R e a l lv Remarkable Remarks 1 SE LE C T ED S E N T E N C E S FROM M A N Y
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After all, Christmas living is better than Christmas giving. The best Christmas gift to have is the glory of the incarnation, the peace of His Kingship and the grace of His salvation. Christmas commemorates not only the birth of Jesus but the incarnation of the Eternal Word of God. Let us rejoice that Christ was born into the world, but let us not forget that He came to die and not to live. It was not the death of Christ that brought God’s love into the world. It was God’s love that sent Christ into the world to die. The works of some professing Chris tians are like the decorations of the Christmas tree— only tied on. Christ was born amid the music of heaven. It must never be forgotten ,■that when Christianity has entered into the heart, a new song has been put into the mouth of the believer. Jesus Christ is the only man known in history who was born with specific refer ence to the sins of the human family. “ He shall save His people from their sins.” Christmas comes enthroning Him who is mighty, not to destroy, but to save. The old world crowds about the. cradle of Christ, but curses at His Cross—make merry at the manger, but mock at the cross. Christmas is embarrassing, because while it is always pleasant to be gener ous, it is vexatious to have to pay debts. It is worth while to remember that Christmas is the birthday of a man who never gave the world a dollar. Christmas is the day when everybody seems to be better than they really are.
Though Christ were born a thousand times in Bethlehem, and not in thee, thou remainest nevertheless, eternally lost. The incarnation of Christ is more than a speaking of God to man, for He had done that before. There was a longing for a clearer and more tangible voice, and in Christ, God is speaking not only TO but IN humanity. Jesus touches man as creature at the ■ cradle. He reaches man as sinner at the cross. The communion table is more to God than the Christmas table. Many will take God’s gifts, but will have none of His grace. They will join in the joy of the cradle, but deny the judgment of the cross. It is fitting to Celebrate the birth of Christ because it seems that all He did and was, was gathered up into that criti-# cal moment when His life first was present as a true, real fact among the lives of men. Jesus was born to do what others could not do, namely to take away sin, hence His name was Jesus. The birth of Christ not only brings God down to man, but raises man up to God. The world looks upon the birth of Christ as a step in “ evolution’’, and upon Christ as the product of human progress. The believer looks at Him • as the One who came, not to pay a compliment to humanity, but to give His life a ransom and save His people from their sins. Not the birth of Christ, but His death as a ransom and His resurrection for the believer’s justification, are the events the Bible commands us to com memorate “ until He comes.”
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