The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-12-21
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A SERMON XssE-S&
SY THE REV YhNSra,H
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CHRISTMAS DISCOURSE.
Theme: The Significance of the Birth
OF Christ.
CHRISTMAS DISCOURSE.


on the theme, The Significance of
the Birth Of Christ the Rev. Ira
Wemmell Henderson, pastor, took as
his text Luke 2:1l: For unto you
is born this day, in the city Of David,
a Saviour, which is Chrit the Lord.
He said:
The coming of the Christ is the
axis OF Western chronology and the
inspiration OF uncOu ated souls.
When, on that starry might amid the
fertile fields of Judea, he angel OF
the Lord stood beside the watching
shepherds and the multitude of the
heavenly host sang hosanna 10 the
living God, the sweetest, most en-
trancing soul among the sons of men
began His earthly history The wise
men from afar who laid at the feet
of the manger babe the royal, costly
gifts, were but the precursors of
glad, rejoicing host WHO. in every
epoch and every cline, have rendered
homage TO the Christ. The sudden
light that bathed the quiet plain that
peaceful Christmas eve beams to-day
Tith undimmed radiance, into multi
tudes Of hearts. The voices that sang
from heaven 70 earth still sing TO
listening ears. The angel of the Lord
still speaks The babe whom Mary
loved is with Us. The SON Of God is
here.
The birth Of Christ is historic The
presence of Christ yesterday and to-
day is a fact. Nothing is more GER
tain than that Christ once lived. The
Gospels attest il. Cor emporaneOus
records recognize it. The Christian
world around us is a consequential
evidence Of His reality and His in
ing the exact day and month and
year OF His coming into the affairs
of men; they may speculate concern
ing the exact place Of His birth; they
may argue. as they will, over the
manner of His coming; but they can
not, they have not and they will not
deny His actually. Jesus is a fact;
the most mOmentOus fact Of history.
Let us consider the significance Of
the birth Of Jesus in the light of the
ages.
The birth OF Jesus is significant as
We consider IL to be the fulillment
of Hebrew prophecy; as we under
stand il to be the elimination of
divine self revelation; as we study its
effect on humanity.
The birth of Jesus was the fulfill
ment Of prophecy. Except we glance
hopes of Israel we cannot understand
the Christ. Christ, apart from Jew
fish history, is ineXplicable. Jesus is
not an isolated, but, rather. a result
ant fact. The Saviour is the fulfill
ment Of a nations hope, though so
largely unaccepted. He is the con-
summation of the efforts of ma
tons sanity men to lead their peo-
pie near TO God. The messages of
Isaiah are the adumbrations of the
Christ. The visions Of the prophets
are the fore-gleams of the gentle
Galilean. Israel looked with expect
ancy and with hope unquenchahle
for Immanuel-the presence Of Je-
hovah in the midst of His people.
Having been lcd out Of physical and
carking bondage they Looked forward
with eagerness at later day to a
Jesus, a Saviour, who, clothed with
divine power and enriched with a di-
vine commission, should lead the sin
sick people of God out Of the thrall-
dom of spiritual slavery into the free
dom and the blessedness of an eternal
and sufficient salvation from their
sins. Jesus was the fulfillment of that
hope and prophecy. What the faith
ers had declared, He was. The chos-
en- people of God yearned for an
earthly king. a Messiah anointed Of
God, set apart 10 a holy leadership,
divinely dedicated to the consumma-
tion of national existence in right
eousness and truth. And in Jesus
was this other hope fulfilled, and
with a nobler purpose and with
larger scope. Within the spiritual
kingdom that He came to institute
lay the secret OF a kingdom which
should rule the world. Far grander
than any prophecy aid hope Of Is
rael was the plan that. in Jesus
Christ, God unfolded 10 His chosen
people. What a pity it is that nine
teen centuries ago Israel did not see
the beauty Of the plan Of God, that
she did not recognize that broader
and that grander mission OF world
wide ministration and universal do
minion 10 which Cod. in Jesus, called
her. And how sad il is to-day that
the race 10 whom the principles Of
Jesus are most easily understandable
IS so opposed to the system OF relie-
ious truth that in our times is termed
distinctively Christian. The aDpro-
priatiOn b. the Jew OF those princi-
pies OF pure and central Christianity
that are the glory of the truth as it
has been revealed of God in Jesus
Christ would be the exceeding story
OF the coming ages and the fairest
possession OF the chosen people Of
the Lord
The birth OF Jesus was the cul-
nination OF divine self-reyelation In
the personality and the message of
the Christ God gave the fullness of
The divine self-eXplication Jesus is
the obiectifying of the Godhead be-
fore the very eyes OF humanity. In
Him Jehovah unfolds the personality
of divinity Ia His message Is pro-
claimed the mind of God for the wei
fare and sauctifying of the world.
Jesus is the declaration Of the diviu-
fly. the humanity. the fathesho0d OF
Cod. And in the person ~ the Christ
IS completed the long eudeavor OF a
loving and patient Father 10 impress