 CHAPTER ONE OF THE DESIRE OF AGE This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. THE DESIRE OF AGE is by Ellen G. White, CHAPTER ONE. GOD WITH US His name shall be called Immanuel, God with us. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. From the days of eternity the Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father. He was the image of God, the image of His greatness and majesty, the outshining of His glory. It was to manifest this glory that He came to our world, to this sin-darkened earth He came to reveal the light of God's love, to be God with us. Therefore it was prophesied of Him. His name shall be called Immanuel. By coming to dwell with us, Jesus was to reveal God both to men and to angels. He was the word of God, God's thought made audible. In His prayer for His disciples He says, I have declared unto them thy name, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. But not alone for His earth-born children was this revelation given. Our little world is the lesson-book of the universe. God's wonderful purpose of grace, the mystery of redeeming love, is the theme into which angels desired to look, and it will be their steady throughout endless ages. Both the redeemed and the unfallen beings will find in the cross of Christ their science and their song. It will be seen that the glory shining in the face of Jesus is the glory of self-sacrificing love. In the light from Calvary it will be seen that the law of self-renouncing love is the law of life for earth and heaven, that the love which seeketh not her own has its source in the heart of God, and that in the meek and lowly one is manifested the character of Him who dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto. In the beginning God was revealed in all the works of creation. It was Christ that spread the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. It was His hand that hung the worlds in space and fashioned the flowers the field. His strength set afast the mountains. The sea is His, and He made it. Psalm 65.6.95.5. It was He that filled the earth with beauty and the air with song, and upon all things in earth and air and sky He wrote the message of the Father's love. Now sin has marred God's perfect work. Yet that handwriting remains. Even now all created things declare the glory of His excellence. There is nothing save the selfish heart of man that lives unto itself, no bird that cleaves the air, no animal that moves upon the ground, but ministers to some other life. There is no leaf in the forest or lowly blade of grass but has its ministry. Every tree and shrub and leaf pours forth that element of life without which neither man nor animal could live, and man and animal in turn minister to the life of the tree and shrub and leaf. The flowers breathe fragrance and unfold their beauty and blessing to the world. The sun sheds its light to gladden a thousand worlds. The ocean, itself the source of all our springs and fountains, receives the streams from every land but takes to give. The mists ascending from its bosom fall in showers to water the earth that it may bring forth in bud. The angels of glory find their joy in giving. Giving love and tireless watch-care to their souls that are fallen and unholy. Heavenly beings woo the hearts of men. They bring to this dark world light from the courts above. By gentle and patient ministry they move upon the human spirit to bring the lost into a fellowship with Christ which is even closer than they themselves can know. But turning from all lesser representations we behold God in Jesus. Looking unto Jesus we see that it is the glory of our God to give. I do nothing of myself, said Christ. The living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father. I seek not my own glory, but the glory of him that sent me. John 828, 657, 850, 718. In these words is set forth the great principle which is the law of life for the universe. All things Christ received from God. But he took to give. So in the heavenly courts, in his ministry for all created beings, through the beloved Son, the Father's life flows out to all. Through the Son it returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love to the great source of all. And thus through Christ the circuit of beneficence is complete, representing the character of the great giver, the law of life. In heaven itself this law was broken. Sin originated in self-seeking. Lucifer, the covering chair of desire to be first in heaven, sought to gain control of heavenly beings, to draw them away from their Creator, and to win their homage to himself. Therefore he misrepresented God, attributing to him the desire for self-exaltation. With his own evil characteristics he sought to invest the loving Creator. Thus he deceived angels. Thus he deceived men. He led them to doubt the Word of God, and to distrust his goodness. Because God is a God of justice and terrible majesty, Satan caused them to look upon him as severe and unforgiving. Thus he drew men to join him in rebellion against God, and the night of woe settled down upon the world. The earth was dark through mis-apprehension of God, that the gloomy shadows might be lightened, that the world might be brought back to God. Satan's deceptive power was to be broken. This could not be done by force. The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God's government. He desires only the service of love, and love cannot be commanded. It cannot be won by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened. To know God is to love him. His character must be manifested in contrast to the character of Satan. This work only one being in all the universe could do. Only he who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it known. Upon the world's dark night, the Son of Righteousness must rise with healing in his wings. Malachi 4-2. The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought. A plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of the mystery which had been kept in silence through time's eternal. Romans 16-25, RV. It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God's throne. From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan and of the fall of man through the deceptive power of the apostate. God did not ordain that sin should exist, but he foresaw its existence and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was his love for the world that he covenanted to give his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Romans 3-16. Lucifer had said, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will be like the Most High, Isaiah 14, 13, and 14. But Christ, being in the form of God, counted it not a thing to be grasped to be on an equality with God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant being made in the likeness of men, Philippians 2-6 and 7, RV, Margin. This was a voluntary sacrifice. Jesus might have remained at the Father's side. He might have retained the glory of heaven and the homage of the angels, but he chose to give back the scepter into the Father's hands and to step down from the throne of the universe that he might bring light to the benighted and life to the perishing. Nearly two thousand years ago a voice of mysterious import was heard in heaven from the throne of God. Lo, I come. Sacrifice an offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. Lo, I come. In the volume of the book it is written of me. To do thine will, O God. Hebrews 10, 5 and 7. In these words is announced the fulfillment of the purpose that had been hidden from eternal ages. Christ was about to visit our world and to become incarnate. He says, A body hast thou prepared me. Had he appeared with the glory that was his with the Father before the world was, we could not have endured the light of his presence. That we might behold it and not be destroyed. The manifestation of his glory was shrouded. His divinity was veiled with humanity. The invisible glory in the visible human form. The great purpose has been shadowed forth in types and symbols. The burning bush in which Christ appeared to Moses revealed God. The symbol chosen for the representation of the deity was a lowly shrub that seemingly had no attractions. This enshrined the infinite. The all-merciful God shrouded his glory in a most humble type that Moses could look upon it and live. So in the pillar of cloud by day, in the pillar of fire by night, God communicated with Israel, revealing to men his will and imparting to them his grace. God's glory was subdued, and his majesty veiled that the weak vision of finite men might behold it. So Christ was to come in the body of our humiliation, Philippians 321, RV. In the likeness of men, in the eyes of the world, he possessed no beauty that they should desire him. Yet he was the incarnate God, the light of heaven and earth. His glory was veiled, his greatness and majesty were hidden, that he might draw near to sorrowful tempted men. God commanded Moses for Israel, let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them, Exodus 25.8, and he abode in the sanctuary in the midst of his people. Through all their weary wandering in the desert, the symbol of his presence was with them. So Christ set up his tabernacle in the midst of our human encampment. He pitched his tent by the side of the tents of men that he might dwell among us and make us familiar with his divine character and life. The word became flesh and tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1.14, RV, Margin. Since Jesus came to dwell with us, we know that God is acquainted with our trials and sympathizes with our griefs. Every son and daughter of Adam may understand that our Creator is the friend of sinners. For in every doctrine of grace, every promise of joy, every deed of love, every divine attraction presented in the Savior's life on earth, we see God with us. Satan represents God's law of love as a law of selfishness. He declares that it is impossible for us to obey its precepts. The fall of our first parents, with all the woe that has resulted, he charges upon the Creator, leading men to look upon God as the author of sin and suffering and death. Jesus was to unveil this deception. As one of us he was to give an example of obedience. For this he took upon himself our nature and passed through our experiences. In all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren. Hebrews 2.17 If we had to bear anything which Jesus does not endure, then upon this point Satan would represent the power of God as insufficient for us. Therefore Jesus was, in all points, tempted like as we are. Hebrews 4.15 He endured every trial to which we are subject, and he exercised in his own behalf no power that is not freely offered to us. As man he met temptation and overcame in the strength given him from God. He says, I delight to do thy will, O my God. Yea, thy laws within my heart. Psalms 48 As he went about doing good and healing all who were afflicted by Satan, he made playing to men the character of God's law and the nature of his service. His life testifies that it is possible for us also to obey the law of God. By his humanity Christ touched humanity. By his divinity he lays hold upon the throne of God. As the Son of Man he gave us an example of obedience. As a Son of God he gives us power to obey. It was Christ who from the bush on Mount Horab spoke to Moses saying, I am that I am. Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I am hath sent me unto you. Exodus 3.14 This was the pledge of Israel's deliverance. So when he came in the likeness of men, he declared himself the I am, the child of Bethlehem, the meek and lowly Savior, is God manifest in the flesh. 1st Timothy 3.16 And to us he says, I am the good shepherd. I am the living bread. I am the way, the truth, and the life. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. John 10.11, 651, 146, 2818 I am the assurance of every promise. I am. Do not be afraid. God with us is the surety of our deliverance from sin, the assurance of our power to obey the law of heaven. In stooping to take upon himself humanity Christ revealed a character the opposite of the character of Satan, but he stepped still lower in the path of humiliation. Being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, Philippians 2.8. As the High Priest laid aside his gorgeous pontifical robes and officiated in the white linen dress of the common priest, so Christ took the form of a servant and offered sacrifice, himself the priest, himself the victim. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him. Isaiah 53.5. Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as he deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which he had no share, that we might be justified by his righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was his. With his stripes we are healed. By his life and death Christ has achieved even more than recovery from the ruin wrought through sin. It was Satan's purpose to bring about an eternal separation between God and man, but in Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen. In taking our nature the Savior has bound himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages he is linked with us. