Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-10-22
JESUS CRUCIFIED.
DR.. JOHN HALLS NOTES ON THE
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON


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 or addition is not contradiction. We
could not have more solemn lesson than this,
and we may well study it reverently and look
ing to the Spirit to show us "the things of
Christ"
V H. 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," Golrotha is rendered "Calvarvn in
Luke. who wrote for Gentiles luke xiii,
80 Yet it was outside the walls: hence
Heb. xiii, y, ID, which see.) Everything
contemplated in the law and the prophets is
fulfilled.
V Is Seeing the crucifixion John was no
doubt affected by the companions executed
with TIE Saviour, and probably understood
their putting Him in the midst to he their
way of marking their detcstation. In the
midst'-what position for Him! (See Rev
8, VII lie refused. as we learn from Matt
- xxxiv, to he stupefed with vinegar or
sour wine see Mark Il, xiii mingled with
gall" or myrrh. lie would keep His mind
clear for veal or for woe. We know Him as
the man of sorrows, and can he sure of His
sympathy when we suffer
V. 10. PLATE is seen, in his spite and irrita-
ton, avenging himself on the Jews for put
ing him i'll the position he had to take. So he
insCribes ON the cross the hooking word of
V. ~. He puts it in three languages, a little
variation doubtless in some from the rest
Greel; was the spoken, Latin the Roman and
the official, Hebrew or Syro-C hadaic the old
Language of The country. The ject doubt
less was to make it readable to ALL for the
jews scattered over the world spoke many
tongues; and it was secured. See
'. ~. 1t was reed 10y many Of the Jews
They saw the point They wish the writing
to I've changed SO as to show that it was only
claim. and false one. they recognized But
in reply to their petition in V. 81 he is relent-
less, as we see i'll
Y. g.. Plate was here master of the situa-
ton. He is not even civil to them. In tho
spirit of n ruler who despises them he says.
"Your medding is useless: What have writ
ten have written" They had shut him up
to course against Lis own sense of Justice
&c tool, lis revenge.
V. %. We now come to another detail
mentioned by John because it fulfilled proph
!
st the time, and shows how true to the truth
of things is the inspired record. -Four soldiers
We're employed iii the cruciixion The gar
ment' Of n 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 nlinistered unto linn luke viii
8, they Ill | not like to rend or tear up to
divide it. Hence the plan of casting lots, n
fulfllment of prophecy by those who never
read it and could not read it Ps. xxi. Isl
BOtl steps III the process are indicated-the
parting of the garments and the casting lots
on the -ht" vesture. We have no evil
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.
Here it is that the insults to Christ came in
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-take their
own ground naturally and mock the claim of
king. So, too one of his companions reviled
him. cThe thieves" does not necessarily
mean that both reviled. The classes whence
class-his fellow sufferers. See Matt ii, 20
for the like use of the 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 We're 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 a 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 Il son
found expression. She was probably younger
than Joseph, a widow now, 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, 23l as her son-to
be as 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!n The 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 he 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
the company at prayer, as we see in Acts
1, Il
the plea is sometimes set up that our Lord
here pointed out Mary as mother to all 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 Christ was think
ing of Mary's welfare, not theirs, and with
good reason, for now was being fulfilled the
word of Luke ii, s. 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 ". 35)-John acted to
her rs a son Salome his mother was pres
ent and heard the charge. We now come to
the end-the actual death of our Saviour.
" %. Jesus knew that all was accom-
plished-the same word finished" in V. so
that his work was done, that prophecy was
all but completely fulfilled as far as this