Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-01-27
TRAeEpY oF cHRIsrs pEArH.

ISAGED1 oF CH RlSIS DEATH.
by Rev. ". J. williamson, d. d.
The birth, TIE life and the death of
Jesus differ so widely from similar
experiences among men that we shall
find it forever impossible to explain
them apart from the statements of the
Bible. Every cradle in which rests
little child is holy place, yet every
Christian mother holds her babe aloft
that its face may catch the light from
the manger of Bethlehem.
The interest which heaven takes in
the birth of a child is utterly unlike
that attendance of the heavenly host
when the Christ OF prophecy took upon
himself the form OF MN. The birth
of Jesus was unique in that he asserts
that he came into the world of his
own yolition. Only once doea he speak
of being born, and then to the duled
ears of the Roman Governor.
We need constantly to assert the
great and fundamental fact of the pre-
existence of Christ He was the ac-
tive age 1T in the worlds creation. I'm
the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word
was God" He constantly asserts that
he was sent, and associates with his
coming his own definite purpose. We
enter upon life by no choice of our
own, but Jesus Christ, whose previous
existence is recognized by all Chris
tian sources of truth, and who could
say, Before Abraham was. | am"
chose to humble himself and TO become
"God manifest in the flesh"
Just as the birth of Jesus was mat
ter of choice, prompted by an infinite
compassion, so his death was utterly
unlike any other in all the worlds
tragedies We assert of our dead
friends that they gave up their lives,
but do not mean what we say. On
the contrary, their lives were taken
by foe. whose advances We're bitterly
contested at every step by all that love
and science could do. But the Son of
God asserts that he has authority ov-
er his life, so that he has power to
take it up, and power to lay it down.
The goal of his earthly career was not
Bethlehem, but Calvary. He came with
the definite purpose to die ON the cross.
THE Son Of Man came to give his
life" and any other conception of his
death utterly fails to grasp its essen
tial meaning.
Christ also regarded his death as
accomplishing the redemption of man
from the penalty and the power of sin.
1t is far beyond the human mind to
co icfo aTn fJ,n ,1f
the atonement. nor should the indie
pendent reader of the Bible regard
himself as bound by men. You and
/ have to do with the great fact as
asserted by Christ himself, that "the
good Shepherd giyeth his life for the
sheep THE Son of Man must be
lifted up" "He bore our sins in his
own body on the tree" Even the
casual reader Of the Bible must see
that Christ regarded his death as the
price paid for a lost world.
We cannot enter into the hidden
things of God and construct syllogisms
of the plan of redemption which VII
satisfy our human reason, but we may
participate in all its blessed results.
Many of the most important truths
make their last appeal to our con-
seriousness. When we walk abroad
In the morning light and air, we have
no difficulty in saying God made the
world but when we attempt to dog
Matte as TO the method and time Of
its making. we soon find mankind d.
vided into many schools of thought
and the conclusions Of none of them
are too certain.
So with this great central fact of
revelation. the death of Christ: it has
its perfect Interpretation in the man
who yields his soul to the Christ of
Calvary. The man who has forsaken
sin and is keeping his heart open to the
message of heaven, has no diffit ,lty
with the Scripture teaching of the
cross. AS Thomas exclaimed in the
presence of the risen Savior, MY Lord
and my God" so the life which has ex-
perienced forgiveness Instantly says
Christ died for my sins according to
the gospel.
The value placed upon the death of
Jesus, rather than his birth and his
life, determines the growth in grace
of the individual Christian. The words
of the Sermon on the Mount are beau
tiful and exceedingly worthfui, but the
power from the cross makes their at
tainment possible
1t is forever the suffering Savior
who moves men to repentance and
speaks words of pardon, and peace,
and power. This, too, is the appeal by
which God seeks to bring the world
to himself. Pauls great message was
Jesus Christ and him crucified, and
this is forever the one great message
of the church until our Lord shall come
to reign.
Wherever this gospel is preached,
whether in cathedral or by earnest
lives amid the activities Of a great city.
It will prove TO be the power of God
and the wisdom of God And l, If
/ be lifted up, will draw all men unto
me-"
THE ANGELUS.
Nv Rev r. Berg