THE KING’S BUSINESS
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prophetic voice to break the 400 years of silence that had reigned from the time Mal- achi’s lips were sealed by death. He was the greatest o f all the prophets. II. How John Prepared the Way. He lived, separately. His place o f service was in the wilder ness, east o f Jericho, some eighteen or twenty miles from Jerusalem; accessible to the earnest, yet separate from the worldly crowd; a protest against the'laxness o f the times ; solitude for communion with God. He lived simply .9 His raiment, a coarse cloak belted with a leathern girdle. It was very old-ashioned, the style ..being that worn by Elijah 800 years before. His food was locusts (many varieties o f which were edible) and wild honey. He preached powerfully. He drew crowds out o f the cities, towns and country; denounced the sins o f rulers and rabble, soldiers and scribes; demanded repentance, restitution and righteousness. He witnessed plainly. He sought no honors, npr recognition for himself. When Jesus did appear in public, John Baptist was the first to recognize Him and pointed Him out to others as the One. He was but the herald to announcè that the King was co,ming and he never put himself between the people and the King. No one who heard him could truth- ' fully say that he did not understand what he meant nor to whom he referred. He behaved humbly. While he emphasized his own God-given message, he did not fail to announce that the Coming One was mightier and would do more wonderful things than he himself. He had shown them how to get sins remit ted; the Coming One would impart the Mark s purpose does not require any pre liminary explanations regarding the parent age, birth, boyhood or training o f either John or Jesus. They are both men when Mark introduces them., It yvill be well, however, for the teacher to call for thé main facts regarding the life o f Jesus Holy Spirit to believers. HI. When Jesus Came.
before the event, we now come to. The promise o f His birth to both Mary and Joseph, His birth at Bethlehem, the visits o f the shepherds and the wise men, the flight into Egypt, the return to Nazareth, the visit to the Temple when He was 12 years old, the “hidden years at Nazareth" when He followed His trade of carpenter and supported, o f helped to support, the family. Then His hour came. His fore-runner had done his duty, faithfully, the way was prepared. It was sometime in the month o f Jan uary, in the year A. D. 27, that Jesus left Nazareth (seventy miles North o f Jerusa lem) and presented Himself to John for baptism, as others were doing. Matthew tells us that John was, at first, unwilling but yielded to His ‘»suffer it to be so n ow ’’ The purpose o f Jesus; baptism by John was not to signify any repentance on His part, but to proclaim phblicly that He was on the side o f God and righteousness. Every disciple o f His is requested to take a similar'stand publicly announcing it and faithfully living it. Baptism means, at least these two things; separation from sin and union with the Saviour. , MM .-----I H H i ule une whc should baptize others with the Holy Spirit, Jesus himself was baptized with the Holy Spirit as He came up out o f the water, and u US>*yaS He anointed and equipped for His life-work. To prophets and heroes of old had the Holy Spirit come on special occasions for special service; but now He .came and took up the abode in a man— the man Jesus Christ. He came as a dove, ht symbol o f gentleness and peace. The thirty years o f silent, faithful ser vice ,n the Nazareth home were publicly acknowledged by God the Father. Twice afterwards was like approval given (See Mark agement _for every one o f us. Note the Trinity in this incident—the Son coming up out o f the water; the Spirit descend ing upon H im ;; the Kather testifying to Him. Can He approve us?. Are we pre paring His way in the world?
9 :7 ; J„h „ 12:28). W h , f , „ . „ ¿ " j !
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