The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-01-13
3:l3 to ALL.

GOlQen leAI- w HeIe1OIe III oil
things it behooved him to be
made like unto his brethren. He
brews 2:17.
The Ministry of the Baptist
(3:1-12) pointed directly to Jesus
as the Messiah. 1t called the peo-
pie to repentance. 1t announced
the reign of Messiah. It was evil
dent fulfilment of prophecy. 1t
drew the multitudes out of the
cities into the open country. 1t
leveled hghtningS of woe at the
hypocrites of the hour. 1t herald
ed the approach of One who
would baptize in the Holy Spirit
and in fire-the cleansing, con-
quering, concentrating Christ.
The Baptism of Jesus (3:13-
III revealed to John, and thru
him to the world, Jesus as the
! Messiah.
! The Temptation (41-1D was a
test and proof of the Sonship of
Jesus as the Father declared at
his baptism.
BAPTISM OF JESUS
| Matthew 81
The approval of the father was
won by Jesus in his baptism.
For no other purpose than to
! be baptized, he made the long
journey afoot from Nazareth in
Galiiee 10 that part of the Jor-
dan where John was baptizing
| (said to be near Jericho). John
probably mad never seen Jesus
, before he presented himself for
baptism. At once he shrank from
baptizing One whom he realized
was in no need of baptism unto
repentance. Indeed, conscious of
his own sinfulness, he felt that
he should rather be baptized by
his Guilelesss Companion. But
Jesus in calm, authoritative voice
which the Baptist dared not dis
regard called for baptism in or
der that they both might COM
plete every kind of righteousness
required of them. Baptism placed
Jesus visibly in the ranks of the
true Israel; it made him a shin
ing example for all his followers,
who should in their baptism con-
fesS him before men; and it was
fitting introduction with its at
tendant circumstances to his ap-
pearance and proclamation as the
Messiah.
So the two went out in the
stream to a sufficient depth, and
there the greatest and most i'm
pressive of all baptismS took
place. The baptlsmal act was
crowned with divine glory. AS
Jesus, praying, emerged from the
river the rent heavens disclosed
sight and sound visible and
audible to Jesus and John, but
probably to no others. They saw
the Spirit descend upon Jesus in
the form and manner of a dove
which was among the birds what
the lamb was among the beasts.
They heard the voice of the Fa-
Their identifying Jesus as the Son
and approving him as the Saw
our.
THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS
Matthew ~
The Conquest of the Devil was
accomplished by Jesus in a near
by wilderness whittier he went
Immediately after baptism under
impulse of the Spirit.
There he was disciplined and
prepared for his work by resist
ance to the enticements of the
devil, the slanderer, accuser, and
adversary of man. The record as
sumes the existence of a personal
devil and the reality of our
LORDS temptation. Like Moses
and Elijah, Jesus abstained from
food for 40 days and nights.
Meanwhile, he was exposed to
the wiles of the tempter, who
sought to make him doubt he was
the Son of God as the heavenly
voice had declared. Then came
the three great attacks upon his
divine Sonship,
Cd The first found him in the
clutches of intensest hunger. and
subtly appealed to his appetite.
As the Son of God, could he not
change into bread the loaflike
stones around him? Any man
with the power would have yield
ed. But that would be selfish
and distrustful. The swordthrust
of Scripture was therefore eff
fectual; we are sustained less by
bread than by the word and will
of God.
(2) The second attack found
him trusting God serenely and
subtly suggested over-confidence.
From a wing of the Temple over
looking on one side the dizzy
depths of Hinnom gorge and on
the other the crowded courts of
the sanctuary let him as the Son
of God and the special charge of
angels (as Scripture declaresD }.
leap unframed, assert his claim,
and win instant fame! But the
net so cunningly spread was
cloven by the Sword of the Spirit:
The needless test of Gods fidel-
ity to his promises is expressly
forbidden.
(3) The third attack found him
expecting to win the world and
subtly suggested how he might