Evening star., 1917-01-13
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.

reality in religion, the readjustment OF
public and private life SO that secular
and social relations shall square with
the spiritual faith that men claim they
possess. reveals how God is working
among men today. From the COM
mencement until the close Of his minis
try John tried to confess Christ be-
fore men.
Upon another day. in the presence OF
his disciples and the assembled multi
tude. John revealed his spirit of self
effacement and loyalty as witness to
the Master by pointing Him out to the
multitude as ''the Lamb of God. that
faketh away the sin of the world
Jesus had just returned from His temp
tation in the wilderness after His bap-
tism when John pointed Him out as
the Christ. claiming that he was not
worthy to perform the menial service
Of removing the sandal from His feet.
BY using the title Lamb of God" John
use1 symbol drawn from the Old
Testament, where the lamb appears as
atoning burnt offering. tEx. 2s:Ss-4D ;
as a symbol or description Of Jehovah s
servant Qs.. SD: who suffers for
the Gins of the people" Evidently John
combines all three ideas into one and
that of the world, because Christ's
death was for the taking upon Him
self on the cross the worlds sin. which
was rooted in disobedience. John
his testimany is reasonable. that his
witnessing was due to spiritual revela-
ton of Christ's character at His bap-
tism.
Although it is possible that the pre-
natal days. mentioned by Luke. in the
cases of both John and Jesus may have
been known by the family and fre-
Quently spoken of by the relatives. yet
cousin was the appointed Messiah un-
til Jesus came from His carpenter shop
in Galilee to be baptized of John in
the Jordan. near Bethany, the place
of the ferry boat" which Conder To-
Gated on the east side of the river.
perience at Chrst's baptism. when
there was revealed unto him from
heaven the evidence that Jesus was
the Messiah, the Lamb of God chosen
the sin of the world. The testimony of
a redeemed life proves today that
Jesus is still able to save men. In
every congregation, church and mis-
sion there can be found the modern
miracles that demonstrate the fact that
Christ saves men today.
BY obeying Jesus. John was enabled
to have, what all who will today fol-
low Christ's commandments can obtain,
the spiritual proof of the Masters mis-
sion. The descent of the Holy Spirit
in the form of a dove and the identifica-
ton of Jesus by the voice Of approval
from heaven filled John the Baptist
with faith in Jesus as the Messiah
and prepared him to bear record that
this is the Son of God" While John
baptized in water he promised that
Jesus would "baptize with the Holy
Ghost"
The risen Lord sent the Holy Spirit
to dwell permanently among men, SO
that Christians should come to possess
1.-The mind of Christ" If one Is a dis
ciple of Christ and has been born again
he must have the life of Jesus as his
standard of thought, ideals and action.
The true Christian has a positive career
to live among men, for the Holy Spirit
will not only convict him of his per-
sonal sin SO that he will see his need
of the Lamb Of God to remove his sins.
but He will guide him in the way ever
lasting. so that, like John the Baptist,
he may testify out of his personal re-
ligious experience to the power of the
Lord Jesus to save men.