A Christmas Message

That was the song of the celestial choir at the Nativity. It came to the wondering shepherds in its fresh simplicity and they accepted it with child-like faith. Perhaps they thought that the promise was to be fulfilled almost at once or at least in their own lifetime; it must have been a source of perplexity to them all during the next thirty years that nothing of the glorious word had come to pass.

The purpose of God in Christ is still a mystery to all except those who have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit in consequence of their acceptance into the High Calling, and their walk in the way of consecration. Only to such is it given at this present time to enter into a knowledge of the "deep things of God". And in order to understand how and when it will be true that there is peace on earth and goodwill amongst men, it is essential to understand our Lord's relation to the continuing reign of evil, and the place in this that is occupied by the "Church which is his Body".

These shepherds must have listened to the message with an especial intensity because their land had not known true peace for many years. The background of the people of Judea was one of warfare, captivity, rebellion and severe suffering. Six hundred years earlier they had endured the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and the national disintegration which followed that calamitous event. Even although seventy years later they found themselves restored to their own land, it was only as a tributary nation, first under the Persians, later the Greeks, and finally Rome. The attempts of the Greeks to Hellenise them led to revolt after revolt, interspersed with dreadful persecutions. Their temporary success during the Maccabean period, while due largely to the prowess of Judas Maccabeus, was also contributed to by the decay of Greek power before the growing influence of Rome. The brief period of Jewish independence ended abruptly in the year 63 BC when the Roman, Pompey, marched his legions into Jerusalem. From then until the year AD 70 there was almost continual rebellion against the invaders. It is little wonder that, despairingly seeking some relief from their sufferings, "All men were in expectation" of the long-promised Messianic deliverer. The terrible consequences of the struggle for independence led by Judas of Galilee, during the childhood of Jesus, culminating in the death of Judas and the crucifixion of four thousand of his followers by the Romans, was only one of those dark happenings which made men long for true peace.

In the midst of these conditions Jesus grew to manhood's estate. Standing head and shoulders above His fellows, men at the first must have looked to Him for leadership, in confidence that He would be able to deliver them from the Roman yoke. They expected, as do so many today, that "peace on earth, goodwill to men" would come by the use of armed force, by means of which their enemies would be crushed in the same way as they themselves had been subjugated. Great must have been their disappointment when at length the One on whom they had pinned their hopes came back from the wilderness to preach an entirely different message from what they had expected. They were trained in the Mosaic Law that called for "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth". It encouraged them to go forth to slay the enemies of the Lord and they utterly failed to understand this new gospel of non-resistance, of love for enemies, of turning the other cheek, of doing good to those who were inflicting evil. In their disappointment and chagrin they turned away and rejected the only One who could have brought them the peace they so much desired.

Many there are today who understand no more clearly. The majority still uphold the principle of fighting the forces of evil with the weapons of evil. There is no real comprehension of the true purpose and power of God except in the hearts of the few. Not many appreciate the meaning of Jesus' words "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me". Yet in no other way could the Father pave the way for the Son to take up His destined work as the anointed Priest-King, made "higher than the heavens". Christ defeated the sin of the world by accepting it into His love, and at the same time, says the writer to the Hebrews, "learned obedience through the things that he suffered". So He became, again as Hebrews declares, a merciful and compassionate High Priest, able to "have compassion on the ignorant, and them that are out of the way" and, praise God, thus to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him.

Men and women at the time of the First Advent could not understand how such a method could avail. Even Jesus' closest associates, the twelve disciples, failed to follow this "more excellent way". There was a strife amongst them, which should be the greatest in the Kingdom. They wanted to call down fire from heaven in the fashion of Elijah of old to destroy the inhospitable Samaritans. Peter, defending his Master, drew his sword and struck off the ear of the High Priest's servant. The old training and beliefs died hard; it was not until after Pentecost that they began to see the why and the wherefore of the pattern Jesus set for them. Here it was that the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus was first discerned and first made known. It could not have been so proclaimed earlier, for it was at this point that atonement had been made by Christ Jesus entering into the presence of God and the Holy Spirit sent to the waiting disciples with creative power to transform them into His likeness. That is why their writings afterward gave such clear instruction concerning the meeting of evil and the overcoming of evil by the force of love alone.

