Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1905-01-06
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JANUARY 8.

Commentary on the Days Lesion.
l. The testimony of John the Baptist
Tvs. 1929. 49, This is the witness tR
mony that John bore. "'The Jews" This
term in Johns gospel commonly means
the opponents of Christ. "The Jews are
to him not his fellow countrymen, but the
prosecutors and murderers of the Messiah.
The name OF race has become the name
OF a sect. He uses the term about seventy
times, almost always with this shade OF
meaning Priests and Levites." The
combination priests and Levltes" occurs
nowhere else in the New Testament To.
gether they represent the hierarchy. This
"Who art thou?" What do you profess to
be? Do you assume to be the Messiah, or
are you a prophet? Two things are plain
" taught in this verse: One is the great
sensation caused by John the 3aptist's
ministry The other is the state of expec-
taton in which the people were at this
time.
20. "Not the Christ" The form Of
speech in this verse implies very positive
and unmistakable assertion. we have IN
this and the following verses an instructive
example of true humility. John the Bap'
fist was an eminent saint OF God. Few
names In the blDle slahu higheI .n1n LIS s1
81. "Elias" Greek form for Elijah. Il
am not" That is, not in the sense. you
have in mind They were speaking liter
ally, and John was not Elijah returned to
earth again. When Jesus said that John
was Elijah Matt. ll:l4) He was speaking
| figuratively comp. Luke l:l7). "The pro.
phet" Or. W The well-known prophet
of Deut 1875, who some thought would
be a second Moses, others a second Elijah,
| others the Messiah. mo" John knew
that "the prophet" to whom they referred
was the Messiah. His answer is abrupt.
r. After exhaustng all all special names ei
himself, that they may be able to give
proper answer to the Sanhedrin.
g. "The voice." He was not the
"Word," but merely a voice" He was
called a voice because, l. He was uttering
Gods thoughts 2. The Importance lay
| chiefly in the message, not In the messen-
ger. 8. Although weak in himself, yet he
| produced great commotlon. Crying"
Heralding, proclaiming. I'm the wilder;
ness" "The world was, indeed, a moral
wilderness when the time drew near tor
the coming of the King" Make straight,
etc. See lisa. 4O:3-5. The idea is taken
who, whenever they took journey, sent
harbingers before them to prepare the way:
"a, "Pharisees." The Pharisees held
most strenuously that no prophet, after
Moses, had right to introduce any new
sacred usage, rite or ceremony among the
Mosaic institutions, except the Messiah
Himself. The question then in the follow
ing verse, Why baptiseth thou then? was
very peremptory one. 26. Il baptlse
with water" Johns answer Is very. per-
tinent. My baptism is the symbol and pre-
cursor of a real baptism by the great Bap'
tiser. Here standeth one 1t Is not
necessary to suppose that Jesus was stand
ing in the crowd at that time, but He was
living and abiding among the people, and
He was unknown to them.
81. See r. V. after me-" John was
the forerunner to announce His coming.
''Not worthy" A proverbal expression.
The work of unlacing and removing the
sandals belonged to the humblest servant,
and in comparison to Christ John says ne
was too inferior to do even that. The de-
sire to exalt Christ and abase himself IL Is
ever uppermost In Johns mind. ~.
"Bethabara." The. r. v has Bethany
, This was not the Bethany on the Mount
of Olives. Both names have nearly the
same meaning, Bethany sometimes signify.
ing 'boat house." and Bethabara lord
house." or ferry house"
III. John points out Jesus Tvs 29-3l)
30. THE next day" After the testimony
: of John to the deputation from Jerusalem
"Seeth Jesus" The fact that John knew
i Jesus shows that the baptism and teimpta
J ton Matt, S:l3 to AID preceded tht
events of this lesson. Lamb of God.
,, There is no reasonable doubt that John
gave this name to our Lord because Tie
was the true sacrifice for sin, the true anti
tyne of the passover lamb, and the LIANT
prophesied of by Isaiah lisa. $50. TAX
eth away" Or "beareth away" as IN the
margin. On the great day of atonemen
the priest confessed the sins of the people
. and laid them upon the scapegoat, and TIT
, goat was sent to the depths of the desert
Christ's taking away the sins OF the worlt
is borrowed from this act. we have her'
] che of the many expressions which declar
the great scriptural truth that CHRIST
. death was vicarious sacrifice for sin
! "The sim" All the sins of all the children
u of Adam. The atonement was complete
9 no one was left out, but all may be save'
S if they will accept the provisions maze
8 30. "After me-" etc. Jesus came ate
;, John in point of time. but He was pre-
! ferred before him in dignity and honor
g "Was before me-" This refers to Christ
eternal pre-existence with the Father. 81
, "Knew Him not / was not previousl
acquainted with Him, and there has bee
no private collision or arrangement be
tween us. But others think that as JON
was a cousin of our Lord, he must hav
been acquainted with Him, and that tn
expression here means that he did no
know Him as to His nature, office an
b mission until the time. OF his baptism
, Wherefore am / come" John here a.
, clares that the great end of his mlnistr
was not to form sect In his own name
1 but to make Christ known to the Jews.
III. How John knew Jesus Tvs. 32-9
: ~ "Bare record" John now proceeds
q tell how, forty-two days before this,
. the time of Christ's baptism, he learnee
e that He was the Messiah. 81 saw"
Il have beheld" R. V. John had been a
= eve witness and was not now reportII
: from hearsav. Like a dove" That ii
y spirit of God should descend as dove
} in accordance with the emblematic chasa
D. Ter Of the whole transaction. The do,
renresented an undefled rs. of s. $50
harmless Matt 1915, gentle, meek cha
acter Is. of S. 2:l4). 1t was'the emblem
neace (Gen. SID aud of beauty lPs
4 6S:I3). 1t was the only bird allowed to
offered in sacrifice by the Levitical lay
II was. like the vine, popular symbo!
the chosen nation, and, so far as this ma
q Hesitation was made known abroad,
9. would doubtless mark Jesus in public OPT
: ion as the ideal, typical, representatl
d. Jsraelite, and, therefore, by implicatl'
1T the Messiah. John understood the mary
to indicate this.
30 SO. "He that sent me-" John was co
- scious of his divine mission. He was Sc
+ of God. a. "The Son of God. The M
II siah-the Christ. John here declares tn
IS Jesus was divine.