The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-12-17
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTs FOR DECEMBER 20.

Subject: Christmas and It's Lesson,
Luke 1920 - Golden Text,
Luke 2.f1--Commit Verses $40
Commentary.
TIME.--December B. C.b. PLACE.
p sthlehem.
EyPOSITION.-I. The Shepherds !
Told of the Birth of Christ the Lord
S-f4. Seven hundred years before,
Micah had prophesied that he tnat
F, was to "be ruler in Israel; whose 60
! ings forth are from of old, from ever
! lasting" was to come out of Bethle-
/ hem (Mic. 5:2). Note how many de-
crees and deeds of men, unconscious
! of Gods purpose and prophecy,
/ worked together to fulfill Gods word
and carry out His eternal plan. The
! Saviour of the world, the Christ, the
1 Lord, beran in a stable the life He
was to close upon the cross. There
| was mo room for Him in the inn.
There is mo room" for Him to-day
in the hearts of most men, in the
home, In business, in society. In poll
tics. The announcement OF the ad-
vent OF the King was made TO shep-
herds. The shepherds proved their
ftness to receive the announcement
". 15). They were men of faith,
with deep appreciation of spiritual
truth, in spite of their lowly position
They seem TO have been waiting,
longing. looking for the coming of the
Christ ". 16). They were faithfully
attending to their lowly duties when
the revelation came. 1t was not
pleasant work, but 1t was their work,
and while at 1t the angels met them
comp. Ex. 81, 2; Judg. gil, III;
; TX. 1919; Luke 1:S,11). The glory
that shone around them was the an
! Client Shekinah that betokened GOD s
presence. At later day the disciples
,, were to behold the glory of God In
: the person of Jesus Himself (Jno.
1914; 2 Cor. 3:18; 4:6) The shep-
herds were "sore afraid" when they
beheld this glory. The supernatural
by bringing God near, always nils the
/. heart of sinful man with fear (Rev
1:17; Luke 5:S; Isa. 6:5). But tht
: angelic message at once dispelled al
!, fear. They came to announce saliva
= ton, not judgment. They began will
one of Gods most frequent messages
to men, "fear not" But the angels
. not only bade them "fear not" bu
= brought forward the only real cure 70
= fsar, the Gospel. They brought "goo'
. tidings of great JOY" The coming o
& Jesus the Saviour, Christ and Lord, i
the best news this old, sin-cursed an,
Satan-governed world ever heard.
- was strange place to be sent to see
a king--a barn. And It was a strang
sign to mark "a Saviour, which
Christ, the Lord"-"babe wrapped 1
swaddling clothes, and lying In
=, manger." The world receives thi
40 as wonderful proclamation to this da
G..I ht,f thA hoo NJ
~ army received it with exultant shout
a a of praise to God. Well they might
~ The word suddenly" shows that the
could hardly restrain themselves unit
the message was fully delivere
They all but interrupted their spoke
mans proclamation with their gla
is chorus There was to be a twofo
es result of the Saviour's birth--"gloi
RI to God in the highest" ION ear
m peace among men of His good plea
~ ure."
to III. The Shepherds fastening
Ter Find the Christ, Is, 16. The she
We herds, though humble and illiterat
ay were wise men. They showed 1t
do believing Gods word and going to S
eg- for themselves the glorious truth tn
30 had been proclaimed to them. OF t
It's truth of what had been told them tn
had not doubt. They spoke OF 1t
cry this thing Cor word) which is col
'ou to pass" Wise and happy the m
out who when God tells him anythi
der counts 1t done (Luke 1:45; il
2O:29). They knew 1t was SO becar
eye the Lord had made it known. That
ind faith (Heb. 11:1, r. "; see contex
- They did not "go" to test the truth
the word of God. but to "see" wi
they already fully believed WI
God makes any great fact or trl
for known to us we should at once belle
the 1t and then "go and see this VIZ
He which the Lord hath made known
,ity u.s." l. O., enter into 1t experimental
ncy Note the eagerDess and whole-hes
and edness of these shepherd-saints, "tl
in came with haste" Surely they '
ools rise up In the judgment against
hire cold-hearted slowness in appropr
he ing the fullness of blessings that
of makes known to us. They ca
ave with haste" to find the Christ. but
for day men will scarce come at all; a
IL they do come, it is with such
luctance that they must be urged
reasoned with and plead with
almost pulled to the Saviour's I
r be These shepherds were rare so
and They found 1t all Just as God sal
the would be ". 16; CT. v. 20; ch. 49,:
the Acts 27:25). Therein babe ly
and in the manger" they gazed upon
mar One who was to be the Christ of
ance and Saviour of the world.
III. The Shepherds Witnessing
this Christ They Had Found, IL
They did not keep to themselves
good news. They told only
"a ~ which was spoken to them" CT
hlsh was the whole subject of their t
ould iittie besidaa vondar with n
.no Mary kept" In her heart and g
ooin- dered" all these wonderful rev
tions. That is the way to deal
Gods word. The shepherds
true and wise men. They did not
Which their heads. They went back to
ongst humble toll But they went back
new spirit 'glorifying and pral
God"