Evening star., 1908-01-11

srnethinc which they needed then 70
EnoW because Of what he had just told
ficin concerning Jesus. lie would have
fhem know his relation to Jesus, to the
ylamo Of God. OF whom they had heard
bFal9 speak. Only as they knew that re.
faSion could they have Just ideas of John.
ihetr master lie would not have them
Ttink OF him merely as preacher OF
righteousness. u reformer. however ex-
fltei might be their conceptions Of such
r. Derson and however valuable and nec-
fssary Is such Il ministry Instead he
fald them plainly that he came so that
pcsps might be manifest to Israel. That
Res his only msSion-he was tho fore
fitnaer or lntroducer of the Christ the
Savior. But in saving this John did not
fell3v the method aiopted with the mes
+ EenEers from Jerusllem-he did not de-
tcisrc that h WAS a voice to proclaim
Fiessiah Werse 81: bat IL explained tha:
fR1s was The reason he haptzcd-he laid
ifnpsasis upon that part OF his work
(which had perplexed the messengers
Il VISION. CVsrses - ~ GLOW could
Ipohn make known that Jesus was the
Messiah. either hv preaching or baptism?
Wow was he qualified :or such testimony?
Tie must haze knowledge. How did he
pbtain II? He expressly declares that
though they were cousins duke i:3Gl.
they had no personal acquaintance. They
%ere so far separated. one in Hebron
and the other in Nazareth. that they had
never met This device had been ap-
pointed. John should enter the ministry.
preach righteousness. and baptiZe those
.Iho came 10 forsaae their sins. In the
course Of this ministry Jesus would offer
Himself. and He would he distinguished
tbS a form lighting upon Him resembling
q. dove. Whenever that appeared John
was to know that The Messiah had come.
That dove was IN emblem OF the Holy
Spirit. sgnifving ;hat Jesus would baptize
Ill, III
the reason for Johns exclamation to his
disciples. He came baptizing because in
this way vision would be given an
rouncing Messiah, explanation he
could not make to the messengers.
ASSURANCE. Verse 3D.-This phe-
| nomenon was all that John the Baptist
needed to assure him that Jesus was
! the Messiah. lie saws nothing here Of
Che heavenly voice which proclaimed the
! Sonsh:p to him Matt. iii:11). upon which
other evangelsts laid emphasis Mark.
/ i:1D. That voice afterward heard was
I,really a less important witness duke.
I tx :33,. for there was a possibility that it
| might have been fictitious. and SO de-
ceptive and fraudulent The sign of tho
/ descending dove. fixed in advance verse
,.0. left no room to doubt that the at
|. tsstaton was real genuine and reliable.
I And so John regarded ii. He saw and
! believed. and on the strength OF that be-
Elief he made his record AT once. and so
! began to preach. This is what he told
j the little company near him that day. de-
/ string that they might know the founda-
| ton of his faith. They were expected to
| accept his testimony because of the super
natural manifestation at the baptism.
1.-THE strength of his conviction would have
/ a powerful influence in awakening con-
! viction In them.
! CONCLTSION.-This lesson shows
/ how complete was the method of intro
ducing Jesus to the Jewish nation. A
man was chosen and set apart for this
important service. who proceeded in a
livery discreet manner. He came at first
/ as a reformer calling men to repentance,
! haptizing those who confessed their sins,
land thus gaining a reputation and attract
II ing attention. Jesus came to him and was
j made known in baptism by an agreed
4 sign Convinced by this display. John
4 holtily announced to priests and LeyiteS
4 that his mission was to prepare for Mes
i stah and he uttered the same thing to
!. his disciples. assigning the remarkable
| appearance as the ground of his faith.
So by the power of his personality, by
/ the influence of his popularity, by the uni
j fornity and strength of his conviction.
4 he was well suited TO make the Jews and
/ his own immediate followers believe that
] the One long promised by the prophets
/ had appeared. AS such Jesus should
shaye been gladly received upon such tes-
/ timony.