The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-01-10
Jesus AND JOHN
THE BAPTIST
Sunday School Lesson Tor Jan. II. 1908
Specially Arranged for This Paper


., an the sumner OF A. d. g. He
l,rned six months before Christ APP
',red on the scene. He continued
rr and three months preaching while
is,s preached: TIL March A. ID. -. Jesus
49, bapuzed January. A. -. r. His
,.mptatlon-January and February. His
s,st disclples-in February. The delega-
,,oo ~ the Pharisees-February.
ptACE.-The wilderness OF Judea- The
,s,tism OF Jesus at Bethabara. on tie
.ast bank OF the Jordan.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
John preached the things that were
necessary before one could enter the
kingdom Of God. Cd Repentance and
Confession OF sin. Cd A change Of
conduct that proved the repentance
N be sincere. (3) A public profes
sion Of this change of life by baptism
essential TO the proof OF their sin
certify. TO permanance OF the new life.
and 10 power for good. (D The king
dom OF God is at hand.
This preaching led people to in
ouire. what does all this mean? Who
is coming? What is coming?
The Witness OF John TO Christ
vs.. 1884. The Christian wants proof
The issues are too important for
credulity. We need TO know.
The witness Of John is repeated.
reinforced, more and more clearly, all
down the ages. The facts written In
the history OF 1000 years confirm his
testimony.
First. John Witnesses That Jesus
Is the Christ. the Son Of God. He re-
fused to be called the Messiah. He
vas merely one who announced his
coming. And when Jesus returned TO
Bethabara, John pointed him out TO
The people-"Here is the Messiah.
This is the Redeemer from sin. This
is the man whom God by sure signs
made known 10 me as the Saviour"
There is a great deal Of evil in the
world yet. in the best OF countries, in
the best OF people. But 1t is evil
fought against. 1t is gaining the vic
tory slowly but surely. The very
revelations OF evil. the controversies
and conflicts. are signs that the power
OF Christ is working upon the evil,
never ending conflict till the good has
triumphed.
Second. John Witnesses TO Jesus
as the Redeemer from Sin. V. 29.
Behold the Lamb OF God" Jesus was
So named by John. because the lamb
was used in three ways as symbol OF
the deliverance which Jesus brought.
Q John and his hearers were famil-
Jar with the representation in Isaiah
,53.7) OF the coming one. "as lamb
led 10 the slaughter" (2) Still more
would the Jew think Of the Passover
lamb as the type and promise OF ma
tional deliverance go The daily
sacrifice OF a lamb was continually
before the Jews. teaching them the
meaning Of all the sacrifices, and con
tinually reminding them OF their
reed OF an atonement for sin.
Il Is well worth noting that Jesus
died for our sins at the Passover
feast. and at the hour of the daily
sacrifice Which taketh away the
sin OF the world" ITO bear away
sin is to remove the guilt and punish
ment Of sin by expiration. or TO cause
that sin be neither imputed nor pun
ished ."-Thayer's Greek-English Lex.
IN The work OF Christ is to do this
for the whole world till this sinful
world Is changed into the sinless
Paradise Regained. ~ Jesus pro-
vides redemption for all the world
~ He pardons past sin. so that II Is
no longe. remembered by him. but is
hl0ited out forever (4) He is, In
fact. removing sin from the world.
Wherever he comes, sin is in the
process OF removal from each heart
tia, accepts him. and from the COM
munity
Third The Witness of the Holy
Spirit V. 80. Il saw the Spirit de-
sending from heaven like dove,
and il abode upon him" He descend
% not only in the manner OF a dove,
hut In bodily shape OF dove CLuke
%.22l This means more than III
vas as plain to him that Jesus was
possessed by the Spirit as II he had
seen the Spirit in a visible shape
"tiNAAAuE upon uliu- IL vas At'N~
saTy for his assurance. and that OF the
people. that there should be some
visible proof Of the descent Of the
Spirit. as there was at Pentecost, and
he results proved that the sign was
accompanied by reality. 1t may be
that John saw the effects in thc de-
meanor OF Jesus, in HIS lowliness. and
sympathy. and holiness. all OF which
came 70 their perfect bloom at and in
his baptism '-Exp. Greek Test. But
The sign that accompanied this power
was given TO reveal the fact. I'm let
ters that could be read from the
stars. that the invisible Holy Spirit
was actually present: to make the
TACT clear and unmistakable; to show
me source whence the power and its
elects came.
Practical Points.
me Dove expresses the indwelling
o. Jesus in our hearts. awakening all
me gentler, loving. affectionate quail.
ites OF religion, sweetness Of spirit,
sraciousness OF feeling and of man
npr