The Montgomery tribune., 1910-01-07
The Baptism and
Temptation of Jesus
Sunday School Lesson for Jan. 0, 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper

Memory verses. TO- H.
GOLDEN TEXT.--"In that he hath
suffered, being tempted, he is able to sue
cor them that are tempted. Heb. 2:1S.
TIME.-The baptism was probably In
January, A. ID. "a; the temptation the 40
days Immediately following.
PLACE-Jesus came to John from
Nazareth. The baptism of Bethabara, on
one OF the fords of the Jordan The
temptation in the Wilderness OF Judea,
northwest Of Jericho. Tradition calls the |
place Mount Quarantania.
SUGGESTION and Practical Thought.
l. The Training School Of His Early |
Life. Jesus was both human and d.
vine, the Son of God taking upon HIM
self the nature Of man. He could re-
veal the nature and the will Of God.
because he personally knew God and
eternal life and therefore could speak
with the authority Of perfect knowl-
edge. But the human nature must
grow, and be trained 80 as to become
the fitting instrument Of the divine.
The Schools and Schoolmasters OF
the Young Jesus. I. The grace OF
God was upon him.
Q. He was brought up In the at
mosphere of deeply religious home.
3. He was a student OF the Bible,
and a member of Sabbath school.
4. He was an attendant at the syna'
gogue, the counterpart Of our church.
II. The Baptism of Jesus; His Pub
lie Announcement of His Position on
the Side of Religion and Righteous
ness.-Matt. 3:13-17. Cometh Jesus
from Galilee, from his Nazareth home.
to Jordan, probably at the ford near
Jericho over which passed the great
route of travel from the north and
east to Jerusalem To be baptised OF
(by) him, who was introducing the
kingdom of God. The announcement
and the one announced came to-
gether.
IA. But John forbad," was in the
act of preventing him, was protesting.
"I have need" etc. l am the sinful
one. not you; as in v. II. ut was his
whiteness against their blackness
| which moved the Baptist to his indig-
| nant refusal."-John Watson's Life OF
the Master.
| is. Suffer IT. (permit IT. E.
"for thus it becometh us" both Of us,
or a general statement true of all
|
what is right, what ought to be done.
Why was Jesus baptZsed? l. 1t was
his public announcement Of his posi-
tion that he stood on the side of re-
ligion and righteousness.
2. 1t was an identifying of himself
with humanity, sharing their lot, suf-
fering with men the effects of sin,
going down into the slums Of human
ity, an undefled brother, tempted
like as we are, yet without sin,
touched with the feeling of our in
firmities," and thus "able to succor
them that are tempted"
g. He was baptized as an example
for all his followers.
His Amounting as Priest and King
16 went up straightway out of the
water" and up the bank of the river
He was praying as he went Uukt
3:21). "The heavens were opened,
symbolizing the fuller vision of Jesus
into the eternal realities. Heaver
and all it's powers and blessings were
with him. He saw the Spirit Of Goo
descending, bestowing upon him thu
power and presence of the Holy Spirl
who was to convince men of sin
and of righteousness and of juds
ment"
III. His Victory in the Battle witt
Temptation. The Great Crisis of Hi
Life-Matt 4:1-11.
: First. The Battlefield.-V. 1. "Jesu
led up of the spirit" He went out 7
meet his great enemy; it was part O
the divine plan. The test was nece'
5 sary before he could enter upon hi
t great work. His life questions mus
: be settled once for all. Into tn
3 wilderness" the lonely mountainou
. regions northeast of Jerusalem. Th
t real battle was fought on the battle
field of the soul, where are fought tn
j, greatest battles in all time.
/. The enemy was Satan, the adve
o sary real being.
z, "How could holy being be temp
s. ed?" Only by the good that was
= him, by natural appetite as hunge
g by the desire to do good, to escaI
q pain, to satisfy right desires.
o Second The Long Campaign
h 2. 2. "And when he had tasted fort
@ days" The real spirit of fasting liz
It in being so intensely aDsorDeu III
one does not feel the sensation
II hunger Jesus was so intent on sc
q. Ting the great questions that co
II fronted him--whether he was the 81
t. of God, in what way he should accol
. plish his mission, in prayer for gui
- ance, in seeking light, In deciding
. duty-that he was unconscious
~ hunger; and in his lonely place the
- was no food to be obtained.
Both Mark and Luke say he W
!. tempted all these 40 days, probah
50 In the same general way as the la
81 three great assaults now to be
q. scribed, which sum up the conflict.
OF Third. Three Great Battles a
of victories.-vs. 2-10. Note that the
u temptations all came In reference
%. - etoh KtT