The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 83

bring p<'rs0ns inrli,iduRlly fsce to fsce with the.t need, e.nd one of two th!Bae follow- eit her the r!'siRt11noe 0f the heart to condemnation, or the conviction of the soul to ~Rlvati,,n. Have we not far too little of the preaching of" repentance for the remission of sins"? Mark this: There can be no real sending sway of sin from between the soul irnd l;od without s chsnge of mind, caused by the sight of sin as sin as darkness as des Ih. God will never bless a msn in his sins. "Repent" is the burden' of all preac!i':ng on which the. Holy Spi~it set~ his seal. (2)_ The sacrament which accompanies the trord. There 1s the baptism of repentance. Srnners must take their stand with God as to their sins, joining him in his condemnation. They must confess their sins. They arc comma1:1ded to d? this in ~xpressive ~et-to go d_own, soiled with dnst and weRry with their Journey, rnto the nv~•r; st&nd_mg there, with eye uplifted to heaven, to say, "I &cknowledge my transgressions; against thee, thee only, have I sinned. God be merciful to me B sinner!" And then, as they sink beneath the water, they seem to ha,·e sunk in it their old sinful life; they arise, white and clean, pledged to walk hcncdorth in newness of life. A type yet to be fulfilled I John distinctly protested, "This baptism is only 11n instalment; the !aver of regeneration is not with me." But it was a symbol rich with meaning; it was the act which expressed the word that rang tlir,mgh the wilderness," Repent!" (3) The hand which pointed forward. This man, with the true second sight, sees the measure of iniquity all but filled up. He sees the tokens of rapidly hastening judgment. The nation is only the carcase of a nation, and the eagles are swooping down on it. " Flee, flee from the wrath to come." How? " Repent!" Whither? "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." He is there to prepare them for it, to lead them to it. Note: The preacher knows that a new order, that of the Coming One, is close on them. But he knows no more. While he is preaching, that new order is moving towards him in the person of the Cousin on whom his eyes, for long years, had never rested-perhaps, indeed, he ha.d never even seen him. "I knew him not," he could afterwards sey. .All that he then knew, he knew through an inner teaching which was no lie, "One mightier than I cometh, and with him cometh the kingdom of heaven." Vers. 21, 22.-The baptism of Jesu.s. and the descent of the Holy Ghost. The narra- tive of the meeting between Jesus and John is given at gre.ater length, and with more completeness of d,·t:i.il, by St. Matthew (see homiletics on Matt. iii 13-17). But the account of St. Luke suggests some points of interest. I. THE IDE!. . TIFICATION OF JESUS WITH THE PEOPLE. "When all the people Wjlre baptizcd, Jesns also having been baptized." In this, as in other things," he is made like to his brethren." Bnt, specially observe, he is still, and he is as yet only, "under the Law." His righteousness has been hitherto that indicated in the book of the Law. He has submitted to every requirement. He has completely done whatsoever was commanded.. Sharing this position in common with all the people, he offered himself for the baptism unto repentance and the hope of the kingdom. This baptism was the fittin"' conclusion of a perfect legal righteousness. The man needs to be washed. The Law ~annot make the conscience perfect. That which signified the inadequacy of the Law Jesus of Nazareth must appropriate. A righteousness which is in and of the flesh' cannot be the ground of BCceptance with God. Jesus condemned sin in the flesh when with the for .. runner, he went down into the water of baptism. II.' THE PRAYER wmcH soLEMNlZED THE BAPTISM. St. Luke alone makes mention of this pra~'er. With all the people\ Jesus was _baptized \ but who of _the people were with him in this-" bapti.zed and praying"? To him there is no confession of personal trans- gression ; he is yielding himse_lf to his Father in perfoc~IY,, loving resignation. The baptism was an act of cummun~on. '.' I come to do thy will. "Here am _I; s_end me." Kot without purpose, surely, 1s notice taken of the prayer. Connect it with what follows-in praying, the heavens were opened. Behold the law of spiritual blessing, " Ask, and ye shall receive"! Behold that which makes a~l ord!nances effectual, with• out which they a.re forms, not means of grace! Behold tne evidence of the power of prayer! God is ready still to open his heaven to the obedient, desiring heart. "Wt! <=Dter heaven by prayer." III. THE DESCENT IN A JIODILT SHAPE LIKE A DO"B. The evangelist inserts "the bud.ily form" to signify that it was not a mere imagination, but e. real descent assum-  ""· ra. 1--88.] TIIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO BT. LUKE. 75