Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-20
By Rev. H. T. Stevenson.

This weeks lesson marks the closing
Of Johns ministry. for he had come to
Introduce Jesus to men. When by his
testimony the attention OF the nrst
disciples was directed to Christ the
mission of the Baptist was completed
He retired to let Jesus have the
prominent place in the thought or the
nation The Masters career as public
teacher commenced with the IN
PRODUCTION given him by John the
Baptist, whose pungent preaching had
impressed the religious, political and
social life of the nation. He influenced
men by his sincerity. boldness and self
lessness In fact, John had under God
created the atmosphere of expectancy,
the psychological situation needed TO
make Christs career effective.
His testimony concerning Jesus TO
the Jerusalem religious officials did not
arouse any interest in the unseen
Christ. When John revealed the Lord
to the crowd assembled near Bethany.
beyond Jordan. he did not secure a
single follower for the Master, whom
he pointed out as the Lamb of God, the
sin-bearer of the world. His spiritual
insight concerning Christ's character
had been confirmed by the sign of the
dove that proved beyond question to
the preacher of the wilderness that
Jesus was the Son of God, the Savior
of men. The next day John. true to his
mission. while he was preaching to his
followers. watched with rapture the
approaching figure. Although none had
needed the message before, he repeated
II to considerable number of the
disciples.
Only two felt the significance of the
preachers sermon. that the one who over
a month before had been baptized by
John and whose presence had moved the
In M ct hnr n "a
When John said. Behold the Lamb of God.
they did not grasp the meaning of the
theological statement of John that Jesus
was the lamb of Gods own providing.
the lamb that takes away all mems guilt.
the lamb typified in the passover and
every Old Testament sacrifice" but two
disciples that heard him speak followed
Jesus.
When they left John to seek Jesus they
were followed by the loving look of the
Baptist. 1t was his last view of Christ
1t marked to him the hour when his in
fuence must commence to decrease and
that of Christ increase. 1t showed the
manhood of John the Baptist that he
could step aside and make way for the
advancement of Jesus. whom he intro
duced into the world. Yet John was happy
when he saw the two disciples leave the
others to follow the lonely figure that had
Just been pointed out to them. They had
caught his vision and showed their conf
dence in John by seeking Christ. Andrew
and John. who in all probability wrote
Jesus upon that epoch-making day. The
fact that the author suppreSses his name
as he does when he reaches the tomb of
the Lord first points to the Apostle John
and not some unknown disciple named
John. the writer of this marvellous
story of how Jesus came to bring life
unto men.
The investigators who started to
seek Jesus were surprised by the in
quisitiveness of the Christ, who turned
and asked them the purpose of their
following. Was it due to curiosity or
a desire to know the Christ? The man
who seeks in sincerity to know the
Master will find Him. They desired to
know Him and He invites them to be
His guests. The man who finds Jesus
as his Lord will have revealed unto
himself the hidden possibilities of his
own life. To all who want to know
Him Jesus says today. as He did to
the first two who followed Him. Come
and see"
The Master wants all men to test
His power to save men by a personal
experience. Every one that hears the
gospel ought to follow the example of
the first members of the society of
Jesus. When they heard they looked
at Christ. and then they followed Him.
Their conversion was due to a vision
OF the personality of the Christ, that