Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-12-25
\ $s lA 49,
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SIGNIFICANCE AND BEST USE OF
l,HRIS,,IMAS
ny BISHOP

r ESUS alone of all men born of women
chose to be brought forth into our
- world. His birth was voluntary The
eternal Son of God became the Son Of man
of His own free will and love. He came
/ not by constraint Of necessity, but by the
mpulsiOn of divine care for men.
The purpose of His coming He declared
when He said, The Son of man is come to
seek and to save that which was lost
Luke Xix:10.) This He said with reference
% both the salvation of children and the re-
iempton of such hardened sinners as the
class to which the publicans belonged.
(Matthew Xviii:11 and Luke XiX:10)
The incarnation of the Son of God is
heavens proclamation Of the lost estate of
all mankind. No such stupendous manifesta-
ton of divine mercy would have been neces-
sary to cure a slight disorder in the human
race. AS the highest mountains confront
the deepest seas the incarnation con-
fronts the unreasonable, abysmal depths of
sin. God would not have sent His Son into
the world to be entirely and eternally identi-
fed with humanity if any less person, or
power should have been sufficient to accom-
plish the salvation of men. On this high
mission 4came He who born at Bethle
hem, and laid in a Manager To save the lost
He came and lived and labored and suffered
and died and rose again. Nothing less en-
gagged His divine purpose.
Rescuing the perishing is the JOY of Jesus.
This is the teaching of the three beautiful
para bles of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin
and the Lost Son. (Luke Xv:1-24.) The joy
Gus refrain which belongs to them all is 81
say unto you there is joy in the presence
of the angels of God over one sinner that re-
penteth." (Luke NV:7 and l0.)D 1t is not
the gladness of angels which is thus declared
but the JOY of the Redeemer i'll their pres
ence.
But the angels respond rapturously to the
9ladness Of their Lord and, as He does they
80.
men. 1t is no wonder, therefore, that at the
birth of Jesus in Bethlehem "a multitude of
the heavenly host eXultantly sang GLORY
to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men!" duke 'ii:14.)
The incarnation stirred the spirits of an
gels as we'll as provided salvation for the
sons of men. Wherefore, angels and arch
angels desire to look into the things that
appertain to human redemption. q Peter
i:12.)
The spiritual interests of heaven and
earth-the welfare Of all worlds-are in
Volved in the incarnation. In Christ are
gathered together in one all things which
are in heaven and in earth" (Ephesians
i:10); and "of him the whole family in
heaven and earth is named" (Ephesians
ii:15). The redemption of man is no pro-
vincial and planetary event; the incarnation
is cosmic in its nature, and concerns the uni
verse. Hence, "WheG he bringeth in the first
begotten into the world, he saith, And let
all the angels of God worship him. " (He-
brews i: g.
1t was no unnatural and disproportoned
manifestation of celestial concern that angel
ic anthems broke forth above Judean hills
when He was born.
The blinded world knew not what was
taking place in the little town of Bethlehem.
for it never knows the greatest things which
God does until years have passed. But the
angels of heaven who excel in strength and
knowledge, apprehended the magnitude of
the event there wrought, and they rejoced
with exceeding joy.
And the devout and worshipful Shep-
herds caught glmpses of his glory and
swered back antphonally the angelic praises.
And it came to pass as the angels were
gone away from them in heaven, the Shep-
herds said one to another, Let us now go
even unto Bethlehem and see this thing