The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-01-04
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JANUARY e.
subject: The Witness of John tn" iaptis.
to Jesus, John j.. 1894 tinlder Text
.sohn l.. 29-M eInory Verses. "a, 81
,n,n,uppt,ry N n the DAVIS Lesson.

J.. The testimony c: John The Baptist
w. The sentence means, tins IL tie testi-
mony that John bore. TIE Jcws.' This
:clm N Johns gospel commonly means
the opponents oi Christ. "Ihc Jews" are
10 him no: his fellow ronn,rynen, but The
pel.tcutu:S and mur,!erer> Of the Messiah.
Tho name OF 4 race ha> become the name
of 4 sect. He uses The term about seventy
times. Amos always with TINS shade or
meallng. PRIESTS and Leyites' The
combination priests and Levites" occurs
nowhere else IN he New Testament. 10
gcthrr they represent, the hierarchy: This
WAS a delegation from Tie Sanhcdrm.
be: Do you assume TO be the Messiah, or
arc YOU Il prophet: Two things are plain.
~ taught in this verse: Ono II the great
sensation caused by john the 3aptists
ministry. The other j. the state OF eXpec'
la;ion ~ which the people were at this
;iIGc.
y. Not Inc Christ The form oil
srre"n in this rersc implies a very positive
and uGAnistakable assertion. We have IN
this and the following verse. an Instructive
Example OF true humility. JoFm the Rap'
list was IN eminent SAINT OF God. Few
names in the Bible stand higher than his.
Il. Elias" Greek form foi Elijah Il
am no;.' That is, nc! ~ the sense YOU
have IN mind. They were speaking liter
ally. and John was not IliiJah returned To
earth AGAIN. When Jesus said that John
Mas Elijah Matt. II IA lie Wa speaking
iieuratively lcomp. Luke ] II. The pro.
phet' iR. w. The weli.Lnowm prophet
oi Deut. 1919, who somt ,hcu2ht would
be d second Moses. others q sccoad Elijah,
others the Messiah. No.; John kIew
that the prophet" 10 whom ;hey referred
WAS the Messiah. His answcl Is abrupt
they press John to d iuil description ot
himself. that they may be abls 10 give I
proper answer 10 the Sanhcdrin.
%. The voice" He was not the
'Word." but merely a VOICE" He was
called i voi"e because, J. He was utterins
Gods thoughts. >. The Importance lay
chiefly III the message. not III the mcsSen-
ger. 3. Although weak III himself, yet he
produced L great commotlon. CRYING
Hcralding. p~rocla!ming. in the wilder
ness" The word was, indeed. a moral
wilderness when the time drew near Tor
the coming OF the Hing. Make straight"
etc. See Isa. 1878. The idea is taken
from the practice Of Eastern monarchs,
vino. whenever they took a journey, sent
harbingerS before them to prepare the way.
II D u SfCS AK ! IoI ISS'S HNA
mos: s;renIously !hat no prophet, after
Moses. had a right to introduce any Eew
sacred usage. rite Of ceremony among the
Mosaic institutions, except the Messiah
Himself. The question then in the follow
ing verse. Why haptiseth thou them was
a very peremptory one. 26. Il baptlse
with water" Johns answer j. very pei
tlnent. My baptism is the symbol and pre-
cursor of a real baptism by the great Bap-
User. Here stanGeth one IT Is not
necessary TO suppose that Jesus was stand
ing IN the crowd al that time, but l1e was
living and abiding among the people, and
He was unknown to them.
p. See r. V. After me- John wae
the iorerunner to announce His coming.
Not worthy 4 proverbial expression.
The work OF u~n!aclng and removing the
sandals belonged to the humhiest servant,
and in comparison to Christ John says he
was TOO inferior to do even that. The de-
sire 10 exalt Christ and ahase himself is
ever uppermost III Johns mind. %.
''Bethabara." The K. V. has Bethany.
This was not the Bethany OH the Mount
of Olives. Both names have nearly the
same meaning, Bethany sometimes signify
ing boat house" ami Bethabara ford
house. or "%%erry house.
II. John points out Jesus Tvs. 29-3l).
60. The next day" Ate! the testimony
OF John to the deputa,Ion from Jerusalem.
'Seeth Jesus The fact that John knew
Jesus shows that the hrntiSn and tempta-
events Of TINS lesson. Lamb OF God."l
There Is no reasonable douh. that John1
gave this name to our Lord because Hell
was the true sacrifice for SIN. the true anti
lvpe OF the passover lamb. and the lamb
prophesied OF by Isaiah lisa. 537l. 'Tak1
eth away Or "beareth away as N the
margin. On the great day Of Gtonement
the priest confessed thu sins oi the people
and laid hem upon the scapeeoat, and tht1
goat was sent 10 the depths oi the desert
thrSt's taking away the sins OF the wor.fX
as borrowed from tins act. We have hero
one OF the many expressions which Geciard
he g-ed: scrlptugal truth lha: Chr:sti
death WAS a ricarinns sacrifice i0r SIN
''The s,E.' All the sir. o: all the ch:.d'eI
OF Adam. The at0nemcnt was complete
no one was lei! out. tat all may nc saved
ii they will accent the provisions mlde
30. ".A:tel me etc. Jesus came alte
John III loin. oi time. but He vas pr9
fcrred before MN n dignity and hano3
IVA. before me. Tirs refers 10 Christ .
ftc,nal pre-eH!SieEre with the Father. ;
KNEW Hin not was not previous
acquainted with Jim. and there has bceI
TO private Goilu-luH ur arrangement
tween is. Bu. T:Errs think that as job
was a cousin O.. nH Lord. he must hay
been acquainted VITA Him. and that III
EXPRESSION her" means that lie did nd
Know Him as l. His !m:uie. Office an
mission wntil lhe Tine .! h> hapt!sli
'TlcreiCre am J come. John mere G
,!arcs tia. the glgat end OF ms m!nIst1
Vas not 10 Term a sect n his WI Nam
bu. 70 make t'hri-; known 10 III" Jews.
III. How .10!!i: inrw jesus US. -
%. "Earc record. ,lGhM now proceeds
tell now. inrty-two days before TINS.
thu. He was the Messiah. Il Saw.
lave heheli.' T.. Y. JOHN had been
eve witness and was not now reports
from hearSav. Like Il dove" That
spirit OF tod should descend as a dove
III accordance with The em"lematlc cnar
ter III thc whu,r transaction. The ID
rrryc,pr!ed an rn,!c;.cl IS. Of :. 6:
harmless Matt. ~. lGl. gentle. meek 81
actc! =. a. ). PA !: was me emblem
pcare Gen. $:lll amd uI beauty IL
GS:l3l. / was the on!;' n:rd allowed 20
offered N Sacrifice ly ihe Lev;tical l.
/, wa>. Ink" tn" ,un". , popular svirnaI
in: C!in:t l.. nation. Ii.I. 50 tar IT. tins III g.
iIesiai.um wa- maTf now abroad.
wuai,l hurr:!c>: ma:i. ''cs!S III ruJlc Wl
len ~ he iLeai. ;vp.ra.. :Cr,rSpn!11
l~ra"ll!e. and. therefore. ty :mp:"d;
the Messiah. .T"I,& iMGcrs;poI the ma
80 i]Htt;ratc ;:,>.
-. Ill that sen; :rv." 7"'ln vas
>.iuY. u h. G!yir" '.'f>s,rn. lIr was
g., cod 81. 'T:ic.r uf ;:ci. III"
stain tn" '1u.<r. .lr..!. i:r'" Gcc'a:es
f,s.Is "a~ dnr"'.