¹⁹ Paul the apostle explains it, saying concerning his Master Jesus: “It is not possible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take sins away. Hence when he comes into the world he says: ‘“You did not desire sacrifice and offering, but you prepared a body for me. You did not approve of whole burnt-offerings and sin offering.” Then I said, “Look! I am come (in the roll of the book it is written about me) to do your will, O God.”’ After first saying, ‘You did not desire nor did you approve of sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt-offerings and sin offering’—sacrifices which are offered according to the Law—then he actually says, ‘Look! I am come to do your will.’ . . . By the said ‘will’ we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.” (Heb. 10:4-10) The apostle Paul was here applying to Jesus at his baptism prophetic Psalm 40:6-8.

20. What, then, did Jesus there symbolize, and what shows whether, at his baptism, his will died?

²⁰ By Jesus’ water baptism he was symbolizing his dedication of himself, body and all, to do Jehovah’s will in a way more than the law given through Moses demanded. At his water baptism, at his being buried by John under the waters, Jesus symbolically died to his past situation in earthly life. His will did not die, for when he was lifted out of the Jordan he still had his power of will. He said after that: “My food is for me to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.” “I seek not my own will but the will of him that sent me.” “I have come down from heaven to do, not my will, but the will of him that sent me. This is the will of him that sent me, that I should lose nothing out of all that he has given me but that I should resurrect it at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone that beholds the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life, and I should resurrect him at the last day.” And in prayer to God just before he was betrayed by unfaithful Judas, Jesus said: “My Father, if it is not possible for this to pass away except I drink it, let your will take place.” “Nevertheless, let, not my will, but yours take place.”—John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38-40; Matt. 26:42; Luke 12:42; see also 1 Corinthians 7:37.

21. Why was Jesus not a hypocrite when he taught his disciples to pray: “Let your will come to pass”?

²¹ Till the day that Jesus was actually baptized into literal death by impalement on a torture stake, he continually had to exercise his power of will in harmony with God his Father’s will. (John 21:22) He was not a hypocrite when he taught his disciples to pray to God: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will come to pass, as in heaven, also upon earth.”—Matt. 6:9, 10.

(To be continued)

“Every Discovery”

In a lecture on “Joseph in Egypt in the Light of the Monuments,” Professor A. S. Yahuda of London said: “In conclusion, let me say this—Every discovery made in Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Egypt, has confirmed the Bible, and now at length the linguistic evidence is coming forth to support and complement archaeological evidence. I hope, nay, I am sure, that future archaeological discoveries, excavations, and researches will assist us still further in establishing the accuracy of the Book of books.—Journal of Transactions of the Victoria Institute, Vol. LXV, p. 54