Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1909-12-23
THE BIRTHO OF
CHRIST
Specially Arranged for This Paper

LESSON TEST.-Matt. 2l-l2. Memory
verses, II. II.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"And thou shalt call
his name Jesus: Tor he shall save his peo-
pie from their sins. Matt. l:21.
TIME.-Dcccnbcr Il. G. ).
pLACE.-Bethlchem Of Judca. a small
town five 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"
It requires no great strain on the i'm.
%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 Bethlebem.-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.
I The manger in the inn. The angels
4 announcing his birth to the shepherds.
Repeat the song of the angels, and
its Interpretation in John 3:16.
The Coming of the Wise Men.-We
" see them in the far east gazing at a
I 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, in perils of rivers, perils Of
wilderness, perils of robbers" like
the queen of Sheba who came from
the uttermost parts of the earth to
! heal the wisdom Of Solomon; and
! behold a greater han 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
Z dertake the Journey?-We are In
formed by Tacitus, by %Suetonius, and
by %JOsephus, who's works these wise
men doubtless could rave read, thai
\ there prevailed throughout the en-
tire east at that time, an intense con
y Eiction, derived from ancient prophe
l fcies, that ere long a powerful mon
(arch would arise in Judea and gair
Adominion over the world. Vergil, wht
.Mived a little before this, owns 0ourti
Etlogue) that a child from heaven wal
looked for, who should restore tn
j golden age, and take away sin.
VI They could have learned more def
~ nitely about this hope from the Jews
1 who were scattered everywhere wit
their Scriptures and their hopes, sine
the Rabylonian captivity.
They NEEDED the forgiveness OF sins
! and the assurance from Go as to tn
conditions on which they could be fol-
given.
They found the King, not in llel
Il DDS palace as they expected, but !
~ O Manager in a common village inn, {
Il royal descent from the Father !
n heaven and the royal line OF David o
earth, and in those circumstance
through which he could best realiz
his kingdom in the hearts of mel
They expressed their allegiance an
worship by gifts, falling down, wo
Shipping, and Offering. The first, tn
worship Of the body; the second,
the soul; the third, of their good
With these three, our bodies, o,
souls, our goods, we are to worsh'
him.
II. With the Wise Men We Ora
Thirty Years Nearer, and Watch II
King Doing His Kingly Work. Ora
the facts from the class.)
Curing sin. disease, sorrow. al
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 al
I power of immortal life.
Everything King and Redeme
thus manifested as seeking not i
own honor or wealth, but giving hi
self to serve and bless and help t
people over whom he is king.
III. Let Us Watch the Gloria
King Organizing and Developing J.
Kingdom. CAS- recorded in the Act
The review of last Sunday will fl
nish material for this picture, frc
the day of Pentecost and its gift
power, through the church at Jerui
lem, the missions of the apostles a
OF Paul, to the gospel proclaimed a
churches formed throughout I
known world.
". With Our Wise Men Let
Move Swiftly Down the Centuries, a
Glance at What the King Born at BE
lehem Has Been Doing to Change t