The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1914, Page 89

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Che Lutheran Pioneer.

A. MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PUBLISHED BY THE EvANGELIcAL LuTHeraN SyNopical CoNFERENCE oF Nort AMERICA.

REv. F. J. LANKENAU, EDITOR.

Entered at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter.

Vol. XXXVI. ST. LOUIS, MO., DECEMBER, 1914. No. 12.

The Sweetest Story Ever Told.

The sweetest story ever told
Is that of Christ, our Lord,

Who came to Bethlehem of old

Great help us to afford.

Our human Brother He became,
And Jesus is His gracious name.

The sweetest story ever told
Is that of Christ, our King,

Of whom the shepherds by their fold

Heard angel voices sing,

“Glory to God, good will to men,
And peace shall reign on earth again!”

The sweetest story ever told
Is that of God’s own Child,
Who myrrh and frankincense
Received from sages mild
That from the Orient afar

and gold

Had traveled, guided by a star.

The sweetest story ever told ,
Is that of Jesse’s Rod,

Who, as the prophets had foretold,

Appeased ‘the wrath of God,

And, dying for us on the cross,

Made restitution for our loss.

The sweetest story ever told
Should be retold anew
Wherever sorrows manifold
The hearts of men pursue;

For he that trusts this heavenly Child

Rejoices — God_ is reconciled.

The sweetest story ever told
Will be the glorious theme

That will resound a thousandfold

Before the Throne Supreme,

Where saints with angels evermore

Our blessed Savior will adore.

H. OsTeruvs.

Unto Us a Child Is Born,
Unto Us a Son Is Given.

Thus the holy prophet exultantly cries out in
view of the future birth of the Messiah: The
powerful faith of the holy seer leaps over the inter-
vening centuries, and speaks of that which is to
happen as though it had already occurred. “Unto
us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given,” he
says. And he says, “Unto us, us.’ The whole
world, all sinners, all the fallen children of Adam,
shall have part in this Child, this Son; all the
nations of the world shall be blessed in Him. For
the prophet is not announcing the birth of an ordi-
nary child, whose advent will fill a few hearts with
joy, but this Child of which Isaiah here speaks
is none other than the only-begotten Son of the
Most High, the great God Himeelf.

This is the Christ, our God and Lord,
Who in all need shall help afford;

He will Himself your Savior be

From all your sins to make you free.

He is speaking of none other than the long-
expected Messiah; of the Prophet greater than
Moses; of the Priest greater than Aaron; of the
King greater than David; of the Star of Jacob
and the Scepter of Judah. What the fathers most
desired, what they longed for many a year, the
prophet sees fulfilled in glory, and at the sight
he exults: “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son
is given.’— And what a wonderful description
Isaiah gives of the Messiah, of the Savior, when
he continues: “And His name shall be called Won-
derful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Evyer-
lasting Father, The Prince of Peace!”

Wonderful is the first name of the Savior, and
most appropriate it is. He is wonderful in person.