The Life of Jesus Christ for the Young, Vol. 3Newton, Richard
Religion
The Life of Jesus Christ for the Young, Vol. 3
Newton, Richard
Jesus Christ -- Art; Jesus Christ -- Biography -- Juvenile literature
The great event of the Transfiguration took place in our Saviour's
life for _this_ reason, among others, that we might learn from it
_how we are to think of Christ_. While the disciples were gazing on
the glory of that scene, and on the distinguished visitors who were
there, there came a cloud and overshadowed them. This cloud, we may
suppose, was like a curtain round Moses and Elias, hiding them from
the view of the disciples. And, as Jesus in his glory was left alone
for them to gaze upon, there came a voice from the overshadowing
cloud, saying--"_This is my beloved Son; in whom I am well
pleased_." This was the voice of God, the Father. It spoke out on
this occasion to teach the disciples then, and you and me now, and
all God's people in every age, what to think about Christ. God, the
Father, tells us here what he thinks about him; and we must learn to
think of him in the same way. His will, his command is that "_all men
should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father_," St. John v: 3.
Moses and Elias were great men in their day. They appeared on this
occasion to add to the honor of Christ. And then they disappeared, as
if to show that they were nothing in comparison with him. He is the
greatest and the best of all beings. He must be first. Prophets and
priests, and kings, and angels even, are as nothing to him. We must
love him--and honor him above all others. The words of the hymn we so
often sing, show us how God would have us think and feel towards him:
"All hail the power of Jesus' name
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown him Lord of all.
"Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball,
To him all majesty ascribe,
And crown him Lord of all."
"How Christ Should be Honored." There is a story told of the Emperor
Theodosius the Great which illustrates very well how we should honor
Christ. There were at that time two great parties in the church. One
of these believed and taught the divinity of Christ--or that he is
equal to God the Father. The other party, called Arians, believed and
taught that Christ was not divine; and that he was not to be honored
and worshiped as God. The Emperor Theodosius favored this latter
party. When his son, Arcadius, was about sixteen years old, his
father determined to make him a sharer of his throne, and passed a
law that his son should receive the same respect and honor that were
due to himself. And, in connection with this event, an incident
occurred which led the emperor to see how wrong the view was which he
held respecting the character of Christ, and to give it up. When
Arcadius was proclaimed the partner of his father in the empire, the
officers of the government, and other prominent persons, called on
the emperor in his palace, to congratulate him on the occasion, and
to pay their respects to his son.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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