Evening journal., 1910-12-24
aGLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEsT'

December 25
"For unto you Is born this day In the
City Of David Savior, which is
Christ the Lord."-Luke 2;ll.
Gods promise that the Seed Of Abb
raham should ultimately bless all ma
tions has influenced thought the world
over, but particularly amongst those
nations living contiguous TO Abra-
hams home and northward and vest
ward from there, in the directions In
which the message of Divine favor has
gone. At first the Jews thought OF this
promise as being fulfilled In them as
a nation-that, without assistance
from on High, they could approve
themselves to God through obedience
TO the Law Covenant, and that then,
as instructors OF the world, they would
teach all nations TO keep that Divine
Law, aud thus bring the world to the
blessed state Of perfection, Divine
favor and life everlasting. This hope
was crushed out as they found them
selves unable to keep the Law. going
down into death. instead OF attaining
TO perfection OF life Even Moses. the
special servant OF God, could not, and
did not. attain the blessing Of the Law
Then God made them the promise
OF some better thing-of a greater
Mediator and OF a more successful
Covenant through that Mediator. The
Mediator OF the New Covenant (Jer
31:31-34) was 10 be greater than
Moses: as he himself declared, "A
/ Prophet shall the Lord your God raise
up unto you from amongst our breth-
rem like unto me (but greater) him
shall ye hear in all things whatsoever
he shall speak unto you. And Il shall
come to pass that the soul that will
not obey that Prophet shall be destroy
ed from amongst the people" (Acts 3;
%. 23.)
"The Desire Of All Nations
AS surrounding nations and those
afar off heard of Israel's hopes-that
TO them would come q great Savior
/ Deliverer. who would bless them and
exalt them In the world and through
them bless all peoples, the beauty oi
the thought took root In every direc.
ton. Messiah was more or less looked
for under various names, and the glo-
ries OF his Kingdom were pictured by
heathen poets as the Golden Age.
Thus It happened that when oul
Lord was born, when he was made
flesh and dwelt amongst us, "All mel
we're In expectation OF him"--not o
Jesus, but OF the promised Messiah
whom Jesus was Thus II was tha
wise men in the East we're attracte,
to see and 70 worship MIN that wa
born King Of the Jews. Thus il wa
also that during Jesus ministry Ger
tain Greeks came to the disciples say
ing. "Sirs. we would see Jesus" The
had heard OF him and recognized tina
In some respects his magic power i'm
piled a relationship with the Ions
expected Messiah. And so II was wit
the multitudes of Palestine. The
heard; they listened. They said, j
this he? The rulers said, No, this
not the Messiah. Then the people ash
> ed, When Messiah cometh can he d
, greater works than this man? Neve
, man spake like this man!
Nevertheless, there were few read
to receive him. even amongst his ow
only "Israelites indeed" to whom
because OF worthiness of heart, Go
specially revealed his Son. This wa
I'm harmony with the prophecy Of ole
"The secret Of the Lord Is with tner
that reverence him and he will shoV
them his Covenant" (Psa. 25:14) A
, again II Is written, Il will give hin
for a Covenant Of the people, lisa
49:S.) Neither Jews nor Greeks no
: Persian wise men knew 70 expect tha
, Messiah would first appear TO one
I himself, through obedience to III
| Truth, a living sacrifice for sinners