The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-02-22
sunday SCHOOL.
Lesson vilI.-First Quarter, Fol-
Feb. Is, 1912.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES,


Mark j, 911-Memory Verses. Matt.
iv, 3, +Go!den Text, Heb. ii, is.
Commentary Prepared by Rev. D. N.
Stearns.
The record Of the baptism is found in
Matthew, Mark and Luke, but most
fully in Matthew In Luke i'll. q. We
read that Jesus began TO be about thir
ty years of age, and we cannot hut
wonder at the lOwly and submissive
life of all those thirty years at Naaa-
rpth How can we eve, mHrmur AT
limitations and humiliat.onS in our
lives as we think Of this life lived for
us? He came from Nazareth. where
He had been brought up duke iv. l6,
and after His return to heaven He
called Himself Jesus of Nazareth
lActs xxi. 3. yet Nathaniel sa d. Can
there any good thing come out of Naz
;lreth?" afterward acknowledging that
out Of Nazareth came ''the Son Of God
the King Of Israel (John j. 46. 4M
He came to Jordan. river of judgment
yet there was ncthing in Him TO be
Judged Others were baptized of John
cOnfessing their sins. but lie had no
sins to confess. We do not wonder
that John said to Him, II have need
to be baptized Of Thee. and comest
Thou to me-" But our Lords Suffer
it to be so now has helped many
humble follower to submit to seeming
ly unnecessary things that the right
eousness Of God might be seen in them
and others won to Him. This and
that other saying. About My Fathers
business" His two first recorded ut
terances. are good for all of us in our
daily life AS He came up out of the
water something happened from the
the Father testified .'lh0u art My be
loved Son, in whom am we'll pleased.
At the same time the Spirit of God de
scended in bodily shape like Il dove
upon Him The Father had told John
that it would be so, and John bare rec
ord that He was the Son Of God John
/, 33. 34) The one who sent John also
testified that the one on whom the
Spirit would descend and remain would
Himself baptiZe with the Holy Spirit
Then what hinderS us thus to be bap-
tized? Luke tells us that Jesus was
praying when the heavens were open
ell. He seems to have prayed always
and about everything and sometimes
all night He tasted too Is that
where we fail? Consider the other
six places where We read Of the heav
en- being opened and always see Him
self Consider well every place where.
as here. the Father. Son and Holy
Spirit are seen or mentioned, rs in
Matt xviii, 10: II Cor, xiii. "A:
Heb ix, H. See in John xiv. II. 23.
how the Spirit and the Father and
the Son make the bodies of believers
their abode or mansion and to their
| Whom shall send, and who will go
for us?" Let us gladly answer, Here
am l: send me-" remembering His
words. LAS My. Father hath sent Me.
even so send ! you Qsa. vi. 8: John
Xxx, 21).
When Spirit filed we may then ex
pect to be specially attacked by the
devil AS our representative He was
| led by the Spirit into the wilderness
to be tempted Of the devil Both Mark
and Luke say that He was forty days
tempted of the devil. Matthew and
Luke say that He tasted forty days
and forty nights; that He did eat moth
| ing Thus did Moses on two occasions
and Elijah once. and these three we
| find on the Mount of Transtig,.raiion
and we hear them speak Of tho devils
| most awful piece of work. the death OF
Jesus He Is the fearful adversary of
God and man and has been Mt work
as such ever since he deceived ana
conquered Adam and Eve. and he wi
not cease till he shall be shut mp in tha
! pit for LOCO years. As the devil tempt
| ed Eve on the line Of the lust Of the
flesh, the lust Of the eyes and the pride
| IF life q John ii. 1ta and won the day
so he tempted the Lord Jesus, but was
defeated. Eve had everything that
the Lord saw that she needed. yet she
| ate the forbidden fruit. The Lord Je
sus, having tasted forty days and be
ing hungry. vet overcame by the
words. MAN shall not live BY bread
alone, but by every word OF God
| luke iv. A.. The DEVILS ambition to
be as God conquered Eve lisa xiv. IL:
| Gen. iii, -. but the Lord Jesus con
quered by the words. '"Thau shalt not
tempt the Lord thy God" ...dam and
Eve had been given dominion over all
things (Gen. |. 262S,. hut they lost II
| by giving heed to this great enemy.
and he has ever since beer the god OF
this world q! Cor. fv, ~. The Lord
Jesus. the last Adam. knew that some
day He would restore the dominion to
man. and tl," kingdoms Of this world
| will be His Fingdom ,Isev. ii. 15f. So
He could say TO the great adversary
"Gpt thee herce Satar" It fs written.
"Thou shalt worship the Lord this God.
and Him only shall: tl,oi serve. We
read in Luke that when the devil had
ended al, the temptation he denartet!
from Him for season." and Matthew
and Mark tell us that "angels came
and ministered unto Him" We must
remember that the same great adver
sary is still going about seeking whom
he may devour. But with the ar.nor
provided for US and by the sword and
the blood OF the Lamb we. too, may
be overcomers. seeking nothing for our
selves. walking humbly with our Gcd
4 snd worthy Of the kingdom and f.nr..
to which we are called Eph. II: Rev
Xii. III. II We resist the devil he wD
dee from Us. for God Is with US.