579
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
December 1930.
challenge of Christ’s authority would be issued as He entered upon His public min istry.. Satan looked upon the Lord Jesus as a Usurper. He sought a. favorable op portunity to attack Him and found it immediately after the wonderful Exper iences connected with His baptism and in auguration. * * * H e a r t of t h e L e s s o n I. The Divine Guide—The Holy Spirit (1 ). Full o f the Holy Spirit. This alludes to the outpouring o f the Holy Spirit upon
person who was coming. John said, “The One who is coming is so much greater than I, that I am not worthy to stoop down- and unfasten His shoes.” You see, John was a good messenger; he did not stop, to tell people about him self. He did not even talk much about other things. His one big message was to tell about the Lord Jesus Christ.
N E X T T O THE BIBLE The Sunday School W orker's Best Friend P E L O U B E T ’S S elect N otes MFO R 1 9 31 , - . , . . . By AMOS R. WELLS. Lite.D.‘. LL.D. The World's Greatest 5nitday School .Commentary . .100,000 earnest workers yearly’depend upQn it to give the knowledge and inspiration required for successful teaching. Adapted for all grades. 57th annual volume. Postpaid, $2.0Q. A DAILY DIGEST OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS FOR 1931 .ByAMOS R. WELLS > A short, contise* and.intensely practical Summary of the lesson (vest pocket size). Cloth, 35c. Lea,50c. BOOKS FOR THE QUIET HOUR By AMOS R. WELLS Daily strength and inspiration for each day’s tasks WALK IN HIS WAYS (new) THINK ON THESE THINGS Si. 50 each BOOKS ON THE GLORY OF THE COMMONPLACE OF LIFE By JOHN TIMOTHY STONE CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION (new) EVERYDAY RELIGION $1.50 each BIBLE QUESTION BOOKS KNOW YOUR BIBLE? (50th Thouiand) GO TILL YOU GUESS ; ( 10 th Thousand) $1.00 each AT ALL BOOKSEL LERS W . A . W I L D E C O M P A N Y . .131-Clqrtmdoyn Stroat, Boston, Moss. CHRISTIANITY THROUGH JEWISH EYES The Hebrew-Christian Publication Society, Inc., will send, upon the re ceipt of 25 cents, the following tracts (learned men call them “ classics” ) : Without Him We Can Do Nothihg—Hebrew and Christian-—Jesus, the 'Light of the World —The Highest Critics' Hebrew—Why I, a . Jew. Am a Christian—Gethsemane in Our Lives—Must Christians Keep the Jewish Sab bath—What the Rabbis Have to Say on the 53rd of Isaiah—The Messiah According to the Old and New Testaments—Sacrifices, their Origin and Significance—Jesus and His Kins men—The Sure Word of Prophecy—Christian Obligation to the Jews:—Love begets Love— The Mission of Israel—The Faith of Noah— Similarity between the Old and New Testa ments—Work among Hebrews—S O M E EM INENT JEWISH CONVERTS (illustrated with 26 photos.) . Answering the question, Have the leaders believed in Him? 18 tracts containing 624 pages. Send 25c to cover postage. HebrewChristianPublicationSociety 644 W . 207th Street, Dept. H NEW YORK, N. Y. WANTED to sell Bibles, Testaments, good books and hand some velvet Scripture mottoes. Good commission. S e n d f o r F r e e C a t a lo g a n d P r i c e L is t G E O R G E W . N O B L E , P U B L I S H E R Dept. No. 7C, Monon Bldg., Chicago, III. 5060
—o— January 25, 1931 Jesus Tempted Lesson : Luke 3 :21-4:30. ( Lesson Text: Luke 4:1-13.)
