Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1920-10-08

SII.
ADDITIONAL MATERTAL-Luke 81;
l:13; Heb. 2:lS; 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
billion.
l., The Baptism OF Jesus (3:13-1D.
While the forerl!Ener was discharg-
Ing his Office, the King emerged from
his seclusl0n at Nazareth and de-
handed baptism at Johns hands. The
incongrulty Of this with the purpose
Of baptism brought from John II pro-
test, but Jesus explanation was salts
factory, so John baptized him. Touch
Ing Christ's baptism, note
l. Its significance. CD Negatively
(a) II did not mean his own obedi-
ence to the commander mt 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. (b) Not because he
had sin, for he was absolutely sinless,
harmless, undefiled, peparate from
sinners. This separation was so com
plete that even the devil could find no
occasion against hin. (John IA :3W.
(2) Positively. Its significance Is
found In harmony with the central
purpose of his coming Into the world,
which was 20 secure FOR his people
salvation through death, burial and
resurrection. This act was the Off
cial entrance upon his work. 1t was
IN act of conservation Oh his part to
the work Of saving his people through
sacrifice. Baptism IL sinners ordl-
nance. Christ was baptized not be-
cause he had sinned, hut because he
took the place of sinners to be a sub
stitute for them. He vas so devoted
to them that ne entered upon his mis-
sion by submitting tc the ordinance,
which typifed death, Eurlal and resur-
rection.
2. Approval from the opened
heavens wv 16, ~. Immediately
following his conservation to his work,
he heavens were opened and the
Spirit came and abode upon him, fol-
lowed by words of approval from the
Father. These all we:o essential for
the work upon which Christ now en-
tered--.revelatlon (heavens 0pened),
inspiration (dove abttle upon him),
and approval words from the Fa'
ther).
u. The Temptation Of Jesus (4:1-
ny.
This temptation was the opening
battle of the dreadful conflict between
Christ and Satan. In thls struggle,
note:
l. The cOmbatants ~ Jesus Christ,
the Divine Man, now catering upon
his mediatOrial work. Nv went lmme-
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 real
person filled with cunning and malice.
.. 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 bare
wilderness and glorlonsly triumphed.
3. The method of attack. Since as
our Redeemer Christ sustains three
fold relationship, Son o: Man, Son of
God and as Messiah, zach one was
made ground of attack. ~ As Son
of Man. This was test of the reality
of his humanity TO den 0nstrate ms to
whether the humanity which he OBJ
tanned through the Virgin birth WINS
real The appeal was made to the
instinct of hunger Hunger Is nat
ural and slness, Having been forty
days and nights without food. as a
normal man. Christ had craving ap.
petite. While the apostle was not
sinful, to have satisfied 1t In wrong
way would have been sin. (2) Son OF
God. It was to test as to whether
this personality which had taken upon
itself humanity. was divine. The
devil quoted from Messiunic Psalm
to get him to presume upon Gods
care. God does care for his own. but
TO neglect common precautlon-to dc
the uncalled for thing just to put
Gods promise to a test Is to sin and
foll (3) Az 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
ole condition that he adopt his
method, thus obviating the necessity
of the cross. The kingdoms were
really Chrlsts and he knew that they
would ultimately become his. The
inducement was to get immediate pos.
session without the sufrerings Of the
cross.
4. The defense--the Word of God
Christ met the enemy each time and
repulscd him with ut 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. The strong man Is
bound. so the spelling of his house
was possible.
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