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, John 3.16. He gave him not only to bear our sins and to die as our sacrifice, he gave him to the fallen race, to assure us of his immutable counsel of peace. God gave his only begotten Son to become one of the human family, forever to retain his human nature. This is the pledge that God will fulfill his word. Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. God has adopted human nature in the person of his Son, and has carried the same into the highest heaven. It is the Son of Man who shares the throne of the universe. It is the Son of Man whose name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9.6. The I AM is the daiseman between God and humanity, laying his hand upon both. He who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners is not ashamed to call us brethren. Hebrews 7.26.21. In Christ the family of earth and the family of heaven are bound together. Christ glorified as our brother. Heaven is enshrined in humanity, and humanity is enfolded in the bosom of infinite love. Of his people God says, they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land, for how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty. The exaltation of the redeemed will be an eternal testimony to God's mercy. In the ages to come he will show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus. To the intent that unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known the manifold wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2.7.3.10.11.RV. Through Christ's redeeming work the government of God stands justified. The omnipotent one is made known as the God of love. Satan's charges are refuted and his character unveiled. Rebellion can never again arise. Sin can never again enter the universe. Through eternal ages all are secure from apostasy. By love self-sacrifice the inhabitants of earth and heaven are bound to the Creator in bonds of indissoluble union. The work of redemption will be complete. In the place where sin abounded God's grace much more abounds. The earth itself, the very field that Satan claims as his, is to be not only ransomed but exalted. Our little world under the curse of sin, the one dark blot in his glorious creation, will be honored above all other worlds in the universe of God. Here where the Son of God tabernacled in humanity, where the King of glory lived and suffered and died, here when he shall make all things new, the tabernacle of God shall be with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And through endless ages as a redeemed walk in the light of the Lord they will praise him for his unspeakable gift. Emmanuel. God with us. Chapter 2 of the Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Chosen People. For more than a thousand years the Jewish people had awaited the Savior's coming. Upon this event they had rested their brightest hopes. In song and prophecy, in temple rite and household prayer they had enshrined his name. And yet, at his coming, they knew him not. The Beloved of Heaven was to them as a root out of a dry ground. He had no form nor comeliness, and they saw in him no beauty that they should desire him. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. Isaiah 53.2. John 111. Yet God had chosen Israel. He had called them to preserve among men the knowledge of his law, and of the symbols and the prophecies that pointed to the Savior. He desired them to be as wells of salvation to the world. What Abraham was in the land of his sojourn, what Joseph was in Egypt, and Daniel in the courts of Babylon, the Hebrew people were to be among the nations. They were to reveal God to men. In the call of Abraham the Lord had said, I will bless thee, and thou shalt be a blessing. And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. The same teaching was repeated through the prophets. Even after Israel had been wasted by war and captivity, the promise was theirs. The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass that tarryeth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. Micah 5.7. Concerning the temple at Jerusalem, the Lord declared through Isaiah, Mine house shall be called, and house of prayer for all peoples. Isaiah 56.7 RV. But the Israelites fixed their hopes upon worldly greatness. From the time of their entrance to the land of Canaan, they departed from the commandments of God, and followed the ways of the heathen. It was in vain that God sent them warning by his prophets. In vain they suffered the chastisement of heathen oppression. Every reformation was followed by deeper apostasy. Had Israel been true to God, he could have accomplished his purpose through their honor and exaltation. If they had walked in the ways of obedience, he would have made them high above all nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honor. All people of the earth, said Moses, shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of thee. The nations which shall hear all these statutes shall say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. Deuteronomy 26, 19, 28, 10, 4, 6. But because of their unfaithfulness, God's purpose could be wrought out only through continued adversity and humiliation. They were brought into subjection to Babylon, and scattered through the lands of the heathen. In affliction many renewed their faithfulness to his covenant. While they hung their harps upon the willows, and mourned for the holy temple that was laid waste, the light of truth shone out through them, and knowledge of God was spread among the nations. The heathen systems of sacrifice were a perversion of the system that God had appointed, and many a sincere observer of heathen rites learned from the Hebrews the meaning of the service divinely ordained, and in faith grasped the promise of a Redeemer. Many of the exiles suffered persecution. Not a few lost their lives because of their refusal to disregard the Sabbath and to observe the heathen rules. As idolaters were roused to crush out the truth, the Lord brought his servants face to face with kings and rulers that they and their people might receive the light. Time after time the greatest monarchs were led to proclaim the supremacy of the God whom their Hebrew captives worshipped. By the Babylonish captivity the Israelites were effectually cured of the worship of graven images. During the centuries that followed they suffered from the oppression of heathen foes until the conviction became fixed that their prosperity depended upon their obedience to the law of God. But with too many of the people obedience was not prompted by love. The motive was selfish. They rendered outward service to God as the means of attaining to national greatness. They did not become the light of the world, but shut themselves away from the world in order to escape temptation to idolatry. In the instruction given through Moses God had placed restriction upon their association with idolaters, but this teaching had been misinterpreted. It was intended to prevent them from conforming to the practices of the heathen, but it was used to build up a wall of separation between Israel and all other nations. The Jews looked upon Jerusalem as their heaven, and they were actually jealous lest the Lord should sow mercy to the Gentiles. After the return from Babylon much attention was given to religious instruction. All over the country synagogues were erected where the law was expounded by the priests and scribes, and the schools were established which together with the arts and sciences professed to teach the principles of righteousness. But these agencies became corrupted. During the captivity many of the people had received heathen ideas and customs, and these were brought into their religious service. In many things they conformed to the practices of idolaters. As they departed from God the Jews in a great degree lost sight of the teaching of the ritual service. That service had been instituted by Christ himself. In every part it was a symbol of him, and it had been full of vitality and spiritual beauty. But the Jews lost the spiritual life from their ceremonies and clung to the dead forms. They trusted to the sacrifices and ordinances themselves, instead of resting upon him to whom they pointed. In order to supply the place of that which they had lost, the priests and rabbis multiplied requirements of their own, and the more rigid they grew, the less the love of God was manifested. They measured their holiness by the multitude of their ceremonies, while their hearts were filled with pride and hypocrisy. With all their minute and burdensome injunctions, it was an impossibility to keep the law. Those who desired to serve God, and who tried to observe the rabbinical precepts toiled under a heavy burden, they could find no rest from the accusings of a troubled conscience. Thus Satan worked to discourage the people, to lower their conception of the character of God, and to bring the faith of Israel into contempt. He hoped to establish the claim put forth when he rebelled in heaven that the requirements of God were unjust and could not be obeyed. Even Israel, he declared, did not keep the law. While the Jews desired the advent of the Messiah, they had no true conception of his mission. They did not seek redemption from sin, but deliverance from the Romans. They looked for the Messiah to come as a conqueror, to break the oppressor's power and exalt Israel to universal dominion. Thus the way was prepared for them to reject the Savior. At the time of the birth of Christ the nation was chafing under the rule of her foreign masters and wracked with internal strife. The Jews had been permitted to maintain the form of a separate government, but nothing could disguise the fact that they were under the Roman yoke, or reconcile them to the restriction of their power. The Romans claimed the right of appointing and removing the high priest, and the office was often secured by fraud, bribery, and even murder. Thus the priesthood became more and more corrupt. Yet the priest still possessed great power, and they employed it for selfish and mercenary ends. The people were subjected to their merciless demands, and were also heavily taxed by the Romans. This state of affairs caused widespread discontent. Popular outbreaks were frequent. Greed and violence, distrust, and spiritual apathy were eating out the very heart of the nation. Hatred of the Romans and national and spiritual pride led the Jews still to adhere rigorously to their forms of worship. The priests tried to maintain a reputation for sanctity by scrupulous attention to the ceremonies of religion. The people, in their darkness and oppression, and the rulers thirsting for power, long for the coming of one who had vanquished their enemies and restored the kingdom to Israel. They had steadied the prophecies, but without spiritual insight. Thus they overlooked those scriptures that point to the humiliation of Christ's first advent, and misapplied those that speak of the glory of His second coming. Pride obscured their vision. They interpreted prophecy in accordance with their selfish desires. Chapter 3 of The Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Fulness of Time. When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Galatians 4, 4, and 5. The Saviour's coming was foretold in Eden. When Adam and Eve first heard the promise, they looked for its speedy fulfillment. They joyfully welcomed their firstborn Son, hoping that He might be the deliverer, but the fulfillment of the promise tarried. Those who first received it died without the sight. From the days of Enoch the promise was repeated through patriarchs and prophets, keeping alive the hope of His appearing, and yet He came not. The prophecy of Daniel revealed the time of His advent, but not all rightly interpreted the message. Century after century passed away, the voices of the prophets ceased, the hand of the oppressor was heavy upon Israel, and many were ready to exclaim, the days are prolonged, and every vision faileth. Ezekiel 12, 22. But like the stars in the vast circuit of their appointed path, God's purpose is no haste and no delay. Through the symbols of the great darkness and the smoking furnace, God had revealed to Abraham the bondage of Israel and Egypt, and had declared that the time of their sojourning would be four hundred years. Afterwards, He said, shall they come out with great substance. Genesis 15, 14. Against that word all the power of Pharaoh's proud empire battled in vain. On the self-same day, appointed in the divine promise, it came to pass, that all the host of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. Exodus 12, 41. So in Heaven's counsel the hour for the coming of Christ had been determined when