No. 748
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21)
The more intimately we know our dear Redeemer in the light of the Scriptures the more we will appreciate Him, love Him and seek to copy Him. No other life than His could withstand such continual and close scrutiny and still always be full of fresh revelations of moral dignity and character. Any other life similarly studied and criticized would reveal weakness, sin and degradation.
Of the four Gospels, only John’s account attempts to trace our Lord’s genealogy to the heavenly source, and to show us that before He was made flesh He was a spirit being with the Father and a sharer of His glory – a god with the God. But all of the Bible Evangelists clearly state that He was “made flesh.” (John 1:14) He did not remain a spirit being and merely assume flesh as clothing in which to appear to men. However explainable, the life power of the spirit being, the Logos, became the life power of the human being, born of a woman and under the Law, subject to all the conditions and circumstances of the Jews.
Matthew traces Joseph’s genealogy, although the Bible statement is clear that Jesus was not the son of Joseph. Nevertheless, being adopted by him as his son, Jesus might properly inherit through him. Luke shows the genealogy of Mary, through whom our Lord was actually related to our race in the fleshly sense and to the royal family of David, through the line of Nathan. (See Studies in the Scriptures, Volume V, Chapter 6.)
We know that December 25th is not the actual anniversary of the Savior’s birth. It is more likely around the anniversary of the annunciation by the angel Gabriel of His conception, our Lord being born nine months later, or about the first of October. Because His birth, death and resurrection mean so much to the human family, He may be celebrated any day, every day, by all who appreciate what He has done for the human race. With rejoicing hearts, we gladly join the majority of Christian people in celebrating our Lord’s birth in December.
THE DIVINELY ARRANGED TIME
Divine wisdom evidently arranged the world’s affairs in preparation for our Lord’s birth, the time being an auspicious one in several respects. The spirit of world-conquering that began with Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom had brought the various families or nations of mankind into closer contact with each other, broadening their ideas. This resulted in the transplanting of peoples from one land to another, thus making them more cosmopolitan in their sentiments.
Israel and Judah, transplanted in their captivity to Babylon, became so attached to the new environment there that comparatively few of them availed themselves of the offer of Cyrus to return to their own land. The Jews living among the Gentiles were by no means lost and had not entirely abandoned their hopes in the Abrahamic Covenant nor their faithfulness to the Mosaic Law. However, they were lax in these matters and filled with a love of gain and ease and did not cultivate the spirit of “Israelites indeed.” Nevertheless, they were influential in the nations where they dwelt, bearing witness to the hopes of Israel in the one God and in a coming Messiah, the Son of God, to be the world’s Deliverer.
The triumph for a time of the Greek Empire had produced a highly developed literature – the Greek language had reached its zenith, and was the literary language of the civilized world. The Roman Empire had conquered the world and was at the height of its power. As a result there was a time of universal peace, making it a more favorable time than any before it for the announcement of the Gospel and its spread from nation to nation. Israel itself had probably reached its highest intellectual, moral, and religious development. Additionally, the Scriptures state that “the people were in expectation” of the Messiah’s coming. (Luke 3:15)
It was just at this divinely arranged time that the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, issued his decree regarding the taxing of his worldwide empire. (Luke 2:1) The decree was not merely an assessment of taxes, but rather a census, or enrollment for taxation. Unlike the present custom, every male citizen was then required to report himself to the headquarters of his own family line. It was for this reason that Joseph came to Bethlehem with Mary, his espoused wife and the mother of Jesus. It was their native or family city, for they were both of the house of David (although through different lines), and Bethlehem was “the city of David.” (Luke 2:4-5) Thus by a decree over which they had no control whatever, providence brought Joseph and Mary to the very city most appropriate for the birth of the great heir of David, as had been foretold by the Prophet: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel.” (Micah 5:2)
Our faith is strengthened when we note how divine providence prepared for our Savior’s birth and the sending forth of the Gospel message. When we realize God’s care in the past over even the smallest details connected with the birth of our Savior, it gives us confidence in the future features of His plan – the fulfilment of all the exceeding great and precious promises centered in He who was born in Bethlehem. As the Apostle Paul stated, God loved us while we were yet sinners by making such careful provision for our redemption, and we may have confidence in His love and in His providential care, that according to His promise all things will work together for good to them that love Him. (Rom. 5:8; Rom. 8:28)
The same decree that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem brought many others of the numerous family of David, and as the inns of that time were comparatively limited, it was not unusual that the inn proper was full when Joseph and Mary arrived. In fact, it was customary then for many travelers to carry with them their own lodging necessities for use in the courtyards connected with the inns. Hence the experiences of Joseph and Mary were by no means remarkable and it is not surprising that a manger became Jesus’ cradle.
