The Yale expositor., 1909-12-24
THE BIRTHOF
CHRIST
Sunday School Lesson fer Dec. rs, 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

ms name Jesus; for he shall save his peo-
pie from their sins. Matt 1:2L
TlME.-December b. c. 5.
PLACE.-Bethlehem OF Judea. a small
town I'VE or six miles south OF Jerusalem.
Suggestions and Practical Thought.
A Journey Across the Centuries
with the Wise Men of the East.-All
through the Bible we read of angels
visiting this earth on messages of
mercy We are taught in Hebrews
that they are "all ministering spirits
sent forth to do service for the sake
OF them that shall inherit salvation"
1t requires no great strain on the inn
agination to conceive of the three wise
men coming to earth to see together
with us what the King they had sought
and found had been doing all these
centuries since that wonderful visit.
/. We Visit Bethlehem.-Describe
the situation, and note what had taken
place here. especially as a city of
David. How Mary and Joseph came
to be there when Jesus was born.
The manger in the inn. The angels
announcing his birth to the shepherds.
Repeat the song of the angels, and
it's Interpretation in John 1916.
The Coming of the Wise Men.-We
see them in the far east gazing at a
new star in the heavens. Perhaps they
will tell us why they followed the star,
at such great cost of time and treas
ure and comfort, over dreary wastes,
amid hunger, and thirst, and cold,
and toll, lin perils of rivers, perils of
wilderness, perils of robbers" like
1.-The queen of Sheba who came from
the uttermost parts of the earth to
hear the wisdom of Solomon; and
behold a greater than Solomon is
here" like the merchant who sold all
that he had to obtain the pearl of
great price.
What Motives Led Them to I'm
dertake the Journey?-We are in
formed by Tacitus, by Suetonius, and
by Josephus, whose works these wise
men doubtless could have read, that
there prevailed throughout the en-
tire east at that time, an intense con-
viction, derived from ancient prophe-
cies, that ere long a powerful mon
arch would arise in Judea and gain
dominion over the world. Vergil, who
lived little before this, owns Fourth
Eclogue) that child from heaven was
looked for, who should restore the
golden age, and take away sin.
They could have learned more def
nitely about this hope from the Jews,
who were scattered everywhere with
their Scriptures and their hopes, since
the Babylonian captivity.
They NEEDED the forgiveness of sins;
and the assurance from God as to the
conditions on which they could be for
| given.
They found the King, not in Her
/ DDS palace as they expected, but in
a manger in a common village inn, of
royal descent from the Father in
heaven and the royal line of David on
earth, and in those circumstances
through which he could best realize
his kingdom in the hearts of men.
They expressed their allegiance and
worship by gifts, falling down. wor-
Shipping and offering. The first, the
worship of the body; the second, of
the soul; the third, of their goods
With these three, our bodies, our
souls, our goods, we are to worship
him.
II. With the Wise Men We Draw
Thirty Years Nearer, and Watch the
King Doing His Kingly Work. DRAW
the facts from the class.)
Curing sin, disease, sorrow, and
death. Name instances.)
Teaching Gods heavenly truth.
Changing mems lives.
An example of the perfect life.
Giving his life to save men.
Rising from the dead, the proof and
power of immortal life.
Everything King and Redemer;
thus manifested as seeking not his
own honor or wealth, but giving him.
self to serve and bless and help the
people over whom he is king.
III. Let Us Watch the Glorified
King Organizing and Developing His
Kingdom. CAS- recorded In the Acts)
The review of last Sunday will fur
nish material for this picture, from
the day OF Pentecost and it's gift Of
power, through the church at Jerusa-
lem, the missions of the apostles and
of Paul, to the gospel proclaimed and
churches formed throughout the
known world.
w. With Our Wise Men Let Us
Move Swiftly Down the Centuries. and
Glance at What the King Born at Beth
lehem Has Been Doing to Change the
Kingdoms of This World Into the
Kingdom of Heaven. = What the
Christ-King did while living on earth,
and after his ascension in founding
and developing the early church amid
great opposition of Herods who would
destroy both the King and his works.
and in conflicts with the world pow
ers of evil under the Roman eraperors,
has been continued with increasing
success down through the centuries.
The best Christmas gift is to en-
ter the service of this King; to strive
with all our souls TO bring all men
under his benign sway; to labor and
1 H.. ond rrov for fha cornfnO of hfc