Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-10-21
JESUS CRUCIF1ED.
DR.. JOHN HALLS NOTES ON THE
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.


Text. John XIX, 1890.
A comparison Of our lesson with the cor.
responding passages in the other evangelists
will show that no one copies from the Others.
Each gives his own account Of the events,
and it Is to be remembered always that
omission oraddition is not contradiction. We
could notaave more solemn lesson than this,
and we may well study it reverently and look
ing to the Spirit to show us "the things Of
Christi
V. Il, The cross was laid on Jesus as We
see in the other gospels, but He seems likely
to faint under it, and they laid it on Simon
of Cyrene, who was coming into the city.
The place, as v. 90 shows, was nigh to the
city, Golgotha is rendered Calvary" in
Luke, who wrote for Gentiles luke xxii),
So. Yet it was outside the walls; hence
Heb. xiii, 12, 10, which see.) Everything
contemplated in the law and the prophets is
fulfilled.
V. Is. Seeing the crucifxion John was 10
doubt affected by the companions executed
with the Saviour, and probably understood
their putting Him "in the midst" to be their
way of marking their detestation an the
midst"-what position for Him! (Sec Rev.
5, viz He refused, as we learn from Matt.
q, xxxiv, to be stupefled with vinegar or
sour wine Csee Mark -, xiii mingled with
"gall" or myrrh. He would keep His mind
clear for veal or for woe. We know Him as
the man of sorrows, and can be sure of His
sympathy when we suffer.
V. 49, PLATE is seen, in his spite and irrita-
ton, avenging himself on the Jews for put
ing him in the position he had to take So he
inscribes on the cross the mocking word of
v. 10. Heputs it in three languages, little
variation doubtless in some from the rest
Greek was the spoken, Latin the Roman and
the official, Hebrew or Syro-Chaldaic the old
language of the country. The object doubt
less was ito make it readable to all, for the
Jews scattered over the world spoke many
tongues; and it was secured. See
V. 20. 1t was read by many of the Jews
They saw the point. They wish. the writing
to be changed SO as to show that it was only a
claim, and fplse one, they recognized But
in reply to their petition in " 81 he is relent-
less, as we see in
V. 90. PLATE was here master of the Situa-
tion. He is not even civil to them. In the
spirit of ruler who despises them he says,
"Your meddling is useless; What have writ
ten I have written" They had shut him up
10 a course against his own sense of Justice
He took his revenge.
". %. We now come to another detail
mentioned by John because it fulfilled proph-
ecy. IL ILLUSTRATES one or the uSageS common
at the time, and shows how true to the truth
of things is the inspired record. Four soldiers
were employed in the crucifxion. The gar
ments of criminal were their perquisite.
They divided up the articles of his raiment
among them One piece, a coat or tunic,
possibly of superior quality, the gift perhaps
of women who ministered unto him Uukc viii,
81, they did not like to rend or tear up to
divide it. Hence tho plan of casting lots, a
fulfllment Vt prophecy by those who never
read it and could not read it FPS. xxi, 49,
Both steps in the process are indicated-the
parting of the garments and the casting lots
on the wrought" vesture. We have no evi-
dence that any usage of the kind existed when
the psalm was written. The heather soldiers,
without hints from any one, carried out "a
prediction whose existence before Hebrews
had heard of Romans can only be explained
by inspiration.
from the passers by, from the chief priests,
from the soldiers, who-while the chief priests
revile him for calling himself the son of God
and testify to his trust in God-tako their
own ground naturally and mock the claim of
king. So, too, one of his companions rcviled
him. ("The thieves" does not necessarily
mean that both reviled. The classes whence
the mockery came are named, including this
class-his fellow sufferers. See Matt. ii, %
for the like use Of tho plural where only one
is named). We now come to another touch
ing fact in the last scenes. By the cross
". 25.) stood, among other women, the
mother of Jesus. "The three Marys' is a
frequent phrase. They were near while he
was still able to speak. They would move
farther off when he was dead and the soldiers
were doing their work "Sister" is some
times used in general sense. Clopas, as it
really is, is thought to be the father of James
the less When Jesus saw his mother SO
standing, all the human tenderness of son
found expression. She was probably younger
than Joseph, widow Row, and from her re-
lation to Jesus would lose friends among the
Jews (his "brethren" did not recognize his
real character), and SO need care. He directed
her to John (see John xiii, 23) as her son-to
be as q son to her from that time on, and
John, as we learn from v. 81, accepted the
trust made by his Masters words, "Behold
thy mother!" Tho "woman" is a word with
no harshness in it, but probably here and at
the marriage in Cana he meant to show that
the mere earthly relations was not the main
thing to be thought of, but rather his great
redeeming work. Yet he does not forget
this relationship. Christianity binds kindred
together. John had home in Jerusalem.
He took Mary to his home. She was with
Il, a.
The pleais sometimes set up that our Lord
here pointed out Mary as mother to oil the
disciples, that all might revere her. No
wonder that the church of Rome does not
favor general bible reading, for one has only
to see the context to be satisfied that only
John was there, that he Christi was think
ing of Mary's welfare, not theirs, and with
good reason, for now was being fulfilled the
word of Luke ii, IS. That Mary has been
given the place once occupied by Grecian
and Roman goddesses is one of the worst
features in Rome "From that hour
possibly taking her away then, SO as to
escape the heartrending scenes, and then
coming back himself w.. 35--John acted to
her as a son. Salome, his mother, was pres
emit and heard the charge We now come to
the end--hhe actual death of our Saviour.
V. %. Jesus knew that all was accom-
plished-the same word as finished" in v. so
that his work was done, that prophecy was
all but completely fulfilled as far as this
event was concerned He said, II thirst, i" not
in the hope that his heartless enemies would
soothe his misery, but that the Scriptures
might be fulfilled. CSee Ps. Xix, q, and
compare Ps. xii, 15) Vinegar or sour wine