The Key West citizen., 1954-12-18
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

ing. Old Bishop Quayle of the Me-
thodist Church, used to stand OUT
in the rain, enjoying and hearing
the music of heaven. Beethoven
could hear the music of the storm
and the lightning and put it to en-
trancing music. We too. can hear
and add praises to Jehovah our
God.
Joseph Bewlldsred
No one reads the story of the be.
trothal of Joseph to Mary without
wondering just what Joseph
thought. He is like the forgotten
man in the story but Matthew re.
veals the type of character he
really was. Puzzled, he thought Of
putting her away privily." This
was to save face as we say. How
ever God intervened and spoke to
him revealing the important part
he was to take in this celestian
event. The betrothal was as inn
portant and sacred to the Jew az
was the marriage rite. He could
have called in the two necessary
witnesses and handed the virgin
bill Of enforcement and the mat.
ter would have been settled legally
and properly. However, he is per.
suaded of God that this child "is
the Holy Spirit"
The miraculous birth is stressed
in Matthew and Luke while Mark
and John merely mentioned it. It
has been prophecied by Isaiah e.:
1D. Behold. a virgin shall con-
ceive, and bear q son, and shall
call his name Emmanuel" which
means, "God is with u.s." Joseph
believed this and the following gen.
erations have found that Jesus in.
deed was a wonderful Counsellor,
Prince of Peace. There is no
doubt but that Joseph was fami-
liar with the Old Testament for he
was a "just" man. His name has
been forever connected with this,
the greatest of all Teachers, the
Savior Of the world.
Joseph, like all the Jews, was
expecting the Messiah. He was
looking anxiously forward to the
time when the "Deliverer" should
redeem the world. When one looks
for something and happens TO bs
on the right track, he generally
finds 1t. The three wise men were
students and astronomers as well
as physicians. They had not only
studied the stars but the best OF
literature, and had read the pro-
phecies of the Old Testament. They
were locking for newborn king
and they found him. Alexander
Fleming was looking for q mold 10
stop disease and he discovered PEN
icillin although many people had
seen mold. They were not looking
for anything in particular. Joseph
was looking for the Messiah, and
he was delivered right into his arms
and household. We can find the
thing we're looking for in religion
I and be moved to sing the glory
to God in the highest. ..
Ne 10 Called Jesus 80
What is there in a name? The
/ name given the Messiah was a
common name used by ordinary
people. Yet, there is in that name
. sacredness and beauty which
stirs our very souls. Jesus Is the
Greek form Of the Hebrew Joshua,
{ meaning Savior. Many mothers
l called their precious sons by that
y name hoping that he would be the
, one to set their people free. Mary
r could not but be impressed when
: the angel told her that her SON
would be called Jesus, for he shall
!. save his people from their sins.
There are many unique and mys.
: terious things connected with this
5 birth. II has been discussed and
argued by scholars who should
e know better. DR.. julius A. Bewer
2 tens US that the Emmanuel pre-
/, diction of Isaiah was not intend
t ed as a Messianic prophecy. Mat
: thew interprets the prophecy Of
Micah (5:3) as referring TO the
| coming Messiah. History has pro-
r ven that the coming Of this child
{ to humble and poor parents, prov
: ed himself in his ministry, as the
true Son Of God, God with us.
David Lawrence has described
the explosion of the H bomb in the
Nevada desert by saying sit was
a light out of this world, a light
that concentrated within itself the
intensity of a hundred suns" The
stars over the Bethlehem stable
was "a light out of. this world"
II drew the Wise Men from the
east, the shepherds from the fields,
the multitudes Of Jesus day, and
the masses Of peoples Of every gen.
GRAFTON through the centuries.
) bringing light and salvation to the
seekers Of every race and cline
: as they sing yet today, "Glory to
! God in the highest, and on earth
5 peace and good will to all men,"
Dasea SB eepyRighteA sutIfnem
preaaeed by the Divisisn ef Chrfst.