Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-09
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
BAPTISM AND TEMPTATION
OF JESUS.
Matthew, 3.1-4.11.
Golden text: This is my be-
loved Son. in whom I am we'll
Observation-Disclosures BIT.
BY REV. HUGH t. STEVENSON.

during the twenty-five years that
interviewed between the close of last
Sundays lesson and the events of
today's study the Scriptures have
maintained a solemn silence, that is
broken only once by the record of
Christ's visit to Jerusalem and the
temple when he was twelve years. of
age. The ministry of John the Bap-
fist had reused the nation by his
manhood. methods and message.
! When Jesus was convinced that the
baptism of John was from heaven"
He determined to identify Himself
with the movement that the preach
ing of the Baptist had inaugurated.
Leaving home marks crisis in
laid down His tools in the carpenter
shop babe farewell to the home and
community. which had for quarter
of century, by its influence, instruc-
marked not only turning point in
His own life, but also opened the
greatest epoch in the worlds his
tory. 1t was probably, as Ellicott
has pointed out, winter, and the
valley of Esdraelon was just green
| with springing corn. as the Redeem
er's path lay across it toward the
desert valley of the Jordan. either to
that ancient ford near Succoth. which
! recent geographical speculation has
connected with Bethabara. or, rather,
Bethany of St. John, or more proba-
bly, to the neighborhood of that more
| southern ford not far from Jericho,
laround which the traditions yet
1inger," as the place where John was
baptizing and where Christ first met
John the Baptist.
The Masters Baptism.
Although they were cousins. it is
doubtful if they had ever met before
1.-The Masters of hantiSn1 at
the hands of John. 1t Is certain that
the Baptist did not know that Jesus
was the Messiah who was to baptize
with the Holy Ghost and fire. John
had grown up in the hill country of
|Judea while Jesus was in Nazareth.
For at least ten years their opportu-
nifty to meet each other was very
limited. During that period John had
ibeen a solitary student in the desert,
while the struggle to maintain the
home kept the Lord in Nazareth.
where He was developing the pro-
gram that would complete the minis
TRY of John the Baptist. change the
lcurrent of civilization and transform
the nations of the earth by uniting
them into a spiritual brotherhood of
love and good will.
! In that first. and probably last, in
iterview the prophet sought to hinder
Christ from being baptized. suggest
ling that he had need, to be baptized
tol JSSuS, " ilo eNlucHlly CldiIcu lHdl
The had no sins to confess. The eagle
Ieye that clearly detected the mask Of
!the Pharisees and Sadducees recog-
Inized not only the purity of the Lord,
WHOSE face. eye and words conveyed
Ito the prophet the unique personality
iof Christ. but His hatred of sin. The
calm insistence of Jesus carried an
Authority to John as the Master, ar
igued that he should be permitted to
identify Himself with the movement
by being baptized. The appeal that
thus it becometh us to fulfill all
Righteousness mastered the Baptist,
and Jesus was baptized of John in
the Jordan
| In refusing to follow the example
of the Pharisees and Sadducees, who
rejected Johns baptism, the Lord
identified Himself the sinners. whom
He came to redeem. dedicating Him
iself to the work of saving men by
taking their place. paying the penalty
of sin, and providing for them relief
from the perils of sin. This act of
not to- be seen of men," but in per-
sonal devotion to the will of the
Father lin the spirit of prayer" This
devotion to duty brought the COM
mendation of God. who publicly testi-
TIED that Jesus was His beloved son.
He. gave to Him the power of the
Holy Spirit, who descended publicly
upon the Lord as He came up out of
the waters of the Jordan. This public
Testimonial to the Master Identified
Him to John, as the Messiah. so that
he later spoke of. Jesus as 1.-THE Lamb
OF God which taketh away the sin of
the world" The baptism Of the Lord
marked the elimination of Johns
ministry and the commencement of
Christ's work. for He had been sum-
moned to bring in the kingdom.
No one has ever entered the great
world of usefulness without first
being. tested. Saints tempts US with
the desire to make US fail. God
that we are fitted with His help to
perform the task assigned us in His
program for service. Life presents
great battles to. every soul to fight
out. alone. Moses in the desert, Elijah
In the cave, John in the wilderness.
struggles that fitted them for. their
I1ife-work. The endowment with
power after His baptism called for a
testing. Under the leadership of the
Holy Spirit the Christ was lied" or
tempted by Satan to misuse His
power in the work of establishing the
kingdom.
During forty days communion with
the Father Christ was determining
now He would establish Gods power
| and kingdom among men. Various
ways of establishing the dominion of
God among men were considered.
Alone. surrounded by wild beasts.
Jesus met the temptations that called
for Him to misuse His power that in
one way or the other would have been
inconsistent with His calling as the
Son Of God. When Satan approached
the Master it was on the battlefield
; which the Lord had chosen, for He had
followed the leadership of the Spirit
willingly into the wilderness to be
tempted, tested and to triumph over
Satan, who based his suggestion on
! the fact of Christ's being the Son of
| God. The tempter commenced his
| temptation. as he did in the case of
Eye. by suggesting a doubt of Gods
{ Word. When he refers to the Word
tof God or quotes it, which he can,
one needs to be alert less they fall
Jesus mastered the tempter by His use
of the Scriptures.
| The three attacks were conferred
upon the divine Sonship of Jesus.
The first temptation came to Christ
when He was in the clutches of in
tensest hunger and subtly suggested
pease His hunger by turning the
stones into bread. While the appeal
had the germ Of selfishness in il. the
real temptation was in the suggestion
that He establish the kingdom by
ministering to the physical needs of
humanity. This has been the fallacy of
many reformers. Their philanthropic
placed bread first. Jesus sympathized
with mans need. He commenced His
ministry by emphasizing in the pro-
gram Of Christianity the social ASPECT
of the kingdom. It will be enough to
damn man forever if Jesus is com