heavenly chorus on
Bethlehem's plain. Heaven stoops to earth to announce its glad
tidings. A new creation is heralded, better and grander even than that
of the opening chapters of Genesis. One or two events are then
recorded in the early life of the Holy Child, and then there is
silence for thirty years. It is as though the prelude should end all.
But no, the story will not end with mere prelude. It will go on its
course till the very last act.

#105. First Period.#--_From John to Jesus._ Suddenly John the Baptist
breaks on our vision, for his short but decisive part. His message is
twofold, and is comprised in the words "Repent," "Prepare." For six
short months this fiery preacher calls the nation to prepare for what
God has in store for it. Multitudes gather and hearken. Then comes
Jesus from Nazareth, and John almost in one breath calls him "Son of
God" and "Lamb of God." Two apparently irreconcilable titles, for the
one means power and exaltation, and the other sacrifice and
humiliation. How these two titles were to blend in one character will
be seen in the following acts of the Divine dealing with men.

#106. Second Period.#--_From Jordan to the Mount of Olives._ Three and
a half years was this in duration. Short as compared with any one of
the Old Testament stories, but far more significant, and more full of
the Divine revelation of God's mercy and justice. Now miracles
multiply as never before, for now, as never before, the Divine comes
down to man and holds communion with him. Now truth is made clear as
no patriarch or prophet ever saw it. Truly in this period, "Great was
the mystery of godliness; he who was manifested in the flesh." With
this period we shall deal more in detail later on in these lessons, so
we make but brief allusion to it in this place. Suffice it to say that
not in all the history of this world were there ever three years and a
half so filled with benediction for mankind as were these of the
second period.

#107. Third Period.#--_From Pentecost to the Turning to the Gentiles._
Pentecost was the birthtime of the Christian Church. No Pentecost, no
Acts of the Apostles. No Acts of the Apostles, no Christian Church. In
that case the world of to-day would be heathen, Muhammadan and Jewish.
At Pentecost more were brought to an acceptance of Jesus as the
Messiah than Jesus himself had won in his whole active ministry. About
five hundred would seem to have been the number of believers after our