The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1917-01-10

John began his public ministry in the
summer of A. D. 20 and the baptism of
Jesus probably took place in January,
A. d. q. The delegation from Jerusa
lem to interview John must have APP
peared along toward the latter part of
February.
|. John the Witness wv. 1919.
Johns ministry created great excite
ment. The people were in expectancy.
All classes were reasoning as to who
this strange but marvelOuSly 'fOrceful
man might be. Some thought perhaps
he was the Christ duke 3:15). To
settle this question Il committee was
sent to Jerusalem to investigate.
Malachi, the prophet, has suggested the
coming of Elijah NGal. 4 :5) before the
Messiah should come, and another
prophecy Indicated that the prophet
should be like unto Moses Oeut.
Is ;16-1S). John freely confesses to
this delegation that he is not the
Christ nor Elijah nor the prophet pre-
dicted by Moses. How foolish and
silly are those modern ones who pro-
fess to be the messenger of the COW
enant or some other fanciful title, in
dicating the return of the witness
which is to precede the coming of
Christ. John exercises humility in the
way he states his real position though
he does apply to himself the prophecy
Of Isaiah lisa. 40 80 which sets forth
what his mission was to be. A voice
can be heard but not seen. With our
bodily eyes we never see a spirit No
man ever saw the soul of his nearest
friend. We do see God, however, in
his works, in his marvellous deliver
anceS and his guidance of the world
and his answers to prayer. We can
also see him in the only begOtten Son
who has made him to be seen. Who
ever sees Jesus as he was and is has
seen God. Truly blessed are the pure
in heart for they shall see God"
IL. John the Baptizer wv. 1929.
AS John had denied that he was the
Christ or Elijah, the priests and Lev
ties made bold to question his author
ity at a later time (Matt. 21-23), and
still later the authority of the apoS-
ties and the priests (Acts 5 :2S). John
answers them with another display Of
his humility. His baptism in water
was nothing to the baptism Of the
coming one (See Matt. 3 IL Acts :5).
Though Christ was in their midst, they
were blind and did not recognize him.
(See w. 10, IL; ch. S:19; 16 :3).
Johns baptism of repentance denotes
a baptism which Il penitent submitted
to that he might receive the pledge
and assurance that his sins were for
given. Baptism meant the cleansing
of the people from past sins that they
might be fitted for entrance into the
kingdom. Baptism is not conve sion.
1t is a witnessing and symbol of
spiritual truth that we orc dead unto
sin, and have risen to newneSs of life
(ROm. $3.50. Like John, our voice
must be not only that of humility but
it must be really a voice wish a mes
sage from God, one that sounds an I'M
mistakable note, one that can be heard
wherever we go, one that will make
men happier, stronger, Drawer, more
like God, to prepare the way for Christ
in the hearts of men.
Ill The Witness of the Spirit wv.
2S-34). The writer is very explicit,
stating the exact time that these things
occurred, for he was an eye witness.
John first testifies that Jesus was the
Lamb of God, referring of course to
the sacrificial lamb, the atOning sacri-
flee of the Old Testament (Gen. % :7-8;
Elk. 1913; lisa. 90 -. AS the Lamb of
God, Jesus would take away the sins
of the world; thus the thought is pr-
marily that of atOnement, a substitu-
ton of another and the deliverance
from the guilt Of sin. The next day
after Johns witness to the delegation
from Jerusalem, he saw Jesus coming
people, Behold the Lamb of God"
This refers not so much to his charac-
ter, that of innocence, meekness and
patience, as to his office, his completed
work of atonement by the sacriticial
death wherein he takes away the sins
of the world. On the ground of the
Precipitation for sin which Jesus
wrought q John %; Matt. POPS; II
Cor. 5 81; Gal. 3:13) sin is removed
from the sinner as far as the East is
from the West. God dealt in mercy
with men before Christ's time because
of the lamb which was slain from the
foundation of the world (Rev. ID ~.
Here John says that at first he did not
recognize Jesus as the Messiah, but he
does bear record that he saw the
spirit descending at his baptism, and it
abode upon him. Luke adds that the
heavens were opened, and the spirit
descended in the form of a dove. There
Is no difficulty in Johns statement, 81
knew him not" He lived in Judea;
Jesus lived in Galilee, and it is doubt
ful if they had ever met. What John
probably means is that he did not
know him as the coming Messiah, but
he that commissioned John in the will
1erness to be the forerunner of the
Messiah had given John a sign where
by he should know him, the Son of
God. John had waited patiently until
this sign was given. He did not speak
until he had the certificate of Cod He
knew that one was to be made mani
fest; therefore he came baptizing with
water, preparing the way Matt. 3 :2-6).
AS soon as L. did see, John gave his