The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1942-01-15

"a reed shaken with the wind?"
No. "A man clothed in soft raj
ment?" No. ga prophet? Yea, l
say unto you, and more than a
prophet. For this is he, OF whom it
is written, Behold, l send my mes
senger before thy face. Verify l
say unto you, Among them that are
born of women there hath not risen
greater than John the Baptist"
Such was the testimony Of Jesus
(Matt. 11:7-lD about the man who
in our lesson Of today bears his tes-
timony concerning Jesus.
I. John: the Preacher Of Repent
ance wv. 1-3).
The times in which a man lives
will often make, on break him. If
times are dark and difficult most
men submit to the burden of the day
without protest or effort. But not so
with John. The period in which he
lived is graphically brought before
US as we consider the names of civil
and religious leaders mentioned in
verses l and 2. Tiberius Caesar,
the emperor, was virtual dictator,
"talented. ambitious, cruel, llccn-
ti0us, infamous, inhuman" (Van
Doren). Plate was the governor Of
Judea, who later condemned Jesus
to the cross. Herod was a seducar
and murderer. Annas and Caiaphas
shared the infany into which the
priesthood had fallen.
God needed a man with fam
ing message Of judgment, and He
had him ready out in the wilder
ness, far from decadent Rome and
spiritually dead Jerusalem. Upon
this man John came the message,
a word from God" Reopen" which
stirred the whole countryside. But
he had even a greater mission.
III. John-the Forcrunnor Of Jesus
wv. 49,.
He humbly Identifies himself as
the voice in the wilderness prophe-
sled by Isaiah. His was the impor-
tant duty of preparing the way for
the coming Of the Lord Jesus.
Tho nic4,Irn is that of the prep
aratiOn for the coming Of an oricn-
tai monarch. When he was about
to make a journey, a servant was
sent before him to prepare the high
way. Valleys needed TO be filed,
hills lowered, crooked places made
straight, rough ways mado-Smeo+a--
Thus, before men would be ready
to receive CHRIST, moral obstacles
must be removed, men must repent
Of their sins and turn from them"
(Erdman).
Isaiah saws that 'all flesh shall
see the salvation of God, some
thing which Cod has made posi-
BILE, but which we have not even yet
fully carried out. The gospel is uni
versaI in its characterization all man
kind. This prophetic word will, of
course, have its complete fulfllment
when the King comes to reign. Then
"they shall teach no more every
man his neighbor, and every man
his brother, saying, Know the Lord:
for they shall all know me, from
the least Of them to the greatest
Of them" Ger, 31;34).
III. John-the Follower of Jesus
wv. 15-1O.
The b,,7,i1itv Of tba man his roc-
ooni4ion Of trI1o aroa , n Christ
he ,viJ1inanoee to offare Golf is SEEN
=, +ba y,orde Of tbneo vorcne and in
ench ofher naeeaaos &C Tohn 1.2q-
IN y,bore he dirertod bis diecinIoe
~ roe1Ie u,boro tboI, fo1lov-nd and
Totn 9.26-90 yvbero in roenonsa n
Tho ofort ~ n9al,n hin, Jealous If
Tee,,e hoceIea hie (Tobn'e( dieci-
,,1o 9C' foIlo,,1o5 Hin, Iol1n ro,oIind
no ,19,,st incroaea b,t ,7,,s+ 49,
cr1oso 80 " En was oIad 70 ba The
f,ionG Of tho Bridearooro who 70
ioicnJ U,bon tho bridooroon, con1a
1Tobn 800 Ho docI9rod binoel.lf
,,y,,,,o,tl,,, ~ looso no 1a+cbo+ of
Chriet'e sboo TYIn 9.1a,
&C.,
me CNIlSVlaH virtue oi mummy
IS eViI SPOKEN oI cy a Wo ,!II ol lo !
ana natteo, Ou' -, - Is sun i, precious
IN inc Sight Oh zoo alc t I oIiia-
IlehI par e ---S oI Gh[lSt'a A.
chaFacJe[' De clo ,I -; WIN Hullll-7
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E eiEe'i sl1~0 ~ '''0 Il i'0'1 y -