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CONFLUENCE OF OPPOSITES
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most puzzling in the whole Bible. He is the cousin of the Messiah, to begin with, and jumps up with delight, while yet an unborn babe, on hearing the voice of his cousin's mother (Luke, i. 41). John, it is said, met Jesus at the Jordon and when asked to baptize him, meekly entreated, saying: “I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me"
(Matt. iii. 14)? It was only when he was assured by Jesus that it behoved Christ to be baptized by him in the first instance that he performed the ceremony.
Suffer it to be so now for it becometh us to fulfil all right
eousness” (Matt. iii. 15). John saw the heavens opened and the spirit of God alighting on Jesus in the form of a dove. This is what he says about it himself:"And I saw, and bear record that this is the Son of God"
(John. i. 34). The next day John pointed out Jesus to two of his disciples, saying:
“Behold the Lamb of God” (John, i. 36). Asked to explain his mission, lie declared "I am not the Christ, but...I am sent before him. He that
hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and beareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. Be that cometh form above is above all: he
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