The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1920-10-09

GOLDEN TEXT-This is my beloved
Son. In whom am well pleased.-Matt
SIT.
ADDITIONAL MATRRIAL-Luke 81;
i:f5; Heb. 2ls: 4;l5.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Jesus Pleasing the
JUNIOR TOPIC-Baptlsm and Tempta-
ton OF Jesus.
INTERMEDIATE AMI SENIOR TOPIC
Jesus Overcoming Temptation.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Victory Over Appetite, Pride and Am
billion.
!. The Baptism Of Jesus g :13-17).
While the f%orerunner was d~lscharg-
Ing his office, the King emerged from
his secluslon at Nazareth and de-
manded baptism at Johns hands. The
incongruity Of this with the purpose
Of baptism brought from John a pro-
test, but Jesus explanation was salts
factory, so John baptized him. Touch
ing Chrlst's baptism, note:
/. Its Significance. ~ 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
a 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, indebted. separate from
sinners. This separation was so COM
plete that ever the devil could find no
occasion against him (John Il :30).
(2) Positively. It's 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. This act was the Off
cial entrance upon his work. 1t was
an act of conservation on his part to
the work of saying his people through
sacrifice. Baptism is a sinners ordi-
nance, Christ was baptized not be-
cause he had sinned, but because he
took the place of sinners-to be a sub
stitute for them. He was so devoted
to them that he entered upon his mis-
sion by submitting to the ordinance,
which typifed death, burial and resur-
rection.
2. Approval from the opened
heavens wv. 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
J Father. These all were essential for
, the work upOn which Christ now en-.
tered-revelation (heavens ~opened),
G inspiration (dove abode upon him)
and approval (words from the Fla.
. ther).
. H.. The Temptation of Jesus a Il,
I lD.
This temptation was the opening
' battle of the dreadful conflict between
Christ and Satan. In this struggle,
note:
l. The comhatants. ~ Jesus Christ,
; the Divine Man, now entering upon
, his mediatorial work. He went imme,
: diately from the place of amounting
, and heavenly recognition rs the Son
of God TO meet the arch-enemy of the
! race. (2) The devil. He was a renl
: person filled 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 Il bare
wilderness and g%loriously trlumphed.
Q 3. The method of attack. Since as
our Redeemer Christ sustains a three
fold relationship. Son of Man. Son OF
sd .-I o.. ATnc.inh nnaI npn u,ns
made a ground of attack. 1) AS Sor
. of Man. This was a test of the reality
Of his humanity to demonstrate rs tC
whether the humanity which he oh
tanned through the Virgin birth wa
real. The appeal was made to tbs
instinct of hunger. Hunger is nat
ural and sinless. Having been forty
\ days and nights without food, as 8
\ normal man, Christ had a craving ap
\ petite. While the appetite was moi
sinful, to have satisfied 1t in a wrong
way would have been sin. (2) Son OF
God. 1t was to test as to whether
: this personality which had taken upor
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 precautlon-to dc
, the uncalled for thing Just to put
, Gods promise to a test is to sin and
) fall. (3) AS Messiah. Chrlst's mis-
sion as Messiah was to this
world from the devil. Now the devil
, offers to surrender TO him OF the sim
: pie condition that he adopt hi:
. method, thus obviating the necessity
! Of the cross. The Kingdoms were
really Christ's, and he knew that the,
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 anC
repulsed him with at is written
Each time he quoted from Deuter
onomy, the book which the higher
critics would discredit as reliable.
5. The issue-the enemy is com
pletely routed. The strong man 1,
bound, so the spelling of his houst
was possible.
Soul Was Made for Joy,