"I FOUND MY MESSIAH” So exclaimed a young Jewish soldier returning to his home and business after the war. A simple tract, “What Is a Christian?” presented in the proper way was instrumental in introducing him to the Gospel. An intensive mental and spiritual stmggle followed resulting in a glorious climax of triumph that brought this glad cry to his lips. Multiply Such Victories The Jew you pass on the street may be looking for the tme Messiah with a heavy, hungry heart. Six million such are walking up and down in America today . . . unsaved, burdened with prejudice, seeking they know not what. Let us be your hands and feet in carry ing out this commission to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. We have the missionaries, the equipment, the exper ience, and the training. "I will bless them that bless thee” was the promise of God to Abraham and his descendants. Your prayers, your gifts given in the name o f Him who wept over Jerusalem can be the means of bringing to the lips of many Jews here and abroad the glad, resounding cry, "I have found my Messiah, the hope of Israel, for whom my heart has yearned.” For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that be- lieveth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16 — The responsibility is yours (Matt. 25:45) We pray you may be led to have fel lowship with us in this world-wide work, blessed of God for more than sixty years. ! AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS ' TO THE JEWS, INC. 236 West 72nd Street, Dept. 8 New York 23, N.Y. Dear Friends: For the enclosed $1 please send me THE CHOSEN PEOPLE for one year and 1 also include one copy of the autobiography I I of ex-Rabbi Leopold Cohn. I also have pleasure In enclosing $....................... I as my fellowship with you in your Gospel • I ministry to the Israel of the world dispersion, i Name....................................................................................... I :| r | I Address................................................................................. 1 I I City............................... Zone......... State.................... | | Canadian office: . 39 King William Street, Hamilton, Ontario. The time is short (James 5:8) The need is great (John 4:35)
WORDS from the WORD by Charles L. Feinberg, Th.D., Ph.D., Director, Talbot Theological Seminary
'To Fulfill All Righteousness'
to be holding aloof from His forerun ner. Now the ministries of both were linked. A related view states that by His baptism He set His seal of ap proval on the ministry and preaching of John as authorized of God and as setting forth a true message. A final position declares that it was becom ing to our Lord, because, as the Head over all things to the church, it was becoming for Him to be as the mem bers were. Thus the baptism set forth our Lord’s immersion in suffering, His burial and His resurrection. With such wide difference of opin ion one hesitates to dogmatize, but none of these views is satisfactory in the light of the whole testimony of Scripture. Rather, our Lord was meet ing sinners where they confessed their guilt, in order to identify Him self with them in their need, and to declare Himself responsible to satisfy every righteous claim on their behalf before the holy God. They were open ly declaring their spiritual bank ruptcy; He was by His act agreeing to make full payment on the cross in due time. By the words “ it becometh us” He was indicating that there was an entirely different purpose in His baptism from the others who were baptized of John. Personal unworthi ness on His part was entirely out of the question; He was thinking solely of them and their need of saving grace. Thus His baptism was a fine and appropriate way to recognize and accept His Messianic office. In short, He was stating that He was pledging as Messiah to perform the whole righteousness of the law to be come the substitute for sinners. Let us ponder it well. The One to whose holiness John first gave witness before the baptism and the Father after it, signified openly in the most public manner that He was willingly being anointed for His high-priestly office which would ultimately lead Him to Calvary for unworthy sinners.
^lthough all four gospels record the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 3:13-17; Mk. 1:9-11; Luke 3: 21,22; John 1:31-34), only the Mat thew account records the words under consideration. The passage in context reads as follows: “ Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be bap tized of thee, and comest thou to me? But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.” It is emi nently clear from the outset that John realized his baptism was for repentant sinners; he knew also of the moral purity and sinlessness of Christ. Our Lord made no confession of sin or sins, like the Jews, nor did He say, like John, “ I have need,” but “ it becometh.” Varied and differing have been the interpretations of the words “ to fulfil all righteousness.” One view has it that the act of baptism itself was the f u l f i l l i n g o f righteousness. It is claimed that Jesus permitted Himself to be baptized — indeed, He came asking for it —- in order to set us a good example. His case was so entire ly different from all the rest, that this view has little to commend it. Another position holds that He like others, wanted to bury His past beneath the waters of the Jordan, and come forth to a new life. With them the change was from a sinful life to a life of righteousness; with Him it was a going from the sheltered home life of physical and intellectual develop ment (Luke 2:52) to the life of public ministry as the Messiah. A third theory maintains that, even as He had to develop through the normal stages of growth, so the ordinance was even for Him the appointed road to ful ness of spiritual power. Still another opinion holds that it was proper for Him to do so, else He would appear
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