Evening journal., 1905-09-25

when John heard in the prison the
works of the Christ he sent by his
disciples, and said unto Him. art Thou
He that cometh, or look we for an
othery 1t is no disparagement OF this
great prophet. John the Baptist. to
say that he was sorely troubled by
what had taken place. He was the
Hast of a long line of Old Testament
prophets. and they had all OF them
Inexperienced dihculty IN regard TO the
understanding of their own messages.
Peter writes q. Peter: 1: 1O-12) Of
our salvation, concerning which sal
lvation the prophets sought and searcn-
ed diligently. who prophesied of the
lgrace that should come unto vou.
lsearching what time or what manner
of time the Spirit of Christ which WAS
IN them did point unto. when il tes-
titled beforehand the sunerings Of
Christ, and the glories that should
follow them. TO whom il was reveal
ed, that not unto themselves. but un-
to you, did they minister these things,
which now have been announced unto
you through them that preached the
gospel unto you by the Holy Ghost
sent forth from heaven; which things
langelS desire TO look into.
John the Baptist, for example. had
been called upon to present the Mes
siah as the Lamb Of God that talk
eth away the sin Of the world (John
ID: 29) That meant suffering and hu
Initiation and death. But he had also
been sent before Him to proclaim Him
as the terrible Judge and mighty King,
Whose fan was His hand, ana Who
should thoroughly purge His thresh-
ing floor, gathering His wheat into
His garner and burning up the chan
with uuquenchable FIRE (Matt. 3: IL,
l12) What did il all mean? That Je-
sus was the Christ Of God, the Mes
lsiah Of Israel, John had no doubt. But
why should this Messiah be going
about healing and preaching and why
should His f0rerunner be languishing
in dungeon, while Israeis throne
was usurped by lecherous vassal Of
heathen Rome?
"The Lord Jesus thoroughly UNDER
lstood Johns perpIexity but His an
swer was to point to the Scriptures:
And Jesus answered and said unto
them. Go your way and tell John the
things which We do hear and see the
blind receive their sight. and the lame
deaf hear. and the dead are raised up
and the poor have good tidings preach
ed to them. And blessed is he, who
soever shall find none occasion Of
q stumbling in Me- Tvs. 4-6) The
l35th chapter of Isaiah is in view here
and by citing this passage of Scrip
ture. Jesus shows that His ministry
for the time being was just a fore
gleam of the Kingdom in the day OF
its fun manifestation. John would
not stumble concerning these things
! If he were careful to examine all the
] Scriptures concerning the Christ
3 Great peace have they which love thy
law. and they shall have no stumbling
block psalm 119: 1861
. "The Lords glowing testimony TO Johl
! the Baptist is unequalled. This man WA
not a reed shaken with the wind. He wa
q prophet and much more than prophet
! Verify say unto you, among them tina
are born of women there hath not arise
, a greater than John the Baptist; yet h
that is but little in the Kingdom o
Heaven is greater that he V.II) Tha
, is to say John was the greatest Of tn
prophets and the greatest of men up Z
o. his time, because to him was given tn
exalted privilege Of procaiming the KinG
{ dom with the King already present. Thi
i was wonderful thing, but it was sma
e and insignificant after an, when com
= pared with the position of one actual
l. in the Kingdom, when that Kingdom sha
n be really manifested
"And from the days Of John the Baptis
until now the Kingdom of Heaven sui
= fereih violence. and men Of violence TAX
:. it by force. For all the prophets and tn
n law prophesied until John. And If We an
u willing to receive it, this is Elijah. whic
is TO come. He that hath ears to hea
o let him hear Tvs. 1915. This passage ha
n greatly troubled the commentators. I
70 Luke 1916 our Lord said: The law an
y the prophets were until John; from ths
J. time the Gospel Of the Kingdom of Go
II is preached, and every man entereth vic
T. lently into it, The meaning is that job
it had preached the Gospel of the Kingdoi
is with such power that those who had r.
y ceived the truth had not counted an
sacrifice too great to obtain that kinl
dom. In spite Of every obstacle and opp
:. sition and persecution they had entere
: violently into the Kingdom. They ha
, striven to enter in at the strait gate. The
s had been so eager and so much in ear
,e est about it that nothing could keep the
j. out They had become in their intense d
sire men of violence and had taken Il
d Kingdom by force. All prophecy and Il
re law headed up in Johns message
pc only Israel would receive IT, this WI
as Elijah. which was to come. What
" solemn moment was thisl And what
solemn word: He that hath ears to hea
. let him hear
-. But Israel was deaf, both to John al
/, . to Jesus. Like trinng children, they wou
,ls not be suited with anything that CT
lv might do for them, or with any messeng
he He might send unto them. John lived Il
bit life of an ascetic separate from the pc
he pie, and they said he had a demon. Jes
Ne lived among the people close to them-I
L came where they were-and they cali
ly Him a glutton and a wineblbber. b
'h thanks be TO God there was little rer
VI, nant of believers Wisdom had fe
%, children and by them Wisdom was jus
fed Tvs. 16-i9) In the Proverbs Wisdom
49,. a figure Of the Lord Jesus. (See especial
,,a chapter So In Luke 1880, our LORD
m meaning here is made clear for Il
Sc there written that as Jesus preached, Z
Ne the people when they heard. and the pu
W. lcans justified God being baptized wi
s. the baptism of John But the Pharise
ny and the lawyers rejected for themselV