The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-01-06
The
Sunday School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON CON-
MENTS FOR JANUARY o.
Subject: The Baptism and Tempta-
tion Of Jesus, Matt. 3:13-17, a.:
1-11--Commit Verses 10, ii.

GOLDEN NTExT.-"Inyt that He hath
suffered, being tempted, He is able
to succor them that are tempted" {"
Heb. 2:1S.
TIME.--A. D. 81. PLACE.
Bethany beyond Jordan and Wilder
ness.
EXPOSITION I. Jesus Baptized
With Water and With the Holy Spirit,
3:18, II. Jesus Himself, the Bap-
tizer with the holy spirit and fire."
comes to John to be baptized with
water. Could anything make more
plain the great Importance of water
baptism? Jesus was baptized with
water to fulfill all righteousness.
God commands water baptism as the
form by which sinful man shall pub
licly confess his renunciation of sin.
Jesus was not sinner, but He took
the sinners place, was made sin for
us (Rom. $685. 2 Cor. 5:21) at Jor-
dan ("the water") and Calvary ("the
bloodO. Comp. l Jno. 5:6. r. W
The two occasions on which God bore
testimony to the Sonship of Jesus was
here, when He humbled Himself to
take the sinners place in baptism,
and when on the Mount of Transfigu-
ing His back on the glory that was
then becoming His, to come back and
take the sinners place on the cross
(cf. Luke 9:31, 35; Phil. 26-S, 81.
That God thus spoke is settled by
competent testimony and Is conclu-
sive proof of the divinity of Jesus.
III. Jesus Tempted in All Points
Like as We Are, Yet Without Sin, l.
IL. The temptation of Jesus fol-
lowed Immediately upon His baptism
with the Holy Spirit Comp. ch 3:16,
II; Luke 1921, 90; Al, IA, 1S; Acts
1O:3S). 1t was the Holy Spirit who
led Jesus up to be tempted by the
devil (cf. Nix. 1:12). The temptation
was a necessary preparation for
Christ's work, just as necessary as
the baptism with the Holy Spirit
(Heb. 2:17, 1S; 4:15, 16). The
temptation came from without,
not within. The personality, cum
ming and malignity and defeat of
Satan all come out in this lesson. He
met temptation in such a state of
physical weakness as would make re-
sistance to temptation most difficult
and failure most excusable," but He
did not fail, and so no man can now
plead adverse circumstances as q Just
AhSotich III ne ttllD-
tation was most real. because Jesus
was most human and most hungry.
The devil introduces his temptation
as he did that of Eve in the garden
by suggesting doubt of Gods word
(cf. ch. 3:17). Where would have
been the harm in Jesus doing as Satan
suggested? (1 1t would have been
to have doubted Gods word and to
have sought confirmation of 1t by a
token (namely, His ability to perform
this miracle). (2) 1t would have
been to have taken Himself out from
under those human conditions under
which He had voluntarily placed Him.
self for our redemption (Phil. 2:6-S:
Heb. 2:14). 1t would have involved
the giving up of the redemption Of
man by divine Person who had
really become man, Many commit
essentially the same sin to-day when
they take themselves out from the
sphere of sacrifice and suffering in
which it Is necessary that one live If
he Is to have saving power with his
fellow-men. (3) 1t would have been
to have distrusted God. Jesus would
rely upon God to supply His needs in
lawful ways comp. y. ~. Whenever
we resort to unworthy means for the
work, we are guilty of the same dis
trust. Jesus met every attack with
"the sword of the Spirit, which is
the Word of God" (Eph. GID. All
of Christ's citations of Scripture are
from one book, and that, too, a book
that the higher critics have made the
most strenuous efforts to discredit
Comp. Deut. S:3: 6:16, 10; ,10:20).
The devil can quote Scripture upon
occasion. He is never more danger
GUS than when he quotes and misap-
plies Scripture. The devil omitted a
very important clause In his QUOTA
tions (see Ps. 91:11. 12). One needs
to watch the DEVILS quotations of
Scripture very closely. He is likely
to quote nearly as 1t reads, but not
just as 1t reads. Where would have
been the wrong In Jesus doing as
Satan suggested? (1) 1t would have
been to doubt Gods word by making
an experiment to see II 1t would come
out as God said. 1t would have been
tempting God ". y. This form of
sin Is very common. CD 1t would
have been an act of spiritual pride, a
mere display of trust in God, when
no end was to be accomplished by 1t.
The devil appears at last in his true
colors ". 81. He would have the
Son OF God render to him that wor-
chip that belongs to God alone. Could
the devil give what he promised? :?
(Jno. 1880. The anti-Christ will
derive his power from him. Satan Of
fered Jesus the dominion by another
road than the cross. The temptation
was real. but II was utterly ineffec-
tive. We yield to this temptation
when we seek that which God has for
us by some other path than the one
God appoints--via Calvary. The
three temptations correspond to the
three-fold temptation In Eden. and
appeal ito the lust Of the fiesh."
"the vainglory of life," and "the lust
of the eyes" (cf. Gen. $50; / Jno.
2:16). Then the angels came and
ministered unit Him. That was
much better than eating bread made
out OF stones.