The child is born unto us. The whole Nature around us, angels above us and the saints of God who knew Him had been expecting the Son. When a kingdom is awaiting a child to be born in the royal family, and when a son is born, the whole kingdom is filled with joy. There is a spirit of triumph abroad because an heir-apparent is born. Here also the prophet sees that a time of triumph for God’s kingdom has come. The Hebrew prophet says, "the government shall be upon his shoulders." He will be called ‘Wonderful’, and ‘Counsellor’ and the almighty God. The Son who is going to be born will be far greater than any wise man or any great king that was born in this earth. He will be the second Adam with the innocence of the first Adam before he was deceived. When Jesus was born the greatness of the event was fully understood only by Heaven. Nature seemed to understand it and a new star appeared in the sky. The magi or the wise men understood this and the extremely simple folk, the shepherds, understood this. The whole universe had been looking forward to this great event. "The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." (Romans 8:22) Sin not only affects humanity but also affects Nature. When sin came, thorns came (Genesis 3:18). In the first home, murder between brothers was committed. Animals that were friendly to man became inimical to him. The human heart became desperately wicked, producing poisonous thoughts and making the imaginations of man a source of untold trouble to him; untimely rains, floods, storms, failure of crops and allied natural calamities began to occur.

A King came into the world who can restore order again. He is the Prince of peace. There were dangerous forces at work to destroy humanity and to wipe out all peace and safety in this world. But this King has power to quell all these things. He demonstrated His power on the sea. For instance, He ordered the roaring sea with the fiat "Peace be still" (literally "muzzled") and the winds and the sea obeyed. The disciples saw for the first time the Almighty God in Him. When He rose from the dead, He was completely crowned as the Lord of heaven and earth.

Not only the troubled sea but also the trouble heart with so much agitation, commotion and disturbance can be restored into peace--the peace that passeth all understanding. Only those that have believed in Him understand the supernatural or superhuman influence of this new born Babe. The world and its philosophers have been seeking for peace. Here comes the Prince of peace who can touch human nature and transform it into divine nature. The sin of mankind is nailed to the Cross and the resurrection- victory ransoms us from the power of the grave, redeeming us from death (Hosea 13:14).

Only those who are born of the Spirit can understand the significance of the great events of our Lord’s birth. A Son is born to be the King of the whole universe and by virtue of His holy life, having been tempted like any one of us, but was always above sin (Hebrews 4:15). He proved that the prerogatives that were given to the first Adam were sufficient to make him triumph over the evil one. This same Jesus, having been tempted in all points like as we are was without sin and then He took upon Himself the sin of humanity. He took it into the grave and buried it there. Thus He befitted Himself to be the King. Even Nature recognised Him when the earth trembled and the sun became dark and the grave delivered up some of the saints, who arose and appeared before men. He walked on the earth as a king. Death yielded and the dead were raised to life. The grave had to give up Lazarus when He stood before its mouth and made Lazarus walk out a live man. Greater than that several sinful men and women who were ‘dead in trespasses and sins’ went from him completely changed. In an hour’s conversation the harlot of Sychar became the missionary of the same place. He became the King who conquered then depraved human nature and restored man back to his near-angelic position.

The very name of Jesus makes the under-world tremble. The devil and his angels have been holding complete sway over the world, filling the human mind with sophistry and misguided philosophy which has missed the way of salvation. When men began to worship idols, these evil spirits entered the idols and created in deluded men and women a kind of false reality. But the depraved human nature is never bettered by this kind of idol worship. All the so-called ‘avatars’ are a human fabrication and some persons even philosophise over the sinful lives of these ‘avatars’. But this Jesus, after two thousand years, remains unspotted and no one can ascribe any kind of impurity, sin or selfishness to Him. He is the self-less Deity who took upon Himself our sickness, sin and sorrow. Our sicknesses and sorrows produced in Him those wounds, while He willingly gave His life for humanity. Jesus by virtue of His character stands supreme in heaven and on earth. Nobody can dethrone Him and those that follow this great Saviour also share His greatness. They stand supreme not by human support nor by patriotic sentiment but by sheer virtue which gives them the highest place in humanity. The grave has no power upon them. There is no fear of death in them—Jesus allays all fears. They become the stars that shine for ever in the firmament of God’s kingdom.

Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end and the throne of David will overflow with judgement and justice for ever. He is known as ‘the rod of the stem of Jesse’, ‘a branch’ that should grow out of his stem. He came from the family of Abraham. God’s promise that all the nations of the world will be blessed through Abraham’s family is being fulfilled. He will be a person of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord and He will not judge by the sight of His eyes nor reprove after the hearing of His ears (Isaiah 11:2,3). He is the ‘Wonderful-Counsellor’, who, with transcendental wisdom guides His people. There is no wisdom above the wisdom that comes from Jesus. All the philosophers of the world have become dwarfs before Him. He lived what He preached. His philosophy was translated into holy living. The world wants to see a great philosophy or a revealed philosophy in concrete form and that is personified in Jesus. God made it possible for man to look at His own image in the flesh. On the Cross we see the broken and the bleeding heart of God, the heart that was broken for sin-ridden humanity. Finally we see Him enthroned in Heaven above all principality and power.

Is this great and matchless Saviour and Lord the undisputed ruler of your whole personality and all that you have this Christmas?

- N. Daniel

“He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.” Luke 1:52

Here is a young woman, Mary, prophesying. Elizabeth, who was much older to Mary was calling her “the mother of my Lord.” Already Mary was receiving honor. Thus God honors the humble. Elizabeth rejoiced at the sight of Mary. She used the language of the Holy Spirit. She understood many things by the unction of the Holy Spirit. These two families were related and spiritually they were on a very high level.

If we heap sand together, the heap will be broad at the bottom and narrow at the top. The Jewish nation received promises from God. But these two families had so developed their spiritual life that they appropriated the promises and were at the top of the nation in faith and in contact with God. These families seemed to reach heaven. When parents are spiritual, sometimes the children become more spiritual. Without a real fellowship, you cannot have really spiritual people. John Wesley had a fellowship of earnest people. Each one’s faith in a fellowship helps one another.

Mary said, “Henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” (Luke 1:48) She realized that she had become a world-figure. Jesus gave power to men over evil spirits. When Jesus sent out His disciples, He first gave them power over unclean spirits. Jesus brought power into this world. “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” (Eph. 2: 2) These evil spirits are always prompting men into sin. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:14, 15).  The devil wants to frighten you about death. But Jesus took away the sting of death. Jesus has power over death. Power can be dangerous. To have power without character is very dangerous. Do not think so much about power as about the new nature Jesus has brought you. When you disobey the Word of God the devil will have power over you. When you fear God and walk in obedience to His Word, then the devil can have no power over you. You will get correct guidance from God only when you obey God’s Word.

God says He will give us the Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth. We find in Mary the divine nature. As a young woman, she was the recipient of the divine nature. How blessed we are to think of Joseph, Mary, Zacharias and Elizabeth and John the Baptist and Jesus! When we think of these people we are lifted into another atmosphere. Jesus brought us a new nature. Your thoughts reach up to heaven and make glad the heart of God. Jesus made His disciples fishers of men by giving them a new nature. The deeper you go in understanding the nature of God, the more powerful your prayer will be.

God wants to reveal Himself to us. We must get rid of all pride and foolishness and know our God more and more in a deeper way. Christ has come to make known to you the God of heaven and earth.

“The Shoemaker And His Guest”

One Christmas an old cobbler sat in his little shop reading of the visit of the wise men to the Infant Jesus, and of the gifts they brought, and he said to himself: "If tomorrow were the first Christmas, and if Jesus were to be born in this town tonight, I know what I would give him!"

He rose and took from a shelf two little shoes of softest snow-white leather, with bright silver buckles: "I would give Him these, my finest work. How pleased His mother would be! But I’m a foolish old man," he thought smiling. "Master has no need for my poor gifts."

