The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1910-04-14
The Question of John
the Baptist
susdsy School Lesson for April ~, 1910
Specially Arrsngsdfor This Paper


LESSON TExT.--Matthew 11:1-1s Mem
.ory verse; 4, 5.
GOLDEN TExT.--"But the witness
which have Ia greater than that OF
joint for the works which the Father
hath given me to accomplish. the very
works that I do, bear witness of me,
that the Father hath sent me."-John
b:s6.
TIME.-Perhaps in the summer OF A.
ID. 2S. before our last lesson.
PLACE.-Jesus was somewhere in Gal
lice. According to Luke, he had Just
raised the son OF the widow at Main.
John the Baptist was in prison at Castle
Machaerus. on the east of the Dead sea.
suggestion and Practical Thought.
Christs Answer to Honest Doubt
Who was this doubter, this John the
Baptist? He was the last man in the
world one might have expected to en-
tertain doubts regarding Jesus. He
was his cousin according to the flesh.
born only a short time before our
Lord. He was brought up as a Naz-
arite like Samson and Samuel, and
his p re and simple life gave him fine
insight into spiritual matters.
IL The Doubt.-Vs. 1-3. Under
what circumstances did John begin to
doubt the Messiahship OF Jesus? He
had been cast into prison as pun
ishment for his bold condemnation of
the sin of Herod Antipas. Herod had
sent away his own wife and had per-
suaded his brothers wife to become
his.
What was the sensible course that
John took to rid himself OF doubte He
sent directly to Jesus by two of his
disciples" who had remained faithful
to him in all his trials. The message
was, art thou he that should come"
common and well-understood de.
scription Of the Messiah,-"or do we
look for another?"
Illustration. "A weaver who had
, an elaborate piece of tapestry hung Il.
stretched upon the tenter-hooks, in his
yard. That night II was stolen. A
piece of tapestry was found by the
officers which seemed to answer the
description, but as the pattern was not
unlike that Of other fabrics, there
must be definite proof. II was brought
to the weaver's yard and there the
perforations In the fabric were found
to correspond precisely to the tonter.
hooks. This was demonstration. In
like manner II we place the life and
character OF Jesus over against all the
prophecies of Messiah in Scripture, in
the sacred books of the false relig-
ions, and in the universal longings of
the race we shall find that there is
a perfect correspondence point by
point"-David James Farrell, ID. ID.
Ill. ID.
Christs Answer to the Doubt.-Vs
4-6. Luke tells us CLuke 7:21) that
when Johns message was delivered
Christ proceeded at once to work
many miracles of healing, including
the cure of demoniacs and OF the
blind. Not until he had done this did
he give the messengers his reply.
Christ gave two credentials OF his
Messiahship; what was the first? His
miracles, the undoubted fact that "the
blind receive their sight, and the
lame walk, the lepers are cleansed,
and the deaf hear, the dead are raised
up"
With what significant exhortation
did Jesus close his message to John?
blessed is he whosoever shall not be
offended in me-"
Christ's Estimate of the Honest
Doubter.-Vs. 7-15. Why did our Lord
as soon as Johns messengers depart
ed, tell the crowd what he thought of
John2 Because they might think that
Johns question implied weakness
In him at which Christ would be Of.
Tended. AS John had exalted Jesus,
so Jesus would exalt John.
Christ's Estimate OF Dishonest
Doubters.-Vs 1919. John was ready
to receive Jesus, as soon as his mind
could be convinced that is, he was an
honest doubter Christ now turns Sc
verely upon set of men, the Phari-
sees and lawyers (Luke 7:30), who
showed plainly that they were dis.
honest doubters, being unwilling to
receive the truth no matter how much
evidence was given them.
To what does he compare them? To
children playing in the market-places
at marriages and funerals, trifing
with the greatest things OF life. Some
are pretending to play the flute, like
the hired musicians that headed the
wedding professions followed by other
children will not join in the piping or
the wailing at the right times to
please them. These last, OF course,
are Jesus and John.
To what comforting conclusion did
Christ come? That wisdom-the
Truth of which he was an incarnation
lis justified. approved, accepted, by
her children. even though all the chill
dren of the evil one reject her. "Their
hearts are in unison with the gospel
harp; when Christ's minister strikes
it's golden strings their feelings VI
brate to every touch; they can accom-
pany him through its whole compass
of sound, from the low notes of pious
grief and penitenial sorrow up to the
high thrilling tones Of enraptured graf