Jesus when He was baptized (cf. 3 :23; John 3 :34). After His lofty exaltation, He immediately met the fierce assaults of the adversary. Re turned from the Jor dan. He journeyed
Golden Text: “In that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to suc cor them that are tempted” (Heb. 2:18). „ ) * * * L e s s o n i n O u t l in e I. The Divine Guide—The Holy Spirit (!)• II. The Tempter—The Devil (2, 3). III. The Temptation-*—Three Assaults (3-13 ; cf. Gen. 3 : 6 ; Jas. 1 :13; 1 John 2:16). 1. Upon the body—“desire of the flesh.” a. The taunt—“if thou art the Son of God” (3). b. The suggestion III “ command these stones,” etc. (3). c. The victory by the Word (4; cf. Deut. 8:3; Eph. 6:17). ,d. The supernatural food—“the word o f God” (cf. Matt. 4:4). 2. Upon the soul—“desire of the eyes.” a. Vision of the kingdoms of the world (5). b. Offer of kingship and “the glory” ( 6 ). c. The condition—homage to Sa tan (7). d. The »“offer spurned ( 8 ; cf. Matt. 16 :21, .22), e. The victory by the Word ( 8 ; cf. Deut. 6:13; 10:20; Phil. 2: 10 ). 3. Upon. .-the inner life—“vain-glory o f life.” a. The place—“pinnacle o f the temple.” b. The taunt—“if thbu art the Son of God” (9 )., c. The challenge—“ cast thyself down” (9; cf. John 7:3-5). d. The perversion o f Scripture (10, 11; cf. Psa. 91:11). e. The victory by the Word (12, 13; cf. Deut. 6:16). ♦ ♦ * A p p r o a c h to t h e L e s s o n rT,HE contest between the Son of God A and Satan for the control of the hu man race began in the Garden of Eden. The temporary victory of the enemy on that occasion only intensified the conflict. There could never be any d 6 ubt as to the final issue ,1 but throughout the millenniums- of human 1 dllStdry 1 ‘ thb> “piifice of this world” has constantly challenged the auth ority of the Son o f God. The incarnation of Christ marked the crisis in the battle. From that moment until the “bruising” of the Son of man on Calvary, the devil con stantly dogged the footsteps o f the Sav iour. It was to be expected that a new
westward to the region where John the Baptist had had his years o f solitary com munion with God in preparation for his ministry. Led in the Spirit. This has the same meaning as the clause “in the pow er o f the Spirit” (3:14). The Holy Spirit led Him into the contest with Sa tan, with full assurance o f His victory over the adversary. In the wilderness. It is supposed that this was a district along. the western side of the Dead Sea, a dry and dreary region. The traditional site is near Jericho. II. The Tempter—The Devil (2, 3). During forty days. The number forty would suggest to the Jewish mind se clusion and temptation. Moses was forty days on Sinai (Ex. 34:18). The children o f Israel were forty years in the wilderness (Num. 14:34, Judg. 13:1). Eli jah was forty days in the wilderness (1 Ki. 19:8). Being tempted. The present participle in the Greek implies that the temptation continued throughout the whole of the period, reaching its climax at the end o f the forty days. O f ,fhe devih If Scripture be taken at its face valúe, we must believe in the personality of the dev il. The word means “accuser.” The He brew form,:. “ Satan,” has practically the same meaning. He did eat nothing. At times o f spiritual exaltation, the need for food is not felt ; but after a long period of abstinence, extreme hunger appears. The devil was quite aware o f this and took full advantage of his opportunity. Two facts stand out: (1) The tempta tion was intensely real to Jesus; (2) He was absolutely without sin. III. The Temptation—Three Assaults (3- 13). V. 3. The devil said unto him. Mat thew adds the words, “approaching him” (Matt. 4:3), which may mean that the devil appeared in some bodily form. Whether he spoke in audible words or merely made suggestions to the mind is unimportant. I f thou artjthe Son o f God. This is apparently an átlusion ’tb the testi mony “given by the Father at the baptism of Christ (3:22). God had said, “Thou art my Son” ; the devil insinuated a doubt about it. The same taunting words were flung at Jesus by His enemies when He was on the cross (Matt. 28:40). Com mand this stone. This was a temptation to “the lust o f the flesh.” The desire for
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