The Red Cloud chief., 1917-01-11
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDMSQlOOL
LESSON
LESSON FOR JANUARY ID
JOHN THE BAPTIST AND JESUS.
ny +. O. SELLERS. Acting Director OF
the Sunday School Course In the Moody
Bible Institute nf ChiCagoD
Copyright, 1917, Western Newspaper Union

GOLDEN Behold. the lanb of
God that taketh away the sin Of tho
WCrld.-Juhn SO.
John began his public ministry in the
summer Of \. II. 20 aud tire baptism of
Jesus probably took place In January,
\. II. -. The delegation from Jerusa-
lem to interview John must have ap-
pcarcd along toward the latter part of
February.
l.. John the Witness wv. 1919.
Johns ministry created great excite
mrnt. The people were in expectancy.
All classes were reasoning us to who
this strange but marvclously forccful
man might he. Some thought perhaps
he was the Christ U.uke 3:15). To
settle this question II committee was
sent to Jerusalem to investigate.
Malachi, the prophet, has suggested the
coming of Elijah Nlal. i :5) before the
Messiah should come. and another
prophecy Indicated that the prophet
should be like unto Moses CDcut.
lS:lG-1S). John freely confcsscs to
this delegation that he is not the
Christ nor Elijah nor the prophet pre-.
dicted by Moses. How foolish aud
silly are those modern nes who pro-
fcss to be the messenger of the COW
cnant or some other funCiful title, in
dicating the return of the witness
which is to preccde 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 Elsa. 40 800 which sets forth
what his mission was to be. A voice
can be heard but not seen. With our
bodily eyes we never see Il spirit. No
man ever saw the soul of his nearest
friend. We do see God, however, In
his works, I'm his marvellous deliver
nnces and his guidance OF the world
and his answers to prayer.
IL. John the Baptizer wv. 1920.
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 (hlatt. 21-23), and
still later the authority of the apos-
ties and the priests (Acts $3.50. John
answers them with another display of
his humility. His baptism In water
was nothing to the baptism of the
coming one (Sec Matt. 3:1l Acts l 10y.
Though Christ was in their midst, they
were blind and did not recognize him.
(See w. 10, IL; CHI. $40; 10 :3).
Johns baptism of repentance denotes
a baptism which n 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 conversion.
1t is n witnessing and Il symbol of n
spiritual truth that we are dead unto
sin, and have risen to newness of life
Utom. G:3-5). Like John, our voice
must be not only that of humility but
1t must be really u voice with a mes
sage from God, one that sounds an I'M
mistakable note, one that can be heard
wherever we 90, n that will make
men happier, stronger, Drawer, more
like God, to prepare the way for Christ
In the hearts Of men.
~. The Witness Of the Spirit wv.
2S-34). The writer is very explicit,
stating the exact time that these things
occurred, for he was M eye witness.
John first testiies that Jesus was the
Lamb of God, referring Of course to
the sacrificial lamb, the atoning sacri-
flee of the Old Testament (Gen. % :7-S;
Elk. 1913; lisa. 53:7). AS the Lamb of
God, Jesus would take away the sins
Of the world; thus the thought Is pri-
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
unto him, and said to the assembled
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
death wherein he takes away the sins
of the world. On the ground Of the
Precipitation for sin which Jesus
wrought Il John 90; Matt. 20 :2S; II
Cor. 5:21; 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. 13 :S).
Here John says that at first he did not
recognize Jesus rs the Messiah, but he
does bear record that he saw the
spirit descending at his baptism, and II
abode upon him.
The work Of Christ Is for the whole
world till all Its sin Is removed.
He Is actuoiy removing sin from the
world, and when he comes again, sin
will be bcnished. Luke's record adds
that this same Messiah Is to baptize
with the Holy Ghost and fire.
Christians are to be IN fire for God.
The gift of the holy spirit at Pente-
cost was the first and most manifest
expression Of this power Of Christ who
Is the real baptiZer. Begotten Of God