New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-01-04
IMPROVED UNIP0RM INTERNATIONAL
LESSON
(By r. o. SELLERS. Acting Director of
the Sunday School Course Of the Moody
Bible Institute. Chicago.)
Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR JANUARY 6
JOHN PREPARES THE WAY FOR
JESUS.

HoLDEN IEhI-BenOld the Lamp OF
God. that taketh away the sin Of the
world.-John 1923.
PRIMARY MEMORY VERSE-Thou
shalt call his name Jesus: For it is he
that shall save his people from their sins.
Matt. 1:21.
INTERMEDIATE. SENIOR AND
ADULT TOPIC-Heralds Of the king.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR
TEACHERS-Isa. 40:3-5; Nal. 3:1-3; Luke
1925; $3.50: Matt. 3:1-17: Luke 3:1-S; John
l:19-42.
The first lesson for this year marks
the introduction of The Improved Uni
form series of International Sunday
School Lessons. This series has grown
out Of several years of frank discus.
sion and the presentation of many pro-
posed lesson schemes. It is an effort
to conserve the benefits of the uni.
form system of lessons with the desire
to adapt the lessons as thoroughly
MS possible to the modern pedagogical
idea of graded instruction for the vari.
Gus departments of the school: an
attempt to provide for the whole school
as thorough and as teachable n uni.
. iSssoh " Z 40 pooolDiC.
Special topics and special memory
verses and additional scriptural ma
terial have been designated wherever
it has been deemed possible whereby
to make the lessons more helpful to
the pupils of different departments.
1t is the beginning of an ei%ght-year
cycle, chosen with the view first, of
Incorporating several short topical
courses in addition to the usual series
on the chronological basis, and Sec
Ond the committee had in mind the
desirability of more frequent survey
of the entire Bible with varying meth
DDS of approach than is possible under
a six-years cycle. Finally, to har.
monte in the period of the cycle the
newly adopted %quadrennial conven.
tons of the international Sunday
School association. Where no topic,
memory verse or additional material
is indicated for inter-departments of
schools, it is intended that uniform
material should be employed for such
departments.
Occasionally the general title and
lesson may be found to be more help
full than the special topics or add.
tiOnal material as indicated for a Civ.
en- department. Sunday school lead.
ers frankly acknowledge that this new
plan Is an experiment. 1t Is hoped,
however, that the long continued con-
troversies over graded lessons, extra.
biblical material and uniform lessons
may find q solution in this newer plan.
Marks Gospel pictures Jesus as the
servant; therefore, it makes no refer.
ence whatever to his %genealOgy. The
key-word to this gospel is the word
"~straightway," which is used more
than forty times, and it Is a sugges-
ton as regards the obedience of q
servant.
!. Introduction wv. 1-3). The be-
ginning Of the gospel Is meant the
beginning of the blessed story as told
by the evangelist, Mark. Note it is a
fultilment of prophecy (Mal. 81; lisa.
go ~. Mark Is here more particular
ly referring to Isaiah. This Is the
period in the life Of Christ between
his temple experience and the day OF
his baptism, when he first entered
politically into the real history OF
Israel. Jesus must needs nave a her
aid, even as an earthly king is an
nounced before his arrival. Christ
himself is the living word (John 1:1)
though the voice which announces him
Is the voice of a man-JOhn the Bap.
tizer. The baptism Of John was unto
repentance and the remission of sins
1t must not be confused with Christian
baptism. Some interesting questions
arise as to the life of Jesus before
this event-his religious habits luke
4:16) his attitude toward the word
of God and its prophecies (Luke 4:17.
Ply the work he had been doing 10
Nazareth MARK 6:3).
u. The Baptizer. wv. 4-9). To
know what kind of a man John was,
we must look up Mark 1:6 and Matt.
3:4. His religious convictions are in.
teresting also. They were a matter
of his heart duke 3:S), a thing of
his daily life duke 3:10). He was a
man who held to a strict moral stand
ard MARK 6:1S). His method and his
message were a protest and a warn
ing as well as a preparation. Repent.
apce Is not remission of sin Il John
l :9), John demanded fruit" which
should accompany repentance Matt.
3:S, %. His message was not ma
tional but individual and his sugges-
ton Matt. 3:1O-12) of future punish.
ment for w~rong-doing is only exceeded
by the words of our Lord himself. See
also Luke 3:1O-16. His mode of life
". g., and the message he brought,
as elsewhere indicated, created a great
stir, but behind 1t all he vas looking
one who should baptiZe not with
water but with the holy ghost and
fire. We have in verse nine some in
teresting comments and a%pprOvals up
on what is known as "the hidden years
in Nazareth" those years in the life
our Lord which we have no record
as to his conduct (Luke 2:39. 40).
III. The Baptism wv. 10, 11). Bap-
tism is always an emblem. a symbol.
(See Matt. 3:11; Luke SO; Mark 1:S;
Rom. GAY 1t is a public identified
ton, a public conservation and confess
sion of faith. Jesus Christ himself
took the place Of sinners III Cor.
5:21).
We have in this connection Gods
testimony of the son. The
heavens were opened, the spirit de-
scending as a dove and the audible
voice heard from out Of the open