POINTS PRACTICAL. (1) The condition of the masses moved the man Christ with compassion. (2) We need spiritual sight in order to see the sin-sick, sorrow-stricken world, suffering in both soul and body. (3) We need spirit-filled souls if we are to minister as messengers of mercy to the perishing multitudes. (4) Prayer will provide both men and means for the world-wide harvest. (5) When the Lord sends forth His servants He supplies their needs. (6) He graciously gives good gifts to His servants and commands them to bestow with bounteous hands, blessings upon others. Lesson No. 3—April 17. THE QUESTION OP JOHN THE BAPTIST. Matt. 11:1-19. Golden Text—Jno. 5:36. Theme: The Witness of the Word and Works of Jesus. Outline: (1) A Crucial Question—Regarding the Deity of Christ 1- 3 (2) A Conclusive Reply—Removing Doubts ; 4- 6 (3) A Clear-Cut Commendation — Relating to the Dispensational Position of John the Baptist....7-19 . Following the sending forth of the twelve, Jesus resumed His ministry of preaching and teaching in the cities. No doubt He had other disciples who faithfully followed Him in this tour. (1) A CRUCIAL QUESTION. " A rt thou He that cometh?" In chronological order our lesson of today antedates the sending forth of the twelve some six months. John had been cast into prison by Herod, through the machinations of Herodias, his wife (Matt. 14:3-5; Mark 6:17-20; Luke 3: 19-20). His place of confinement was a prison in a desolate region about nine miles east of the north end of the Dead Sea and about a hundred miles from where Jesus was engaged in His Gali- lean ministry. He had been confined for about a year. Many of his disciples remained steadfast to him and brought reports of the work of Jesus. The Messiah was drawing men to Him. He was meek and lowly. He had not used the ax nor started the fire (Acts 3:10- 12). Confined in prison when the prophecy declared the Messiah was to set the captive free (Isa. 61:1), John
may have begun to doubt whether Christ was the real Messiah, or as some of the teachers taught, that there would be two Messiahs: One to set up the Kingdom and the other to suffer death. Borne think that John did not doubt, but that his disciples did and that the message was for their benefit. John had testified that Jesus was the Comin" One (Jno. 1:6-8, 33-36, 3:26, 5:32-33. He had seen the Spirit descending like a dove and had declared that Jesus was the Lamb of God. In the midst of misery and pain faith often fails. There is an ebb and flow in many a life and strong men are sometimes strangely weak. Whatever the cause, John did the right thing in sending to Jesus for evidence to break down the doubt. If you are in doubt about the eDity of Christ or about His power or willing- ness to heal or help, go to Him for proof and He will dissolve your doubts and satisfy your soul (Psa. 107:9). John, like most of us, needed to know more of Jesus. (2) A CONCLUSIVE REPLY. "Go and show J ohn ." "There was no verbal reply to John's- questions, but there was a veritable an- swer: The credentials of Christ. The messengers were commanded to show John the proof of His Messiahship, His words and work were the weighty wit- nesses. He cited cases of fulfilled prophecy to prove that He was the Promised One (Isa. 29:18, 35:5-6). The Coming One was to show signs such as had never been seen in Israel and this Christ did, and they said "We never saw it on this fashion" (Mark 2:12). The proof of His Messiahship was in His power over the elements, disease and death, together with that other strange sight—the poor were having the Gospel preached to them. The Scribes courted the rich and treated the poor with contempt. Jesus had the heart of sympathy for them (Luke 4:18). Commendatory Faith. "Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me ." John's viewpoint was narrow and needed enlarging. John thought only of judgment; he forgot merey. Jesus mingled with publicans and sin- ners and this was a strong proof of His Divinity. He offended the Scribes and Pharisees by His denunciations of" their formality and hypocrisy (Luke 11:44). At Nazareth He offended By His broad Gospel and deep truth (Luke 4:25-28). The Jews stumbled at the Cross and the Greeks stumbled at the
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