The Carlisle independent., 1910-01-06
The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus Sunday School Lesson for Jan. g, 1910
 Specially Arranged for This Paper

T n. ID. l.IS Q. TIME.-The baptism was probably in January, A. D. 27; the temptation the 40 days immediately following. l PLACE.-JeSus came to John from Nazareth. The baptism of Bethabara, on one of the lords of the Jordan. The temptation in the Wilderness of Judea, | northwest of Jericho. Tradition calls the | place Mount Quarantania.
 Suggestion and Practical Thought. I. The Training School of His Early Life. Jesus was both human and di- 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 1 eternal life and therefore could speak with the authority of perfect knowl- | edge. But the human nature must I grow, and be trained so as to become the fitting instrument of the divine. The Schools and Schoolmasters of 1 the Young Jesus. l. The grace of God was upon him.
 2. 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 l 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
 A. But John forbad," was in the act of preventing him, was protesting. T have need" etc. I am the sinful one. not you; as in V. II. Tt was his whiteness against their blackness which moved the Baptist to his indig- nant refusal John Watson's Life of the Master.
 15. Suffer it'' (permit it) |. flor thus it becometh us" both of us, or a general statement true of all men, to fulfill all righteousness, to do what is right, what ought to be done.
 Why was Jesus baptzsed? L It was his public announcement of his posi- tion; that he stood on the side of re- ligion and righteousness.
 2. It was an identifying of himself with humanity, sharing their lot, suf- fering with men the effects of sin, l going down into the slums of human
 
 like as we are, yet without sin" :" touched with the feeling of our in- | frmities,' and thus able to succor them that are tempted"
 3. He was baptized as an exampls 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 Iuke 3:2D. "The heavens were opened" symbolizing the fuller vision of Jesus into the eternal realities. Heaven and all it's powers and blessings were with him. He saw the Spirit of God descending, bestowing upon him the power and presence of the Holy Spirit who was to convince men of sin, and of righteousness and of judg- ment"
 III. His Victory in tlSe Battle with Temptation. The Great Crisis of His Life.-Matt. 4:1-11.
 First The Battlefield-v. 1. Jesus led up of the spirit" He went out to meet his great enemy; it was part of the divine plan. The test was neces- sary before he could enter upon his great work. His life questions must be settled once for all Into the wilderness" the lonely mountainous regions northeast of Jerusalem. The real battle was fought on the battle l field of the soul, where are fought the 1 greatest battles in all time The enemy was Satan, the adver- sary, real being.
 How could a holy being be tempt ed?" Only by the good that was in him, by natural appetite as hunger, by the desire to do good, to escape pain, to satisfy right desires. Second. The Long Campaign.-v. 2. 2. And when he had lasted forty | days" The real spirit of fasting lies | in being so intensely absorbed that one does not feel the sensation of | hunger Jesus was so intent on set. ting the great questions that con- | fronted him-whether he was the Son | of God, in what way he should accom- plish his mission. in prayer for guid- l ance, in seeking light, in deciding on | duty-that he was unconscious of | hunger; and in his lonely place there was no food to be obtained. Both Mark and Luke say he was tempted all these 40 days, probably l in the same general way as the last three great assaults now to be de- scribed. which sum up the conflict.
 Third. Three Great Battles and l Victories-Vs. 2-10 Note that these temptations all came in reference to I the means of establishing the king dom of God.
 Prof Jowett of Manchester, Eng land, well says in a late sermon: Whatever else my Lord shall be to me he shall not be counterfeit man, | exposed to counterfeit fire, a mere stage fire, man played upon by