The citizen., 1920-10-07


GOLDEN TEXT-This In my beloved
Son. In whom I am well pleased.-Matt
All
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL-Luke si:
t.i3 Heb els. tsi5
PRIMARY ToPIC-Jesus Pleasing the
Heavenly Father
JUNIOR ToPfC-Baptlsm and Tempta-
ton OF Jesus
INTERMEDIATES AND SENIOR TOPIC
Jesus Overcoming Temptation.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Victory over Appetite. Pride and Am
bition.
!. The Baptism OF Jesus (3:13-17).
While the forerunner was dlscharg-
Ing his office. the King emerged from
hts seclusIon NJ Nazareth and de-
manded baptism at Johns hands. The
incongruIty OF this with the purpose
OF baptism brought from John pro-
test, hut Jesus explanation was salts
factory, so John baptized him. Touch
Ing Chrlst's baptism. note:
I. Its significance. u) Negatively.
(a) II did not mean his own obedi-
ence TO the commandment Of God. be-
cause his entire life had been lived
entirely within the will OF God. Not
moment In his entire life but what
was lived entirely in accordance with
the Fathers will. tb) Not because he
had sin. for he was absolutely sinless.
harmless. undefiled. separate from
sinners. This separation was so com
plete that even the devil could find no
occasion against him (John II .3O).
(2) Positively. Its significance IL
found In harmony with the central
purpose Of his coming into the world.
which was 10 secure for his people
salvation through death. burial and
resurrection.
2. Approval from the opened
heavens (vv. 10. III. Immediately
following his conservation to his work.
the heavens were opened and the
Spirit came and abode upon him. fol-
lowed by words of approval from the
Father. These all were essential for
the work upon which Christ now en-
tered-revelation (heayens opened.
Inspiration tdove abode upon him).
and approval (words from the Fa-
ther).
u. The Temptation Of Jesus (4:I-
III.
This temptation was the opening
battle OF the dreadful conflict between
Christ and Satan. In this struggle.
note:
I. The combatants. ~ Jesus Christ.
the Divine Man. now entering upon
his mediatorial work. He went imme-
diately from the place OF anoipting
and heavenly recognition as the Son
OF God 10 meet the arch-enemy of the
race. (2) The devil. lie was real
person filled with cunning and malice.
2. The battle ground-the wilder
ness OF Juden. The first man was
tempted I'm garden with the most
pleasant surroundings and failed; the
second man was tempted In bare
wilderness and gloriously triumphed
3. The method OF attack. Since as
our Redeemer Christ sustalns a three
fold relationship. Son OF Man. son of
God and as Messiah. each one was
made a ground OF attack % As Son
OF Mcn. This was a test Of the reality
Of his humanity 10 demonstrate as 10
whether the humanity which he oh
talned through the Virgin birth was
real The appeal was made 10 the
instinct OF hunger. Hunger Is nat
ural and slnless. Having been forty
days and nights without food. as
normal man. Christ had n craving ap-
petite. While the appetite was not
sinful. TO have satisfied Il in wrong
way would have been sin. (2) Son OF
God. II was TO test as 10 whether
this personality which had taken upon
itself humanity. was divine. The
devil quoted from a Messlanic Psalm
TO get him to presume upon Gods
care God does care for his own, but
10 neglect common precaution-to do
Gods promise TO test is 10 sin and
fall. t3) As Messiah. Christs mis-
sion as Messiah was 10 recover this
world from the devil. Now the devil
offers TO surrender 90 him on the sim
Pile condition that he adopt his
method. thus obvlatlng the necessity
OF the cross. The kingdoms were
really Christ's. and he knew that they
would ultimately become his. The
lnducement was 10 get immediate pos
session without the sufferings OF the
cross.
a. The defense-the Word OF God.
Christ met the enemy each time and
repulsed him with "It Is written"
Each time he quoted from Deuter-
onomy. the book which the higher
critics would dlscredlt as reliable.
g. The issue-the enemy is com
pletely routed.