Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-05-28

In a recent sermon on Christ
the Pre- eminent" the Rev. A. NJ.
Knudsen. pastor of st. Paups Eng
lish Lutheran church. spoke az fol-
lows on the text, That in all things
He might have the pre-eminence."
Col. 1:1S:
Even a casual study Of the place
Christ occupies in the Bible, and
the mighty influence He has ex-
erted in human history, compels
US to the conclusion that He stands
in a sphere alone. And yet He
never used the means ordinarily
employed to influence men and
movements; He never raised n
sword, never organized an army,
never held position of state, new
err possessed great wealth-indeed,
He performed miracle to pay His
taxes on one occasion. And vet
He has brought light and life to
the darkened, deadened souls Of
men, and changed the entire his
tory OF the world. politically, So
cially, industrially, religiously.
Surely there must be something
peculiar about this Man, something
thot f't ptLl lltS ililll liolli tilC lCSt
of men. What is it that sets Him
apart as so different from every
other human being, and that en-
titles Him to the worship and hon.
age of His followers? What is it
that makes Christ unique among
the sons of men?
Perhaps nothing can help US
reach an answer to these questions
as an examination of the events of
His career, and an attempt to dis
cover wherein He differs from all
other men.
Take, for instance, His birth. Is
there anything about His birth
which distinguishes Him from all
others? 1t may be suggested that
His birth was foretold many years
before His advent; but there is
nothing peculiar in this. The birth
of Isaac was predicted; so was that
Of John the Baptist, and other
Bible characters. And others be-
side Christ have been born and
reared in humble circumstances.
II 1t be remarkable that His COM
ing was attended by the Slaughter
of the 1nnocents, We need only re-
mind ourselves that history tells
us of other instances in which
blood has been shed in order to
Sxternlinate royal seed, as when
A.haliah, the one woman to sit up
on the throne Of Judah, tried to
wipe out the royal family that she
might have undisputed claim 70
the kingdom. The one thing con-
nected with Christ's birth that is
peculiar is the manner of His con-
ception. OF no other person has
the world, or any single individual,
or even the angels themselves, ever
dared to say: He was conceived of
the Holy Ghost. He stands alone
it being the only Begotten of the
Father, and therefore able to say:
l and the Father are one.
The next great event recorded
OF Him is His baptism. What Is
the unique thing about His bap-
tism There is nothing peculiar
in the mode of His baptism. What
ever the form, it was the same
form used by John the Baptist in
scores of other cases. We are told
that when He was baptized the
heavens opened and the Spirit de-
scended upon Him; but even this
does not constitute peculiar dis
tinCtion; it was the form in which
the Spirit came in this instance
that was peculiar, and not the fact
OF His coming, for the Spirit had
come upon other men besides
Christ. 1t is true there was Il
voice that spoke out of those
opened heavens. but even this was
not unique; for the voice Of God
had been heard speaking from
heaven before this time, and it
was heard to speak from heaven
after this time, as in the eXper-
fences of Samuel and Paul. The
distinctive feature about our
Lord baptism was the declaration
Of that voice; for to none other
and OF mono other has a heavenly
voice ever said: This is my be-
loved Son, in whom 1 am well
pleased.
We pass on to consider His
temptation. Temptation is not
new to the sons of men. That the
Savior should face its power was
not peculiar. He was tempted by