Where do you find the account of the baptism of Jesus? Matt. iii: 13-17; Mark i :9-11; Luke iii: 21, 22.

      What was the age of Jesus at this time? Luke iii: 23. Do we know anything of his history from his twelfth year (Luke ii: 42) to his thirtieth? See Mark vi: 3.

      At what period in John's ministry was Jesus baptized? Luke iii: 22. Does this mean that all the people whom John baptized were baptized before Jesus? Ans.-- No; for John afterward baptized at Enon. John iii: 23. It means that all or nearly all John's baptizing at the Jordan was then completed.

      Had Jesus been attending John's [18] preaching? or did he come directly from home to be baptized? Matt. iii: 13.

      Repeat the conversation between John and Jesus. 14, 15. What baptism by Jesus did John refer to? See verse 11. Why think that Jesus need not be baptized? Ans.--John baptized penitent sinners for remission of sins, and he knew that Jesus was not of this class.

      Did John know certainly at this time that Jesus was the Christ, or did he only think so? John i: 33.

      Meaning of the remark, "Thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness?" Ans.--Baptism was required by John's preaching at the hands of every Jew, and if Jesus had neglected it he would have lacked that much of fulfilling all righteousness. Can any person now fulfill all righteousness without being baptized?

      What was the first movement of Jesus after he was baptized? Mark i: 10-16.

      Note.--The word translated out of in Matt. iii: 10, usually means from, but in Mark i: 10, the correct Greek text has the preposition which always means out of.

      Had Jesus; then been in the water, and if so, what proof of immersion and what disproof of sprinkling do you find in the fact?

      What did Jesus do immediately after coming out of the water? Luke iii: 21.

      What occurred while he was praying? 21, 22. Who saw the Holy Spirit descend? Matt. iii: 16; John i: 33, 34. If it was visible to John and Jesus, was it not also to the multitude?

      Why should the Holy Spirit have chosen the shape of a dove rather than that of some other bird? [19]

      What power did Jesus exert by means of the Holy Spirit? Matt. xii: 28.

      What is said of the voice from heaven? Matt. iii: 17. In what form do Mark and Luke report these words? Why the different forms? Ans.--Luke and Mark generally use more specific and direct forms of expression for the same idea than Matthew, hence they use the second person in this case, while Matthew uses the third.

      What was the full meaning of this declaration from heaven? Ans.--It not only declared the fact that Jesus was God's son, but that God was pleased with him in reference to the work of human salvation which he was about to commence.

      What connection had the baptism of Jesus with his ministry?

      What connection has our baptism with our Christian life?

      What correspondence in time between his reception of the Holy Spirit and its reception by all Christians? See Acts ii: 38.

      Repeat all the particulars of the baptism of Jesus in regular order.

[FBL 18-20]