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continue th e manner of his youthful life in the desert, and not improbable th a t he intentionally copied his great prophetic model. I t was fitting th a t the one who called men to repentance and th e beginning of a self-denying life should show renunciation and self- denial in his own life. H is Message. The fundam ental note in th e message of John was th e an nouncement of th e near approach of th e Messiah. While he announced himself as th e herald voice preparing the way of th e ; Lord, and because of th is the ex pectant m ultitudes crowded to hear his words, his view of the n atu re of Christ’s kingdom was quite a t variance w ith th a t of his hearers, in stead of th e expected day of deliverance from foreign oppres sors, and day of national glory, it was to be a tim e of judgm ent for Israel. It m eant good for the penitent bu t destruc tion for th e ungodly. “He will gather the wheat into L’s garner, bu t th e chaff will he bu rn up” (Mt. 3 :1 2 ). : “Every tree th a t bringeth no t fo rth good fru it is hewn down” (Lk. 3 :9 ). The call to repentance was then a n atu ra l mes sage of preparation for such a time of judgment. But to John, repentance was a very real and radical thing. It meant a complete change of h eart and life. “Bring fo rth fru its worthy of repent ance” (Lk. 3 :8 ). There is no reference to th e usual ceremonies o f,th e law or to a change of occupation. Do good; be honest; refrain from extortion; be con te n t w ith your wages (3 :10 -14 ). (The kingdom of heaven which he announced signifies th e Gospel dispensation in which subjects were to be gathered to God by His Son, through His redeem ing work (Jn. 1:29 ) and a society to be formed which was to subsist first in im perfect circumstances on earth , but. afterw ard complete in glory. The Jews, understood it of a temporal monarchy a t Jerusalem , and th e expected Sover eign of this kingdom, they learned from. Daniel to c a ll' the Son of man. Both John and Christ took up th e phrase and used it as they found it, and gradually taugh t the Jews to affix rig h t ideas to it. This very demand for repentance showed th a t it was a sp iritual kingdom. — Doddridge.) His Severity. John used violence in addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees, doubtless to sta rtle them from th eir self-complacency. How hopelessly they were blinded by th e ir sense of security
generation of vipers” ?
(Gen.
3 :4 ; John 8 :44 ). (4) How did Paul bring fo rth fru it meet for repentance? (Acts 26:19, 20). (5) How does Paul describe those who are like th e reed shaken w ith th e wind? (Eph. 4:14, 15). (6) How has God raised up chil dren to Abraham , and who are they? (Gal. 3:27-29).- P aren tage. John was of priestly de scent. His mother, E lisabeth, was of the daughters of Aaron while his father, Zapharias, was a priest of the course of Abija, and did COMMENTS service in the SELECTED temple. I t is said By K eith L. Brooks of them th a t they were ¡“ righteous before God, walking in all th e com mandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless” (Lk. 1 :6 ). E arly Life. We infer from Luke’s account th a t John was born about six months before the b irth of Jesus. Of the place we know only th a t it was a city of the hilly country of Judah. Our defi nite information concerning his youth is summed up in the angelic proph ecy. “Many shall rejoice a t his birth. F o r he shall be g reat in th e sight of the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong d rink; and he shall be filled with th e Holy Spirit even from his m other’s womb” (Lk. 1:14-16), and in Luke’s statem ent, “And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the desert till th e day of his showing unto Israel” (1 :8 0 ). The character and sp iritu al insight of the parents shown in th e incidents recorded are ample evi dence th a t his train ing was a fitting preparation for his great mission. Ministry. The scene of th e B aptist’s m inistry was partly in the w ilderness of Judaea and partly in the Jo rd an valley, Two locations are mentioned (Jn. 1:28; 3 :2 3 ).' His first public appearance is assigned to th e 15th year of Tiberius, probably 26 or 27 A. D. (Lk. 3:1-2). Dress and Manner. Jo h n ’s dress and habits were strikingly suggestive of E lijah, th e old prophet of national judg ment. It was n atu ral th a t he should
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