546
November 1929
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
2. The Announcement to the Shep herds. Vs. 8-14. 3. The Visit of the Shepherds. Vs. 15-20. II. The Teaching of Jesus concerning Children. Matt. 18:1-6; Mk. 9:36, 37, 42. III. Jesus Blessing Little Children. Mk. 10:13-16. — o — Introduction: Historical Setting. Matt. 18:1-6 was spoken by the Saviour to the quarreling disciples in Galilee after His return from the regions of Caesarea Philippi. The passage in Mark 9 is a Jerusalem the last time. Luke 2:1-20 is the historical narrative concerning the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Beginning the Lesson. The attention of the pupils in the smaller classes will be immediately ob tained by a few personal questions from the teacher such a s: Have you a little baby sister or baby brother? If so, is he or she good? etc. Such questions imme diately attract the attention of the chil dren. A further question might with profit be asked: What is the class’s idea concerning Christ’s attitude toward chil dren in the home? I. The Child, Jesus, in the Home. Lk. 2 : 1 - 20 . 1. The Birth of Jesus. Vs. 1-7. Luke’s narrative of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ has been attacked very Severely by the rationalistic critics, who have affirmed that Luke was entirely un- historical; therefore absolutely unreliable. The reasons which they have assigned for their bold attacks are, as they affirm: No periodic enrollment of the Roman Empire as is assumed by the word “first" modi fying enrollment (2 :2) ; Quirinius was governor .of Syria in 6-8 A.D., and not when Jesus was born; and there is no record that anyone was required by the Roman government to go to his ancestral home to be enrolled for taxation. These are but a few of the many objections raised by the rationalistic critics against Luke as a reliable, first-class, scholarly historian. But archeology has silenced the critics. That which they pronounced to be impos sible, absurd, and ridiculous, has been proved to be absolutely genuine and his torical. The faithful labors of such men as Sir William Ramsay have dispelled this phantom of unreliability and non-his toricity. Much light has come to the scholar ship of the world from the rubbish heaps of Egypt, in which numerous documents of the “papyri” have been discovered. These original documents proclaim to the world, with no uncertain sound, that there was a periodic enrollment of the Roman Empire in the first century, occurring every fourteen years. (The writer of these notes himself has read exact copies in the original of a number of these docu ments.) Thus the first assumption has record of the same occurrence. T h a t one found in 10:13- 16 gives an account of His receiving lit tle children wh e n He was on His way t h r o u g h Trans- Jordania, going to
FRED S. SHEPARD ’S BLACKBOARD OUTL INE B a b e o f " D l e s s e s ETHLEHEM J D a BES Took them in his arms and blessed them.—Mark 10:16. been disposed of by the cold historical facts brought to light. The second as sumption, namely, that Luke is wrong with reference to the birth of Christ in the governorship of Quirinius, has been disproved. The archeological f a c t s brought to light now, show that Qui rinius was governor of Syria twice: first, in the years 8-6 B.C., and second, at the time assigned by the historians. Thus this false assumption has been met. As to the third assumption, that the family was required to go to the ancestral home for registration, this has been dis posed of by the cold historical facts brought to light by the faithful labors of Sir William Ramsay and others (see “Was Christ Born in Bethlehem?” by Wm. Ramsay, “Luke, the Historian” by A. T. Robertson). Since all of these supposed objections have been met with known facts, there is no cloud hanging over the birth narrative of the Lord under which the rationalistic critic can hide himself with his unbelief. “God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform.” God overrules the actions of the world to accomplish His purposes as well as those of His children. At the proper time Caesar Augustus in Rome issued the decree that all the world should be enrolled. This decree was timed by the Lord so that it would be put into effect at the proper time in order that Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus, should leave her home in Nazareth of Galilee for Bethlehem in Judea, that the Messiah might be born there in accord ance with Micah 5 :2. When the Saviour came to the world there was no place in the inn for Him. There is yet no place for Him in the hearts of the bulk of men; but praise God many hearts have opened and received Him as their Lord and Saviour, the Mes siah. 2. The Announcement to the Shep herds. Vs. 8-14. At the time of the Saviour’s birth “there were shepherds abiding in the fields and watching over their flocks by night." It is quite likely, from this bit of information, that it was not a very cold season that year or that it was in the warm season when the Saviour was born, December 25 cannot be established as the birth of Jesus. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and God’s glory shone round about them at the same time. Then the angel made the glad announcement that there was born “in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." Bethlehem was the city of David. Bethlehem means “house of bread.” It was at this city that the Bread of Life (John 6 ) came. The angel announced that the Child would be found lying in a manger in swaddling clothes. According to the oriental custom a new born baby was powdered with pulverized salt and was bound, mummy-like, with a swaddling cloth.
When the angel made this announce ment there appeared suddenly a host of the angels praising God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased." Praise in the heavens was rendered to God at the birth of the Saviour. On earth there was peace promised to those in whom He is well pleased, this class being those who would accept Jesus as their Messiah and Saviour. 3. The Visit of the Shepherds. Vs. 15-20. Being thrilled with the message brought by the angels, the shepherds left their work and immediately went to see that which had been told them. With haste they came and found Mary and Joseph and the Child, Jesus, as it had been told to them. At the rehearsal of the miracu lous appearance of the angels by the shep herds, those present were amazed; but Mary kept all of those sayings, pondering them in her heart. Forthwith the shep herds returned to their duties. The coming of the Saviour into the world—God manifest in human form— was the great factor that changed the status of the child in the home; His com ing likewise changed the status of women in the home and in the community. God pity the home where children are not welcome 1 II. The Teaching of Jesus concerning Children. Matt. 18:1-6; Mk. 9:36, 37, 42. When Jesus and the apostles returned from their last withdrawal from the Holy Land—the visit to Caesarea Philippi—He called them and asked what they had been reasoning about on the way (Mk. 9:33). They were very much embarrassed and would not speak, their silence being due to the fact that they had disputed con cerning who was the greatest. This ques tion should never have arisen in their minds. Comparisons are odious. God re sists the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Pet. 5:5). From other Scriptures it is quite evi dent that they believed that He at that time would establish His reign of right eousness upon the earth—the millennium. They were correct in understanding that the kingdom of Christ is the literal reign of Christ upon the earth when the curse will be lifted and the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. They were mistaken only as to the time when those wonderful predictions shall be fulfilled, but they were very eager to have the highest places of honor and glory in this kingdom. In order to show them the error of their way, Jesus took a little child and placed it in the midst of them and sol emnly warned them that except they “turn, and become as little children" they should in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. The little child is innocent and is not naturally proud and haughty; therefore the Saviour used the child as an illustration to enforce His teaching. The teaching of the Spirit of God is that each should consider the other better than him self and should in honor prefer the other. III. Jesus Blessing Little Children. Mk. 10:13-16. As Jesus and His disciples, accom panied by the multitude, continued the
Made with FlippingBook HTML5