Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1920-10-07


317.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL-Luke 81
4:13; Heb 2:1s: 4.15.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Jesus Pleasing the
Heavenly Father
JUNIOR TOPIc-Baptsm and Tempta-
ton of Jesus.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Jesus Overcoming Temptation.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Victory Over Appetite, Pride and Am.
bition.
!. The Baptism of Jesus (3:13-1D.
While the forerunner was discharg-
ing his Office the King emerged from
his seclusion at Nazareth and de-
manded baptism at Johns hands The
ineongruity of this with the purpose
Of baptism brought from John pro-
test, but Jesus explanation was salts
factory, so John baptized him. Touch
ing Christ's baptism, note:
l. Its significance d) Negatively
(a) 1t 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
was lived entirely in accordance with
the Fathers will (b) Not because he
had sin, for he was absolutely sinless.
harmless, indebted, separate from
sinners. This separation was so com
plete that even the devil soud find no
occasion against him John IA :30}.
(2) Positively. Its significance is
found in harmony with the central
purpose of his coming into the world
which was to secure for his people
salvation through death, burial and
resurrection.
2. Approval from the opened
heavens wv. 16, 17). 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 (heavens opened),
inspiration (dove abode. upon HIND,
and approval (words from the Fa-
therl
II. The Temptation of Jesus a Il
1I.
This temptation was the opening
battle OF the dreadful conflict between
Christ and Satan. In this struggle,
note: ~
/. The combatants. 0) Jesus Christ,
| the Divine Man. now entering upon
his mediatorial work. He went imme
/
diHtely from the place of amounting
I and heavenly recognition as the Son
I Of God to meet the archenemy of the
race (2) The devil He was a real
| person filed with cunning and malice.
2; The battle ground-the Wilder
| ness Of Judea. The first man was
J tempted in a. garden with the most
pleasant surroundings and failed; the
| second man was tempted in bare
! wilderness and gloriously triumphed.
g. The method of attack. Since as
our Hcdeemer Christ sustains three
! fold relationship. Son of Man, Son of
! God and as Messiah each one was
made a ground of attack. Q) AS Son
of M: n. This was a test of the reality
of his humanity TO demonstrate as to
whether the humanity which he oh
! tanned through the Virgin birth was
real The appeal was made to the
! instinct of hunger Hunger is nat
ural and sinleSs. Having been forty
days and nights without food. as a
normal man, Christ had craving APP
petite. While the appetite was not
| t.ipf,,I to hovot GO ficfia6 il in ypror "
way would have been sin. (2) Son of
God 1t was to test as to whether
this personality which h@d taken upon
itself humanity, WIS divine. TIE
devil quoted from MesSianc Psalm
to get him to presume upon Gods
care. God does care for his own, hut
to neglect common precaution--to do
the uncalled for thing Just to put
Gods promise to test is to sin and
| fall. (3) AS Messiah. Christs mis-
sion as Messiah was to recover this
world from the devil. Now the devil
offers to surrender TO him on the sim
pie condition that he adopt his
method, thus ohviating the necessity
of the cross. The Kingdoms were
really Christ's. and he knew that they
would ultimately become his The
inducement was to 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 ut is written.
each time he quoted from Deuter-
onomy, the book which the higher
critics would discredit as reliable.
r. The issue-the enemy is com
pletely routed.
Guided by Religion.