Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-22
for SUNDAY Scbools.
STAR LESSON FOR DECEMBER "a.
Bv Rev. ]. e. Gilbert. DID,.
SECRETARY AMERICAN SOCIETY OF RELIGIOUS EDU. ATOM
INTRODUCTION JOHNS GOSPEL. John / LA
A CHRISTMAS LESSON

Him Matt. xi:2S). Their names are not re-.
corded in Scripture. but In His book Phil
ivD Some We're Jews and some were Gen.
tiles John. x:16). They all alike whatever
their nation or color, their social standing
or intellectual status. received from Him
power-that is, privilege and abilty-to be-
come sons of God. This was attained by
one uniform process. by faith and II was
attended by one and the same result a new
birth They experienced n change 20 as to
constitute them new creatures Gohn iii:5).
Ihat change was not through blood, as the
Jews supposed, nor through any will of
man. as the dignitaries of the Gentiles
thought. but through the operation Of the
spirit of God. In this way those who re-
ceived Him became a new people by
heavenly BIRTH bound together by holy
ties living to honor Him and advance His
cause Col, HE'D.
THE GLORY.-(Verse 141 Thus far
John had written in general terms. But
having declared that some received the
light and became the sons of God. he prop
eriy puts himself among them and speaks
Tor them. The word was made fiesh-the
Divine Being, the Creator of all things took
on Himself human nature QIeb.. ii:16). He
VINO was the Life and the Light appeared
as man, and dwelt among men. The in
finite tabernacled with the finite This ac-
count of the incarnation omits details of
the birth duke. i:3D, recited by other
eVangeists, and is much more delicate.
and for this time more helpful. In this form
the Word was visible. Before He had been
spiritual presence misunderstood. Now
lney VINO received Him beheld His glory.
The sight was granted only to them. Others
were incapable of approaching Him. The
opened vision of those who were near
whose hearts had responded. discovered In
Him Divine qualities. the only one on earth
begotten of God. He was perceived to be
null of grace and truth. of which elements
the best of men possessed but slight de-
grees Col, ITO.
THE CONCLUSION.-It will be mo-
ticed that John and Moses opened their
DOCKS with the same phrases Gen. i:1),
Both assumed that the world was not eter.
nal, that 1t had a beginning. Moses gave
an account OF creation John of the Creator.
One traced the orderly progress from prim-
tive chaos to the advent of man; the other
showed the moral chaos down to the ad.
vent OF the second man. Moses broke the
power of nature-worship by setting forth
how this one God, the first cause, was re-
lated to men. Here the fundamental
truths OF the two dspensations-nature the
handiwork Of God: God. the Life and Light
or men. However, John moves on a more
elevated plane of thought than Moses His
sentences are clothed with matchless grace,
The Divine side of his theme from word to
life, from life to light, is inexpressibly
beautiful. On the human side he advances
from an unrecognized spiritual illuminate ton
TO witness, rejection. a reception and a.
bodily manifestation. The lesson closes with
the well-known fact that they who love
Jesus, the incarnate word and they only,
being begotten again, have learned His
glory q Peter, HID.