The record-union., 1899-12-25
JESUS AS A
DIVINE SAVIOR.


Jesus as q divine and eternal Savior,
with whom every man has personal re-
lations, was the theme of Rev. j. B.
Stlcox's sermon in the Congregational
Church yesterday morning. The text
selected was from Matt. xvii, ":
To-day. said the speaker, we celebrate
the birth of Jesus Christmas is a holi-
day and holy day all round the world.
1t is a most significant fact that the
gladdest and most universal holiday Of
all the year is Christmas. The celebra-
ton of the birth of Jesus Christ into
this world is marked by more music and
JOY and good cheer than the remem-
brance of any other event in the world 8
history. 1t is about the only event
that the whole world stops to celebrate.
How strange it is that One born in
such obscurity and poverty. should,
nineteen hundred years afterward, be
honored by such worldwide publicity.
The growing fame of Jesus is a fact
every student of history cannot fail to
recognize. His name is above every
name. Every century widens His king
dom and extends His empire.
The three great events in the world s
history are the birth of Jesus, the cruel
fixion Of Jesus and the resurrection Of
Jesus. To understand the significance
of these three related events is to un-
derstand the deepest and highest things
of divine revelation. The highest
knowledge attainable by man Is to
know why Jesus Christ came into this
world. 1t is a fact of history that He
came into the world. He was born in
Bethlehem's manger. He walked Je-
rusalems streets. Men and women of
all grades of life came face to face with
Him. Some received Him, others re-
jected Him. The great problem of that
day was, what shall I do with Jesus.
1t was the problem of all classes, from
the peasant up to the prince. The same
problem is before us.
What shall I do with Jesus is the
most important question a human soul
can ask. The answer we give to the
question determines our character, de-
cides our destiny. There is nothing that
more truly reveals and determines a
mans character than his attitude or
relation to Jesus Christ. Tell me what
man thinks of Jesus Christ, tell me
the place that Jesus has in his thoughts
and plans and ambitions, and I know
the man.
The question, what shall do with
Jesus is a question that no one can
afford to lightly dismiss or flippantly
throw aside. Jesus is to-day the CEN
trail, supreme person of history. The
hopes and fears of all humanity are
centered in Him. He is the mightiest
personality in history. He is the
mightiest force, intellectual, political,
spiritual in the earth to-day. The
greatest thinkers of the world recog-
nize His transcendent superiority as
the teacher and embodiment of moral
truth. To understand Him is to I'M
derstand religion and history. To know
Him is to know God and man, for Jesus
is not only the highest and most per-
fect revelation of God, He is the high
est and most perfect manifestation OF
man. It Is impossible to understand
modern civilization without taking
Jesus into account. Every intelligent
student of history must admit that the
forces that lived in Jesus are the divin-
est forces that ever penetrated or pos
sessed the spirit of man. 1t is a fact
OF history that Jesus created Christian
1ty. and Christianity has created our
noblest philanthropies, our highest civ
1lization, our widest and most spiritual
culture The molding energy of all that
is highest and purest in our civilization
is the mind of Christ. More and more
the reformers and philanthropists toll
ing for the uplift Of humanity, realize
that the goal Of their hopes is the es-
adjustment Of the kingdom He came
to inaugurate. Social reformers admit
that the universal triumph of the prin-
ciples taught by Jesus would mean uni
versal peace and good will to all man
kind. Jesus, in a much larger sense
than we realize, is to-day the hope of
the world. The celebration of the birth
of Jesus brings before us the purpose
for which He came. I feel therefore
that can make no wiser use of this
Christmas service than to try and help
you see the importance of the question,
what shall do with Jesus? My prayer
is that the Divine Spirit may illumine
our understanding that we may see
Jesus Alright, see Him as He is revealed
in His gospel, and be right in our re-
lation to Him.
Consider how PLATE answered this
question. Jesus was arraigned before his
tribunal and PLATE was asked to pro-
nounce on Him the death sentence. The
priests and scribes had decided what
they would do with Jesus. Judas had
decided what he would do with Him.
The people had decided what they
would do. And now PLATE, the Roman
Governor and Judge, must decide what
he will do with Jesus.
Plate did his utmost to evade the
responsibility of decision. When he
heard that Jesus was of Galilee, he