Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-01-09

THE BIRTH OF JESUS.
10 Attempt to Eliminate the Miracu-
lous Is to Muti1ate the Picture
Beyond Recognition.


It Is matter of the first significance
that the two great festivals of the Chris
ttan church, Christmas and Easter, GEN.
ter about the two prime miraculous
events Of Jesus life-His birth and His
resurrection. According to the simple,
unaffected narrative of the biographers
of Jesus, His life began and ended IN
miracle. Those prepossessed by a su-
perfcial materialism, says the Chicago
Advance, are telling us to-day that we
have all that is essential of the life OF
Jesus without these myths" of His
miraculous coming and departure. Not
so. Such an asserticAiSa fragrant fyir:
in the face of the : air facts of his
tory. Such theory is pure conjecture
II is the creators of this theory of wha
Christianity of on-miraculous cricir
would do. who are the inventors of .
pure Pigment of the ima.iua alton Tha,
which has actually accomplished the
triumphs Of Christianity was rot the
kind of story or figure which their toll
some philosophical ingenuity has
framed. 'The story which has trans
formed the world" was story in which
indissoluble element
No one can fail 10 recognize the fact
that Christianity has its origin. rot in
system of ethical maxims nor in record
of charitable deeds: but in Person Je
suS spoke as never man spoke: He per
formed many signs. wonders. and
mighty works; but what He said and
what He did derive Their nearing and
find their explanation III what He was
And in this mystery of His Being. the
fact of His birth of virgin overshad-
owed by the Spirit of God is a most har-
monious factor None other than a Be-
ing to whom such unique origin is per-
fectly natural and consistent could have
had the influence which He has had
upon all after times To suppose that
the mighty revolution in human his
tory which Christianity has effected. so
Transforming human society and color
ing its finest fiber. that it is impossible
| for the greatest unbeliever to sneak or
act apart from it's influence. could have
been the results of legcrds gathered by
simple Galilean peasants around the
story of lOw-born but gifted Jewish
youth who died in di grace at the hands
of Roman executioTer; this is to
imagine a greater miracle than any
which their pens record.
Though the evaneelists record the
life of Jesus from different points of
view. they are at one as to the con-
gruity TO His nature of His miraculous
origin. Matthew looked upon Jesus in
the light of tradition. and as the con-
summation OF Jewish history. His
birth, like the other important events
of His life. was so ordered that eft might
be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophet" Luke interprets Him i'm his
relation to the redemption of mankind.
He Identifies Himself with the Servant
, Of God and amour ces that He has come
in the interest of the poor and the OPP
pressed. The distinctive parallels of
Luke. the Good Samaritan. the Pharisee
and the Publican. the Rich Man ed
Lazarus. rebulle pomp and irclory.
and announce a revolutionary doctrine
OF the regeneration of society through
humility and service. But this revolu-
ton is to be brought about not by
maxim. but by Redeem,r. over whose
birth choir of angels chants a prom
Use of glory to God and peace to men.
To John Jesus is the everything Son Of
God the Word made flesh. and though
the incidents OF the miraculous birth are
not specifically mentioned by him. they
are in thorough harmony with his sub
lime portrayal OF the nature Of Him
who lived Gin the beginning" Mark
does not tell the story Of the birth
probably because he was relating the
words of an eyewitness Of His later
years; but certainly not because his
narrative is les firmly dyed with the
miraculous element
! What impresses the reader is the
complete harmony and continuity Of the
story of Jesus birth, as of all other
miraculous events. with the rest Of the
narrative There is no abrupt charge
from the story of miracle TO the story
of other events. The two blend COM
pletely. In fact they are not two sto-
ries but one. To attempt to eliminate
/ the miraculous is To mutilate the pic
| ture beyond recognition. The mira
| cles are always treated as simple. ra-
tional and congruous to such a One as
Jesus was The Christian world is not
amiss In celebrating the birth of Jesus
as 1t does. II is the natural, reasonable
beginning of ''the signs and wonders
which He did"
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