the great clock of time pointed to that hour, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son. Providence had directed the movements of nations and the tide of human impulse and influence until the world was ripe for the coming of the Deliverer. The nations were united under one government. One language was widely spoken and was everywhere recognized as the language of literature. From all the lands the Jews of the dispersion gathered to Jerusalem to the annual feasts. As these returned to the places of their sojourn, they could spread throughout the world the tidings of the Messiah's coming. At this time the systems of heathenism were losing their hold upon the people. Men were weary of pageant and fable. They longed for a religion that could satisfy the heart. While the light of truth seemed to have departed for among men, there were souls who were looking for light, and who were filled with perplexity and sorrow. They were thirsting for a knowledge of the living God, for some assurance of a life beyond the grave. As the Jews had departed from God, faith had grown dim, and hope had well now ceased to illuminate the future. The words of the prophets were uncomprehended. To the masses of the people death was a dread mystery. Beyond was uncertainty and gloom. It was not alone the wailing of the mothers of Bethlehem, but the cry from the great heart of humanity that was born to the prophet across the centuries. The voice heard in Rama, lamentation and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted, because they are not. In the region and shadow of death, men set unsolest. With longing eyes they looked for the coming of the Deliverer, when the darkness should be dispelled, and the mystery of the future should be made plain. Outside of the Jewish nation there were men who foretold the appearance of a divine instructor. These men were seeking for the truth, and to them the spirit of inspiration was imparted. One after another, like stars in the darkened heavens, such teachers had arisen. Their words of prophecy had kindled hope in the hearts of thousands of the Gentile world. For hundreds of years the scriptures had been translated into the Greek language, then widely spoken throughout the Roman Empire. The Jews were scattered everywhere, and their expectation of the Messiah's coming was to some extent shared by the Gentiles. Among those whom the Jews styled heathen were men who had a better understanding of the scripture prophecies concerning the Messiah than had the teachers of Israel. There were some who hoped for his coming as a Deliverer from sin. Philosophers endeavored to study into the mystery of the Hebrew economy, but the bigotry of the Jews hindered the spread of the light. Intent on maintaining the separation between themselves and other nations, they were unwilling to impart the knowledge they still possessed concerning the symbolic service. The true interpreter must come, the one whom all these types prefigured, must explain their significance. Through nature, through types and symbols, through patriarchs and prophets, God has spoken to the world. Lessons must be given to humanity in the language of humanity. The messenger of the covenant must speak. His voice must be heard in his own temple. Christ must come to utter words which should be clearly and definitely understood. He, the author of truth, must separate truth from the chaff of man's utterance, which had made it of no effect. The principle of God's government and the plan of redemption must be clearly defined. The lessons of the Old Testament must be fully set before man. Among the Jews there were yet steadfast souls, descendants of that holy line through whom a knowledge of God had been preserved. These still looked for the hope of the promise made unto the fathers. They strengthened their faith by dwelling upon the assurance given through Moses. A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me. Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. Acts 3, 22. Again they read how the Lord would anoint one to preach good tidings unto the meek, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to declare the acceptable year of the Lord. Isaiah 61, 1 and 2. They read how he would set judgment in the earth, how the isles should wait for his law, how the Gentiles should come to his light, and kings to the brightness of his rising. Isaiah 42, 4, 63. The dying words of Jacob filled them with hope. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come. Genesis 49, 10. The waning power of Israel testified that the Messiah's coming was at hand. The prophecy of Daniel pictured the glory of his reign over an empire which should succeed all earthly kingdoms, and said the prophet, it shall stand forever. Daniel 2, 44. While few understood the nature of Christ's mission, there was a widespread expectation of a mighty prince who should establish his kingdom in Israel and who should come as a deliverer to the nations. The fullness of the time had come. Humanity, becoming more degraded through ages of transgression, called for the coming of the Redeemer. Satan had been working to make the gulf deep and impassable between earth and heaven. By his falsehoods he had emboldened men and sin. It was his purpose to wear out the forbearance of God and to extinguish his love for man so that he would abandon the world to satanic jurisdiction. Satan was seeking to shut out from men a knowledge of God, to turn their attention from the temple of God, and to establish his own kingdom. His strife for supremacy had seemed to be almost wholly successful. It is true that in every generation God had his agencies. Even among the heathen there were men through whom Christ was working to uplift the people from their sin and degradation. But these men were despised and hated. Many of them suffered a violent death. The dark shadow that Satan had cast over the world grew deeper and deeper. Through heathenism Satan had for ages turned men away from God, but he won his great triumph in perverting the faith of Israel. By contemplating and worshiping their own conceptions the heathen had lost the knowledge of God and had become more and more corrupt. So it was with Israel. The principle that man can save himself by his own works lay at the foundation of every heathen religion. It had now become the principle of the Jewish religion. Satan had implanted this principle. Wherever it is held men have no barrier against sin. The message of salvation is communicated to men through human agencies, but the Jews had sought to make a monopoly of the truth which is eternal life. They had hoarded the living manna and it had turned to corruption. The religion which they tried to shut up to themselves became an offence. They robbed God of his glory and defrauded the world by a counterfeit of the gospel. They had refused to surrender themselves to God for the salvation of the world and they became agents of Satan for its destruction. The people whom God had called to be the pillar and ground of the truth had become representatives of Satan. They were doing the work that he desired them to do, taking a course to misrepresent the character of God and cause the world to look upon him as a tyrant. The very priest who ministered in the temple had lost sight of the significance of the service they performed. They had ceased to look beyond the symbol to the things signified. In presenting the sacrificial offerings they were as actors in a play. The ordinances which God himself had appointed were made the means of blinding the mind and hardening the heart. God could do no more for man through these channels. The whole system must be swept away. The deception of sin had reached its height. All the agencies for depraving the souls of men had been put in operation. The Son of God, looking upon the world, beheld suffering and misery. With pity he saw how men had become victims of Satanic cruelty. He looked with compassion upon those who were being corrupted, murdered and lost. They had chosen a ruler who chained them to his car as captives, bewildered and deceived. They were moving on in gloomy procession toward eternal ruin, to death in which is no hope of life, toward night to which comes no mourning. Satanic agencies were incorporated with men. The bodies of human beings, made for the dwelling place of God, had become the habitation of demons. The senses, the nerves, the passions, the organs of men were worked by supernatural agencies in the indulgence of the vilest lust. The very stamp of demons was impressed upon the countenances of men. Human faces reflected the expression of the legions of evil with which they were possessed. Such was the prospect upon which the world redeemer looked. What a spectacle for infinite purity to behold! Sin had become a science and vice was consecrated as a part of religion. Rebellion had struck its roots deep into the heart and the hostility of man was most violent against heaven. It was demonstrated before the universe that, apart from God, humanity could not be uplifted. A new element of life and power must be imparted by him who made the world. With intense interest the unfallen worlds had watched to see Jehovah arise and sweep away the inhabitants of the earth. And if God should do this, Satan was ready to carry out his plan for securing to himself the allegiance of heavenly beings. He had declared that the principles of God's government make forgiveness impossible. Had the world been destroyed, he would have claimed that his accusations were proved true. He was ready to cast blame upon God and to spread his rebellion to the worlds above, but instead of destroying the world, God sent his son to save it. Though corruption and defiance might be seen in every part of the alien province, a way for its recovery was provided. At the very crisis, when Satan seemed about to triumph, the Son of God came with the embossage of divine grace. Through every age, through every hour, the love of God had been exercised toward the fallen race, notwithstanding the perversity of men. The signals of mercy had been continually exhibited. And when the fullness of time had come, the deity was glorified by pouring upon the world a flood of healing grace that was never to be obstructed or withdrawn till the plan of salvation should be fulfilled. Satan was exulting that he had succeeded in debasing the image of God and humanity. Then Jesus came to restore in man the image of his maker. None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. He came to lift us up from the dust to reshape the marred character after the pattern of his divine character and to make it beautiful with his own glory. Unto you, a savior. The king of glory stooped low to take humanity. Rude and forbidding were his earthly surroundings. His glory was veiled that the majesty of his outward form might not become an object of attraction. He shunned all outward display. Riches, worldly honor, and human greatness can never save a soul from death. Jesus purposed that no attraction of an earthly nature should calm in to his side. Only the beauty of heavenly truth must draw those who would follow him. The character of the Messiah had long been foretold in prophecy, and he desired men to accept him upon the testimony of the word of God. The angels had wondered at the glorious plan of redemption. They watched to see how the people of God would receive his Son clothed in the garb of humanity. Angels came to the land of the chosen people. Other nations were dealing in fables and worshiping false gods to the land where the glory of God had been revealed and the light of prophecy had shown. The angels came. They came unseen to Jerusalem, to the appointed expositors of the sacred oracles, and to the ministers of God's house. Already to Zacharias the priest as he ministered before the altar, the nearness of Christ's coming had been announced. Already the forerunner was born, his mission attested by miracle and prophecy, the tidings of his birth, and the wonderful significance of his mission had been spread abroad. Yet Jerusalem was not preparing to welcome a redeemer. With amazement the heavenly messengers beheld the indifference of that people whom God had called to communicate to the world the light of sacred truth. The Jewish nation had been preserved as a witness that Christ was to be born of the seed of Abraham and David's line, yet they knew not that his coming was now at hand. In the temple the morning and evening sacrifice daily pointed to the Lamb of God, yet even here was no preparation to receive him. The priests and teachers of the nation knew not that this greatest event of the ages was about to take place. They rehearsed their meaningless prayers and performed the rites of worship to be seen by men, but in their strife for riches and worldly honor they were not prepared for the revelation of the Messiah. The same indifference pervaded the land of Israel. Hearts selfish and world engrossed were untouched by the joy that thrilled all heaven. Only a few were longing to behold the unseen. To these heaven's embassy was sent. Angels attend Joseph and Mary as they journey from their home in Nazareth to the city of David. The decree of Imperial Rome for the enrolment of the peoples of our vast dominion has extended to the dwellers among the hills of Galilee. As in old time Cyrus was called to the throne of the world's empire that he might set free the captives of the Lord, so Caesar Augustus has made the agent for the fulfillment of God's purpose in bringing the mother of Jesus to Bethlehem. She is of the lineage of David, and the son of David must be born in David's city. Out of Bethlehem, said the prophet, shall he come forth, that is to be ruler in Israel, whose going force have been from old, from the days of eternity. Micah five, two, margin. But in the city of their royal line Joseph and Mary are unrecognized and unhonored. Weary and homeless they traverse the entire length of the narrow street from the gate of the city to the eastern extremity of the town, vainly seeking a resting place for the night. There's no room for them at the crowded inn. In a rude building where the beast are sheltered they at last find refuge, and here the redeemer of the world is born. Men know it not, but the tidings fill heaven with rejoicing. With a deeper and more tender interest the holy beings from the world of light are drawn to the earth, the whole world is brighter for his presence. Above the hills of Bethlehem are gathered an innumerable throng of angels. They wait the signal to declare the glad news to the world. Had the leaders in Israel been true to their trust they might have shared the joy of heralding the birth of Jesus. But now they are passed by. God declares, I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground. Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness. Isaiah 44.3. Psalms 112.4. To those who are seeking for light and who accept it with gladness the bright rays from the throne of God will shine. In the fields where the boy David had led his flock, shepherds were still keeping watch by night. Through the silent hours they talked together of the promised Saviour, and prayed for the coming of the king to David's throne. And lo! the angel the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid, and the angel said unto them, Fear not! For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. At these words, visions of glory fill the minds of the listening shepherds. The Deliverers come to Israel. Power, exaltation, triumph for associated with this coming. But the angel must prepare them to recognize their Saviour in poverty and humiliation. This shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. The heavenly messenger had quieted their fears. He had told them how to find Jesus. With tender regard for their human weakness he had given them time to become accustomed to the divine radiance. Then the joy and glory could no longer be hidden. The whole plain was lighted up with the bright shining of the host of God. Earth was hushed, and heaven stooped to listen to the song. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Oh, that today the human family could recognize that song. The declaration then made, the note then struck, will swell to the close of time and resound to the ends of the earth. When the Son of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings, that song will be re-echoed by the voice of a great multitude, as the voice of many waters, saying, Alleluia for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Revelation 19.6 As the angels disappeared, the light faded away, and the shadows of night once more fell on the hills of Bethlehem. But the brightest picture ever beheld by human eyes remained in the memory of the shepherds. And it came to pass. As the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherd said one to another, Let us now go, even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. Departing with great joy, they may known the things that they had seen and heard. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherd returned, glorifying and praising God. Heaven and earth are no wider apart today than when shepherds listened to the angel's song. Humanity is still as much the object of heaven's solicitude, as when common men of common occupations met angels at Noonday, and talked with the heavenly messengers in the vineyards in the fields. To us, in the common walks of life, heaven may be very near. Angels from the courts above will attend the steps of those who come and go at God's command. The story of Bethlehem is an exhaustless theme. In it is hidden the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. Romans 11, 33. We marvel at the Savior's sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger, and the companionship of adoring angels for the beast of the stall. Human pride and self-sufficiency stand rebuked in his presence. Yet this was but the beginning of his wonderful condescension. It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man's nature, even when man stood in his innocence and Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam, he accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of his earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life. Satan in heaven had hated Christ for his position in the courts of God. He hated him the more when he himself was dethroned. He hated him who pledged himself to redeem a race of sinners. Yet into the world where Satan claimed dominion, God permitted his Son to come. A helpless babe, subject to the weakness of humanity, he permitted him to meet life's peril in common with every human soul, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss. The heart of the human Father yearns over his Son. He looks into the face of his little child and trembles the thought of life's peril. He longs to shield his dear one from Satan's power, to hold him back from temptation and conflict, to meet a bitterer conflict, and a more fearful risk. God gave his only begotten Son, that the path of life might be made sure for our little ones. Here in his love. Wonder, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth. About forty days after the birth of Christ, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord and to offer sacrifice. This was according to the Jewish law, and as man substitute Christ must conform to the law in every particular, he had already been subjected to the right of circumcision as a pledge of his obedience to the law. As an offering for the mother, the law required a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering. But the law provided that if the parents were too poor to bring a lamb, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering, the other for a sin offering, might be accepted. The offerings presented to the Lord were to be without blemish. These offerings represented Christ, and from this it is evident that Jesus himself was free from physical deformity. He was the lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 119. His physical structure was not marred by any defect. His body was strong and healthy, and throughout his lifetime he lived in conformity to nature's laws, physically as well as spiritually. He was an example of what God designed all humanity to be through obedience to his laws. The dedication of the firstborn had its origin in the earliest times. God had promised to give the firstborn to heaven to save the sinner. The gift was to be acknowledged in every household by the consecration of the firstborn son. He was to be devoted to the priesthood as a representative of Christ among men. In the deliverance of Israel from Egypt the dedication of the firstborn was again commanded. While the children of Israel were in bondage to the Egyptians, the Lord directed Moses to go to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and say, Thus said the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn, and I say unto thee, let my son go, that he may serve me, and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn." Exodus 4, 22 and 23. Moses delivered his message. But the proud king's answer was, Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. Exodus 5, 2. The Lord worked for his people by signs and wonders, sending terrible judgments upon Pharaoh. At length the destroying angel was bidden to slay the firstborn of man and beast among the Egyptians. That the Israelites might be spared, they were directed to place upon their doorpost the blood of a slain lamb. Every house was to be marked that when the angel came on his mission of death he might pass over the homes of the Israelites. After sending this judgment upon Egypt the Lord said to Moses, Sinctify unto me all the firstborn, both of man and beast. It is mine. For on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. Mine shall they be. I am the Lord. Exodus 13, 2. 3, 13. After the Tabernacle service was established the Lord chose the tribe of Levi in the place of the firstborn of all Israel to minister in the sanctuary. But the firstborn were still to be regarded as the Lords, and were bought back by a ransom. Thus the law for the presentation of the firstborn was made particularly significant. While it was a memorial of the Lord's wonderful deliverance of the children of Israel, it prefigured a greater deliverance to be wrought out by the only begotten Son of God, as the blood sprinkled on the doorpost had saved the firstborn of Israel, so the blood of Christ has power to save the world. What meaning then was attached to Christ's presentation? But the priest did not see through the veil. He did not read the mystery beyond. The presentation of infants was a common scene. Day after day the priest received the redemption money as the babes were presented to the Lord. Day after day he went through the routine of his work, giving little heed to the parents or children, unless he saw some indication of the wealth or high rank of the parents. Joseph and Mary were poor, and when they came with their child the priest saw only a man and a woman dressed as Galileans and in their humblest garments. There was nothing in their appearance to attract attention, and they presented only the offering made by the poor classes. The priest went through the ceremony of his official work. He took the child in his arms, and he held it up before the altar. After handing it back to its mother he inscribed the name Jesus on the role of the firstborn. Little did he think, as the babe lay in his arms, that it was the Majesty of Heaven, the King of Glory. The priest did not think that this babe was the one of whom Moses had written, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me. Him shall ye hear, and all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. Acts 3.22 He did not think that this babe was he whose glory Moses had asked to see, but one greater than Moses lay in the priest's arm, and when he enrolled the child's name, he was enrolling the name of one who was the foundation of the whole Jewish economy. That name was to be its death warrant, for the system of sacrifices and offerings was waxing old. The type had almost reached its anti-type, the shadow, its substance. The shekinah had departed from the sanctuary. But in the child of Bethlehem was veiled the glory before which angels bow. This unconscious babe was the promised seed, to whom the first altar at the gate of Eden pointed. This was Shiloh, the peace-giver. It was he who declared himself to Moses as the I Am. It was he who in the pillar of cloud and of fire had been the guide of Israel. This was he whom Sears had long foretold. He was the desire of all nations, the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. The name of that helpless little babe inscribed on the role of Israel, declaring him our brother, was the hope of fallen humanity. The child for whom the redemption money had been paid was he who was to pay the ransom for the sins of the whole world. He was the true, high priest over the house of God, the head of an unchangeable priesthood, the intercessor at the right hand of the majesty on high. Hebrews 10, 21, 7, 24, 1, 3. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. In the temple the son of God was dedicated to the work he had come to do. The priest looked upon him as he would upon any other child. But though he neither saw nor felt anything unusual, God's act in giving his son to the world was acknowledged. This occasion did not pass without some recognition of Christ. There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and the same man was just in devout waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was upon him, and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. As Simeon enters the temple he sees a family presenting their firstborn son before the priest. Their appearance bespeaks poverty, but Simeon understands the warnings of the spirit, and he is deeply impressed that the infant being presented to the Lord is the consolation of Israel, the one he has longed to see. To the astonished priest Simeon appears like a man enraptured. The child has been returned to Mary, and he takes it in his arms and presents it to God. While a joy he has never before felt enters his soul. As he lifts the infant's savior towards heaven he says, Lord, now let us thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou has prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. The spirit of prophecy was upon this man of God, and while Joseph and Mary stood by, wondering at his words, he blessed them, and said unto Mary, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against. Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. Anna, also a prophetess, came in and confirmed Simeon's testimony concerning Christ. As Simeon spoke, her face lighted up with the glory of God, and she poured out her heartfelt thanks that she had been permitted to behold Christ the Lord. These humble worshippers had not studied the prophecies in vain. But those who held positions as rulers and priests in Israel, though they too had for them the precious utterances of prophecy, were not walking in the way of the Lord, and their eyes were not open to behold the light of life. So it is still. Events upon which the attention of all heaven is centered are undersurned. Their very occurrence is unnoticed by religious leaders and worshippers in the house of God. Many acknowledge Christ in history, while they turn away from the living Christ. Christ in his word calling to self sacrifice, in the poor and suffering who plead for relief, in the righteous cause that involves poverty and toil and approach, is no more readily received today than he was eighteen hundred years ago. Mary pondered the broad and far-reaching prophecy of Simeon. As she looked upon the child in her arms, and recalled the words spoken by the shepherds of Bethlehem, she was full of grateful joy and bright hope. Simeon's words called to her mind the prophetic utterances of Isaiah. There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots, and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord, and righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light, they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Isaiah eleven, one to five, nine, two to six. Yet Mary did not understand Christ's mission. Simeon had prophesied of him as a light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as a glory to Israel. Thus the angels that announced the Saviour's birth as tidings of joy to all peoples. God was seeking to correct the narrow Jewish conception of the Messiah's work. He desired men to behold him, not merely as a deliverer of Israel, but as a redeemer of the world. But many years must pass before even the mother of Jesus would understand his mission. Mary looked forward to the Messiah's reign on David's throne, but she saw not the baptism of suffering by which it must be won. Through Simeon it is revealed that the Messiah is to have no unobstructed passage through the world. In the words to Mary, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also. God in his tender mercy gives to the mother of Jesus an intimation of the anguish that already for his sake she had begun to bear. Behold, Simeon had said, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against, they must fall who would rise again. We must fall upon the rock and be broken before we can be uplifted in Christ. Self must be dethroned. Pride must be humbled if we would know the glory of the spiritual kingdom. The Jews would not accept the honor that is reached through humiliation. Therefore they would not receive their redeemer. He was a sign that was spoken against. That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed in the light of the Savior's life. The hearts of all, even from the Creator to the Prince of Darkness, are revealed. Satan has represented God as selfish and oppressive, as claiming all and giving nothing, as requiring the service of his creatures for his own glory and making no sacrifice for their good. But the gift of Christ reveals the Father's heart. It testifies that the thoughts of God towards us are thoughts of peace and not of evil. Jeremiah 29 and 11. It declares that while God's hatred of sin is as strong as death, his love for the sinner is stronger than death. Having undertaken our redemption, he will spare nothing, however dear, which is necessary to the completion of his work. No truth essential to our salvation is withheld. No miracle of mercy is neglected. No divine agency is left unemployed. Favor is heaped upon favor. Gift upon gift. The whole treasury of heaven is open to those he seeks to save. Having collected the riches of the universe and laid open the resources of infinite power, he gives them all into the hands of Christ and says, All these are for man. Use these gifts to convince him that there is no love greater than mine in earth or heaven. His greatest happiness will be found in loving me. At the cross of Calvary Love and selfishness stood face to face. Here was the crowning manifestation. Christ had lived only to comfort and bless, and in putting him to death Satan manifested the malignity of his hatred against God. He made it evident that the real purpose of his rebellion was to dethrone God and to destroy him through whom the love of God was shown. By the life and death of Christ the thoughts of men also are brought to view. From the manger to the cross the life of Jesus was a call to self-surrender and to fellowship and suffering. It unveiled the purposes of men. Jesus came with the truth of heaven, and all who were listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit were drawn to him. The worshipers of self belong to Satan's kingdom. In their attitude towards Christ all would show on which side they stood, and thus everyone passes judgment on himself. In the day of final judgment every lost soul will understand the nature of his own rejection of truth. The cross will be presented, and its real bearing will be seen by every mind that has been blinded by transgression. Before the vision of Calvary with its mysterious victim, sinners will stand condemned. Every lying excuse will be swept away. Human apostasy will appear in its heinous character. Men will see what their choice has been. Every question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy will then have been made plain. In the judgment of the universe, God will stand clear blame for the existence or continuation of evil. It will be demonstrated that the divine decrees are not accessory to sin. There was no defect in God's government, no cause for disaffection. When the thoughts of all heart shall be revealed, both the loyal and the rebellious will unite in declaring, Just and true are thy ways, thou king of saints, Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name, For thy judgments are made manifest. REVELATIONS 15.3.4 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east of Jerusalem saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen a star in the east and are come to worship him. The wise men from the east were philosophers. They belonged to a large and influential class that included men of noble birth and comprised much of the wealth and learning of their nation. Among these were many who imposed on the credulity of the people. Others were upright men who studied the indications of providence in nature and who were honored for their integrity and wisdom. Of this character were the wise men who came to Jesus. The light of God is ever shining amid the darkness of heathenism. As these magi studied the starry heavens and sought to fathom the mystery hidden in their bright paths, they beheld the glory of the Creator. Seeking clear knowledge, they turned to the Hebrew scriptures. In their own land were treasured prophetic writings that predict the coming of a divine teacher. Balaam belonged to the magicians, though at one time a prophet of God. By the Holy Spirit he had foretold the prosperity of Israel and the appearing of the Messiah and his prophecies had been handed down by tradition from century to century. But in the Old Testament the Savior's advent was more clearly revealed. The magi learned with joy that his coming was near and that the whole world was to be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. The wise men had seen a mysterious light in the heavens upon that night when the glory of God flooded the hills of Bethlehem. As the light faded, a luminous star appeared and lingered in the sky. It was not a fixed star nor a planet, and the phenomenon excited the keenest interest. The star was a distant company of shining angels, but of this the wise men were ignorant. Yet they were impressed that the star was of special import to them. They consulted priests and philosophers and searched the scrolls of the ancient records. The prophecy of Balaam had declared, There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel. Numbers 24, 17. Could this strange star have been sent as a harbinger of the promised one? The magi had welcomed the light of heaven sent truth. Now it was shed upon them in brighter rays. Through dreams they were instructed to go in search of the newborn prince. As by faith Abraham went forth at the call of God, not knowing whether he went—Hebrews 11.8—as by faith Israel followed the pillar of cloud to the promised land, so did these gentiles go forth to find the promised Saviour. The eastern country abounded in precious things, and the magi did not set out empty-handed. It was the custom to offer presents as an act of homage to princes or other personages of rank. And the richest gifts the land afforded were born as an offering to him in whom all the families of earth were to be blessed. It was necessary to journey by night in order to keep the star in view. But the travellers beguiled the hours by repeating traditional sayings and prophetic utterances concerning the one they sought. At every pause for rest they searched the prophecies, and the conviction deepened that they were divinely guided. While they had the star before them as an outward sign, they had also the inward evidence of the Holy Spirit which was impressing their hearts, inspiring them with hope. The journey, though long, was a happy one to them. They had reached the land of Israel and are descending the Mount of Olives with Jerusalem in sight, when Lo, the star that has guided them all the weary way, rests above the temple, and after a season fades from their view, with eager steps they pressed onward, confidently expecting the Messiah's birth to be the joyful burden of every tongue. But their inquiries are in vain. Entering the holy city, they repair to the temple. To their amazement they find none who seem to have a knowledge of the newborn king. Their questions call forth no expressions of joy, but rather of surprise and fear, not unmingled with contempt. The priests are rehearsing traditions. They extol their religion in their own piety, while they denounce the Greeks and Romans as heathens and sinners above others. The wise men are not idolaters, and in the sight of God they stand far higher than do these, his professed worshippers. Yet they are looked upon by the Jews as heathen. Even among the appointed guardians of the holy oracles, their eager questionings touch no court of sympathy. The arrival of the Magi was quickly noise throughout Jerusalem. Their strange errand created an excitement among the people which penetrated to the palace of King Herod. The wily Edomite was aroused at the intimation of a possible rival. Countless murders had stained his pathway to the throne. Being of alien blood he was hated by the people over whom he ruled. His only security was the favor of Rome. But this new prince had a higher claim. He was born to the kingdom. Herod suspected the priests of plotting with the strangers to excite a popular tumult and unseat him from the throne. He concealed his mistrust, however, determined to thwart their schemes by superior cunning. Summoning the chief priest and scribes he questioned them as to the teaching of their sacred books in regard to the place of the Messiah's birth. This inquiry from the usurper to the throne, and made it the request of the strangers, stung the pride of the Jewish teachers, the indifference with which they turned to the rolls of prophecy and raged the jealous tyrant. He thought them trying to conceal their knowledge of the matter. With an authority they dared not disregard, he commanded them to make close search, and to declare the birthplace of their expected king. