The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-10-05
TIE FORERUNNER OF THE
KING

LESSON TEXT-Matthew 3:1.17
GOLDEN TEXT-Prepara We the way OF
the Lord. make his paths straight. Mat.
thew 3:3
When an earthly king visits his
dominions or makes a journey to
another land, great preparations are
made for his coming. Everything
is done to expedite his journey and
to assure him of safety and COM
fort. The United States and Can
ada have recently had that interest
ing experience. The King of kings
and Lord of Lords who in loving
kindness and gracious condescension
had come to earth to be our Re-
deemer had now grown to manhood
and was prepared to enter on His
public ministry. God sent John to
be His forerunner to prepare the
way and to herald His coming.
1. A Herald Prophetically Fore
told wv. l, 3, ~.
The coming of John CASUALLY
called the Baptist was of such vi
tai concern to God that He had re-
vealed it to His prophets hundreds
of years before (see lisa. 40:3).
We should study and believe the
message of the prophets. The same
prophecies that pointed to John the
Baptist and Christ's first coming
also point to the second coming
(Mal. 3:1-6; 4:1-6). We know the
former took place, why should we
doubt the fulfillment of the latter?
We do we'll to take heed to the
word of prophecy II Pet. 1:19).
Let US also prepare the way of
the Lord, not as John did, for his
was a special ministry, but by MAX
ing ways for the gospel to reach
the hearts of men. We can remove
hindrances and distractions, prepar-
ing their hearts to receive Him as
Saviour and Lord.
ii. An Unusual Man with a Burn
ing Message wv. 2, 6-12).
What an arresting appearance
John must have made as he
emerged to the edge of the wilder
ness to present his startling mes
sage! God had kept him (like Moses
and others) in the quiet of the des-
ert where He could talk with him,
away from the distractions of So
called civilization. This simple liv-
ing had made John a striking per
sonality, quite unusual and uncon-
ventional. The man who strives
for such an appearance to attract at
tention is but fool, but on the other
hand unconventionality will not de-
stroy ones usefulness if he has
message from God.
The preaching of John was burn
ing message of repentance. There
had been no prophetic message
since the time of Malachi, and If
the intervening 400 years the reli
gious life of the Jews had settled
down into barren lcGalistic formal
ity. John came with a simple, prac-
teal, and plain-spoken indictment of
SIN, which led to repentance and
which made religion vital and real
again.
We know that the gospel of the
grace of God in Christ goes far be,
You'd the preaching of John. But we
also know that the Church needs to
get back to the proclamation of a
vital heart-searching message, and
some genuine old-fashioned repent
ance. Then we like John will bring
men to Christ for salvation, for sane
tifcation, for service.
III. A Humble but Privileged
Servant of Christ wv. 1910.
The GROWING event in the min
istry of John was the recognition
of Jesus as He came to be baptized.
He was deeply conscious of his own
unworthiness for this great work and
pointed to the coming Saviour as the
One in whom they should put their
trust wv. II and IA. See also John
1920. John was not jealous of his
own position, nor seeking his own
advancement (see v. 3 and John
$500.
To this faithful and humble serv-
ant came the inestimable privilege
of baptizing the Saviour. The bap-
tism of Jesus presents a mystery
which we cannot fully solve. 1t is
certain that He did not come to be
baptized for the remission of sin,
for He knew no sin. The best eX-
PLANTATION seems to be that in His
obedience to His Father He was will
ing to subject Himself to every ordi-
nance of Coda spirit which is not
too common, by the way, among
His protested followers. He was not
sinner, but He took the sinners
place, and thus He both entered
upon His ministry and pointed for
ward to that day when God made
Him "who knew no sin" to be 'made
sin for us" so that 1--WE might be
made the righteousness of God in
him" I'll Cor. SID.