This Christmas season, once again we are faced with the ever-so-important-question, ‘What think ye of Christ. The modern world has failed to rise up from her age-long slumber to catch the real magnified vision of Christ, not only as her Saviour, but also as her ‘King of kings and Lord of lords.’ The average religious man thinks He is the most perfect man that ever lived, or an outstanding religious leader, showing the way to live a holy life, or an excellent teacher of ethics and religion, or a faithful martyr for His beliefs and convictions. They have not discovered in Christ, the Almighty God and Saviour. Christendom today has removed Christ from Christmas making it a sensational day of festivity, with Santa Claus, Christmas trees, decora¬tions with candles and coloured lights, Chinese crackers, gifts, turkey, cakes, puddings, drinks, fun and frivolous activities. The business world has commercialized Christmas. Alas Is it. the Birthday of our Great Saviour ? Christ is the missing link in all the Christmas programs. It is Christmas without Christ.
Let us examine Christ under two headings, namely, ‘Christ, the San of man’ and ‘Christ, the Son of God’, that we may be able to know the true answer to the question, ‘What think ye of Christ ?‘
CHRIST, the Son of Man
No man has left such an indelible record on the pages of history about his birthday as Christ. The whole world has accepted His birthday as the principal date of reckoning in their calendars; and based on this day, either as B.C. or A:D., documents are dated, events are recorded, newspapers are published, programes are fixed, business transactions are arranged, and appointments are kept. No man has won this honour as Jesus, the Babe of Bethlehem.
No single religious leader or founder has captured the hearts and minds of people by millions as Christ. Not only during His earthly days, but much more after his transpor¬tation to heaven, He has drawn multitudes to Himself, year after year, transforming their lives, filling their hearts with celestial love, joy and peace. Rich and poor, educated and illiterate, kings and beggars, refined and savage, high and low, great and small, from East, West, North and South, are being drawn to Him innumerably day after day, because he stands supreme, transcendent, unrivalled and far above all great men ever known.
Napoleon said, Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I myself founded empires on force, but Jesus founded one on love, with the result that millions would die for Him. I tell you all these were men, and I am a man. None else is like Him - Jesus Christ was more than a man.’ Let His Name be exalted and magnified for ever and ever.
Christ, the Son of God
The most reliable lenses which alone can reveal the invaluable treasures hid in the Infant of Bethlehem, and enlighten our spiritual understanding to know the greatness of His glory, deity and divinity, is the Word of God. Search the scriptures’, said Jesus, and they are they which testify of Me.’ Who then, is, this Babe of Bethlehem, wrapped in swaddling clothes, with nowhere to lay His head? Firstly He is the very Creator God. He is the image of the invisible God, the first born (first-cause) of every creature; for by Him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him and for Him; and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist (held together)’. (Ccl. 1:15-17). In other words, all living creatures, from the smallest microbe, which is invisible to the naked eye, man, the crowning of God’s creation; all inanimate objects from the minutest atom to the greatest planet in its orbit; and all forms of governments, from that of insects such as ants and bees to the highest government in heaven — all things were created by Him and all things are held together by Him. Secondly, He is the very God of all wisdom ‘In Whom Christ) are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’. (CoL 2:3). Examine a petal of a flower, or the wing of a butterfly through a micros¬cope. Look at the galaxy of the stars through a telescope, study every part of your own body, consider the hidden treasures imbedded in nature, whether sky or land or sea, which man, after years of research has discovered and has yet more to discover. Watch the lives of insects, birds and animals and their instincts, filled with wisdom and efficiency - what precision and perfection, what infinite wisdom and master¬mind, arid what perfect designs and decorations, beyond all human comprehension, are revealed. Yes, they display just a fraction of all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, hid in the Babe of Bethlehem - Jesus Christ. Above all He is eternal and Almighty. He says, ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.’