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet, And now Bethlehem, land of Judah, art in no wise least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come forth a governor, which shall be shepherd of my people Israel. RV. Herod now invited the Magi to a private interview. A tempest of wrath and fear was raging in his heart, but he preserved a calm exterior, and received the strangers courteously. He inquired at what time the start appeared, and professed to hail with joy the intimation of the birth of Christ. He bade his visitors, searched diligently for the young child, and when he had found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. So saying he dismissed them to go on their way to Bethlehem. The priests and elders of Jerusalem were not as ignorant concerning the birth of Christ as they pretended. The report of the angels' visit to the shepherds had been brought to Jerusalem, but the rabbis had treated it as unworthy of their notice. They themselves might have found Jesus, and might have been ready to lead the Magi to his birthplace, but instead of this, the wise men came to call their attention to the birth of the Messiah. Where is he that is born king of the Jews, they said? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. Now pride and envy close the door against the light. If the reports brought by the shepherds and the wise men were credited, they would place the priests and rabbis in a most unenviable position, disproving their claim to be the exponents of the truth of God. These learned teachers would not stoop to be instructed by those whom they teamed even. It could not be, they said, that God had passed them by, to communicate with ignorant shepherds or uncircumcised Gentiles. They determined to show their contempt for the reports that were exciting king Herod in all Jerusalem. They would not even go to Bethlehem to see whether these things were so, and they led the people to regard the interest in Jesus as a fanatical excitement. Here began the rejection of Christ by the priests and rabbis. From this point their pride and stubbornness grew into a settled hatred of the Saviour. While God was opening the door to the Gentiles, the Jewish leaders were closing the door to themselves. The wise men departed alone from Jerusalem. The shadows of night were falling as they left the gates, but to their great joy they again saw the star, and were directed to Bethlehem. They had received no such intimation of the lowly estate of Jesus as was given to the shepherds. After the long journey they had been disappointed by the indifference of the Jewish leaders, and had left Jerusalem less confident than when they entered the city. At Bethlehem they found no royal guard stationed to protect the newborn king. None of the world's honored men were in attendance. Jesus was cradled in a manger. His parents, uneducated peasants, were his only guardians. Could this be he of whom it was written that he should raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the preserved of Israel, that he should be a light to the Gentiles, and for salvation unto the end of the earth? Isaiah 496. When they were coming to the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother and fell down and worshipped him. Beneath the lowly guise of Jesus they recognized the presence of divinity. They gave their hearts to him as their savior, and then poured out their gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. What a faith was theirs! It might have been said of the wise men from the east, as afterwards of the Roman centurion, I have not found so great faith. No, not in Israel. Matthew 810. The wise men had not penetrated Herod's design towards Jesus. When the object of their journey was accomplished, they prepared to return to Jerusalem, intending to acquaint him with their success. But in a dream they received a divine message to hold no further communication with him. Avoiding Jerusalem, they set out for their own country by another route. In like manner Joseph received warning to flee into Egypt with Mary and the young child, and the angel said, Be thou there until I bring thee word, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. Joseph obeyed without delay, setting out on the journey by night for greater security. Through the wise men God had called the attention of the Jewish nation to the birth of his son. Their inquiries in Jerusalem, the popular interest excited, and even the jealousy of Herod, which compelled the attention of the priests and rabbis, directed minds to the prophecies concerning the Messiah and to the great event that had just taken place. Satan was bent on shutting out the divine light from the world, and he used his utmost cunning to destroy the Saviour. But he who never slumbers nor sleeps was watching over his beloved son. He would reign manner from heaven for Israel and had fed Elijah in time of famine, provided in the heathen land a refuge for Mary and the child Jesus. And through the gifts of the Magi from a heathen country the lords applied the means for the journey into Egypt and the sojourn in a land of strangers. The Magi had been among the first to welcome the Redeemer. Their gift was the first that was laid at his feet. And through that gift what privilege of ministry was theirs. The offering from the heart that loves God delights to honor, giving it highest efficiency and service for him. If we have given our hearts to Jesus we also shall bring our gifts to him. Our gold and silver, our most precious earthly possessions, our highest mental and spiritual endowments, will be freely devoted to him who loved us and gave himself for us. Herod and Jerusalem impatiently awaited the return of the wise men. As time passed, and they did not appear, his suspicions were roused. The unwillingness of the rabbis to point out the Messiah's birthplace seemed to indicate that they had penetrated his design, and that the Magi had purposely avoided him. He was maddened at the thought. Craft had failed, but there was left the resort to force. He would make an example of this child-king. Those haughty Jews should see what they might expect in their attempts to place a monarch on the throne. Soldiers were at once sent to Bethlehem, with orders to put to death all the children of two years and under. The quiet homes of the city of David witnessed those scenes of whore that six hundred years before had been opened to the Prophet. And Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation and weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. This calamity the Jews had brought upon themselves. If they had been walking in faithfulness and humility before God, he would in a single manner have made the wrath of the king harmless to them, but they had separated themselves from God by their sins and had rejected the Holy Spirit, which was their only shield. They had not studied the scriptures with the desire to conform to the will of God. They had searched for prophecies which could be interpreted to exalt themselves and to show how God despised all other nations. It was their proud boast that the Messiah was to come as a king, conquering his enemies and treading down the heathen and his wrath. Thus they had excited the hatred of their rulers. Through their misrepresentation of Christ's mission Satan had purposed to compass the destruction of the Saviour, but instead of this it returned upon their own heads. This act of cruelty was one of the last that darkened the reign of Herod. Soon after the slaughter of the innocents he was himself compelled to yield to that doom which none can turn aside. He died a fearful death. Joseph, who was still an agent, was now bitten by an angel of God to return to the land of Israel. Regarding Jesus as the heir of David's throne, Joseph desired to make his home in Bethlehem, but learning that Archelaus reigned in Judea and his father's stead, he feared that the father's designs against Christ might be carried out by the son. Of all the sons of Herod, Archelaus most resembled him in character. Already his succession to the government had been marked by a tumult in Jerusalem and the slaughter of thousands of Jews by the Roman guards. Again Joseph was directed to a place of safety. He returned to Nazareth, his former home, and here for nearly thirty years Jesus dwelt. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets. He shall be called a Nazarene. Galilee was under the control of a son of Herod, but it had a much larger admixture of foreign inhabitants in Judea. Thus there was less interest in matters relating especially to the Jews, and the claims of Jesus would be less likely to excite the jealousy of those in power. Such was the Saviour's reception when he came to the earth. There seemed to be no place of rest or safety for the infant redeemer. God could not trust his beloved son with men, even while carrying forward his work for their salvation. He commissioned angels to attend Jesus and protect him till he should accomplish his mission on earth and die by the hands of those whom he came to save. End of Chapter 6 Chapter 7 of The Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. As a child. The childhood and youth of Jesus were spent in a little mountain village. There was no place on earth that would not have been honored by his presence. The palaces of kings would have been privileged in receiving him as a guest, but he passed by the homes of wealth, the courts of royalty, and the renowned seats of learning, to make his home in obscure and despised Nazareth. Wonderful in its significance is the brief record of his early life. The child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. In the sunlight of his father's countenance, Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man, Luke 2.52. His mind was active and penetrating, with the thoughtfulness and wisdom beyond his years. Yet his character was beautiful in its symmetry. The powers of mind and body developed gradually, in keeping with the laws of childhood. As a child Jesus manifested a peculiar loveliness of disposition. His willing hands were ever ready to serve others. He manifested a patience that nothing could disturb, and a truthfulness that would never sacrifice integrity. In principle firm as a rock his life revealed the grace of unselfish courtesy. With deep earnestness the mother of Jesus watched the unfolding of his powers, and beheld the impress of perfection upon his character. With delight she sought to encourage that bright receptive mind. Through the Holy Spirit she received wisdom to cooperate with the heavenly agencies in the development of this child, who could claim only God as his father. From the earliest times the faithful in Israel had given much care to the education of the youth. The Lord had directed that even from babyhood the children should be taught of his goodness and his greatness, especially as revealed in his law, and shown in the history of Israel. Song and prayer and lessons from the scriptures were to be adapted to the opening mind. Fathers and mothers were to instruct their children that the law of God is an expression of his character, and that as they received the principles of the law into the heart the image of God was traced on mind and soul. Much of the teaching was oral, but the youth also learned to read the Hebrew writings and the parchment rolls of the Old Testament scriptures were open to their study. In the days of Christ the town or city that did not provide for the religious instruction of the young was regarded as under the curse of God. Yet the teaching had become formal. Tradition had in a great degree supplanted the scriptures. True education would lead the youth to seek the Lord if happily they might feel after him and find him, Act 1727. But the Jewish teachers gave their attention to matters of ceremony. The mind was crowded with material that was worthless to the learner and that would not be recognized in the higher school of the courts above. The experience which is obtained through a personal acceptance of God's word had no place in the educational system. Absorbed in the round of externals the students found no quiet hours to spend with God. They did not hear his voice speaking to the heart. In their search after knowledge they turned away from the source of wisdom. The greatest sentials of the service of God were neglected. The principles of the law were obscured. That which was regarded as superior education was the greatest hindrance to real development. Under the training of the rabbis the powers of the youth were repressed. Their minds became cramped and narrow. The child Jesus did not receive instruction in the synagogue schools. His mother was his first human teacher. From her lips and from the scrolls of the prophets he learned of heavenly things. The very words which he himself had spoken to Moses for Israel he was now taught at his mother's knee. As he advanced from childhood to youth he did not seek the schools of the rabbis. He needed not the education to be obtained from such sources. For God was his instructor. The question asked during the Savior's ministry, how knoweth this man letters having never learned, does not indicate that Jesus was unable to read, but merely that he had not