The Raymer enterprise., 1912-02-22
INTERNATIONAL,
SUNlIS(|100L
LESSON
By Rev. William Evans, D. D. Director Bible Course
Moody Bible institute, Chicago.
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY rs.
BAPTISM AND TEMPTATION OF
JESUS.

JESUS.
LESSON TEXT-Mark 1918: Matt
,:l-ll.
MEMORY vERsEs-Matt. 4:a-4.
GOLDEN TEXT-For insthat He Him.
able to succor them that are tempted
Heb. 2:lS.
Three things deserve special notice
In connection with the scene Of the
baptism Of Christ: The baptism It,
self. the descending dove, and the
heavenly voice.
The baptism Of Christ is connected
with the fact that Christ was thirty
years old This was the age when LIE.
vltical priests were set apart and con-
secrated to their office. The baptism.
therefore. has reference to the priestly
office Of Christ. BY submitting to bap-
tism Jesus identifies himself with the
worlds sin.
Christ's baptism then was not per-
sonal-for he himself was slnless.
The lesson tells US that while others.
after their baptism, stood confessing
their sins in the Jordan. he immedi.
ately went up out Of the water, for
he had no sins to confess-but official
and representative. Christ submitted
to the same baptism which the genera
ton Of vipers had received. not be-
cause he was one Of them, but because
he was their representative. and had
come to take upon himself their sins.
Christ. in submitting to Johns bap.
tism, set his seal upon the dlvinely
appointed ministry of John as the full.
fillment Of the Old Testament
prophecy. He recognized in Johns
baptism Gods plan for him, and he
submitted to 1t without questioning
II any man in his own right did not
need baptism, 1t was Christ. BY this
act, Jesus set his seal upon the rite
of baptism. rite which may be aban
doned only when 1t no longer teaches
any truth. Rebellion against customs
and rites for rebelllon's sake is vicious
individualism.
The descent Of the Holy Spirit indi
Gates Christ's equipment for his serv
ice. In his sermon in the synagogue
he referred to this truth when he said
the spirit Of the Lord God Is resting
upon me. because he hath anointed
me to preach the gospel. Even Chris,
could not accomplish his life work
without the aid OF the divine spirit
Nor can we.
The voice from heaven could scarce
ly have been heard by Christ without
his associating It with the identified
ton OF himself with the servant Of the
Lord in the prophecy of Isaiah (chap
tiers AZ to COY.
The temptation is closely allied t.
the baptism Of Christ; indeed, 1t II
based on the proclaimed sonship O
the baptism. From this We learn tina
the greatest temptations ofttimes, In
deed generally follow the creates
blessings.
The temptation was real event
and not q mere mental or soul strug
gle. The personality Of Satan Is al
evident as the personality of Chris
in the narrative. Nor is there any
thing in the story to indicate that 4
is an allegory, but everything predl
Gates a reality.
All OF the temptations were aloni
the line Of Christ's intention to estab
lish the Kingdom Of God in the world
Satan's suggestion to Christ was tt
take short cut to the obtaining o
the Kingdom The adversary did no
ask Christ to do single wroni
thing; he did suggest doing righ
things In a wrong way and with wront
motives. There is nothing wrong IL
being hungry and satisfying hunger
but 1t is sinful to use wrong measure,
to satisfy even SO natural an appetite
Nor Is 1t wrong to trust in the wort
and promises Of God for deliveranc,
when we find ourselves in places O
danger. but 1t is wrong to unnecessar
lily place ourselves in compromising
positions because Of the temptations o
the evil one, and then presume to rel!
upon the promises OF God to extricatt
us from position into which We hav,
thus been brought Such Is not az
act Of faith. but of presumption-it II
tempting the Lord God. Nor Is 4
wrong TO engage In the. act Of worship
but 1t is sinful to worship anything
or anybody other than God.
ChrIst's method Of victory is slgni
flcant. He does not resort to dazzling
inventions or manifest any attempt a
shrewdness In his answers. He doci
not even try to be original. He goe,
to the quiver OF Gods word, and take,
out an arrow that had been polished
by much use, and hurls It at the ad
versary. He exemplies the psalmist's
expression: "Thy word have / hid ir
mine heart. that l might not sir
against thee" No doubt Jesus quoted
from memory. Herein lies the bless
ing Of learning gospel texts. and oI
storing the memory with scripture.
Jesus was tempted In all points like
as We are. We must not think tina,
these three temptations were the only
ones Christ endured. even In the wild
erness. The narrative says that "Wher