The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-02-23

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Three things deserve special notice
In connection with the scene OF the
baptism of Christ; The baptism It
self, the descending dove, and the
voice,
The baptism OF Christ Is connected
with the fact that Christ was thirty
years old. This was the age when Lee
vitical priests we're set apart and con
secrated to their office, The baptism,
therefore, has reference to the prlestly
office Of Christ BY submitting to bap-
tism Jesus identities 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 divinely
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,
If 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 rebellion's sake Is vicious
individuallsm.
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 Christ
could not accomplish his life work
without the aid of the divine spirit
Nor can we.
i The.voice from heaven could scarce
ly have been heard by Christ without
his associating 1t with the Identifies
ton OF himself with the servant OF the
Lord in the prophecy of Isaiah Cchap-
/ tiers AZ to 60).
The temptation is closely allied to
the baptism OF Christ; indeed, 1t Is
based on the proclaimed sonship Of
the baptism. From this we learn that
the greatest temptations ofttimes, In
deed generally follow the greatest
blessings.
The temptation was a real event
and not a mere mental or soul strug
gle. The personality Of Satan is as
evident as the personality Of Christ
in the narrative, Nor Is there any
thing in the story to Indicate that II
is an allegory, but everything predi
Gates a reality.
All OF the temptations were alons
the line Of Christ's intention to estab
lish the Kingdom Of God in the world
Satan's suggestion to Christ was tt
take a short cut to the obtaining Of
the Kingdom The adversary did moi
ask Christ to do single wron'
thing; he did suggest doing right
things In a wrong way and with WRONG
motives. There Is nothing wrong II
being hungry and satisfying hunger
but It is sinful to use wrong measures
to satisfy even so natural an appetite
Nor is 1t wrong to trust in the wore
and promises of God for deliveranc'
when we find ourselves In places o
danger, but 1t Is wrong to unnecessar
llv place ourselves in compromising
positions because Of the temptations o
the evil one, and then presume to rel
upon the promises OF God to extrlcat
/ us from position into which we hav
thus been brought. Such Is not al
1 act Of faith, but Of presumption-it !
/ tempting the Lord God. Nor Is
. wrong to engage in the act Of WORSHIP
but It is sinful to worship anythin
or anybody other than God.
Christs method Of victory is sign
flcant. He does not resort to dazzlin
I inventions or manifest any attempt a
c shrewdness in his answers. He doc
Il not even try to be original He zoe
A to the culver Of Gods word, and take
out an arrow that had been polishe
by much use. and hurls II at the az
yersary. He examples the psalmlst
expression "Thy word have hid !
? mine heart. that might not 81
= against thee" No doubt Jesus quote
II from memory. Herein lies the bles
ing of learning gospel texts. and
n storing the memory with scripture.
= Jesus was tempted In all points lik
as we are. We must not think tha
y these three temptations were the onl
% ones Christ endured, even In the wilt
Is erness. The narrative says that "Whe
'e Satan had finished all the CwhoI
II cycle of temptations. he left him fc
10 season" This implies that theT
~ we're other temptations, and that h
= whole life was beset by temptation
- There is not single note In n
great organ Of our humanity, whic
y when touched. does not produce syn
I'd pathetic vibration in the mighty seoT
81 md range OF our masters being Q