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November 11, 1914.
A FAMILY PAPER.
Inthe Sabbath
School
Lesson IX. November 29, 1914
CHRIST CRUCIFIED.
By the Rev. Owen F. Thompson.
Golden Text.—Surely he hath born our griefs
and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him
stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.—Isaiah
53:4.
Lesson Text.—Mark 15:22-39 (Luke 23:39-43).
Times.—A. D. 30. Place.—Jerusalem.
Suitable Psalms.—22, 130, 88, 69.
Exposition.—There is more written and spoken
about the crucifixion of Christ than about any
other part of the Bible. This passage contains
so many important things that it will not be
possible to do more than suggest what might
be brought out along the different lines.
Christ refused the wine mingled with myrrh
because that was a preparation to deaden the
senses so that the pain would not be so great.
It also deadened the feelings so that the sense
of shame was not so great. Christ would not
take it because he must suffer both the shame
and the pain to the full.
We wonder at the brutality of the soldiers
who gambled for the clothes of the Savior^as he
hung stripped and naked on the cross above
them. We call it thoughtlessness today when
the same thing is done, but in God's sight the
careless crucifixion of Christ today is just as
brutal as it was two thousand years ago. We
quarrel and scheme over the advantages that
come through Christ and from the church, while
: the crucifixion of the Savior goes on without advantage
to those who die.
All the way through you can see the mockery
and the scorn of the Jews who worked so hard
to bring him in this place. They felt that it
was a victory for them that they should bring
this man down so low when he had made such
high claims. It is the taunt of a victorious
enemy'over one who has fallen at his hands.
He saved others, but could not save himself, for
that would have meant disobedience to God's
will. He learned obedience by the things that
he suffered so that he became obedient to death
when he knew that it was the Father's will.
He could not save himself because to do so
would disprove his divinity. It would have madfl
him weak and untrue to himself which things
could not be said of God.
He could not save himself because that would
mean the victory of Satan with all the loss to
God and men that would follow.
But even though it was thrown at him as a
weakness that he could not save himself, even
the Chief Priests could not but acknowledge that
he saved others. And if they had only known
it, "Christ showed the highest sort of greatness in
accepting defeat that he might save others.
In the thirty-third verse we are told of tbe
darkness that came over the whole land for
three hours while Christ hung on the cross.
Many have wondered why this darkness came.
Perhaps it was to hide this mo t terrible of all
deeds that have ever been perpetrated in the
world. Like a father shielding his little child
from some horrible sight, so the heavenly Father
cast his shadow over this terrible sight to shield
his people from the horror of it.
Perhaps the darkness was to hide the shame
of Christ suffering for sin. Think of the things
in your life that, you are ashamed of and then
if all the shameful things in all the lives of
God's people were brought together, you would
have the shame of Christ before God. It is
caUed the shameful death of the cross.
the darkness came perhaps to hide the
Father's dealing with his son for his guilt. As
a parent takes a child into an inner room when
he has sinned, so the Father by this darkness,
shut out the curious gaze of the world when he
dealt with his son for the sin he had taken
for us. .
• heaven his irigness the darkness. Christ. perhaps, more sufEering darkened Perhaps What the own Sun fearful darkness met upon to does It of more m. at look the showed Righteousness in that the He condition darkness and the upon devils terrible was wicked darkness alone. sin made how and of came sight. signified signifies even deed. leaves lonely. signify the sin when in to shutting for Heaven's world wrath the make God's we Things us. It person are frown world signifies without Christs of unwill-
alone brow seem God ot
in of
This darkness signifies to us all nature m
mourning at the death of its Creator and Lord.
'The rending of the temple veil from top to
bottom means that the holy of holies is opened
up for all now through the death of Christ Christ
IS the Way now. We have direct approach to
God through him. The old veil of ceremonies
and types has been removed.
As the bodies of the beasts that were sacrificed
for sin were burned without the camp, so Jesus
our Sacrifice, was taken without the camp, or
out of the city to suffer.-See Hebrews 13:11-12-13.
Christ suffering without the camp, showed that
he was considered worthless and unclean by
men whom he came to save.
Christ suffering without the camp shows the
depth to which men had fallen in immorality
that they should chose a murderer to be
turned loose among them and cast the Son of
God out of the city to die.
Now let us look at the whole story of the
crucifixion of Christ and see some of the things
that it signifies to us. It is a wonderful story
and it is the theme of the whole Bible. Christ
and him crucified was the subject of all Paul's
preaching.
The crucifixion signifies then, that the human
race had sunk to an infinite depth to be able to
look on the crucifixion of the Son of God, the
Redeemer, without raising a hand to stop it.
It signifies that the natural disposition of man
is to be cruel. Little children have to be taught
not to kill and torture defenceless creatures.
That disposition develops if unchecked.
It signifies that God and Satan, good and evil,
are the two extremes of all things that we know.
It signifies that sin is infinitely heinous. The
greatness of sin can be measured only by the
price paid for its atonement.
The crucifixion signifies that the highest service
is the service of sacrifice. The last thing
that a person is willing to give is himself. Whe a
you have reached the point where you can give
yourself, then you have reached the top. Greater
love hath no man, than this that a man lay down
his life for his friend.
