The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-12-12
SUNDAY MEDITbTI0N
A Study of The International Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for Dec.
%, 1895. a
Subject: The Birth of Christ Announced to
the Shepherds. st. Luke, 2: STA.

the Shepherds. st. Luke, :: S-1fs
Zone reading these notes s'ond fret carefully
s,ndy the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
indicated above.I
Data.
The only Scriptural account of the angels
and shepherds on the first Christmas night IS
furnished by ST. Luke. We see our great ln-
debtedness to the Gospel of the Beloved Physi-
clan. This would have been almost a different
religious world without the beautiful story
which we now study. Many delightful Christ
mas carol would be robbed of its inspiration If
St Luke had failed to tell the story of the
shepherds. He wrote in the year 81, and prob
ably at Rome.
Time.
For all practical purposes may put the
date of Christ's birth on Dec. %, B. G. 6. The
matter has been subjected to much study, and
no month of the ~ of the year has lacked claim
ants that Christ was born therein. Able critics
have united in the opinion the great event oc-
Cured in August. Pope Julius l. IS credited
with tho act of authoritatively designating tho
25tb of December as the day on which to ce!e-
brae the birth of our Savior II is a beautiful
fact and one of sufficient force to warrant the
appointment of December the 25th to wit, the
fact that on said day the sun begins to return
north, Winter begins to end, the days Gem
ultUte ~ ltiiELHcH, SpiiHS IA lbuhth Ava 40 NV
far of. All these beautifully emblematic
of the coming of the Sun of Righteousness
the Day-spring from on high-our Savior, Jesus
Christ.
The shepherds received the visit of the angels
on the same day which witnessed the birth OF
Christ. vi
ST. Luke, writing A. D. 81, wrote of what
happened SO years before he penned the account.
Ii is possible some record was made at the very
time of the event and preserved. st. Luke
utilized all data ne could secure. 1t is plain,
however, that he must have had some degree
of supernatural guidance protection against
recording an erroneous history of such import
ant facts.
Place.
Christ was born in Bethlehem. Va. 1t was
called the City of David" from the fact that
he too was born there. 1t was styled Bethle-
hem-E phratah. to distinguish it from Bethle
hem in the tribe of Zebulon. Chrsts birth
place was about six miles south of Jerusalem.
The shepherds out in the field not far
from the city when the angels appeared and
told them of Christ's birth. In Farrar's Life
of Christ" we read:
One mile from Bethlehem is n little plain, in
which, under grove of olives stands the bare aud
neglected chapel known by the name Of The
Angel to the Shepherds 1t Is built over the ira
dtional site of the fields W here, in the beautiful
language of ST. Luke-rnore exquisite than any
idyl to Christian eyes-'th there were shepherds
keeping watch over their Hook by night when, 10,
the ANGEL of the Lord came upon them. and the
glory Of the Lord shone round about them, and
to their happy ears were uttered the Gooh tidings
of great JOY. that unto them was born that day In
the City of David a Savior, which was Christ the
Lord.
Kitto says: ain the plain to the eastward. a
little less than a mile from the Convent (of the |
Nativity is what is asserted TO be the field |
where the shepherds received the glad tdings |
of the Saviors BIRTH"
The Tfdings
Christmas celebrates the best news that ever |
greeted human ears-good to all men; good |
news for all time and for all places on earth. |
The advent of Jesus meant the exit Of despair.
The birth of Christ meant the death of sin. |
The manger meant Heaven TO mortals. The |
Star of Bethlehem is the Star of Hope. Merry |
Christmas! Angels love to tell the story. The |
bepherds rejoiced. Let earth resound with |
praise.
Reflections.
l. Let Christmas be a season of peace, good |
will TO men.
How beautifully God set us an example in
this respect at the first Christmas He gave
us his Son-gift of ineonceivable value 1t pur-
chases for us what gold and pearls could not
obtain. II is the presentation TO US of Christ
Savior. We think Of this gift and try to
estimate its value. All else is swallowed up by
it. Dollars, homes. acres. country, the earth,
all lost in the magnitude Of the gift we
possess in Christ. 1t buys Heaven for US. 1t
US from ruin. 1t gives us Christ. 1t |
binds US TO the Heavenly family. 1t adopts US
into Gods household. 1t brings peace to con-
science. 1t introduces good will among all
men. That is the Present we celebrate on
Christmas.
The time of Christs birth and infancy was
specially full of acts of giving. The Star of
Bethlehem arose. indicating that God was Civ
ing his Son to the world the Savior. Wise /
men see the Star in the East They suspect it
points ont the birthplace of the expected Mes
sialI, the King OF the Jews They set out to pay
honors TO the royal Infant. But they do not go
without presents. Led by the Star they travelled
to tho place where Jesus lay. Then they
opened their treasures and presented him
gifts-gold, frankincense. and myrrh.
Ever since its institution Christmas has been
observed by presentations. typical of the in-
finite gift of Christ for the vation OF the
world. The day is gaily dressed in tho garb
CT benevolencc. In our cities and larger viii
lagos the poor are visited children Toasted,
Christmas trees loaded. presentations made
from friend to friend books and thousand
other little treasures given. There is altar
which is not crowded with these heart offer
ings- The little ones look forward to it from
year to year as special points in their lives.
Older ones go to their chests, boxes drawers, and
mantelpieceS to look over gifts Of past years.
1t is day when old thoughts become new,
when young hearts beat faster, when old hearts
feel younger. All Christians join in this dis
play OF presentation. Is IL not an evidence of
good will among us2
When gifts presented let the gver and
receiver think of the precious Gift-Chrst.
Let every presentation be typical of that.
When we look at gifts of past days let US not
forget the great original Gift-Christ our Savior.
Thus every present, given and received, may
bind our hearts nearer Christ. As we look at
the temporal gift presented to us on Christ's
birthday, whenever we think of it, let us
remember it was through the good will in-
spired in human hearts by Christ that the giver
or givers were moved to present us any token
of regard. On Christmas we received the sum
Of all gifts. All We have was received on that
day, for without Christ7-not as God alone, but
as God and man, God among men-we have
nothing. All the precious hopes in which we
indulge are rs SO many presents from Him.
2. Christmas suggests to US our unity as man
kind.
Christmas is world-day Salvation is good
tidings TO all men.
Christianity is not matter for national d.
plomacy. 1t knows nothing of national lines.
All the great nations of the world vie with each
other in celebrating Christmas. Jesus is not
the King of any nation. lie rules over the
entire world. Christmas is a national holy
day ana holiday in all the most powerful lands.
tits fast reaching world universally. 1t will
be celebrated yet in every latitude and longi-