Christ and Christmas

All the world was out of course when Christ was born. There was no room for the Lord of glory in the inn where Joseph and Mary were resting. They were so despised and in such poverty that the only place for Jesus to be cradled was the manger. What a world! It had no room for Him who was God manifest in flesh. When my dear father was near his end his thoughts were all of Christ. He turned to me and said, “Is it not wonderful, He who was rich for our sakes became poor?” Yes, it is wonderful indeed. Despised in the inn, and glorified in the heavens. God had told His angels of the birth of Christ, and they had flocked out of heaven to see the wondrous sight—the glory of their presence paled the light of stars, and their song rang out in exultant strains, “Glory to God in the highest; on earth peace, good-will towards men.” God was glorified through all the universe by the birth of Christ—in the highest heaven and the deepest depths. “On earth―peace,” Yes, in a scene where all were in rebellion against God; in a world filled with death and wounds and sorrow and sin: “on earth―peace.” He is the Prince of peace; His gospel the gospel of peace; His home the abode of peace.” On earth-peace.” “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you.” These are His words who has” made peace by the blood of His cross, “and those who believe in Him can say, He is our peace.”
“Goodwill towards men.” As one has beautifully said, “Christ’s birth was the expression of God’s complacency in men. The Son of God did not become an angel, but a man. He was God from all eternity, and He became man.”
This proved, beyond all question, “what an object of love men were to God.”
And what of this Christ today? What of Him who laid His glory by and became a man to die for us? The world in the days of His flesh cried, “Away with Him,” and now He is at the right hand of God the world that cast Him out still says, “Away with Him.” Preachers are telling the soldiers everywhere that because they sacrifice their lives for their country they are sure of heaven. Another tells us that “Calvary is crowded with crosses.” Can blasphemy go further than this? If these preachers could only stand before the cross of Christ at Calvary and realize what the power of omnipotent love did there to save the soul, would they have dared to speak thus? If they had known what it was to stand lost sinners before the holiness of God, would they not have realized that the stupendous work of man’s redemption could only be settled between God and Christ alone? If these false preachers had been really converted men, would they not have known that it was the Creator-God who became the Redeemer-God, and that the same power that brought worlds into existence by a word had to be exercised in all its fullness of grace to save a soul from hell?
What does St. Paul say? “Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8).
A Christless cross no refuge is to me,
A crossless Christ, my Saviour cannot be,
But Jesus crucified I rest in Thee.