The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-01-26
THE BAPTISM
OF JESUS
Sunday School Lesson for Jan. rs. 1906
Specially Prepared for This Paper.
Specially Prepared for This Paper.

ItSSON IEAI.-Mafk l.l-ll. Memory
verses. 10, IL. Read also Matt. S:1-l7; Luke
3:1-22
GOLDEN TEXT. - Prepare your
hears unto the Lord, and serve Him only"
! sam. 7:3.
TIME.-Luke fixes the date as the 18th
year Of Tiberius. John began preaching I'm
A. ID 26. when Jesus was between 29 and 80
years OF age and while he was still dwell
ing at Nazareth. The baptism Of Jesus
was six months after John had begun his
ministry. about January A. ID. q.
PLACE.-The wilderness-the wild, thin
ly Inhabited region lying west of the Dead
sea and the Jordan. The baptism of Jesus
was at Bethabara. either at the fords
northeast OF Jericho, or the ford near Beth
shean, IA miles south of the Sea of Galilee,
also called Bethany
SCRIPTURE REFEfENCES-The bap-
tism and its significance: Matt. $50; 2S:19-
20; Mark 1916; John 1:25; Acts 2:3S; 80 81;
10 rs; l6:9O-SS; 1885, 1874; 22:l6; Rom. 6:S-5;
Gal. 1927; Col. 21l. u; Tit. 1885, l Pet. 1921.
The descent of the Holy Spirit: lisa liz;
1921; 40l3; Joel 2.2S; Zech. 4:6; 1910; Matt.
3Il; John S:S, 5, 6; 1888; 1925; 1854; Acts
49, 2:SS; 5:32; 1O:44;-4S; l5:2s; Rom, STA, 70,
26; Gal 5:5 Is, %, %; Eph. lib. IA; Tit. S:5;
l Pet. 3:lS. 81; John Az
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
V. 2. 1T is written in the prophets"
The quotation in v. 2 is from MALACHI!
3: /, and that in v. is from Isaiah
40: 3.
V. 3. He was 1.-The voice of one cry
ing" Greek. shouting, crying with
high, strong voice. as manifesto
ZION of feeling. lin the wilderness"
The fitting place for his work.
V. 4. and preach" Proclaim like
a herald with his trumpet, Prepare ye
the way of the Lord" "RepeI.
for the remission of sins" Repentent-
ance is a change of mind. of heart as
to sin; implying grief over sin, as its
source. and a change Of life and con-
duct, as its result.
V. 3. "All the land of Judea and
(alD they of Jerusalem" were drawn
out TO the desert to hear the prophet
rich and poor, young men and maidens,
hardened sinners. Pharisees, soldiers,
Romans, priests. farmers, villagers, cit
liens, beggars, pubicans. all classes
and conditions of men. Thus the whole
country was aroused and heard the
message which prepared the way for
the Messiah King.
V. Z. Preached Proclaimed as
herald. The Greek tense implies that
he kept doing this. The lachet OF
whose shoes" or rather, sandals.
Latchet. a word now obsolete, was the
thong" or Lace" with which shoes or
sandals were fastened Il am not
worthy to unloose. 1t was
the business of the lowest servants to
bind on. to loose and carry about their
masters sandals. The nature of Je-
sus. the work of Jesus for men was in
finitely above Johns. greatest of the
prophets as he was. John could point
20 the Saviour. Jesus could save. John
could send men TO the good physician,
Jesus could cure the disease of sin.
v s. Il indeed have baptized you
with water" unto repentance"
(Matt). A sgN and symbol. l call
to repentance, but cannot give the new
life.
V 9. In those days." when Jesus
was about 80 years old, and while John
was preaching and baptizing in the
Jordan. About six months after John
Described more fully in Matthew. Je
sus received baptism which expressed
death to an old life. and rising to a
new" because Cd baptism expressed
a public renpnciation Of sin. and an
open stand on the side of God and
righteousness. Christ did not need to
repent. but He did need to show by
this public profession that He belonged
on the side of righteousness, and was
eternally opposed to sin. CO Baptism
was required of His followers as one
of the great aids 10 righteous life.
Christ. therefore. would fulfil every
duty He required of them. He was the
standard and example of righteousness.
CD BY His baptism He showed that He
was himself a brother of the sinful.
He maintained an attitude of solid
arity with the sinful rather than as
sumo the position Of critic and judge"
He shared the fortunes of our fallen
and wrecked humanity.
V. 10. And straightway coming up
as soon as He was baptized. They say
that John had the people under wa er
up to the neck until they confessed
their sins. and that Jesus having none
to confess tarred not in the river The
Spirit like a dove descending upon
Him." The Holy Spirit descended not
only in the manner of a dove. but in
the bodily shape Of a dove duke 3:
22). This was the symbol: the COM
ing of the Spirit was the reality.
V. II. There came a voice from
Heaven" Three times during our
Lords earthly ministry was a voice
heard from Heaven: Cd at His bap-
tism; GU at His TRANSPORTATION mark
8: y; CD in the courts of the temple
during Passion Week John y: 2S).
Thou art My beloved Son, in whom |
am well pleased" Thus God endorsed
Him and His mission, and showed to
the Jewish nation that here was the
Messiah 1t must also have strength
ened and confirmed the human Jesus
as to His nature and His work
For the Quiet Hour
Where no enthusiasm is the fires Of
conviction will smolder.
There are too many trying to walk