The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-12-15
THE soNpAY SCHOOL.
Tho Birth of Christ--Lesson for December
20, fSS2-Luke 2;3-2o.
Especially Arranged from S S. Quarterly.l


TINE. The last Of December, B. c. 8 -Four
years before the era from which we date our
years BY mis- take the wrolg dato was first
promulgated. The 18th OF December Is the be-
ginning OF logger days and more light, after tho
shortest and darkest days Of the year
PLACE-Ec thlchem Of Judea, tive or six
miles south of Jerusalem, David's early home
1t now contains about five thousand inhabi-
tan:s. The place where Jesus WIS born was
probably cave in the southeast part OF the
town Hepworth Dixon thinks that the inn, In
the stable of which Jesus was born, may have
been the very house where Boaz and Ruth and
David lived.
RuLERs-Augustus Cesar was emperor OF
Rome: Herod the Great king Of Judea, but sub.
ject to Rome.
CONTEMPORARY HISTORY. God providence
had prepared the world for the coming OF
Christ, and this was the dttest time in all its
history. UI All the world was subject to one
government so that the apostles could travel
everywhere: the door of every land was open for
the gospel (2) The world was at peace, so
that the gospel could have free course. (9
The Greek language was spoken everywhere
with their other languages (i) The Jews
were scattered everywhere with synagosues
and Bibles.
country In the fields near Bethlehem. "Abid
ing in the field" which could easily be done in
December, as often very pleasant weather and
good pasturage are found all through that
month.
Note that the angels came to the shepherds
while they were performing their regular du
ties AS David Psalms, that have been max.
ing music down the ages, came to him in and
through the daily cares and experiences OF life,
SO to these shepherds feeding their sheep came
the most glorious revelation and heavenly
music. Had they been anywhere else except
attending to their humble duties "they would
not have heard that song Of tho angels, or seen
the glory Of the Lord round about them. The
best place in all the world to be Is at the post
OF duty Nowhere else can such blessings, tenn
poral or spiritual, be fairly locked for"
g. "Sore:" exceedingly. IL. "City Of David"
Bethlehem, so called because David was born
and spent his early life there So foretold In
Micah 5:2 Mary and Joseph were descend ants
of David, and in the royal line. Jesus was the
king who fulfilled the promises made to David
"Christ:" the Messiah, the Anodnted T. e., enc
set apart by God for special werk.
Note that Jesus lived In heaven, the eternal
Son Of the Father. before this. (See John 1:
L3, IA; Heb. 1: l-3)
t2. "a sign" by which to know when they
had found the right babe. "Nanger:" stone
trough In which the cattle Nere fed The inns
were unfurnishcd lodging places, not like our
hotels. H. I'm the highest" in the highest
places, in the highest strains, In the highest dc.
gree. "Good will toward mem" Christ the
Son of God, coming to earth to die for men, Ii
the highest proof Of Gods love, good will, to-
ward men 20 Returned" to their WORK with
their focks.
LESSON NOTES
We call this Christmas lesson, but
the shepherds knew nothing about
Christmas. To them that day was like
any other day, till certain events took
place which forever made it unlike any
day they had ever lived through. Let
us look at'the events which befell them,
which set this day apart in their mem
ories for all time. The first Of these
events we will call:
The angelic message. Can you i'm
agine their surprise when suddenly
they saw before them an angel of the
Lord? They knew about angels, but
they had never themselves seen one, but
now there was no doubt in their minds
as to the nature of their visitor. He
came in great glory, for we read that
''the glory Of the Lord shone round
about them" Not unnaturally they
were alarmed at this visit; but soon
their fears was dispelled, for the angel
began his message with the rcassuring
words: Fear not, for behold bring
to you good tidings of great joy" Then
he told them that that which every
pious Israelite longed for had at last
taken place, and that u Saviour was
born to them. This alone must have
been enough to fill their hearts with
joy, for these were godly mon, and they
knew well that some Gay God would
visit his people and give them great
blessings.
Now came another wonderful e; ,eri-
ence. This consisted in their visit to
the infant Saviour. So far as we know
these men We're the very first, outside
of Mary and Joseph, who knew
who this babe really was. So
the privilege granted to them was very
great, and if any Of them lived when
Jesus began to work his miracles
doubt not that they remembered that
night with great gratitude, and told
their friends what befell them on that
memorable evening. Then they went
off to their work, with hearts so full of
gratitude that they could not help
praising God on their own account. If
any Of them were musical, should not
be surprised at all if they caught the
melody that they had heard the angels
sing, and repeated it through the whole
of that night.
That was a glad night for the shep-
herds, but they did not know how glad
a night. it was for this poor sinful
world. How could they? Nearly nine
teen hundred years have passed since
then, and we are in a much better po-
sition to know how great were those
tidings of joy that the angel announced.
If you want at all to realize this, try
to count up how many of the blessings
that we now enjoy come from the
work of that infant babe You will
find that the list is SO long that you
cannot complete it in this session of the
school. In fact, the very best things
that this world to-day enjoys come
from Him, and most of the sorrows
that Inen endure come because they re-
fuse to take the peace and joy which He
came to give them. For beginning with
ia. L., L -. u