International S. S. Lessons.
"So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." —Neh. 8:8 LESSON IX.—SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1894.
CHRIST'S TESTIMONY TO JOHN.
(NOTE.—The questions which follow are merely suggestive for the student on the leading points of the lesson; it is presumed that the thorough student will think of many more as he studies the subject. References, where verses alone are given, always refer to the lesson scripture printed above. All other references are given in book, chapter, and verse. The text printed is that of the Revised Version, not because it is especially preferred, but because it is not found in every family, as is the common version.) 24. AND when the messengers of John were departed, He began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind? 25. But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously appareled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts. 26. But what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. 27. This is he of whom it is written,
Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,
Who shall prepare thy way before thee. 28. I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there is none greater than John; yet he that is but little in the kingdom of God is greater than he. 29. And all the people when they heard, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. 30. But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected for themselves the counsel of God, being not baptized of him. 31. Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation, and to what are they like? 32. They are like unto children that sit in the market place, and call one to another; which say, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not weep. 33. For John the Baptist is come eating no bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. 34. The Son of Man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold, a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! 35. And wisdom is justified of all her children. Golden Text: "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face." Luke 7:27. NOTE.—A scripture which will throw light on this lesson, and should be read in connection with it, is Matt. 11:2-19. During the time when Jesus was teaching in Galilee John was in prison. This imprisonment seems to have brought discouragement to the bold prophet, even as to his prototype of old, Elijah. His life had been one of constant out-of-door exercise. Here he was confined in a damp and dreary dungeon, and no doubt this had much to do with his discouragement. His disciples came to him and told him of the work of Jesus. No doubt among these testimonies were those which were adverse; but John, to settle the question, sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask him, "Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?" Jesus did not answer in so many words. He wrought many miracles while John's disciples were there, and he simply tells the two disciples to go and tell John the things they had seen and heard. Jesus of Nazareth was fulfilling the very prediction which had been given of the Messiah, and he, therefore, was the one foretold by the prophets. - When the messengers of John had departed, what questions did Jesus ask the people? Verses 24, 25.
- What did he say of John's greatness? Verse 26.
- Among all of the prophets, what had John the honor to be? Verse 27.
- What comparison did Jesus make of John? Verse 28.
- Yet what did he say of the least in the kingdom of God? Note 1.
- What did Jesus say of the people and the publicans and their relation to John? Note 2.
- What did he say of the Pharisees and lawyers? Verse 30.
- What question did he ask concerning that generation? Verse 31.
- What did he say they were like? Verse 32. Note 3.
- What did they say of John the Baptist? Verse 33.
- What did they say of Christ, of whom John bore witness? Verse 34.
- What does Jesus say of the wisdom of God? Verse 35.
1. OUR Lord did not mean by this that the least in the kingdom of God, or he that is but little in the kingdom of God, was greater in the work that he did than was John the Baptist, but that his privileges were greater. He had just told us that among those that were born of women there was none greater than John. That is, none had a greater mission, and certainly we have no record that any showed more of the Spirit of the Master in the fulfillment of that mission than did the forerunner of Christ. He was great because he was the one who went before the "Royal Majesty of heaven" to prepare his way; and yet he died in prison before our Lord had finished his mission, and had very little privilege indeed of knowing of the power which attended Christ's ministry. Therefore, great as he was, his privileges were less than even the humblest disciple who stood at Christ's feet and drank in of his gracious words. 2. "They justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John."—God sends his messengers always to save men, and the fact that the publicans received John's message and were baptized, showed that John's message was sufficient to save them, and, therefore, their reception of that message was a justification of God in sending it as a judgment; for, if it saved one of the publicans, it would save all men, for a publican was a man; but the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God for themselves. That is, the very thing which God designed should save them they rejected. 3. WHAT a striking contrast our Lord draws between the children of that generation and John the Baptist. He was not a reed shaken in the wind, nor one who lived in palaces. He was not one who could be moved by any of the temptations of Satan or by the desires and flatteries of the people. He was one who stood for God, let come what would; and, in fact, he gave his life for his mission to a people who were like children playing in the market place. One company calls to another, and they say, "We piped and ye did not dance; we mourned and ye did not weep." That is, they were dissatisfied and uncertain as regards any belief in God. They had not the spirit to discern his messengers. John came and they said that he had a devil, because he was temperate in his eating and drinking. Jesus ate and drank as did other men, and they said that he was a winebibber and a friend of publicans and sinners. Thus it has always been, and thus it is in these days, in an aggravated sense.