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Show lfrBIBLE SPEAKS ; I " International Uniform Sunday School Lessons I By DR. KENNETH J. FOREMAN SCRIPTURE: Matthew 1:182:12; Mark 1:1-11; Luke 2:1-20. DEVOTIONAL READING: Isaiah 9: 2-7. The Best News Lesson for December 19, 1948 X7TIAT kind of news is good? " Christians always have called the heart of their religion "Good News." for that is what "Gospel" means. We do not call it "Good Resolutions" Reso-lutions" or "Good Ideas" or even "Good Ideals." Just Good News. But what is good about it? It is a fair question ques-tion to ask at Christmas Christ-mas time, for the story that Christ- story of Christmas is the news about God personally entering the life of man. It is God giving us himself. him-self. True, the world is full of the gifts of God. In the Child of Bethlehem, In the Man he was to become, in the work he was to do, there was a new thing the self-giving of God. That is one reason why Christmas means infinitely more to a Christian than to any one else. For the non-Christian, the story of Christmas, for all its charm, is only another story of a child born to poverty, doomed to pain another an-other chapter in the long agony of man. For the Christian, the story of Christmas is the Good News of how God gives himself, for our sake. News of Rescue MANY Americans, caught in the war, starving behind electric fences for years on end, 'caught their first news of victory from seeing see-ing American planes roaring high overhead. No words were needed. It was news, good news, the news of rescue, of freedom. So it is with man. Caught in the long war between good and evil, a prisoner in the enemy's country, behind the high fences of frustration, frustra-tion, plodding heavily through the freezing mire of barren sins, man despairs of strength or freedom. To all mankind, to each one who will listen, the Christmas story is good news of rescue. A Child is born, but more . . . "a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." From a Far Country TT IS good news when from a far country, until now dark and unknown, un-known, we learn that it is a land of friends who send us welcome across the miles. So the meaning of Christmas Christ-mas is good news from a far land, the land beyond what we call death. "Our Saviour Jesus Christ hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel" (II Tim. 1:10). As on the first Christmas, so ever since, the Gospel of God is not alone the good news of a God who loves and forgives and who brings us the victory, it is the news of God who stands at the end of our dark Journey to welcome his children home. Good news! The world has none to equal the news of Christmas. (Copyright by the International Council of Religious Education on beball ol 40 Protestant denominations. Released br WliU features.) mas brings is the rjr. Foreman beginning of the Gospel. News of Peace ONE of the best kinds of news there is is to learn that someone we thought was an enemy, is actually actu-ally a friend. The end of misunderstanding, misunder-standing, of estrangement what a rush of warmth to the heart it brings! That is the news of the first Christmasthat Christ-masthat God is our friend. Christ did not come to assure men that there is a God. That was well known, indeed few doubted it. He did not even come to announce that there is but one God, for that was already known to the wiser sort of men. Neither did his coming unveil un-veil the God of justice. The Greeks and Romans, as well as the Jews, knew such a God only too well. No wonder a Roman poet, looking about on the religions of his time, concluded that fear is the great god-maker. His notion was a mistake; mis-take; but it was a natural one. For all the religions of the ancient world, even the religion of the Jew, were attempts to ward off the anger of offended gods. The coming of Christ was to put an end to all that. This was more than a friendly gesture, it was an act of love. Those who have discovered God in Christ have found that God Is not only our Maker but our heavenly Father and Friend. There is no better news! News of a Gift TT IS good news also when we hear of a legacy or gift of some sort, especially when it is something we could not have expected. And the , |