In Bethlehem there is today a certain grotto that is claimed to be the stable where Jesus was born. A Catholic church has been erected over this site, and various ceremonies are continually performed there. We feel little sympathy with such ceremonies, believing them to be in the nature of idolatry. The center of our interest is not the place of our Savior’s birth, the manger where He was laid, the ground He trod or His holy mother, although we reverence His life in the flesh and all circumstances related to it, especially His experiences from the time of His consecration to His death.
Our greater interest is in our risen Lord, the spiritual One, far above manhood, far above angels, principalities and powers and every name that is named – next to the Father, and exalted to His right hand of power. (Eph. 1:20-21) The Apostle voices this sentiment well, saying, “Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.” (2 Cor. 5:16) Our knowledge of Him as the risen and glorified Lord and Savior thoroughly outshines all of our interest in His earthly life, although His earthly life is interesting and profitable to us.
MESSAGE FIRST TO SHEPHERDS
As was the custom at that time, shepherds were with their flocks in the area that night, guarding them against thieves and wild beasts: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” (Luke 2:8) Although the shepherds would not be considered well educated, their occupation doubtless afforded them time for reflection and thought. The shepherd David, honored by God as king of His typical kingdom, was a great poet, and evidently much of his time while shepherding was given to poetry. One of his most beautiful poems portrays God Himself as the Shepherd of His flock – His people. (Psalm 23) The shepherds to whom the Lord sent the first message about His Son made flesh were likely familiar with David’s Psalms and with the Messianic hopes they contained.
The fear engendered in the shepherds at the appearance of an angel is simply and beautifully described: “And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.” (Luke 2:9) All mankind is more or less instinctively afraid of the supernatural: the very thought of being in the presence of holy angels naturally would bring trepidation. This is proper and natural, for most rational people realize their own imperfections and fear falling short if divine justice were to be applied to their own affairs. They seem instinctively to realize their need for divine mercy.
It is understandable that beholding the heavenly visitor frightened the shepherds, but his message was not one of condemnation but of divine mercy: “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” (Luke 2:10) Joy no doubt took the place of fear in their hearts as they heard the gracious words, and since that day it has been the same with all who have heard this true Gospel message and have comprehended it.
The angel further explained, showing the basis for the great Gospel message: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) The “good tidings of great joy” would come to pass because the Messiah so long looked for in Israel had been born. Not only would Israel be blessed and exalted to honor by this promised seed of Abraham, but also “all the families of the earth” would be blessed. (Gen. 28:14)
Then the angel told the shepherds of the humble conditions of this great King’s birth into the world: “And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12) This was to help them to identify Jesus, but it also refocused their thoughts from the grand results of salvation to its humble beginnings, lest they should be misled in their expectations. As with every part of the Divine Plan, we should not only tell of the future glory and greatness, but we are to tell also of the preceding sacrifice and humiliation, not only of our Savior, but also of His footstep followers.
After the one angel delivered the good tidings of great joy, he was joined by an angelic host in a fitting climax: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:13-14)
Note the order of the heavenly message. First, there is the grand pronouncement of divine favor and blessing that will ultimately extend to all mankind. Then there is the specific explanation of how all this is to be accomplished – through a Savior, a Deliverer, who will deliver His people from death, the wages of sin, into eternal life and blessing. But as our opening text states, He must first of all save them from their sins. From other Scriptures we see that this salvation from sin signifies not only the payment on our behalf of the penalty for Adamic sin, but it also includes man’s subsequent instruction in righteousness, lifting out of sin all who are willing. (Isa. 26:9)
THE ANGEL’S MESSAGE MISUNDERSTOOD
The understanding of this message by many of God’s people throughout the ages has been false and sad; few have heard it and gladly appreciated it. How remarkable that nearly all of the different churches and their thousands of clergy and hundreds of thousands of Sunday school teachers have united in completely contradicting the message of the angels, a contradiction which not only injures their own minds and hearts, but also robs our dear Savior’s mission of most of its majesty. Further, it thoroughly dishonors and maligns the name of our gracious Heavenly Father by its misrepresentation of the salvation He has provided in Christ Jesus.
