Photograph by Ewing Galloway, New York
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EHOLD, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10). Every heart ought to be lifted up with joy today. At this Christmas season, millions of people in the world have read this second chapter of Luke. Many eyes have fallen upon this tenth verse: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is bom this day in thte city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Hearts without number were filled with peace and joy at these words. I have often wondered what God could have given us in the place of Christ; what better gift He could have provided. Suppose He had given us the choice; what could we have selected that was better? Some of you have been wonder ing what presents to give your children. You have listened to their conversations to try to find out what they would like. Perhaps, you have heard Charlie or Johnny saying they would like a sleigh, a drum,, a horse, or a trumpet. Perhaps you’ve gone and bought these things, and have them hidden away in your houses now, and on Christmas morning they will be brought out. So God looked at us, and He found in every heart there was written—want, want, want. He saw what we wanted, and that was His own Son, and He gave us just what every one of us needed. If man had chosen something himself, from Adam all the way down, he could not have selected anything better than a Saviour. Nothing that could be chosen compares with Him. God who never makes a mistake, saw what we needed: what every man, woman, and child in this world needed. Not a man or woman can get into the kingdom of God without taking this Gift. Therefore it is good tidings when we read, “For unto you is bom this day in the city of David a Saviour.” . He is a gift for every one. God gave Him up freely to us all, and all we have to do is to take Him. During war time, we used to pray for peace. You could not go into a church but what you heard the cry: “Peace, peace.” In every home where there was a family' altar, D E C E M B E R , 1 9 4 8
the prayer was “Peace.” That is what we all want. The angels told the shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem that they brought real peace: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” How that ought to fill every soul with gladness! There is no true peace till Christ comes into our hearts. This verse announces that this gift of peace is ready for us. There is not a thirsty soul but who can have peace if he will only take Him, because that is what He came to bring. During the Revolutionary War, when things were very dark indeed, our country sent some commissioners to Eng land to see if a reconciliation with the colonies could not be effected. They were gone six months and no word was heard from them. At last the news came that the vessels were off Sandy Hook. People were anxious to learn whether the war was ended. The news spread through the city that day that the commissioners were coming, but the day .passed into the night, and it looked as if the vessels would not be able to reach port that night. So the people went to bed. But the vessels came up, and the boats were lowered. The commissioners got into the boats, and the sailors, in the darkness, pulled for the shore. When they got within hear ing distance, they could not contain themselves, and cried out: “Peace! peace!” Men, women, and children came from their homes and took up the cry, and it echoed throughout the city. The cannons were booming, and the bells were ringing, and all New York was full of the joy of that peace. It was what the people wished. The war was over, the English army was withdrawn, and we enjoyed peace in this blessed land for nearly one hundred years. If we have been at war with God, here is reconciliation. Yes, my friends, it is good will to men. If you have been at enmity with Him, that enmity can cease today.- We can be reconciled to God; we can have peace for time and eternity, for the message is: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Page Seven
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