The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-01-05
Witness Of John the
Baptist to Jesus >e >e
Sunday School Lesson for Jan. Q, 1905
Prepared 6y the Highway and
Dyway" Preacher.
tcopyrishs, 1905. By J. n. Edison,

mainly in the wilderness of Judea west of
the lower Jordan and the Dead sea. The
incidents of this lesson occurred at Beth
abara John 1929.
keep before us Johns purpose in writing
his Gospel. Repeat John 2O:31. Note the
reasons presented In this lesson why we
should believe In Jesus as the Son Of God
and believing might have life In His name.
Johns testimony (Cf. v. 20 with v. 3D is
supplemented by Gods testimony, VS.. 80.
80; cf Matt. 3:16, 10 and Jesus is an
nounced as "the Lamb Of God, which taxi
eth away the sin of the world."-v. 3
The Lesson Outline.
THEME:-The Christ Announced.
L-John's Testimony OF Himself.-vs. 1925.
"a Johns Questioners.
(a) Priests and Levites from Jerusa-
lem.-v 49,
(b) Sent by the Pharisees.-v. a.
(c) Their Questions.-vs. 10, q. 20, %.
(2) Johns Negations.-vs. 70, FL.
(3) Johns Affirmation.-v. 20.
"a Johns Baptsm.-v. 26
lI.-John's Testimony of the Christ-vs.
% Jesus in Their Midst.-vs. 2s. q.
(a) Unknown to Them.-v. 26.
(b) His Exalted Character.-v. n.
(2) Jesus Pointed Out-v. 20.
(a) The Lamb of God.
CD The Sign from Heaven.--vs. 32, 80.
(a) The Descent Of the Spirit.-v. ~.
(b) The Identification.-v 80, CT. Matt.
3.16, a.
"a The Positive Testimony.-v. "a.
Comparing Scripture with Scripture.
I.-John's Testimony Of Himself. CD
Johns Questioners. Johns six or seven
months of preaching Is bearing fruit.
The Jewish leaders are stirred. They
appoint a delegation of priests and
Levites to go to John to ask who he
was, and what was his baptism. They
were not seekers after truth so much
as they were critics of the truth. They
came prejudiced. and they went away
without seeing or knowing the Christ.
So Il is to-day. Is. 69. 10; Acts 2S:26, n.
(2) Johns Negations.-vs. 20, 81.
John was not willing to sail under any
false colors.-Rom. 1878. He was not
the Christ. He was not Elias Mote,
however, the later testimony Of Jesus.
Matt. 11:14; 17:10-12. John spoke
literally; Jesus figuratively. There was
expectation of literal return of Elijah.)
He was not that prophet. This last hav-
ing reference to Deut IS: Is, which some
thought would be second Moses.
(3) Johns Affirmation.-v. %. He
was only voice crying in the wilder
ness A voice to utter Gods message.
Only a voice that the man might be OBJ
scured and the message emphasized.
What an example for preachers and
teachers to-day.
(4) Johns Baptism.-v. 26.-Matt
3:11; Acts 1875.
Notice Johns fidelity to Scripture
He quotes Isaiah the prophet in justi-
fication of his claims. Gods children
ought always to be prepared to reply
to the questioner.-1 Pet. 3:15.
II.-Johns Testimony of the Christ
n) Jesus in Their Midst.-vs. 26, 81.
There standeth one. among you, whom
we know not" Their hearts Of unbelief
would not see or receive Him. Thus at
the very beginning we find eXemplifed
that which has ever characterized the
world since then. Jesus in the midst of
the world but unknown by the world
Note the striking contrast between
JUllI y dHlOuuNtllltHl VI lilt NHlISl W
these carping critics, and to those who
were ready to receive his message. To
the former he says: "Jesus is in your
midst, but you don't know Him." and OH
the morrow, when they have gone, he
(2) Points Jesus out to believing
hearts as "the Lamb of God which TAX
eth away the sin Of the world"
The Jews in narrow race prejudice
were looking for national deliverance
while the world was forgotten and un-
cared for. Johns broad announcement
that the Christ was to be the worlds
his hearers, and yet how blessedly true
II was.
CD The Sign from Heaven. The De-
scent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus and
the voice from Heaven was the Divine
ly appointed sign to John whereby he
was to know the Christ. II is the ac-
cepted opinion Of Bible scholars that
John never met Jesus until His baptism,
which had taken place some 40 days be-
fore the incidents of this lesson, the 40
days temptation In the wilderness hav-
ing intervened.
(4) The Positive Testimony. John
was willing to receive the evidence OF
the Spirit and was ready to bear posi-
tive testimony that "this Is the Son of
God" Oh, that men everywhere would
be willing to receive the indisputable
evidences which God supplies in His
Word, and by His Holy Spirit, that Je-
sus is the Christ, the Son Of GodI
Behold the Lamb of God which
taketh away the sin of the world"
Johns words have echoed through the
centuries. God had in expression OF
His infinite love and mercy and as pro-
vision for the need of lost world, pro-
vided Himself (Gen. $3.50, Lamb.
which was sufficient sacrifice (Heb
9:12) for the atonement for the worlds
sin. Jesus is the Lamb slain from the
foundation Of the world (Rev. 1879.
Behold" then this Lamb of God.
There is life for look at the Crucified
One" John 3:14. 15.) Spurgeon says of
his conversion: "IIe looked on me.
looked to Him. and we were one forever"