The Montgomery tribune., 1909-12-31
John, the Forerunner
Of Jesus
Sunday School Lesson fer Jan. 2, 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper

crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the
way OF the Lord, make his paths
straight."-Mat 33.
TIME-John began to preach in the
summer OF A. ID. 2e. He preached six
months alone, then a year and three
months coincident with Christ till March,
| A, ID. 2S. '.f
PLACE-The wilderness OF Judca.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
1. The Personal Preparation of the
Herald.-vs. 1, 4. When was John the
Baptist born? In the summer of
| b. G. s.
In what place? In the hill country
of Judah probably in one of the priest
| ly cities.
| Who were his parents? Zacharias, a
| priest, and his wife Elizabeth.
What was his relation to Jesus? He
was relative, perhaps second
cousin, Mary and Elizabeth being rela-
tives, translated cousins" In the
| A. V. of Luke 1886.
Where did he spend his youth and
early manhood? In the wilderness or
sparsely inhabited districts in COM
| munion with God, with nature, and
with the Scriptures, living under the
| power of the Holy Spirit. While he
| meditated the fire burned.
| Why is he called the Baptist? Be-
cause he baptized those who repented.
and did not merely bring them to re-
| pentance.
What was his character? He was
filled with the Spirit from his child
hood. He obeyed the Spirit. He was
hero, martyr, brave. He spoke the
truth at all costs. He deserved
place in the Hall of Fame" for he
roes of the faith.
Why did John live In this manner?
1. Because 1t was the perfectly nat
ural way In which poor man would
live in the wilderness
II. John Prepared the Way by His
Message.-Vs. 1-3. Game John the
Baptist, preaching in the.wilderness.
the wild lands and pasture lands of
Judea. The people lived almost en-
tirely in towns. Preaching" here is
not our modern preaching. 1T means
proclaiming or acting like herald,
and implies that the uplifted voice
and the brief, urgent message of one
who runs before the chariot and
shouts: "The king, the king" His
preaching is like a succession of light
ming flashes"
His message is summed up In two
sentences, two blasts of the trumpet;
the call to repentance and the rous-
Ing proclamation that the kingdom Of
heaven is at hand."-Maclaren, in
Expositions of Scripture. Matthew.
ite). The Greek word is compound
ed Of proposition with two mean.
ings, after and with, and a very mean
ing to perceive, and to think as the
result of perceiving. Hence the mean
ing to think after a deed is done, and
to think with, in comparison with
what ought to have been done, or
might have been done, and so to think
differently after. 1t is a change of
mind resulting in change of conduct.
The emphasis is on the change of
mind and heart, rather than on the
sorrow which is the impulse that
leads to the change of conduct.
A New Motive for Repentance
For the kingdom of heaven is at
hand" The new era is about to be-
gin. with it's new leader, Jesus, new
powers through the Holy Spirit, new
motives, new truths, new hopes, new
joys; with deliverance from sin, and
disease. and bondage. (For the def
milton Of "the kingdom of heaven" see
Lesson III.)
III. John Prepared the Way by Con.
firming the Decisions to Repent.-Vs.
S, 6. 5. Then went out to him" the
inhabitants of Jerusalem" practi-
cally the whole city, "and all Judea."
They did not all go out at once, but
kept going and coming. He did not
go to them, but they came to him,
not only the common people, but also
the soldiers, Pharisees, Sadducees,
and leaders of the nation.
What attracted such crowds! Plain.
ly there was something there which
they needed, and which they realized
that they needed They went as the
hungry go for food and the chilly
for fire, and the poor for plenty, as
the doves gather in st. Marks square
In Venice. at the hour when grain Is
scattered. Here we find lesson for
preachers and teachers.
w. Preparation by the Presentation
of Motives for Entering the New
Life.-Vs. TIP. First Motive. Con-
sciousness of Sin. 7. when he saw
many of the Pharisees and Saddu-
GEES" The two pleading religious
sects of the Jews, Including the prin-
cipal men of the nation. Come to
his baptism" Drawn by the all-per.
vading interest. possibly with some
consciousness of sin and need, by the
desire to watch what was going on so
that they might hinder the work II
need be. or If new kingdom was com.
Ing, that they might have chief place
In 1t. They would be baptized (Lukel
II by SO easy a form they could be
lrar,c ir, tL1a -Izi.,e.1le,