John the Baptist had been sent by God to baptize the people for the remission of sins, and to tell them that the Lamb of God who was to "take away the sin of the world" was soon coming to live among them, and to be their Saviour. "And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth . . . and was baptized of John in Jordan." "And straightway coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and there came a voice from heaven, saying, 'Thou art My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'" "And John saw, and bare record, that this is the Son of God." So now we know, children, what was happening all those eighteen years at Nazareth, while Jesus grew from a boy into a man. The people at Nazareth were offended at Him, when, after His baptism, He began to go about the country healing the sick, and teaching the people about God; and they said, scornfully, "Is not this the Carpenter?" But God gives us the whole history of those eighteen quiet years in one sentence— "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!" When John saw Jesus coming to him to be baptized, he had exclaimed,— "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" And two of his disciples, hearing him speak, turned and followed Jesus. May we hear those blessed words, and follow Him too! VI. "Nazareth where He was brought up" When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He lived among men for thirty-three and a half years. We have in the New Testament only little glimpses of His life during the first thirty years. First as a little baby; then, as a boy of twelve, we see Him journeying to Jerusalem to be present at the Passover Feast, and we are told that when He returned home to Nazareth He "was subject" to His mother and Joseph, and obedient to them in all things. [Illustration: FOUND IN THE TEMPLE.] Here for eighteen quiet years Jesus lived learning the trade of a carpenter, and working with His own blessed hands, making the simple things that were used by the country people around Him—seats, and tables, ploughs, and yokes for oxen. Is it not nice to think that Jesus knows all about making yokes! Do you not remember afterwards, how He said, "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of ME . . . for My yoke is easy, and My burden is light"? So children, Jesus knows exactly all about the weight of "the yoke" you may have to bear. Everybody has some trial or burden; but Jesus says, if you will come to Him, the yoke He has made for you will be light. I like to think that when He made yokes for the oxen, He made them as comfortable and easy and light as they could possibly be made, so that no rough edge should gall the patient animal as he pulled the heavy plough! When Jesus was thirty years old, all the wonderful things began which we read of in the Gospels.