The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-06-01
JESUS ON THE CROSS.
LESSON X, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL sERlEs, JUNE 8.

Golden Text, Phil. n, s-Memorixs
Holman.
condensed from Lesson Helper Quarterly, by
permission OF IL 8 Hoffman, Philadelphia,
pvblisher
Notes.-v. 80. Golgotha, usual place Of
execution The Latin word calvary, its
equivalent, also means skull, from its conical
shape. v. a. Vinegar, bitter, Supplying
drink to deaden the feeling of pain V. 3a
Thieves, robbers. " 80. Wagging their
heads In token of derision and insnlt Job
xvi, q; Ps elk, 25 v. %. Darkness, not an
eclipse, but preternaturai gloom that indi-
Gated the awfully wicked deed done. v. 40
Ell, or "Eloi" Ps xii, 4; lisa. lii, 10;
lxiii, 3-5. v. 30. Cried again, "it Is
finished" John xix, 30 Loud voice, a shout
of victory, Luke xiii, 90
V. 33. The Via Dolorosa or Via Crucis, or
the Lords road from the Pr@torium to Col
| goths, which required ON this occasion a half
an hour to pass, was marked at every step by
the blood which oozed from the freshly
scourged body of Jesus The natural pain
from tho scourging was augmented by the
heavy cross which he, like all the con-
| demned, had to bear. Exhausted by long
watching, by troubled night such as no
man ever since or before passed through and
now by the most intense bodily suffering, he
at last tainted and sunk under the burden of
bis cross, so that Simon, the Cyreap, was
seized to help him carry 1t.
Golgotha, or Calvary, an elevated placs
somewhat resembling In shape q human
skull, was then without the city limits for
capital punishment was not permitted within
the walls. This was also Roman law He
was cast out of the city Of God, that we
might obtain entrance into the heavenly
Jerusalem Golgotha, once the most dread
ful and horrible place on the earth, had be-
come through Christ the mountain of bless
ings Christ can transform the vilest sinner
into a shining saint.
V. 81. There was offered our Lord the
usual potion given to such as were crucified
10 stupefy the senses, but he was unwilling
TO dull them TO pain or to dim his commun-
ion with God He came to taste our death,
and he wished no intoxicant to blunt that
taste
v. S. The criminal having arrived at the
place of execution, was required to be stripped
Of all his clothes, and then was laid upon the
cross with his arms stretched out upon its
cross beams. Then by several strong and
we'll directed blows of mallet or hammer
huge nails were driven through the hands
and feet, fastening the body to the instru-
ment of torture Then the cross was lifted
and let fall violently into the hole that had
been previously dug In the earth. Il was so
cruel and shameful mode of punishment as
never to have been meted out to Roman citi-
Eens, but reserved only for slaves, rebels and
the most abandoned and worthless characters
1t was at the same time the most painful
form Of death. a. The position of the arms
and body was most unnatural The least
motion caused the most intense smart. c2.)
The nails were driven through clusters Of the
most sensitive nerves and ltendous of the
hands and feet, causing the most exquisite
anguish. g. The exposure Of 50 many
wounds to the air and the heat of midday
brought on violent inflammation a. The
free circulation of the blood was prevented.
More blood was carried out by the arteries
than could be returned by the veins This
caused determination Of blood to the brain,
producing inexpressible agony. o. Death
was not immediate. The pain increased and
some had been known to languish thus till
the seventh day. Our Saviour's sufferings
soon terminated, because Of the intense SUI
fering Of mind and body which preceded his
crucifxion. Only the inquisition, with its
fendish inventions, has been able to equal
this torturing death. Such was the death
Jesus died, to make atonement for our sins.
All that he suffered was for us. What a
price was paid for US II he died for u.s.
what ought we not be willing to do for himl
v. SO. The soldiers now watched him that
none should remove the body. Sometimes
this watch lasted several days.
V. 81, 1t was customary to attach to the
cross the crime and name Of the crucifed
person PLATE wrote or caused to have writ
ten the crime for which Jesus was executed
SchafR
V. 80. To add an additional shame to
Christ's crucifixion he was associated and ex-
ecuted with malefactors.
V. 80, 40. "His cruciied condition was in
such contrast with the title over him and
with his own words, as to excite the mirth of
the crowd" Peloubet. They perverted
words which Jesus used. But it is remarkable
that what was then taking place resulted in
the destruction of the temple. They derided
his claims and jested at his agonies He
could not come down from the cross because
he was the Messiah Had he come down he
would not have been the anointed Christ.
He who seeks first to save himself is never
able to save others.
v.41, AZ. The offense for which Jesus was
crucified was that he claimed to be divine,
that he was the Messiah, that he was the Son
of God. All this he was, and by numerous
miracles proved that he was more than a
mere man. The mass of the people were
eager to hail him as the long expected Mes
siah. But because his kingdom was not
temporal, but spiritual, they rejected him.
Unwittingly the chief priests, scribes and
elders, who reviled and Knocked, bore testi-
mony to his having ~ saved others,n c9
"trusted God" and C3 said ~ am the Son of
Godn
VA Up to this time both of the thieves
upbraided Christ, but a wondrous and
blessed change was now wrought in one
Gods Spirit can turn blasphemy into prayer
and scoffers into saints
v. AZ The darkness was preternatural,
and was not caused by an eclipse Of the sun,
for the moon was full, making an eclipse inn
possible.
v. 40. We seem to have in this exclamation
an intensified renewal of the agony of Geth-
semane. The climax of his substitutionaIy
sufferings is now reached. In his terrible
anguish it seemed to the human nature OF
Christ that he was deserted by God. But he
was really not forsaken. He could still say
"My God" "Even IL God hides his face
from US We need not despair; the sun Of his
grace Is still behind the clouds Of Judgment"
Schaff.
V. AZ, 4S. His enemies indulge In a goddess
| pun upon the word ELI" to deride him and
his Messianic claims At this time Jesus ut
tered his fifth word from the cross, ~ thirst"
| John xix. 2s,, and In answer to it the sour
wine In sponge was lifted to his lips This
was weak wine, without the ingredients
first offered him ". 34) and could not intoxi.
cate Therefore he drank it.
v. So The ransom is fully paid. The atone
ment is perfected. The old dispensation is
ended His suffering life is over. The curse
u removed And hence with a loud yoics
Jesus said, tstslests, st Is Finished" yohr
xix, 30