Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-10-07
LESSON FOR OCTOBER 10
BAPTISM AND TEMPTATION OF
JESUS.

LESSON TEXT-Matthew 81; All
GOLDEN TEXT-This is my beloved
Son, In whom I am well pleased.-Matt
s:17
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL-Luke 81;
4:13; Heb. 2:1S; AIS.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Jesus Pleasing the
Heavenly Father
JUNIOR ToPIC-Baptism and Tempta-
ton of Jesus.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Jesus Overcoming Temptation.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Victory over Appetite. Pride and Am
btion.
|. The Baptism of Jesus (3:13-1D.
While the forerunuer was discharg-
ing his office, the King emerged from
his secIusion at Nazareth and de
manded baptism at Johns hands. The
incongruity of this with the purpose
of baptism brought from John a pro-
tesL but Jesus explanation was salts
factory, so John baptized him. Touch
ing Christ's baptism. note
/ It's significance. ~ Negatively
(a) It 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
a moment in his entire life but what
was lived entirely in accordance with
the Fathers viii. (b) Not because he
had sin, for he was absolutely sinIess
no f-uaIa ,4u6aGIad canora4o from
sinners. This separation was so com
plete that even the devil could find no
occasion against him John IA 800
(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 (vv. 10, 10. 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-
INSTRUMENTATION (heavens openedl.
inspiration (dove abode upon him)
and approval (words from the Fa-
ther).
II. The Temptation of Jesus al
~.
This temptation was the opening
battle Of the dreadful conflict between
Christ and Satan In this struggle,
note:
l. The combatants. ~ Jesus Christ,
The Divine Man. now entering upon
his mediatorial work. He went imme-
diately from the place of amounting
and heavenly recognition as the Son
Of God to meet the arch-enemy 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
tempted in a garden with the most
pleasant surroundings and failed; the
second man was tempted in a bare
wilderness and gloriously triumphed
. 3. The method of attack Since as
our Redeemer Christ sustains a three
fold relationship. Son of Man. Son of
God and as Messiah, each one was
made ground of attack ~ AS Son
Of Man. This was a test of the reality
Of his humanity to demonstrate as to
whether the humanity which he OBJ
tained 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 E
normal man, Christ had a craving ap-
petite. While the appetite was not
sinful, to have satisfied ii In a wrong
way would have been sin. (2) Son OF
God. 1t was to test as to whether
this personality which had taken upon
itself humanity, was divine. The
devil quoted from a Messianic Psalm
to get him to presume upon Gods
care. God does care for his own, but
TO neglect common precautiOn-to dc
the uncalled for thing just to pu.
Gods promise to q test is to sin and
fail. (3) AS Messiah. Christ's 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 obviating 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.
4. The defense-the Word Of God
Christ met the enemy each time and
repulsed him with 1T is written
Each time he quoted from Deuter
onomy, the book which the higher
critics would discredit as reliable.
8. The issue-the enemy is com
pletely routed.