The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-12-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
tCArist Cruclnod John IO:11-30 - Mem
ory Verses 11-lO.

Aoufered for sins. II Pet. 3:1a
; CHNTRAL TRurR.-Christ crucihed Is the
Wisdom and power Of Goo for the salvation OF
tman.
TIME Friday, April z. A. d. 81, from ninc in
sshe morning till three in the afternoon.
PLAcs.-Ca,vary (Golgotha). just outside the
walls OF Jerusalem on the northwest.
PARALLEL AccoUNrs. Matt. "a $3.50 Mark
rs s:g2-27; Luke 23:3348
HELPS OVER HARD PLAcgs.-C) On the way
40 the cross ". ~. "And He bearing His
,sross:" each victim was accompanied by four
soldiers. Jesus bore His cross as long as Ee
leould, and then Simon from Cyrcne in Africa,
was compelled to help Him. great multi
ttude followed 'folgothH:" Hebrew for
"ssull" Calvary is from the Latin for skull.
Tho place was knoll in the shape OF q skull
lfg) Tho Crucidzion Tvs. 1890. Jesus was
laaiied to the cross SO that His feet would DO
tsut short distance from the ground. 20. "He-
tbrew," etc; the three chief languages thero
ispoken. (3) The First Of the Seven Words
.1rom tho Cross. "Fathsr, forgive them"
,spoken while Jesus was being aflxed to the
cross fLulse s3-34). (4>. The Four Soldiers di.
vide the Garments OF Jesus Among Themselves
Tvs. %. 24). Soon after nine o'clock ~ His
coat long tunic or undergarment.
a. ''Tbe Scripture -. fulfilled" Ps. 22:ia
% Elo o,seri.s Around tho Cross Matt
,27:s94D. Nine to twelve o'clock (c) Con-
tversson of the Penitent Robbcr (Luke
fp3 :3943). Toward noon (0 Tho Mother OF
Jesus and Other Women (vs. 25-2T). Toward
moon 81. Ills mothers sister," Salou1e, the
imptaer of John. "Cleopa5:" rather Clopas. the
isame as Alphaes. the father Of James the less.
tCs) Darkness Ovor All the Land Matt 27-4S>.
tErcm twelve TO thrco O'Clock. (9) The Closing
Scenes Tvs $500. About three o'clock.
"a "All Accomplishment" tho same word
.as finished ". 30). His whole work was done;
iall that the Scriptures had foretold. all neces-
isary for redemption. 'Scrpture:" Ps.
sop:ai. 90. "vinegar:" common sour wine for
the soldiers to drink. 80. "It Is hnished:"
what was finished! His life on earth, His lifo's
work, the cup Of suffering the atoncment for
isho sins Of the world the old era and dispense
;tion tho prophecies OF Scripture. QW 40
Ispmpanying Signs. Earthquake, veil OF the
temple rent and graves opened.
SUBJECTS FOR FURTHER STUDY. - Cruel
i2x1on. - Calvary. = Tho title. = The women
tAround the oross.-John and tho mother OF
5yosus.-"It Is finished. hod."-Aceompanying signs.
The atonement.
LESSON COMMENT.
From nine o'clock until twelve and
.from twelve o'clock until three Christ
hung upon the cross, patient, uncom-
spiaining. suffering, dylng--a spectacle
for men and angels to weep over. Dur
.irg those six hours Of agony He spoke
seven times All Of these utterances are
significant, but to three of them we de-
sire to direct special attention.
A PRAYER ON THE CRoss.-A prayer
for Himself? No, but for those who
were mailing Him fast to the tree.
''Father, forgive them, for they know
not what they do" Truly, to pray for
these men was Divine. 1t is comfort
ing thought that this prayer was an
swered, for later on we read that they
exclaimed: Truly this was the Son
OF God" Matt. 27:54). 1t seems as
though the hearts Of the centurion and
his fellows were touched with Divine
power, so that when He died their faith
sprang up in spite of His death and tri-
umphed in the darkest hour Of the
worlds history.
Hrs PROMISE ON THE Cross.
thieves hung near Him that day. Both
began disappearing Him. At some time
during the morning one Of them was
4ouched, repcnted, prayed. At the
member me when Thou comest into
Thy Kingdom" he seems to have been
the only soul living whose faith had not
gone ont in utter darkness. The one
bright ray at that awful scene streamed
from the cross Of that repentant thief.
For his prayer shows three things: 1)
that he believed Jesus was Lord; (2)
that he believed Jesus was going into
His kingdom! (S) that Jesus had power
to bless him from the kingdom to which
He was going. To this prayer Jesus
answers by gracious promise: ITO
day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise. I"
mn
About three o'clock in the afternoon,
after three hours Of silence and Of
darkness, the air was suddenly rent
with an awful cry. For with great
voice Jesus cried: my God, my God,
why hast Thou forsaken Me?" What
depth of soul-agony gave birth to that
cry, no one will ever know. 1t was not
bodily suffering that evoked it, but in
tense spiritual anguish. Hints may be
gathered from passages like that in
Isaiah 1910: "Yet it pleased Jehovah
TO bruise Him; He hath put Him to
grief" and Peter 2:24. where we read:
''Who His own self bear our sins in His
own body on the tree" In some mys-
terious way, the sins of the world rolled
over Christ as He hung there; and the
Hight even Of Gods face seems to have
been withdrawn from the we'll beloved
Son. There and then it was, that He
made atonement for our sins, and paid
the ransom for our souls. Not the
teachings, but the sufferings, Of Jesus,
are our ransom. Not the life of Jesus,
but His death. has opened the way OF
salvation for you and for me. The
prayer for the soldiers, and the promise
to the thief, gain their power and eff
cheney from the suffering which evoked
the mighty cry Of agony that day.-Rev.
A. r. Schauff1er, ID. d.
LESSONS FROM THE CROSS.
1. The steps of the repentant thief
Il, acknowledgment of his sins, (2) CON
abssion that Christ is innocent, (S) faith
IN Jesus, ~ prayer, (5) assurance Of
eternal life in Paradise.
., Verses 20, 81. The height of un'
,selfishness is to remember others
needs, even in the hours Of greatest
agony.