www.changingtimes.info
Christ Was The Star In The Apostles’ Eyes, Is He The Star In Yours?
Christ craved the sympathy and love of His friends at all times; but as the darkness deepened about Him, He turned to them with special yearning. He wanted to have them near Him. He wanted to lean upon them, and to receive strength and inspiration from them. Before He entered the awful experiences of the cross, He wanted to eat with them and by this close fellowship be made more ready to endure, and so He called them together to eat the first Lord's Supper. There is in this, a wonderful revelation of the human-heartedness of Jesus We all turn instinctively to human friendship for help as we find ourselves in the midst of trials. We want someone near us when we have
to suffer. We clasp the hand of one we love, and feel upheld and strengthened by the warm, faithful clasp. There is a wonderful mystery in this influence of life upon life. Nothing in this world is as terrible as the desolation of loneliness, reaching out in the darkness and finding no human hand to touch or clasp. And there is no other earthly help so real, so true, as that which we get, in such hours, from the presence of friends. How human it makes Christ seem to us, how near of kin to us, to see Him longing so for the strength He might get from a quiet hour with His disciples! But Christ was thinking of the disciples as well as of Himself. He wanted to comfort their hearts before He left them. During three years He had been with them, He had drawn them to His bosom and held them close to His heart. He made them the sharers of all His life and they had learned to lean upon Him. All their hopes rested in Him. They could
From the Editor not live without Him. But now He was to leave them. We can never altogether understand the trial through which the disciples had to pass when they saw their Master torn away from their head and led to his cross. It was more than any mere sorrow of human love when the dearest friend is taken away. Remember what a friend Jesus was: spotless, faultless and pure, rich to divine fullness in all tender affections. There never was such another friend. Then remember, too, that besides being their friend, He was their Savior. All the hopes of their souls rested upon him, and they had not yet grasped the hope of His resurrection. His cross was the extinction of every light of joy and love to them. Jesus understood all this. He saw them as they were about to enter its gloom. He yearned for them, and most intensely desired to eat this last Passover with them, that He might impart consolation and strength to their hearts and thus pre-
pare them for passing through the deep darkness. This was the great desire of Christ as He gave His life in unselfish sacrifice. He poured out His own holy blood, that he might fill a cup of infinite blessing for sinners. But here is a blessing within a blessing. While preparing eternal salvation for His people, He sought to comfort His friends, during the few hours of a starless night which must hang over them before morning could break in full glory. He desired to strengthen them to endure the sorrows which He saw coming upon them. We remember how He used that hour with the disciples. First, He ate the meal with them. Then He gave them the Lord's Supper, as a memorial. Then He opened His heart to them in the most wonderful farewell words that ever fell upon sorrowing spirits. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in See CHRIST on Page
4
For Everyone's Safety Protecting what's important We’re proud of our safety heritage. We’ll keep innovating new ways to help you protect what's important.
Bergeron Volvo Cars 3541 Veterans Boulevard Metairie, LA 70002 504.293.5283
www.BergeronVolvo.com
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” – Mark 10:27
Christmas 2021 3
