by J. Richard Chase Academic Vice President Biola College
THE CHRISTIAN IN THE ‘70 s
T here is a certain exhilaration for both old and young alike during the Christmas season. All the gifts, bright colors, delectable food, beauti ful music, and warm fellowship with loved ones truly make this time the high point of the year. Yet, too often our excitement can be centered in activities and things rather than in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. This often can cause a let-down feel ing as a new year approaches. This isn’t God’s prescription for our harried and hurried days. We read in Luke 2:20, that “the shep herds returned, glorifying and prais ing God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” What a difference there is with some Christians today after Christmas! Were these shepherds any different? Surely they had their thoughts and hopes centered in the Saviour of the world. They had been told some wonderfully encouraging things by the angels. The testimony to these men was, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all peo ple.” If it’s the right kind of a mes sage, many times it will bring more joy and blessing than some tangible present that can be felt. When a young man proposes to the girl of his dreams, she wakes up the next morning with a thrill and an ticipation in her heart, if she loves him. He need not have given her a ring; it’s the fact of his love which possesses her. Similarly, the shep herds were given a fresh hope that allowed them to face the new day, despite the terrible oppression of Rome which held their land in bond age. The cause for their peace that day should be ours as well, for the
Saviour of the world had come, even as God had promised. There is an interesting story in Greek mythology about an individual named Alcestis whose husband was Admetus. He had won the gods’ favor so he was given a special favor. It was decreed that when it came time for him to die, if he could find some one else to die in his place, he would be allowed to go on living. When that day came, however, he couldn’t find anyone except his wife. Because of her love, she died in his behalf. Yet, as legend has it, she was miracu lously saved by another god, whose name was Heracles. Surely Admetus was thankful the rest of his life for not only her willing sacrifice, but the intervention of Heracles. This, of course, is fanciful, and doesn’t even begin to compare with what our lov ing Heavenly Father has done for us through the Lord Jesus Christ. No Grecian poet or playwright could have devised such a plot, "Sit could only be ordained and executed by God Himself. Do you realize that before we were united with God through faith in His Son, we were actually His enemies? Romans 5:8 and 10 clearly point this out. We were in far worse a predicament than Admetus or his wife. Can we ever stop to marvel that God sent Christ to save us even though we had turned our back upon Him and were vile sinners? The very heart of the Greek word translated Saviour is the concept of one who delivers and gives life. He is an in dividual who stands in the gap. God isn’t dealing with some dramatic piece of literature as the Greeks were, He’s dealing with your life and mine. No wonder the shepherds 3
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker