LESSON XIII.--DECEMBER 25.

REVIEW.--READING: LUKE 2:8-16.

      GOLDEN TEXT.--Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.--LUKE 2:14.
      TIME.--The Lessons for the year extend from the Creation of Man to near the close of the Second Year's Ministry of Christ.
      PLACES.--The Lessons begin in Eden, extend to Ararat, Ur of the Chaldees, then locate in Canaan, afterwards go to Padan Aram, and to Egypt. In the New Testament they are located in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the wilderness about the Jordan, the Jordan, and the country around the Sea of Galilee.
      LESSON ANALYSIS.--The great themes of the year's Lessons are: 1. The Creation and Fall of Man, and the Flood; 2. The Chosen Seed; 3. The Deliverer, His Birth, Life and Teaching.

POINTS FOR TEACHERS.

      This last lesson of the year comes on Christmas day. The great thought of the lesson should be to impress upon scholars the Lord who, whether born on that day or not, gives Christmas all its joyousness and good will. The Review therefore should concentrate upon and around him of whom all the prophets have borne witness. 1. Show how in the lessons of the first quarter the finger of prophecy is pointing forward to the Coming Savior: (1) Man fallen but cheered by a promise concerning the seed of woman. (2) The Father of the Faithful chosen as his ancestor and assured that in his seed all the earth shall be blessed. (3) The same promises to Isaac and to Jacob. (4) Joseph a type of Christ. (5) Moses a type of Christ and also predicts the Prophet like unto himself. II. Next come down to the birth of the Promised Seed, two thousand years after the promise to Abraham. Consider (1) His early life. When and where was Jesus born? His mother's name? Give three incidents of his early life. In what place did he live? For how many years? What was his occupation? When and where was he baptized? (2) His ministry. How old was Jesus when he began his public ministry? How long did it last? In what places was most of it spent? What other countries did he visit? Name the chief cities in which he taught. Name two mountains, a lake, and a river, connected with his life. (3) His teachings. What sermon of Jesus is recorded? In what way did he do most of his teaching? Name some of the principal parables he spoke. Give some of his illustrations. What were some of the things against which he warned men? What were some of the [347] leading truths he taught? (4) His miracles. Name some of the principal miracles. Against what evils and enemies of man were they directed? Were they all miracles of help and blessing? What spiritual truths did his miracles teach? As to what needs and dangers of the present day do they show Christ's power to satisfy and guard? (5) His kingdom. What did John say about it? Was it still future when Jesus taught? When set up? Who are in the kingdom? In the parables to what is the kingdom likened? Name all the characteristics of the kingdom that occur to you. Who shall be gathered out of the kingdom? Who shall inherit the kingdom? Are you an heir? The lesson of the year is that, CHRIST IS THE FIRST AND THE LAST, THE BEGINNING AND THE END, THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA. [348]

Source: Barton Warren Johnson. The Christian International Lesson Commentary for 1887. Des Moines, IA: