The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-01-08
THE SUNDAY SHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON CON.
MENTS FOR JANUARY =. ~.
Subject: Jesus and John the Baptist,
. John 1:19-34 - Golden Text,
John 1:29-Commit Verses 90,

Subject: Jesus and John the Baptist,
John 1:19-34 - Golden Text,
John 1:29-Commit Verses 80,
documentary.
TIME.-February, A.D27. PLACE.
Bethany beyond the Jordan.
EXPOSITION.-I. Johns Answer
to the Committee from Jerusalem, 49,
os. The ministry of John the Bap-
tist has aroused great excitement.
People were in expectation. All men
were reasoning concerning John,
whether happily he were the Christ
fLuke 3:15). This gave, rise to
committee being sent from Jerusalem
to Investigate There were two per-
sons for whom the people were look
ing as preparatory to the coming Of
Christ, Elijah, as prophesied by NAL
achi fMal 4:5) and the Prophet
like unto Moses" (Deut. 1S:15-1S).
John frankly confesses that he was
not Christ, nor Elijah, nor the
Prophet predicted by Moses. There
have been those in recent, years who
claimed to be Elijah and the Prophet
predicted by Moses. and Messenger
of the covenant" and David" and the
Branch" one of the two witnesses Of
Revelation, etc. There was a sense in
which John was Elijah Matt 11:14;
17:10-13), ]. e.. he came in the spirit
and power of Elijah luke 1.1G but
/. Elijah in the sense in which the ques-
tion was asked, a real re-incarnation
of the prophet Elijah, he was not.
How unlike the real John was to
those who in our day claim to be his
successor! There Is the utmost hu-
mility in the. way in which John
states his real position He speaks OF
himself as only "a voice crying in the
wilderness, ;" applying to himself the
prophecy of Isaiah lisa. 40:3-5), >.
which so clearly set forth John tho
Baptist's mission. A voice Is some
thing to be heard, not seen. AS John
had denied that he was the Christ, or
Elijah, or "that prophet" the; priests
and Levites made bod to question his
authority for baptizing-, In a similar
way, they made bold to question
Jesus authority at later day Matt.
21:23), and later still the authority
of the apostles to preach (Acts o:2S).
In his answer John again displays his
humility. His baptism in water was
nothing to the baptism of the Coming
One (cf. Matt. 3:11; Acts 1:5). The
Christ was already in their midst, but
they were SO blind that they did not
recognize Him (cf. VS.. 10, II; chap.
S-19; 1879. Happy is the man who
really knows The Christ (Jno. 1873,
but the world, even to-day, knows
Him not Il John 3:1). 5% Esi S
III. John the Raptist's Testimony
Concerning Jesus, 29-S4. Notice the
precision with which John the Evan
gelist marks the exact time that these
things occurred. He himself was an
eyewitness. John first testifies that
Jesus was the Lamb of Cod The
reference is beyond question to tho
sacrifcial lambs, the atoning sacri-
fees of the Old Testament (cf. Gen.
22:7, s; Ex. 1878; Mum. %: 3-10;
lisa. 53.7). AS the Lamb. of God,
Jesus would take away the sin Of the
world. The thought here is not de-
liverance from sins power, but atone
ment and deliverance from sins guilt.
Jesus is the Deliverer from sins
power and presence as well as sins
guilt Matt. 1:21; Heb. 7:25; judo
24), but this is not the thought here.
Where taking away Of sin is spoken
of in connection with atoning blood, 1t
always refers to the removal Of the
guilt Of sin (cf. Lev. 1880; 17:11;
d4:19, 81; Jer. 33:8; Ps. 51:7; Rev.
is; 7:14; Heb. 9:22, 90; Eph. 1T;
Rom. 1925; 5:9; Matt. 26:28). As
the Lamb Of God in atoning sacrifice,
Jesus made Precipitation for sin IL
John 2:2; Matt. 20:28; Q Cor 6:21;
Gal. 3:13), and On the ground OF this
Precipitation sin IS taken away, re-
moved from the sinner as far as the
east Is from the west (Ps. 1872;
CT. Lev. 1921, 22). God dealt In
mercy with men before Christs time
because Jesus was "!The Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world
(Rev. 1879. The death Of Christ
was, in Gods sight, an eternal fact
But while the death Of Christ aValls
in this way for all men, believer and
nnbeliever, it fully avails only fo1
those who accept it. Jesus lis the
Saviour of all men, especially of those
that believe" (1 Tim. 4:10). There
need be no difficulty with Johns
statement, II knew Him not. John
lived in Judea, Jesus in Galilee; and
though Jesus had gone up to the pass.
over, it is quite likely that In the
great crowds He did not meet Johnt
but probably what John means Is that
he did not know Him as the coming
Messiah. AS soon cs he saw, john
gave his testimony. The descent OF
the Spirit was not a mere subjective
experience seen only by Jesus (cf,
Matt 3:16; Luke 3:22), but an oD'
jective fact, witnessed by John as
we'll as Jesus. John is not the real
baptizer, but Jesus, the baptizer with
the Holy Ghost and fire (cf. MAUI
3:l1; John 3:34, r. "; Acts 10:44'
At; 1926. The baptism with the
Spirit is the great baptism, the one
baptism that unites all believers lntd
the one body (Eph. A, s; CT. Cor
1919 and Jesus, and Jesus only, IS
He that baptized with the Holy
Ghost. AS the baptizer with the Holy
Ghost, John also recognized Jesus az
the Son of God. He is the Son oi
God, because begotten of God (Luke
1850, and possessed of the attributes
of the Father (Heb. 1:3; Phil. 2:6.
R. w., so fully that He could say
He that hath seen Me hath seen the
Father" John 14:9); the One in
whom all the fulness Of the Godhead
dwelt bodily (Col. 2:9); to be hon.
ored even as the Father is honored
,(John 5:23).
The cramped heart cannot contain