The crucifixion signifies that the way of the
cross is the only way to God. If there had
been any other way, the Father would have certainly
taken it, for he suffered with Christ,
when he died on the cross. If there had been
any other way, Christ would certainly have taken
it, for the price he paid was far beyond our
power to conceive. It is the only way, for men
have been trying to reach God by other ways
than by the way of the cross and they have always
failed. If any man will come after me,
let him take up his cross and follow me. That
is the way that he has opened for us and there
is no other way provided.
I have read advertisements about the "easy
road to success" and "easy street" in business
and such as that, but Christ never advertises
the straight and narrow road of the Christian
walk as "easy road" or "easy street." It is
always the LESSON way of FOR the THE cross CHILDREN. and the greater the
Lesson sacrifice 'IX. the November more sure 29, you 1914. can be that you" are
on the road
By
that
Anna
Christ
Pritchard
walked
George.
and the way
that will lead you to God.
CHRIST CRUCIFIED.
What road are you on Have you found the
Mark way 15:21-41; of life to Luke be the 23:39-43. way of the cross That
does All not think mean hard that and it tell is the me road what that was one the must saddest
walk day with you doleful ever knew. face Yes, and Frances. loud lamentation.
"The day
mother Christ said died." to the That people was about certainly him as hard. he walked
the way is with of tbe Jesus cross, now Weep and so not happy. for me. Today You
But
mother
we will will find talk that about while the way saddest of the day cross this means whole
world the way ever of knew. self-sacrifice that this way is the
way In what of great city glory was at Jesus the when end and the the Jews way and to
Pilate an inheritance tried him. in the Bud Father's "In Jerusalem." house. And
what did they decide to do with Jesus, Mary
"Crucify him." On the table pile up the sand tor
the hills in and around Jerusalem. Lay these
stones around Jerusalem for the large wall, leaving
open spaces for the gates. Place these small
boxes in the city forming rows of bouses. All
these sticks are the people. Here is the Palace.
It is between eight and nine o'clock in the
morning. Here come a crowd from this building.
First come the soldiers, then three men, each
bearing a cross. One of the three is so weary
he can scarcely crawl along. Who is he, George
"Jesus." Jesus has been abused so much and
has been without food and sleep for so long that
he totters along barely able to drag his' feet.
Then here come the scribes and Pharisees and
the chief priests themselves, even the high priest
Following close is the noisy cruel crowd, yelling
and making fun of Jesus all the way. Here are
folks who look sad and women who are weeping.
Who are they. Buster "Jesus' friends"
They caUnot help Jesus but want to be with him
if they can.
As they come to this wall at the northern side
of Jerusalem, Jesus staggers and falls. Here is
a man passing by named Simon. He is a stranger
from Cyrene, and the men make him carry
Jesus' cross. Wouldn't you want to help Jesus,
James, when He was so weary "I'd have asked
to carry the cross." But Simon had to be made
carry it. "Him, they compelled to bear his
cross." He is like folks who growl about doing
what Jesus wants. They obey because they must
—not because they wish to.
The crowd are outside the city now. Jesus
hears the women crying. Would you expect Jesus
to be thinking of others now, John, when he is
on his way to be crucified But Jesus does not
thing of himself. "Daughters of Jerusalem," Jesus
says, "weep not for me, but weep for yourselves,
and for your children." The Jews are
bringing terrible times on themselves by their
cruelty to Jesus.
Now the soldiers bring Jesus and the two other
men, who are robbers, to Calvary, this hill
north of Jerusalem. Here they nail Jesus to the
cross and crucify the two robbers, one on each
side of Jesus. They offered Jesus something to
drink which would deaden the pain, but He
would not take it. It was wine mingled with gall.
Stand these three cardboard crosses in the sand.
Pilate places a sign over Jesus' cross which says
"Jesus of Nazareth, the King ot the Jews." The
chief priests do not like this and want Pilate to
change it, but he says, "What I have written I
have written."
Down here at the foot of Jesus' cross are a
group of soldiers. They are dividing Jesus'
clothing among them. His cloak is too fine to cut
so they cast lots for it. A little beyond the soldiers
are Jesus' friends. Who are there, Grace
"His mother." Yes, and John, the beloved disciple,
and Mary, the wife of Cleopas, and Mary
Magdalene. And all these other sticks stretching
away out over the country toward Jerusalem
are the people who have followed.
Jesus looks at those who have crucified Him,
then calls to His Father in Heaven, "Father, forgive
them, for tbey know not what they do." The
soldiers and the people passing by mock Jesus.
Even the chief priests and scribes and elders.
One of the robbers jeers at him, "Art not thou
the Christ Save thyself and us." You would
have thought the robber would be afraid to talk
that way when he is almost dead. The other
robber is sorry for his sins. He wishes he had
been a good man, and he believes in Jesus. Turning
to the firstrobber this one rebukes him, and
to Jesus he says, "Jesus, remember me when
thou comest into thy kingdom." Jesus sees the
man is in earnest and loves bim. "Verily I say
unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in Paradise."
Still Jesus' thoughts are all for othefs.
How about his mother, Ruth She will need some
one to care for her after Jesus has gone. Jesus
calls down to her, as she stands beside .Tohn,
"Woman, behold thy son!" Then to John, "Behold
thy mother!" So from now on John takes
care of Jesus' mother.
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