Graham guardian., 1915-12-31

}seztSSse ssS-sesSA.Sas s6sSe< Lhdl HIS IeAC anu
llRASI0R- -RUSSELD] context were pro-
phetic Of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and were fulfilled at the
time of His First Advent The Jews
were expecting glorious and power
full King. Consequently, when our
Lord came as "a man Of sorrows and
acquainted with grief" they were
greatly disappointed. While they ac-
knoWledged Him to be of the Davidic
line, nevertheless they esteemed Him
to be from a root that had lost its vi
rility, and from which they could nev.
er hope for sprOut of power and glo.
ry such as they had anticipated Mes
slab would possess.
The speaker expressed deep sympa.
thy with the Jewish people In their
disappointment and their failure to rec.
ognize Jesus. of Nazareth as their long.
promised Messiah One would natur-
ally expect, however that the very
ones to receive the Message that Jesus
was Messiah that God had sent His
Son into the world, would have been
the Jewish high priest and other zeal.
GUS rcligionists, the most prominent
men in the nation.
The Pharsees were especially the
holiness people" of that day, the
speaker declared. Our natural thought
would be that they would have been
in the right mental attitude, waiting
for Messiah to manifest Himself; and
that when He came and showed forth
the Power that Jehovah was exercis
ing through Him, to heal the sick, raise
the dead, etc, they would rejoice. But
they were not in that attitude They
were looking for q great general to
deliver them from the Roman yoke. |
Jesus Of Nazareth was too humble,
too attentive to the poor and to sin.
ners; He associated with the common |
people. These things neither priest nor
Pharisee would do. Therefore they
did not care to be His followers.
Blinded by Pride and SeIfishness.
SO Messiah came unto His own.
and His own received Him not But |
as many rs received Him, to them
gave He power [privilegel to become
sons of God" John Ill, l2) These
received His report and believed it.
He reported that God is Love; that
God was now ready to bless the Jew.
iSh people, and had sent His Son to
give His life as Ransom for all man.
kind; and that the Son was calling as
many as were appreciative to become
members Of His Bride class, heirs of
God, joint-heirs with Himself, to full.
III the Promise made to Abraham-"In
thy Seed shall all the families of the
earth be blessed. Gal. 3:S, 16, 20.
But the majority did not believe His
report They said, This is not the
man to fulfil that Promise made to
Father ADraham! When Messiah
comes, lie will soon deliver us from
the Roman yoke" Thus they mani
tested that they were not in the right
condition of heart. They had plenty
Of pride, seltishness and self-conceit,
but they lacked the qualities that God
lesired-humility, teachableness. gen
Those who received Jesus as Mes
'iah, however, had these essential
qualities. The Apostles were men Of
strong character, but were unlearned
lhey were of the common people. But
hey were meek. There is blessing
II being meek; and our Lords true
disciple must cultivate diligently that
luality. Meekness and lowliness Of |
leart characterized our Lord, also
me might think that He had some
'XcusC for being somewhat autocratic
II manner But not so. There was {
10 pride whatever in His actions; and ,
lis report, His Message, was designed ,
o reach the meek alone. See what a
noble band His followers were-great ,
'niy in the qualities which our Lord
approved: namely, loyalty to God, con
idencc In His promises, a meek look
ne to Him for guidance. II
No one SHOULD undertake to be a '
'hriStian until he understands what II
means 1t Is serious proposition; for
he Christian is dealing with the AL. I
iiShNN' ~ bG I'll ISL |
he surrender Of everything one has
Nhls course was characteristic Of our
ord and His disciples.
All such are constituted holy in
iod's sight because of the imputed
merit of our Lords sacrifice. This Is
he class to whom the Arm of the Lord
revealed. The arm has long been (
symbol Of power The Arm Of the
ord means Jehovah's Power revealed
"A Christ. God purposes to lift man.
ind out Of degradation, sin and death
nd to restore them to harmony with
himself. through The Christ. This
7ill indeed be a manifestation Of Pow.
r Divine.