The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1920-10-06
Sunday School Notes

0Q1Qdy NnOu NOleS
Oct 10. Dedication OF the Kingdom
Ideal. Scripture passage Matt. 3, IL to
H.
We are to consider today the baptism
of Jesus and His temptation. two most
important historical events of the re-
corded life Of Jesus the Christ. The
Jews had for hundreds of years lived
in expectation of the coming OF the
promised Messiah. They had a proph.
ecy that when the expected one should
appear 1t would be from Beth!ehem.
The Jews living about Jerusalem could
not fail to have heard of the experience
OF the father of John the Baptist, and
OF the visit of the wise men in search
OF the. promised one. Some years later
came John the Baptist, preaching in
the wilderness. He. came as modern
Billy Sunday with earnest manner,
commanding the people to flee from the
wrath to come and as q sign of their
desire to live n changed life he gave
TO them baptism in the river Jordan.
There was great excitement. people by
the thousand went to hear John and
were convinced by his arguments and
persuasions to confess their sins and
be baptized,
One. day as John was busy with his
mission there came to him young
man wishing baptism. John had been
preaching that a greater one than he
was soon to appear. one whose shoe
laces he was unworthy to unlace. 1t
would appear that John was not per-
sonally acquainted with Jesus although
they were cousins, and that promise
had been given him that when the Mes
siph came he should know him. When
.Idsus stepped forward John knew who
i itlwas and said that 1t were more prop
\ ~ that he himself be baptized, but
Jesus replied. Suffer it now: for thus
il is He becometh us to fulfill all
right eousness.' After the ceremony
had been performed a most wonderful
thing happened. The people saw the
descent of an object which is described
in the scriptures like unto a dove. and
they heard voice from heaven saying,
This is my beloved Son in whom am
well pleased
There is no record that Jesus ever
baptized anyone and the Apostle Paul
baptized very few according to his own
statements. I have ever felt that al
though the description of the baptism
of JESUS stated that he went into the
river, that this in itself did not estab-
fish that to go down into body OF wa
ter Or immersion therein. was Il
requisite for an acceptable christian in
the sight Of God. AT the time OF bap-
tism Of Jesus, the baptism of John the
Baptist was the sign Of repentance and
AS 4 sign at the, present time it Is adj
visable and most proper that those eX.
pressing a desire to turn from their
sins and live righteous lives should give
evidence of this by an outward eX.
preston of baptism.
1t has ever been my Thought that
Jesus as a lad did not understand that
He was the Son OF God with power to
perform miracles and speak with the
authority which His position would
give Him: He was a godly boy whose
mind and ambitions went toward re-
ligious things and developed into the
great man who entered into active min.
istry at the age of some thirty years.
Stories that as a boy He performed
miracles for the benefit of his play
mates should not be given any belief.
One must believe that Jesus did not go
into His temptation in the wilderness
with the full consciousness and power
Of the Son of God. because If so there
would have been no temptation. He
did feel that He was about to enter up
on a great and holy presentation of a
new religion as far as the world about
him was concerned. but that He did not
at that time foresee the whole of His
earthly career. Whether Jesus was
physically taken to IL high point on the
temple of Jerusalem, or to a high
mountain is immateral- The fact re-
mains that He was tempted or press
z!
use any power which He might possess
for selfish motives. in making bread to
eat: to astonish the people gathered in
the city by breaking the laws Of ma.
ture with no harm to himself, thus
establishing a supernatural person in
himself. Or to make use of the usual
methods Of gaining supremacy over
men by intrigue and pandering to the
selfish side of human nature. All of
these temptations Jesus refused to lis.
ten TO-. basing His objections at all
times on the word of God. Experiences
show that the most efficient weapon for
withstanding temptation by the follow.
els of Jesus is Familiarity with His
word as given in the gospels and explain
ed by Paul and other writer's of the
epistles.
The great lesson comes to us that
christian people withstand temptation.
Every man and woman with any ex.
perience knows well what it means. To
attain business. social, political success
in this world temptations constantly
arise 10 use methods which are deceit
full and dishonest. 1t is only by faith
in Jesus and prayer in the power thus
attained. that these temptations can be
put down and disregarded. We are
sometimes appalled, by the failure of
business men. those in public office, TO
live up to the high ideals which we ex-
pect from honest men. These persons.
however. are under temptations which
some of us little understand. and, in
stead of being surprised we should be
glad that 80 few do fall Those who
make the christian profession must be
particularly on their guard. They have
the declaration of Saint Paul that none
will be tempted above what they are
able to bear and that with the tempta-
tons there will be given a way of
escape, and with this in mind the fol-
lowers of Jesus should battle against
all tendencies to do wrong. None of
us can expect to live pure and stain
less lives in the sight of God. but we
know that we have an advocate with