Some well-meaning but blinded Christians may be surprised and shocked at such a denunciation of the message they are delivering in the name of the gospel. The word “gospel” means “good tidings,” but instead of good tidings of great joy they are proclaiming bad tidings of eternal misery as the divine message and sentence passed on the vast majority of mankind. They likely are wholly unaware of how seriously they misrepresent the divine character and government in the message they spread. They misstate the Gospel, unintentionally out of blindness, the very blindness mentioned by the Apostle as originating with the great Adversary: “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Cor. 4:3-4)
If all true Christians would study the message of the angel and see the depths of its significance, it would quickly revolutionize their teachings. But as our Lord declared, some of the deep things of the Divine Plan are hidden from many of those wise and prudent in worldly matters and are revealed only to the humble – the “babes.” (Matt. 11:25) Those who have their understanding even partly opened to the lengths and breadths, and heights and depths of God’s love will certainly rejoice that the ignorance of the world in general on this subject cannot continue forever; the opposition of the great Adversary who is blinding them cannot continue forever. “And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.” (Isa. 29:18) Then all will see that the message of the angel was true. All will come to a knowledge of the Truth and have the opportunity for the grace, mercy and peace provided by the ransom-sacrifice of our Lord Jesus.
JESUS MEANS SAVIOR
When we teach of the grace to come to mankind, it should be coupled with the principle of salvation – the Savior was made flesh and His flesh was sacrificed for our sins. The glorified Savior will in due time reign with His Church, uplifting the world of mankind out of ignorance, superstition and general degradation. We should remember that our Lord’s name signifies Savior: “. . . thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21)
How strange it is that anyone could refuse to see what the Scriptures plainly state – that God has provided through Christ that every member of the human family will have a full opportunity to relinquish sin, accept righteousness and attain everlasting life under the New Covenant. Further, the Scriptures state that any who will refuse to submit themselves to this righteous arrangement will be utterly destroyed from among the people. (Acts 3:23) None will be allowed to live in sin and opposition to God; God’s dominions will be unblemished. In no other way can there ever be full peace on earth among men. “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” (Isa. 57:21)
The only solution offered by God for peace is the establishment of His Kingdom, for which our dear Redeemer taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10) That will mean peace in its fullest and most absolute sense. The Scriptural plan will not violate any individual’s will, but will merely offer to all through Christ an opportunity for everlasting blessing and peace. Those who fail to appreciate the divine offer will be cut off in the Second Death.
The shepherds who heard the message of God’s grace manifested their interest by visiting and paying their homage to the Savior. Likewise, each one who has heard of the grace of God with an appreciative heart can do nothing less than to seek the Lord, worshipping Him and serving His cause by sharing the glorious message. Let us each do so, that we may more and more increase in our hearts the joys of the Lord and our appreciation of His grand gospel.
A JOYFUL MESSAGE FOR THE SIN-SICK
There is great force and weight to St. Paul’s statement that the whole creation is groaning and travailing in pain, waiting for Messiah’s Kingdom and its long-promised blessings. (Rom. 8:19-22) Men may reason that there is no personal God, that there is merely a blind god of nature, an evolutionary force; nevertheless, deep down in their hearts, most believe there is a God. They almost unconsciously attribute to Him wisdom, justice and power, but few attribute to Him very much love or sympathy for humanity and its frailties.
Ironically, this intuitive knowledge of God is associated with the troubled condition of many human hearts. Deep down, the root of nearly every trouble is sin – disobedience to recognized principles of righteousness – and the fear of retribution and uncertainty as to what form it will take. This is true not only of many Christians, but frequently also true of others who have made no profession of faith.
This troubled heart condition is not always obvious. Sometimes the troubled heart seeks entertainment or sinful pleasure-seeking in an attempt to drown pain and grief. Some seek relief through alcohol or drugs; some resort to suicide. Sometimes the troubled one puts on a show, laughter and jokes masking a troubled heart. We can sympathize with these sorrow-laden hearts; we all walk through “the valley of the shadow of death.” Even if we are relatively untroubled ourselves, we are pained on behalf of others if we have a sympathetic nature.
We sooner or later realize the impotency of human sympathy. In our helplessness, we instinctively look to our Creator. In the hour of trouble remarkably few doubt the existence of God. But the heart of man fails when he looks to the Almighty for protection and considers divine justice and realizes his own weaknesses and shortcomings. How could he think that the Almighty would have interest in or care for such a worm of the dust as he feels himself to be? How could divine justice look with sympathy upon his history of selfishness?
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” is the inspired message. (Prov. 9:10) Many surely experience this beginning of wisdom at some point in their life’s experience. But such fear is only the start of wisdom when it leads the fearful one to greater carefulness of living and to a desire for the Heavenly Father’s approval. Proper fear or reverence for the Almighty acts as a restraint upon sin. It tends to make one more thoughtful, more careful, and wiser.
“LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED”
Jesus had a message for those with troubled hearts: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1) Jesus addressed these words to Jews schooled in the divine requirements under the Law given by Moses. They believed in God; they recognized His justice; they desired to be His people. They knew Jesus and had traveled with Him as His disciples. They believed in Him in a general way and largely accepted Him as the promised Messiah, yet they found it difficult to express a fullness of faith.
