June 1924
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
386
JULY 6 , 1924 THE BIRTH OF JESUS
and stigma of h er g reat experience. If even Joseph doubted her and was minded to renounce her, w hat must have been th e a ttitu d e of th e hostile world? *In th e burden of reproach which h er name bore, was the shadow of th e cross falling upon her heart. The chivalry of Joseph as well as his piety is seen in his throw ing over Mary th e protection of his name a t th e Di vine command. He shared her burden and made it his own. He was a simple, silent, faith fu l man, not endowed w ith conspicuous gifts, reveling in no unusual experience and singing no “Magnificat” bu t toiling in his carpenter’s shop faith fu l to his allo tted task and heavenly tru st.
Golden Text: “F o r unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11. Lesson Text: Luke 2:7-20 (Read Luke 2:7-20; Luke 1:5 to 2 :39 ; John 1:1-14). Devotional reading: Isaiah 11:1-5. SHEPHERDS H E A R S E E T E L L “ F o r Y o u ” -------- “ T h i. D a y ” ■When the eternal Son of God became incarn ate and en tered th e world which He had made through th e gates of human life, he descended to the lowest level of existence. Biology detects no difference in the beginnings of life. The germ of plant, insect and animal is ap- LESSON parently th e same. Each organism as- EXPGSITION cends th rough all th e lower forms un til F . W . F a r r it reaches its own plane when it branches off and lives its pre-determ ined life. Christ as a man did this. He traveled the pathway of all life be cause He is a cosmical Saviour. He became incarnate to re deem th e whole creation. The b irth of th e Saviour must have been th e occasion of a g reat assembly in heaven, even g reater th an th a t on the morning of creation when the sons of God shouted for joy. Psalm 40:7-8 may be considered as His response to a call to undertake th e mission of hum an redemption. No angel could be adequate to th is trem endous task. The angels are only finite and created beings. This demands th e wis dom and power of an infinite Being. As th e F irst-bo rn of all creation, in His revealed relation ship to man, th rough all the types and sacrifices, Christ had become personally responsible for th e sin of man. The destiny of hum anity was a t stake. Sin must be atoned for and Satan vanquished before salvation could be offered to man. The Saviour’s en tire hum iliation may be summ ar ized in Phil. 2:6-8. He had equality w ith God and m ight have kept it had He so desired bu t He emptied Himself, tak ing the form of a servant. The verb “ em ptied” is found in other passages and is tran slated “made void,” Rom. 4 :14 ; 1 Cor. 1 :17 ; 9:15. He emptied H imself of His Di vine glory and laid His Divine attrib u tes of omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence under tem porary and volun ta ry lim itations. It was no more strange th a t He should en ter human life th rough the womb of a virgin th an th a t He should en ter life a t all. Psa. 22:10. We cannot understand nor explain the incarnation but we accept it on th e Word of God. The angels shouted the “Gloria in Excelsis” b u t th ere was no corresponding in terest on earth. A few poor shepherds were watching th e ir flocks and were given the high honor of welcoming the Saviour in His advent. I t is possible th a t they were also watching and waiting fo r the Messiah; They m ight even have been speaking one to ano th er about th e hope of Israel and praying th a t they m ight be alive when He appeared when the glory of the Lord shone round about them. Jesus entered upon the lowest condition of life. ' No humbler place th an a manger can be conceived. No higher honor could be given woman th a n to be the mother of Christ. There is no record of Mary’s life but th ere are intim ations of h er poverty, piety and streng th of character. She humbly and gladly accepted th e suspicion
V. 7. “ There was no room for them in th e inn.” A touch ing forecast of the reception of Jesus from the cradle to the cross. “He came unto His own, and His own received Him no t.” (Jno. 1 :1 1 ). No room fo r Him in th e inn. No room
for him in N azareth. They “th ru st Him out of the city.” (Luke 4:16, 28, 29). No room for Him in the homes of those He served (John 7 :5 3 ). Alone He slept under th e sta rs in the Mount of Olives (John 8 :1 ). No room for Him
COMMENTS FROM THE COMMENTARIES V. V, Morgan •
in the world. They crucified Him between two thieves (Matt. 2 7 :38).-S-Pract. Com. The appointed time (Gal. 4 :4 ) had come. According to prophecy the Saviour had to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5 :1 ). But Mary lived in Nazareth. God in His own marvellous way ordered every thing and Caesar Augustus was directed to issue th e decree of taxation a t such a tim e and in such a way and also the jou rn ey o f Joseph and his espoused wife, Mary, th a t she had to be in Bethlehem when th e days were accomplished th a t she should be delivered. The g reat Roman Emperor knew nothing of w hat God was accomplishing by his decree. Then He was born, who left the glory of Heaven and became poor for our sakes. W hat condescension we behold here! The Maker of Heaven and E arth , born of a woman, tak ing the creatu re’s place! The first resting place of Him, who came from th e bosom of the F ath e r is a manger! There was no room for Him in the inn.—Gaebelein. In the E ast it is the custom now, as it was in those days, to w rap the in fan t round and round w ith a long strip of cloth th ree or four inches wide, from th e neck to the toes.—T ract. Com. A poor woman, she had to attend to her Child herself as soon as He was bora.-^-Adeney. Y, 8 . In th e region of Bethlehem , where the raising of sheep was an im po rtan t industry. The people lived in vil lages and no dwellings were found in th e country as with us. The flocks were guarded by night against robbers and wild b easts.-ilP ract. Com. V. 9. Very likely this angel also was the g reat arch angel Gabriel, who had made th e previous announcements in the marvelous history.—Matt. Henry. This glory of the Lord was the brightness which announced the presence of th e Almighty, as in the flaming bush th a t Moses saw, the p illar of fire th a t guided the Israelites th rough th e w ilder ness, arid th e Shekinalu th a t glowed above the Mercy Seat in the Most Holy Place of the temple.— Peloubet. V. 10. Words of encouragem ent th a t have been spoken again and again to God’s people and to those who desire to become such. “F ear no t,” is an exhortation repeated up ward of fifty times in th e Bible.— P ract. Com. There was to be a twofold resu lt of the Saviour’s b irth— the “ glory of God in the highest,” “ on earth peace among men of H is good pleasure.” As to whom the men of His good pleasure are, see Heb. 11 :6 ; Jno. 6:29; Rom. 5 :1 ; Eph. 1:6, 7. In what senses Jesus brings “ peace” is told in Col. 1:20; 2 Cor. 5:18, 19; Rom. 5:10; Jno. 14:27; Phil. 4:6, 7.— Torrey. Y. 11. “Unto you is born”— you shepherds, Israel, man kind. Cf. Isa. 9:6. “Unto us a Child is born.” It is a birth— “The Word is made flesh” When? “This day.” Where? “ In the city of David”— in the rig h t line and a t the rig h t spot; where prophecy bade us look for Him, and faith accordingly expected Him. How dear to us should be these historic moorings of our f a ith ! W ith th e loss of them all substantial Christianity is lost. By means of them how
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