Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-01

Christianity differs from all other
| religions in that it rises and falls with
the character of its founder. Men
have had their problems concerning
the personality of the Lord Jesus, but
none ever suffered more mentally than
the Masters forerunner. While Caper-
naum and Galilee we're stirred by the
messages and miracles of the brilliant
young rabbi, who had been introduced
to the nation by John the Baptist, the
great heroic soul had his faith tested.
He had proclaimed that the Messiah,
whose voice he had been, would be of a
olfferent type than what Jesus appeared
to be, according to the reports of the
Masters ministry that reached John in
MS prison. There was only one way to
solve his problems, so he sent some of
his disciples to Jesus, to find out
whether he was the promised Messiah
or should they look for another one to
come. 1t would be well if we all made
practice of taking all our problems
to the Lord Jesus for solution.
The cause of the prophets perplexity
can be traced to his education, exper-
fence and expectation 1t was natural
Tor one who had Been developed in the
wilderness and who had an intense. i'm
patient and intolerant spirit like John
to be depressed by his being shut up in
the prison. He had predicted that the
Messiah, when He came would be ready
Tor complete renovation of the nation
He evidently was expecting that the
Messiah would be as intolerant as Elijah
was to the priests of Baal upon Mount
Carmel. He predicted that the Messiah
would thoroughly purge His floor and
gather His wheat into the garner, but
He VIII burn up the chaff with I'M
quenchable fire" John did not uues-
ton the possibility of Jesus being the
Messiah. The supremacy of Jesus in
His conflicts with the Pharisees and
His miracles of healing as well as His
power over the dead had filled John
with the hope that He had made no
mistake when He recognized Him at the
jordan as the Messiah. He was
perpleXed by the MeSsianic manifesto
delivered upon the ordination of the
IL and the methods of Jesus toward
the evil of the hour and sinners.
Christ's Credentials.
We have but little autobiographicaI
material that has been given to us by
the Lord Jesus. but in His reply to the
question of John the Baptist we can
see how the Master fully implied that
He was the Messiah, especially when
we consider 1t in connection with the
question of His perpleXed forerunner
According to Luke's account the Lord
did not stop His work, when they in
terrupted Him by asking Johns ques-
ton, for HE cured many of their
inflrmities and plaques and of the evil
spirits, and unto many that were blind
He gave sight" In His reply to John
the Master did not answer DEFINITELY
the question of the Baptist but He
quoted from Isaiah passages that had
been interpreted to be Messianic when
He said to them to report what they
had seen to John how the blind re-
ceive their sight, and the lame walk.
the leperS are cleanSed and the deaf
hear, the dead are raised UP, and the
poor have the gospel preached to them"
We often misjudge God and others be-
cause We have certain preconceived
Ideas, that influence us, when we should
turn to the facts in the Sc and make
up our minds according to the evidence.
using the figure of a man stumbling
over stone, Jesus made an appeal to
John to revise His decision for the
prophets own peace of mind
When the disciples of John had de-
parted Jesus paid tribute to the
ministry of the prophet that revealed
the high estimate the Lord placed upon
the work of the Baptist. The forerun-
ner had been his champion. The Mas
ter did not hesitate TO point out that
John was no demagogue, who bent his
policy. program or preaching to every
popular breeze. He was not a CRATER,
who sought to please the rich and
powerful. His sturdy and stalwart
stand had swept the country, so that
all recognized that he was a prophet
concerning the Masters messiahship,
Jesus insisted that justice demanded
that the people should always remem-
Der that John the Baptist was the
greatest of all prophets because he closed
the old and opened the new dispensa-
ton. He led the inaugural procession
at the commencement of the Kings
reign. The Master publically recog-
nlzed by His testimony to Johns per-
sonality that the Baptist was His fore
runner, the prophet who represented
Elijah in spirit and service; he was
the only Elijah that would appear. if
they would believe it. In these words
Jesus publically proclaimed Himself as
the Messiah. He cited His miracles as
positive proof that He was what He
claimed to be, the long-expected Mes
siah.
Christ CensHres Cities.
A note of reproach and warning fell
from the lips of Jesus because Chorazin
ailu DeIldlQa naO refused TO accept
the testimony of His miracles. They
had witnessed the manifestation of
Divine mercy that would have saved
them. Sinful unbelief was the cause
of their condemnation. They had en-
joyed His ministry, messages and
miracles and refused to believe. His
Judgment OF these two important CEN
terS OF population has been fulfilled.
All that is left of them is mounds
and ruins. They repented not and
nave disappeared The heather cities
Of Tyre and Sidon, although their
Wickedness had been condemned by the
prophets, have survived.
The tocsin of judgment was followed
by passage that proclaims mercy.
In the prayer we see how Jesus in
the hours of sacred communion with
the Father a claim of a relationship
That is unique. He never in His teach
ngs concerning the Fatherhood of God,
associated Himself with any other in
rell-tion to the Sonship, which He rec
ognlzed in His case was distinctively
separate. Though ethical sonship may
belong to men in general, and may
nave been perfectly exemplified by Him
alone, yet this has not exhausted the
relationship of sonship which Jesus
sustained to God In His case the
Sonship was something necessarily
Unique. There existed a oneness be-
;ween Christ and the Father that no
others have ever possessed.
The Way Of Salvation