We can hear Him deliver the same message to us today: You already believe in the Creator and His justice. You already desire to draw near to God. You already know that you are sinners, unworthy of eternal life. You have heard that He has sent His Son into the world as the Redeemer to provide for your recovery. You have heard that this is a manifestation of God’s love and sympathy for you. So now, “Believe also in me.”
The Father knows your heart troubles but He leaves the burden there until you appreciate its weight – until you are ready to cry to Him that you are sin-sick, weary, troubled, and above all, hungering and thirsting for righteousness and wish to be reconciled to Him. He has anticipated your needs, your longings, your necessities and He has already provided the Redeemer, who is mighty to save.
If divine justice is exacting to the last degree, believe that divine love, as represented in the Redeemer sent of God, is equally exhaustless, boundless – sufficient for all your needs. If you accept this divine arrangement through Christ, your heart troubles may be at an end. You will still have troubles of the flesh – weaknesses, aches and pains – but your heart will be joyful and happy in fellowship with the Father, through the Son.
HOW TO GET THE PEACE
Having heard of God and of Jesus and of the invitation to reconciliation, how do you proceed? To whom shall you go to gain the blessed assurance that your sins are forgiven, that you may “go and sin no more?” Which church shall you join? What clergy shall you consult?
We rejoice if you have come to this condition of seeking divine favor because, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Matt. 7:7) Continue to seek and to knock and very soon the blessings will be yours, but first, make sure you are seeking the proper blessing. You want forgiveness of past sins and the assurance of divine love and care. You want the Heavenly Shepherd to take you for one of His sheep and look after your interests, both temporal and eternal. If so, you are seeking the very thing that God is pleased to give; many are seeking something else. They seek to maintain some of their own will while doing some of God’s will; they seek some sin and some righteousness. Unless they seek with purity of heart that which God is willing to give, they seek in vain.
None of us can claim God’s gifts on the grounds of justice or merit; all of His gifts are by grace. We cannot keep God’s perfect Law, not because it is too exacting, but because we are in a fallen condition. We were born in sin and “shapen iniquity.” (Psa. 51:5) However strong our will, our flesh is weak. God has made arrangement for this very condition during this Gospel Age. God’s gifts are open for the honest-hearted, the sincere penitents, the ones fully determined for righteousness.
No earthly priest or minister is needed; but as the Master said, go to the Father in secret, in private. (Matt. 6:6) Do not go in your own name or by your own merit, but in the merit of the Redeemer. Go as the Scriptures instruct, claiming Him as your advocate and appealing in His name for the forgiveness provided by divine mercy. “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1) “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16)
In prayer tell your Father that you are sick of sin and desire His righteousness. Tell Him of your appreciation for the glorious qualities of His character and of your desire to be as much like that character as possible. Tell Him that you know you are unworthy of His consideration unless the merit of Jesus is imputed to you, covering your imperfection. Tell Him that by faith you present your all to Him, that the merit of Christ may be imputed to you. Tell Him that you desire to be a living sacrifice – to be faithful unto death to Him, to His message in the Bible, and to the brethren.
Those who follow this course, are no longer heart-troubled. They will have troubles from the world, the flesh and the Adversary, but nonetheless they can rejoice: “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7)
THE SCRIPTURES MISUNDERSTOOD
Billions currently living have in no sense of the word been called by the Lord, and therefore have had no opportunity to answer that call. Considering that this same condition has prevailed for centuries, the hearts of God’s people should be very troubled at the thought that these untold billions would be doomed to eternal torture. This prevailing misunderstanding of Scripture has resulted in a broad rejection of everything related to Christian faith. After all, why would a benevolent creator expose billions to the risk of eternal torture without giving them the slightest opportunity to hear of the only means by which they might be saved from it? As the Apostle said, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14)
When we get the correct, Scriptural view, however, we see that the penalty upon those billions is this: “Thou shalt surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) We also see the salvation that God has provided from that penalty: “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” (Heb. 2:9) We see that there is a due time for the testimony of this salvation to reach the world: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim. 2:5-6)
The coming blessings will rescue the human race from the condition of sin and death, providing an opportunity for rising out of degradation up to full perfection of nature and all that was lost through Adam’s disobedience. This work of divine grace is to be accomplished for the world during the Messianic Age, when Christ and the Elect Church will constitute God’s Kingdom, with power and great glory for the blessing of the world.
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This paper is based on Reprint 2555 and What Pastor Russell Wrote for the Overland Monthly, pages 179-182.
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