Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-01-10
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson II.-First Quarter, For
Jan. a. 1917.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lessoa, John !, 1874,
Memory Verses, 3, 33-Golden Text.
John i, 2e-commentary Prepared by
Rev. D. M. Stearns-

John i, 2e-commentary Prepared BY
Rev. o. N. Stearns-
When John the Baptist was question
ed as to who he was he said that ne
was not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor
the expected prophet. but simply a
voice crying in the wilderness. Make
straight the way of the Lord verses
1929. His commission is found In
lisa. xl. 3-S, where it is said that he
was to prepare the way of the Lord
and make straight in the desert high
way for our God and to cry. IAN flesh
is grass, and all the goodness thereof
is as the flower of the fed. the
grass withereth. the flower fsdeth, but
the Word of our God shall stand for
ever" The Spirit through Malachi
said of him. as well as of tie real
Elijah, yet to come. Behold. ! viii
send you Elijah the prophet before the
coming Of the great and dreadful day
of the Lord {Mal. iv, 3, 81. The angel
Gabriel said of him to his father
Zacharias. He shall be great in the
sight of the Lord. and be shall
be filed with the Holy Ghost even
from his mothers womb; he shall 60
before the Lord in the spirit and pow
er of Elijah . . to make ready PEG
pie prepared for the Lord His father
Zacharias. being filed with the Holy
Spirit, said OF him, And thou, child
shalt be called the prophet of the High
est, Cor thou shalt go before the face
of the Lord to prepare His ways"
duke /, 1917, 67-79}. The Lord Jesus
said of him. Among them that are
born of women there hath not risen a
greater than John the Baptist" CMatt.
xi, III.
When questioned farther by the
Pharisees as to why he baptized If
he was not some great one. he said
that there was one standing among
them whom they knew not, the latchet
of whose shoes he was not worthy to
unloose, and that while he John bap-
tiZed with water the unknown one
would baptize with the Holy Ghost
verses 24-27. 33l. He Is ever the same
Jesus. Trust Him to baptize you with
the Holy Spirit now and hear Him say.
Be it unto thee. even as thou wilt
Whatsoever things We desire when ye
pray. believe that We receive them and
We shall have them" Mark XII, "a. The
cry of John the next day as he saw
Jesus coming unto him. Behold the
Lamb of God. who taketh away the
civ 81 nr Al
greatest cries that one mortal could
make to another
1t would be worth while to 90 into
all lands with that one cry and its as
ISOLATED truths. 1t takes US not only
to the foundation of the world. but
before that (Rev. Xiii. s; Pet. /. 10.
20. for as the Lamb of God He was
foreordained before the foundation of
the world. II takes lis to Gen. i'll. q.
where We see Him with His own hand
by the shedding of blood, providing re
demption clothing for Adam and Eve.
1t takes us to Gen. xxi. where we see
the lamb dying in the stead Of Isaac
1t takes us to Ex. xii and ali that is
said of the Passover Lamb; also TO the
lambs of the daily morning and even
ing sacrifice; to lisa. lii and to pas
sages without number concerning His
being sacrifice for our sins; then Oh
to the Revelation. where He Is called
the Lamb just twenty eight times. re
deeming by His precious blood. en-
abling us to overcome by the same
conquering all His enemies and ours
and finally associated with the Father
on the throne (Rev. V. 8. 10; vii. IA; xii.
IL; xvii, IA; xxi, l, 3d.
AS His redeemed ones we are lambs
in the midst of wolves, and when we
think Of all He has borne for us as
the Lamb of God and all the glory
that awaits US as His associates we
might well be willing to be killed all
the day long for His sake. if only He
can be glorified in us. John says that
it was his commission to manifest
Christ TO Israel, and it is our commits
sion to manifest Him to the world.
that the world may know Him through
US. Away delivered unto death for
Jesus sake. that the life of Jesus may
be made manifest In our mortal flesh
John xvii, q, %: II Cor. iv, 10. III
1t would seem that John did not know
Him personally until the day of the
baptism at Jordan. but be had been
told. Upon whom thou shalt see the
Spirit descending and remaining on
Him the same is He who baptiZeth
with the Holy Ghost" John bare rec
ord saying. II saw the Spirit descend
ing from heaven like q dove. and il
abode upon Him. and l saw and bare
record that this is the Son of God"
verses 31-34)
There must have been knowing
# Him In some sense before the bap-
ism, for when He came to John to be
baptized that day John said to Him.
Il have need to be baptized of thee
and contest thou to me-" So there
must have been some increased revela
ton of Him to John after the baptism.
when the heavens were opened. the
Spirit descended like dove and light
ed upon Him. and the Father said
from heaven This Ia my beloved Son