The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1900-01-04
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson i'm the international Series for
January =, 10O0-The Birth of
ChrIst-Bulxe 2;4-IS.


GOLDEN TEXT.--Thou shalt call His
name Jesus, for He shall save His people
from their sins.-Matt. 1:2l.
THE LESSON TEXT.
4. And Joseph also went up from Gallee,
out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea,
unto the city of David, which is called
Bethlehem (becauso he was of the house
and lineage of David)
). To be taxed with Mary, his espoused
wife, being great with child.
g. And so ii was, that while they were
there, the days were accomplished that
she should be delivered.
Z. And she brought forth her frstborn
son, and she wrapped him in swaddling
clothes and laid him in manger; because
there was no room for them in the inn.
s. And there were in the same country
shepherds abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night
8. And 10, the angel of the Lord came
upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone
round about them: and they were sore
afraid.
not for, behold | bring you good tidngs
of great joy, which shall be to all people.
II. For unto you is born this day in the
city of David a Saviour. which is Christ
the Lord
u. And this shall be sign unto sou; Ye
shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling
clothes, lying in a manser.
10. And suddenly there was with the
q
praising God and saying:
IA. Glory be to God in the highest, and
on earth, peace. good will toward men.
NOTES AND SUGGESTIONS.
While the lesson topic is The Birth
of Jesus the study should include
the Gospel narrative of ali prior to
that event. The Scriptures to be stud
led will include the following: Cos
pei introductions- Mark III; Luke
1:1-4; John l:1-1S; genealngies OF
Christ-Matt. 1:1-1T; Luke 3:23-3S;
annunciaton to Incharias-Lukc 1:5-
25; annunciation to Mary-Luke 1896
| 3s; visit of Mary to Elizabcth-Luke
| 1:39-56; annunciation to Joseph--Matt.
1:1s-25; birth of John the Baptist
| Luke 1.57-sO; birth of Jesus-Luke
2:1-20.
1t will be noted that the facts given
| with their references are in direct
| chronological order, and it will be
| great help in studying the life of
| Christ to follow it in that way. In
| fact that is the manner in which the
lessons are mapped out by the inter-
| national committee for the next IS
| months.
|
the introductions to the Gospels, note
the terse brevity of Mark, the careful
| preface of Luke, and the sublime set
ting forth by John of the divinity of
Christ.
| The nealogies.-Relative to the
| genealogies, observe that both aim to
show that Jesus came of the royal line
| of David, as the prophets had declared
that the Messiah should do, but Mat
thew traces the descent down from
| Abraham, through David, to Joseph,
while Luke runs the line back from
Mary, through David, to Adam. In
Luke, however, Mary's name is not
mentioned. But the enumeration in
Luke begins with the statement that
Jesus was the son (as was supposedly
of Joseph, (the sony (descendant Of
He'll" the intention evidently being
to remove the false impression that
| Joseph was his father. And this cor
responds with the statement in the
Talmud that Mary, the mother of
Jesus, was the daughter of He'll.
The Annunciatioo . s.-Zacharias, the
priest, to whom the annunciation of
Johns birth was made, belonged to
the eighth in order of the 24 courses
into which the priests were divided.
Each course served only twice during
the year, and no one was permitted to
offer incense the second time until
each one in his course had had his
turn. 1t was probably, then, the first
time that Zacharias had fulfilled this
holy service.
The object in relating the annuncia-
tions is to show, as the Apostles
Creed has it, that Jesus Christ, Gods
only Son, was conceived by the Holy
Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary" The
annunciation to Zacharias declared
the mission Of John the Baptist, that
to Mary announced the nature, the
name and the mission of Jesus, that to
Joseph declared the divine conception
of Christ, His name and His mission.
The Thanksgivings.-Noti the in
spired thanksgiving of Mary Guke
1:46-55) and of Zacharias Uuke 1897
and the other the Benedictus, from
the first words of each in the old
Latin version.
The Incarnation.-rhe great tele-
scopes of our day are so made that the
observer does not look through the
tube directly at star, but studies the
reflection of the star in a small mir
ror. This device has made possible
the great enlargement of the tele-
scope, and thus revealed a wealth of
information inaccessible to feebler in
struments. The ancient philosophers
and sages sought for God much as the
old astronomers scanned the heavens
with their little tubes. They discov-
cred much that was valuable, but at
the best their results were dim and
uncertain. But in the incarnation we
have 1.-THE express image of the Fa-
ther reflected in a human life. Here
we may discern and study all His at
tributes. No man can look directly at
the sun; none could gaze upon the un-
veiled glory of God. But though mo
man hath seen God at any time" yet
1.-The only begotten Son, who is in the