South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-12-25
COD REVEALED To
MEN BY CHRIST
"The Word Made Flesh" is
Subject of Sermon by
Rev. H. L. Davis.

''The word OF God was made
flesh. was the subject OF the ser
mon OF the Rev. Henry l.. Davis
pastor OF the First NJ +. church
Sunday~night. John. he said. calls
Christ the word" Of God A word
is the highest means OF communi-
cation tt reveals ones thoughts,
disposition and character. When
John" calls Christ the word" Of
God he means that he is the one
who has revealed to the world the
attributes and character of Coo.
God had need Of means Of COM
munication with men. The most pa
thetic picture that can be cOntem-
plated OF the human mind. is an
isolated personality. Helen Keller
deaf. dumb. blind. dwelt in early
childhood in darkness impenetrable
and silence eternal. A teacher came,
however. that taught her the art
OF speech. She learned words by
which she came in contact with the
world OF truth and human beings.
The analogy is not complete. But
this notes though inadequately the
word by which God communicated
himself with men.
No Man Knew God.
''No man knew God at any time"
Scientists searched the heavens some
professed to find him, but to others
their eyes were holden that they
could not see him. History brought
its torch TO light up the way TO God.
but when we traced the hand Of
providence in the worlds events,
others saw a denial in the fact that
innocence su6fered-guilt was often
triumphant-right was on the scat
fOld-wrOng on the throne. PhilO-
sophv following the star of knowl-
edge 20 the utmost bound of hu-
man thought. disagreed about
Gods message 10 men. Where one
found him others lost him in the
midst Of the mazes of philosophical
speculation. So the world by wis
dom knew not God"
Jesus Christ was the final word
that revealed God TO men. John af-
firms four characteristics of Christ
He is eternal: he is creator; he
is divine; he is the light OF the
world.
Thinkers Satisfied.
Now in every field OF human
thought. the greatest of earth's think
ers have been satisfied with the re-
violation OF God in Jesus Christ
and beholding him like Thomas,
have cried. My Lord and my Cod
Among the scientists who found
God revealed in Jasus Christ, were
men like Aggasiz. Newton. and Wal
lace. Philosophers like Kant and
Bacon: poets like Milton, Shake
speare. Tennyson. and Browning
have laid their laurels as tributes to
his divinity upon the brow Of
Christ. So the worlds scholarship
has heard the word of God spoken
through Jesus Christ and with
TennysOn have said;
strong Son of God immortal Love
Whom thought we have not seen
thy face
BY faith and faith alone mbrace
Believing where we cannot prove"
The word has not only revealed
God 10 the world but il has been
lifting men up 10 God. Not only is
the Christmas message the incarna-
ton Of the divine in the human. but
10 brings the human into the divine
All Receive Inspiration.
Every great moral and social
movement for 1000 years has re-
Ceived its inspiration from the
truths OF Christmas-,Florenc
Nightingale. who administered to
the wounded soldiers believed the
walls OF Carthage: John Howard
with mis- message to cell and prison:
Shaftesbury and Wilberforce strik-
ing the shackles from the limbs Of
the child laborer and black man:
Father Damien dressing stumps and
sores Of the lepers on Molakai and
JudsOn and Carey and Taylor labor
in among the jewellers in darkness
of foreign lands-all received their
inspiration from the word that shin
ed in the darkness on Christmas Of
1000 years ago.
Finally the word will shine into
our hearts and give the light of the
knowledge of the glory Of God in
the face Of Jesus Christ. II will COW
er all hate with holly and mistletoe:
IL will consume all selfishness and
lips Will say yours instead of mine
and all the year round will be
one hallowed Christmas because
The Word OF God has made flesh
and dwelt among Us and we beheld
the only begOtten son Of God full
OF grace and truth"