received a rabbinical education. John 7.15. Since he gained knowledge, as we may do, his intimate acquaintance with the scriptures shows how diligently his early years were given to the study of God's word, and spread out before him was the great library of God's created works. He who had made all things studied the lessons which his own hand had written in earth and sea and sky. Apart from the unholy ways of the world he gathered stores of scientific knowledge from nature. He studied the life of plants and animals, and the life of man. From his earliest years he was possessed of one purpose. He lived to bless others. For this he found resources in nature. New ideas of ways and means flashed into his mind as he studied plant life and animal life. Continually he was seeking to draw from things seen illustrations by which to present the living oracles of God. The parables by which, during his ministry, he loved to teach his lessons of truth, show how open his spirit was to the influences of nature, and how he had gathered the spiritual teaching from the surroundings of his daily life. Thus to Jesus the significance of the word and the works of God was unfolded, as he was trying to understand the reason of things. Heavenly beings were his attendants, and the culture of holy thoughts and communings was his. From the first dawning of intelligence he was constantly growing in spiritual grace and knowledge of truth. Every child may gain knowledge as Jesus did. As we try to become acquainted with our Heavenly Father through his word, angels will draw near, our minds will be strengthened, our characters will be elevated and refined, we shall become more like our Savior. And as we behold the beautiful and grand in nature, our affections go out after God. While the spirit is odd, the soul is invigorated by coming in contact with the infinite through his works. Communion with God through prayer develops the mental and moral faculties, and the spiritual powers strengthen as we cultivate thoughts upon spiritual things. The life of Jesus was a life in harmony with God. While he was a child, he thought and spoke as a child. But no trace of sin marred the image of God within him. Yet he was not exempt from temptation. The inhabitants of Nazareth were proverbial for their wickedness. The low estimate in which they were generally held is shown by Nathaniel's question, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? John 1.46 Jesus was placed where his character would be tested. It was necessary for him to be constantly on guard in order to preserve his purity. He was subject to all the conflicts which we have to meet, that he might be an example to us in childhood, youth, and manhood. Satan was unwearyed in his efforts to overcome the child of Nazareth. From his earliest years Jesus was guarded by heavenly angels, yet his life was one long struggle against the powers of darkness. That there should be upon the earth one life free from the defilement of evil was an offence and a perplexity to the Prince of Darkness. He left no means untried to ensnare Jesus. No child of humanity will ever be called to live a holy life amid so fierce a conflict with temptation as was our Savior. The parents of Jesus were poor and depended upon their daily toil. He was familiar with poverty, self-denial, and privation. This experience was a safeguard to him. In his industrious life there were no idle moments to invite temptation. No aimless hours opened the way for corrupting associations. So far as possible he closed the door to the tempter. Neither gain nor pleasure, applause nor censure could induce him to consent to a wrong act. He was wise to discern evil and strong to resist it. Christ was the only sinless one whoever dwelt on earth, yet for nearly thirty years he lived among the wicked inhabitants of Nazareth. This fact is a rebuke to those who think themselves depended upon place, fortune, or prosperity in order to live a blameless life. Temptation, poverty, adversity is the very discipline needed to develop purity and firmness. Jesus lived in a peasant's home, and faithfully and cheerfully acted his part in bearing the burdens of the household. He had been the commander of heaven, and angels had delighted to fulfill his word. Now he was a willing servant, a loving, obedient son. He learned to trade, and with his own hands worked in the carpenter's shop with Joseph. In the simple garb of a common labor he walked the streets of the little town, going to and returning from his humble work. He did not employ his divine power to lessen his burdens or to lighten his toil. As Jesus worked in childhood and youth, mind and body were developed. He did not use his physical powers recklessly, but in such a way as to keep them in health, that he might do the best work in every line. He was not willing to be defective, even in the handling of tools. He was perfect as a workman, as he was perfect in character. By his own example he taught us that it is our duty to be industrious, that our work should be performed with exactness and thoroughness, and that such labor is honorable. The exercise that teaches the hands to be useful and trains a young to bear their share of life's burdens gives physical strength and develops every faculty. All should find something to do that will be beneficial to themselves and helpful to others. God-appointed work is a blessing, and only the diligent worker finds a true glory and joy of life. The approval of God rests with loving assurance upon children and youth who cheerfully take part in the duties of the household, sharing the burdens of father and mother. Such children will go out from the home to be useful members of society. Throughout his life on earth, Jesus was an earnest and inconstant worker. He expected much, therefore he attempted much. After he had entered on his ministry he said, I must work the works of him that sent me while at his day, the night cometh when no man can work. John 9.4 Jesus did not shirk care and responsibility as do many who profess to be his followers. It is because they seek to evade this discipline that so many are weak and inefficient. They may possess precious and amiable traits, but they are nervous and almost useless when difficulties are to be met or obstacles surmounted. The positiveness and energy, the solidity and strength of character manifested in Christ are to be developed in us through the same discipline that he endured, and the grace that he received is for us. So long as he lived among men, our Savior shared the lot of the poor. He knew by experience their cares and hardship, and he could comfort and encourage all humble workers. Those who have a true conception of the teachings of his life will never feel that a distinction must be made between classes that the rich are to be honored above the worthy poor. Jesus carried into his labor cheerfulness intact. It requires much patience and spirituality to bring Bible religion into the home life and into the workshop to bear the strain of worldly business and yet keep the eye single to the glory of God. This is where Christ was a helper. He was never so full of worldly care as to have no time or thought for heavenly things. Often he expressed the gladness of his heart by singing psalms and heavenly songs. Often the dwellers in Nazareth heard his voice raised in praise and thanksgiving to God. He held communion with heaven and song, and as his companions complained of weariness from labor, they were cheered by the sweet melody from his lips. His praise seemed to banish the evil angels and, like incense, filled the place with fragrance. The minds of his hearers were carried away from their earthly exile to the heavenly home. Jesus was the fountain of healing mercy for the world, and through all those secluded years at Nazareth his life flowed out in currents of sympathy and tenderness, the age, the sorrowing, and the sin burdened, the children at play in their innocent joy, the little creatures of the groves, the patient beast of burden, all were happier for his presence. He whose word of power upheld the worlds would stoop to relieve a wounded bird. There was nothing beneath his notice, nothing to which he disdained a minister. Thus as he grew in wisdom and stature, Jesus increased in favor with God and man. He drew the sympathy of all hearts by showing himself capable of sympathizing with all. The atmosphere of hope and courage that surrounded him made him a blessing in every home, and often in the synagogue on the Sabbath day, he was called upon to read the lesson from the prophets, and the hearts of the hearers thrilled as new light shone out from the familiar words of the sacred text. Yet Jesus shunned display. During all the years of his stay in Nazareth he made no exhibition of his miraculous power. He sought no high position and assumed no titles. His quiet and simple life, and even the silence of the scriptures concerning his early years teach an important lesson. The more quiet and simple the life of the child, the more free from artificial excitement, and the more in harmony with nature, the more favorable it is to physical and mental vigor and to spiritual strength. Jesus is our example. There are many who dwell with interest upon the period of his public ministry, while they pass unnoticed the teaching of his early years. But it is in his home life that he is the pattern for all children and youth. The Saviour condescended to poverty that he might teach how closely we in a humble lot may walk with God. He lived to please, honour, and glorify his father in the common things of life. His work began in consecrating the lowly trade of the craftsmen who toil for their daily bread. He was doing God's service just as much when laboring at the carpenter's bench as when working miracles for the multitude. An every youth who follows Christ's example of faithfulness and obedience in his lowly home may claim those words spoken of him by the Father through the Holy Spirit. Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. Isaiah 42.1. Chapter 8 of the Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White The Passover visit. Among the Jews the twelfth year was a dividing line between childhood and youth. On completing this year a Hebrew boy was called a son of the law, and also a son of God. He was given special opportunities for religious instruction, and was expected to participate in the sacred feasts and observances. It was in accordance with this custom that Jesus and his boyhood made the Passover visit to Jerusalem. Like all devout Israelites, Joseph and Mary went up every year to attend the Passover, and when Jesus had reached a required age they took him with them. There were three annual feasts, the Passover, the Pentecost, and the Feasts of Tabernacles, at which all the men of Israel were commanded to appear before the Lord at Jerusalem. Of these feasts the Passover was the most largely attended. Many were present from all countries where the Jews were scattered. From every part of Palestine the worshippers came in great numbers. The journey from Galilee occupied several days, and the travelers united in large companies for companionship and protection. The women and aged men wrote upon oxen or asses over the steep and rocky roads. The stronger men and youth journeyed on foot. The time of the Passover corresponded to the close of March, or the beginning of April, and the whole land was bright with flowers and glad with the song of birds. All along the way were spots memorable in the history of Israel, and fathers and mothers recounted to their children the wonders that God had wrought for his people and ages past. They beguiled their journey with songs and music. And when at last the towers of Jerusalem came into view every voice joined in the triumphant strain. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces." Psalms 122, 2-7. The observance of the Passover began with the birth of the Hebrew nation. On the last night of their bondage in Egypt, when there appeared no token of deliverance, God commanded them to prepare for an immediate release. He had warned Pharaoh of the final judgment on the Egyptians, and he directed the Hebrews to gather their families within their own dwellings. Having sprinkled a door-pose with the blood of the slain lamb, they were to eat the lamb, roasted, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. And thus shall ye eat it, he said, with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and ye shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover." Exodus 1211. At midnight all the first born of the Egyptians were slain. Then the king sent to Israel the message, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said. Exodus 1231. The Hebrews went out from Egypt, an independent nation. The Lord had commanded that the Passover should be yearly kept. It shall come to pass, he said, when your children shall say unto you, What be ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians. Thus, from generation to generation, the story of this wonderful deliverance was to be repeated. The Passover was followed by the seven days' feast of unleavened bread. On the second day of the feast, the first fruits of the year's harvest, a sheaf of barley, was presented before the Lord. All the ceremonies of the feast were types of the work of Christ. The deliverance of Israel from Egypt was an object lesson of redemption, which the Passover was intended to keep in memory. The slain lamb, the unleavened bread, the sheaf of first fruits, represented the Savior. With most of the people in the days of Christ, the observance of this feast had denigrated into formalism. But what was its significance to the Son of God? For the first time the child Jesus looked upon the temple. He saw the white-robed priests performing their solemn ministry. He beheld the bleeding victim upon the altar of sacrifice. With the worshipers he bowed in prayer while the cloud of incense ascended before God. He witnessed the impressive rites of the Pascal service. Day by day he saw their meaning more clearly. Every act seemed to be bound up with his own life. New impulses were awakening within him. Silent and absorbed, he seemed to be steadying out a great problem. The mystery of his mission was opening to the Savior. Wrapped in the contemplation of these scenes, he did not remain beside his parents. He sought to be alone. When the Pascal services were ended, he still lingered in the temple courts, and when the worshipers departed from Jerusalem, he was left behind. In this visit to Jerusalem the parents of Jesus wished to bring him in connection with the great teachers of Israel. While he was obedient in every particular to the word of God, he did not conform to the rabbinical rites and usages. Joseph and Mary hoped that he might be led to reverence to learned rabbis and give more diligent heed to their requirements. But Jesus and the temple had been taught by God. That which he had received, he began at once to impart. At that day an apartment connected with the temple was devoted to a sacred school after the manner of the schools of the prophets. Here leading rabbis with their pupils assembled and hither the child Jesus came. Seeding himself at the feet of these grave-learned men, he listened to their instruction. As one seeking for wisdom, he questioned these teachers in regard to the prophecies, and to events in taking place that pointed to the advent of the Messiah. Jesus presented himself as one thirsting for a knowledge of God. His questions were suggestive of deep truths which had long been obscured, yet which were vital to the salvation of souls. While showing how narrow and superficial was the wisdom of the wise men, every question put before them a divine lesson and placed truth in a new aspect. The rabbi spoke of the wonderful elevation which the Messiah's coming would bring to the Jewish nation, but Jesus presented the prophecy of Isaiah and asked them the meaning of those scriptures that point to the suffering and death of the Lamb of God. The doctors turned upon him with questions, and they were amazed at his answers. With the humility of a child he repeated the words of Scripture, giving them a depth of meaning that the wise men had not conceived of. If followed the lines of truth he pointed out would have worked a reformation in the religion of the day. A deep interest in spiritual things would have been awakened, and when Jesus began his ministry many would have been prepared to receive him. The rabbis knew that Jesus had not been instructed in their schools, yet his understanding of the prophecies far exceeded theirs. In this thoughtful Galilean boy they discerned great promise. They desired to gain him as a student, that he might become a teacher in Israel. They wanted to have charge of his education, feeling that a mind so original must be brought under their molding. The words of Jesus had moved their hearts as they had never before been moved by words from human lips. God was seeking to give light to those leaders in Israel, and he used the only means by which they could be reached. In their pride they would have scorned to admit that they could receive instruction from any one. If Jesus had appeared to be trying to teach them, they would have disdained to listen. But they flattered themselves that they were teaching him, or at least testing his knowledge of the scriptures. The youthful modesty and grace of Jesus disarmed their prejudices. Unconsciously their minds were opened to the word of God, and the Holy Spirit spoke to their hearts. They could not but see that their expectation in regard to the Messiah was not sustained by prophecy, but they would not renounce the theories that had flattered their ambition. They would not admit that they had misapprehended the scriptures they claimed to teach. From one to another passed the inquiry. How hath this youth knowledge, having never learned? The light was shining in darkness, but the darkness apprehended it not. John 1.5. RV. Meanwhile Joseph and Mary were in great perplexity and distress. In the departure from Jerusalem they had lost sight of Jesus, and they knew not that he had tarried behind. The country was then densely populated, and the caravans from Galilee were very large. There was much confusion as they left the city. On the way the pleasure of traveling with friends and acquaintances absorbed their attention, and they did not notice his absence till night came on. Then, as they halted for rest, they missed the helpful hand of their child. Supposing him to be with their company, they had felt no anxiety. Young as he was they had trusted him implicitly, expecting that when needed he would be ready to assist them, anticipating their want as he had always done. But now their fears were roused. They searched for him throughout their company, but in vain, shuddering they remembered how Herod had tried to destroy him in his infancy, dark for boatings filled their hearts. They bitterly reproached themselves. Returning to Jerusalem, they pursued their search. The next day as they mingled with the worshippers in the temple, a familiar voice arrested their attention. They could not mistake it. No other voice was like his, so serious and earnest, yet so full of melody. In the school of the rabbis they found Jesus. Rejoiced as they were they could not forget their grief and anxiety. When he was with them again, the mother said, in words it implied reproof, Son, why hath thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. How is it that ye sought me? Answered Jesus, wish ye not that I must be about my father's business? And as they seemed not to understand his words, he pointed upward. On his face was a light at which they wondered. Divinity was flashing through humanity. On finding him in the temple, they had listened to what was passing between him and the rabbis, and they were astonished at his questions and answers. His words started a trait of thought that would never be forgotten. And his question to them had a lesson. Wish ye not, he said, that I must be about my father's business. Jesus was engaged in the work that he had come into the world to do, but Joseph and Mary had neglected theirs. God had shown them high honor in committing to them his son. Holy angels had directed the course of Joseph in order to preserve the life of Jesus, but for an entire day they had lost sight of him whom they should not have forgotten for a moment, and when their anxiety was relieved they had not censured themselves, but had cast the blame upon him. It was natural for the parents of Jesus to look upon him as their own child. He was daily with them. His life in many respects was like that of other children, and it was difficult for them to realize that he was the Son of God. They were in danger of failing to appreciate the blessing granted them in the presence of the world redeemer. The grief of their separation from him and the gentle reproof which his words conveyed were designed to impress them with the sacredness of their trust. In the answer to his mother Jesus showed for the first time that he understood his relation to God. Before his birth the angel had said to Mary, He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his Father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever. Luke 1.32 and 33. These words Mary had pondered in her heart, yet while she believed that her child was to be Israel's Messiah she did not comprehend his mission. Now she did not understand his words, but she knew that he had disclaimed kinship to Joseph and had declared his sonship to God. Jesus did not ignore his relation to his earthly parents. From Jerusalem he returned home with them and aided them in their life of toil. He hid in his own heart the mystery of his mission, waiting submissively for the appointed time for him to enter upon his work. For eighteen years after he had recognized that he was the Son of God, he acknowledged the tie that bound him to the home at Nazareth, and performed the duties of a son, a brother, a friend, and a citizen. As his mission had opened to Jesus in the temple he shrank from contact with the multitude. He wished to return from Jerusalem in quietness with those who knew the secret of his life. By the paschal service God was seeking to call his people away from their worldly cares, and to remind them of his wonderful work in their deliverance from Egypt. In this work he desired them to see a promise of deliverance from sin, as the blood of the slain Lamb sheltered the homes of Israel, so the blood of Christ was to save their souls. But they could be saved through Christ only as by faith they should make his life their own. There was virtue in the symbolic service only as it directed the worshipers to Christ as their personal Savior. God had desired that they should be led to prayerful study and meditation in regard to Christ's mission. But as the multitudes left Jerusalem the excitement of travel and social intercourse too often absorbed their attention and the service they had witnessed was forgotten. The Savior was not attracted to their company. As Joseph and Mary should return from Jerusalem alone with Jesus he hoped to direct their minds to the prophecies of the suffering Savior. Upon calvary he sought to lighten his mother's grief. He was thinking of her now. Mary was to witness his last agony and Jesus desired her to understand his mission that she might be strengthened to endure when the sword should pierce through her soul. As Jesus had been separated from her and she had sought him sorrowing three days so when he should be offered up for the sins of the world he would again be lost to her for three days. And as he should come forth from the tomb her sorrow would again be turned to joy. But how much better she could have borne the anguish of his death if she had understood the scriptures to which he was now trying to turn her thoughts. If Joseph and Mary had stayed their minds upon God by meditation and prayer they would have realized the sacredness of their trust and would not have lost sight of Jesus. By one day's neglect they lost the Savior but it cost them three days of anxious search to find him. So with us by idle talk, evil speaking or neglect of prayer we may in one day lose the Savior's presence and it may take many days of sorrowful search to find him and regain the peace that we have lost. In our association with one another we should take heed lest we forget Jesus and pass along unmindful that he is not with us. When we become absorbed in worldly things so that we have no thought for him in whom our hope of eternal life is centered we separate ourselves from Jesus and from the heavenly angels. These holy beings cannot remain where the Savior's presence is not desired and his absence is not marked. This is why discouragement so often exists among the professed followers of Christ. Many attend religious services and are refreshed and comforted by the word of God. But through neglect of meditation, watchfulness and prayer they lose the blessing and find themselves more destitute than before they received it. Often they feel that God has dealt hardly with them. They do not see that the fault is their own. By separating themselves from Jesus they have shed away the light of his presence. It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon his great sacrifice for us our confidence in him will be more constant, our love will be quickened and we shall be more deeply imbued with his spirit. If we would be saved at last we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross. As we associate together we may be a blessing to one another. If we are Christ our sweetest thoughts will be of him. We shall love the talk of him and as we speak to one another of his love our hearts will be softened by divine influences. Beholding the beauty of his character we shall be changed into the same image from glory to glory.