Replacing the shoes, he blew out the candle, and retired to rest. Hardly had he closed his eyes, it seemed, when he heard a Voice call his name. "Martin!" Intuitively, he felt aware of the identity of the Speaker, "Martin, you have longed to see Me. Tomorrow I shall pass by your window. If you see Me and bid Me enter, I shall be your guest and sit at your table."

He did not sleep that night for joy. Before it was yet dawn he arose and tidied up his little shop. Fresh sand he spread on the floor, and green bows of fir he wreathed along the rafters. On the table he placed a loaf of white bread, a jar of honey, a pitcher of milk, and over the fire he hung a pot of coffee. His simple preparations were complete.

When all was in readiness, he took up his vigil at the window. He was sure he would know the Master. As he watched the driving sleet and rain in the cold, deserted street, he thought of the joy that would be his when he sat down and broke bread with his Guest.

Presently he saw an old street sweeper pass by, blowing upon his thin, gnarled hands to warm them. "Poor fellow! He must be half frozen," thought Martin. Opening the door, he called out to him, "Come in, my friend, and warm, and drink a cup of hot coffee." No further urging was needed, and the man gratefully accepted the invitation.

An hour passed, and Martin next saw a poor, miserably clothed woman carrying a baby. She paused, wearily, to rest in the shelter of his doorway. Quickly he flung open the door, "Come in and warm, while you rest," he said to her. "You are not well?" he asked.

"I am going to the hospital. I hope they will take me in, and my baby," she explained. "My husband is at sea, and I am ill, without a soul to whom I can go."

"Poor child!" cried the old man. "You must eat something while you are warm. No? Let me give a cup of milk to the little one. Ah! What a bright, pretty little fellow he is! Why you have no shoes on him!"

"I have no shoes for him," sighed the mother.

"Then he shall have this lovely pair I finished yesterday." And Martin took down the soft, little, snow-white shoes he had looked at the evening before, and slipped them on the child’s feet. They fitted perfectly. And shortly the young mother went her way full of gratitude, and Martin went back to his post at the window.

Hour after hour went by, and many needy souls shared the meagre hospitality of the old cobbler, but the expected Guest did not appear.

At last, when night had fallen, Martin retired to his cot with a heavy heart. "It was only a dream," he sighed. "I did hope and believe, but He has not come."

Suddenly, so it seemed to his weary eyes, the room was flooded with a glorious light: and to the cobbler’s astonished vision there appeared before him, one by one, the poor street sweeper, the sick mother and her baby, and all the people whom he had aided during the day. Each one smiled at him and said: "Have you not seen me? Did I not sit at your table?"- and vanished.

Then softly out of the silence he heard again the gentle Voice, repeating the old familiar words: ‘Whoso shall receive one such little child in My name receiveth Me. For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in.’

"Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me."

Dear readers, the Season gives us an opportunity to share with our less fortunate brethren, what God has blessed us with. One need not be rich and flushed with money- but let us try to share with others, what little we have.

-Selected

“Heaven – Place of God’s Presence”

Once I heard of a little sick child, whose mother was seriously ill; and so, in order that she might have quiet, and that the sick child might be no trouble to her, the little one was taken away to a friend’s house, and placed in care of a kind lady for a time. The mother grew worse, and at length died. The father said, "We’ll not trouble the child about it; she is too young to remember her mother; just let her remain where she is until the funeral is over.

This was done, and in a few days the little girl was brought to the house. No mention was made of her mother or of what had occurred; but no sooner was she taken to the house than she ran first into one room, then into another room, into the parlor, the dining room, and all over the house, and the way into a little room where her mother used to go to pray alone.

"Where is mother?" she cried. "I want mother!" And when they were compelled to tell her what had happened, she cried out, "Take me away, take me away; I don’t want to be here without mother."

It was the mother who made it home to her. And so it is in Heaven. It is not so much the white robes, the golden crown, or the harps of gold, but it is the society we shall meet there. Who, then, are there? What company shall we have when we get there? Jesus is there, the Holy Father is there, the Holy Spirit is there—our Father, our elder Brother, our Comforter.

--D.L.Moody