneath this temptation OF bodily app2t!tes
all gluttons, drunkards and tebaucAecs
have fallen and become the devil prey.
1 "It is written" Deut. s: ,. Jesus
answered the devil by using the sword o.
the Spirit. "Not live by bread alone
Human support depends not on bread Due
upon Goods unlalIing W!ord OF pion.isGG
and pledge of all needinI proVid'n''a'
care" -,
III. The second temptation Tvs. ~.
s. "Pinracle of the temple" The scene
changes from the wilderness to Jerusalem
Some we'll known pinnacle must have
been intended, probably, the royal ,porc'
on the southern side Of the temple ..
Cast thyself down" In HIS hrSt repW
to the devil Jesus had shown His un'
bounded confidence in God. Now, Satan
takes Him at that very. point: If lhou
be the Son of God cast Thysef from this
pinnacle. All the world will wonder at
SO grand an exploit. This was tempta'
ton TO presumption, or as Mr.. lmrar
SAYS, to spiritual pride. For, 1t IS Wrlr
ten" The devil has Bible, bYt nc ms,
quotes and misapplies. Give his angels
charge" A mutiIated quotation OF PSa'
Of: ii. 7. Tempt" Dcut, s: 49,. 10
tempt God is to put Him to the prooi-to2
demand evidence of His power and ct
His will to fulfil His promises, instead ot
waiting patiently and trusting. This temp
tation anpealed to the love of show. Ihos-
carried away from God by worldly pleas
ures or the vanities of fashion TALL here.
". The third temptation Tvs; SID; S'
Exceeding high mountain" Some high
mountain in Judea, where "A general view
could be had of the country SheWeth
kingdoms of the world" The
root of the third temptation lay IN the
supposnion that the kingdoms OF the
world were the devils kingdoms and that
he could dispose of them. 9. worship
me-" Here the devil appears in his true
character. Christ was probably asked TO
worship mot by an external act OF nom
age, but by using force and establishing
temporal Kingdom,
with him no longer, but with authority
commands him to go to his own place. me
third temptation appealed to the amoi'
ton. BY this temptation the great men
of the world have fallen in myrlads. H.
"Devil leaveth Him" Sat5r had made
the strongest effort cf which he was capa-
he and had been bailled at every, point
"Anrels ministered." Brought that
food that was necessary to support nature.