That was henceforth to be the guiding principle in the lives of true Christians, necessary preparation for their future work in the next Age, when the work of conversion and reconciliation will depend upon the power of the love of God and on that alone. So in this Age that same principle is to be adopted by the Sons of God, both collectively and as individuals.

Collectively ‑ yes, for the members of the true Church in the flesh are to be the salt of the earth; they are to be as lights in the world. It is a grievous thing that no matter how much we may succeed in measuring up to this ideal individually, in our personal lives before God, we so often utterly fail to do it collectively, as a community or as a group.

And it is as a community that we are judged by them. No small part of our failure to give an effective witness in the world and win men and women for Christ must be put down to our lamentable failure to manifest among ourselves the standards we preach.

The Apostle Paul was one who well learned the way of Christ. His object lesson at the first was the non-violent resistance of the first Christian martyr, Stephen. He was falsely accused, but he refused to meet evil with the weapons of his persecutors. "All that sat in the council, gazing steadfastly upon him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel". How could it have been otherwise, lighted as it was with the indwelling radiance of the Holy Spirit? At his stoning he retained the same disposition and died praying the Lord that He would not lay their great sin to their charge. From the point of view of those around at the time it could be argued that Stephen's death was pointless, unavailing, powerless to accomplish any good. From the standpoint of history that argument is futile and valueless.

The power and effect of Stephen's death was seen a few years later when a bright light blinded with its glare a traveller on the Damascus road, and a voice broke through that proud man's reserve with the fearful question "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Had Saul not stood by and witnessed the death of the man whom he helped to condemn, he may never have come to that later experience and become a man utterly broken and humbled, moulded into a chosen vessel to do and suffer great things in and for the name of Jesus. It may well be that we owe the superb power of the Pauline Epistles, and the tremendous legacy Paul left to the Church of after ages, to the faithfulness of the first martyr Stephen.

Little wonder, then, is it that we find Paul clearly defining Christ's terms in the words "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12.21). These are the terms of the One who "loved righteousness and hated iniquity", realising that it was not yet God's time to restrain evil in the world at large. This Gospel Age is a time in which Christ the Head, and the Church which is His Body, are called to resist evil by non-violent methods, and so receive their training for the work of that coming Day when all evil everywhere is to be removed and banished.

It is a costly way when measured by human standards. It entails sacrificial death, as it did in the case of Jesus, but if we are faithful unto death we shall be raised in the power of the First Resurrection into the glory of the Kingdom. Then, and then only, will it be possible to bring about what so many well-intentioned men are striving by their own efforts to accomplish now ‑ peace on earth, goodwill towards men. The ordinary man, desiring to help his fellows, feels it little less than criminal to stand idle in the present chaos. He is impelled to do all that lies in his power to crush collective evil, whatever the means he employs. That is because he does not understand God's plan of the ages. The Kingdom of peace and righteousness will never and can never come by man's efforts, but only by the power of God in the person of Christ, the great Mediator, the One who has resisted evil by non-violence. Men will never cause wars to cease; it is only God who can and will do this in his own time and way, making "wars to cease to the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder. He burneth the chariot in the fire".

The ministry of affliction plays a very important part in the development of the Church. The example is set before us in 1 Pet. 2.23 "When he was reviled, reviled not again, when he was threatened, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously". It is no use asserting, as some do, that the case of Jesus was different, and that we are called upon to fight evil with weapons He did not and would not use. The Apostle Paul also says "Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer, being defamed, we intreat; we are made as the filth of the world, and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day" (1 Cor. 4. 12-13). This line of conduct is no sign of weakness; it savours not of compromise and its practical outworking savours both strength and beauty of character.

So peace will come at last. In the meantime it is for us to continue along the narrow pathway, faithful to the increasing light of truth as we endeavour to make our calling and election sure. Always remember that "there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 10.13).

AOH