This Great Creator, the only wise God, Eternal and Almighty, was willing to be born in a manger to grant us His own celestial mansions built of solid gold. Born as Stranger, He has made us kings and priests; Born poor, He has made us partakers of all His heavenly riches; and born lowly, He has exalted us to the heaven of heavens. Choosing rags to wrap Himself, He has clothed us with His Royal robes of glory and splendour; and bearing our reproaches and iniquities, He has forgiven us, that He may purify us so as to be found holy and blameless in love before Him. Let us therefore count all our gain as loss for the excellency of the knowledge in Christ Jesus, and to win Him. Let the whole world fail prostrate before this humble Babe and crown Him Lord of all. Amen.
Let us examine Christ under two headings, namely, ‘Christ, the San of man’ and ‘Christ, the Son of God’, that we may be able to know the true answer to the question, ‘What think ye of Christ ?‘
CHRIST, the Son of Man
No man has left such an indelible record on the pages of history about his birthday as Christ. The whole world has accepted His birthday as the principal date of reckoning in their calendars; and based on this day, either as B.C. or A:D., documents are dated, events are recorded, newspapers are published, programes are fixed, business transactions are arranged, and appointments are kept. No man has won this honour as Jesus, the Babe of Bethlehem.
No single religious leader or founder has captured the hearts and minds of people by millions as Christ. Not only during His earthly days, but much more after his transpor¬tation to heaven, He has drawn multitudes to Himself, year after year, transforming their lives, filling their hearts with celestial love, joy and peace. Rich and poor, educated and illiterate, kings and beggars, refined and savage, high and low, great and small, from East, West, North and South, are being drawn to Him innumerably day after day, because he stands supreme, transcendent, unrivalled and far above all great men ever known.
Napoleon said, Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I myself founded empires on force, but Jesus founded one on love, with the result that millions would die for Him. I tell you all these were men, and I am a man. None else is like Him - Jesus Christ was more than a man.’ Let His Name be exalted and magnified for ever and ever.
Christ, the Son of God
The most reliable lenses which alone can reveal the invaluable treasures hid in the Infant of Bethlehem, and enlighten our spiritual understanding to know the greatness of His glory, deity and divinity, is the Word of God. Search the scriptures’, said Jesus, and they are they which testify of Me.’ Who then, is, this Babe of Bethlehem, wrapped in swaddling clothes, with nowhere to lay His head? Firstly He is the very Creator God. He is the image of the invisible God, the first born (first-cause) of every creature; for by Him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him and for Him; and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist (held together)’. (Ccl. 1:15-17). In other words, all living creatures, from the smallest microbe, which is invisible to the naked eye, man, the crowning of God’s creation; all inanimate objects from the minutest atom to the greatest planet in its orbit; and all forms of governments, from that of insects such as ants and bees to the highest government in heaven — all things were created by Him and all things are held together by Him. Secondly, He is the very God of all wisdom ‘In Whom Christ) are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’. (CoL 2:3). Examine a petal of a flower, or the wing of a butterfly through a micros¬cope. Look at the galaxy of the stars through a telescope, study every part of your own body, consider the hidden treasures imbedded in nature, whether sky or land or sea, which man, after years of research has discovered and has yet more to discover. Watch the lives of insects, birds and animals and their instincts, filled with wisdom and efficiency - what precision and perfection, what infinite wisdom and master¬mind, arid what perfect designs and decorations, beyond all human comprehension, are revealed. Yes, they display just a fraction of all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, hid in the Babe of Bethlehem - Jesus Christ. Above all He is eternal and Almighty. He says, ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.’
This Great Creator, the only wise God, Eternal and Almighty, was willing to be born in a manger to grant us His own celestial mansions built of solid gold. Born as Stranger, He has made us kings and priests; Born poor, He has made us partakers of all His heavenly riches; and born lowly, He has exalted us to the heaven of heavens. Choosing rags to wrap Himself, He has clothed us with His Royal robes of glory and splendour; and bearing our reproaches and iniquities, He has forgiven us, that He may purify us so as to be found holy and blameless in love before Him. Let us therefore count all our gain as loss for the excellency of the knowledge in Christ Jesus, and to win Him. Let the whole world fail prostrate before this humble Babe and crown Him Lord of all. Amen.
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