Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-05-23

Lesson for May 70.
Golden Text.--"While we were yet sim
ners, Christ died for us"-Rom. 3: 8.
Jesus on the Cross Is the subject of this
lesson, found in Mark 10: 22-37. Calvary,
at last. We have been on the way TO 1t
for long time. All through the life OF
Christ the cross has, cast it's shadow, and
indeed in the preceding lesson from the
Old Testament we have had constant fore
glimpses of it's outlines. 1t Is the center
point in the worlds history, in the long
ranges of eternity. Here all lines of proph-
ecy meet. from here all streams of bene-
ficence flow forth About this crossbeam
the discipleship of the ages groups itself.
and the angels hover overhead, The Sun
day schools of the world may well make
solemn pause here, to-day-solemn and
glad, also.
I'm the cross of Christ glory
Towering DER the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime"
''The place Golgotha." Most vivid point,
most distinct place in all history. And
how many are overlooking and ignoring
it! "They bring him." The first meaning
of the word Is to bear, to carry (fero).
Christ was swept there by Jewish hate,
by Roman cruelty, by your sin and mine.
We helped in bringing Christ to his cross.
"He received il not'-the wine mingled
with myrrh. He would take no stupefy-
ing draught. He would endure in his
own strength, and by his election, the
whole burden of the hour. His own re-
ceived him not, but he meekly and
graciously received death for them.
For their sake he would take
nothing less. ''They parted his gar
ments." Poor witless soldiers; they
did not know, but they were fulfill
ing prophecy and indicating Scripture
there. The psalm of the cross (22) was
here put in graphic tableau.
''They that were crucified with him re-
viled him." This may have been literally
the case at the first. the penitence of the
one coming later, after he had beheld the
kingly suffering of the Christ. And yet
the account is eliptical. and Mark may
have simply spoken of Christ's attend
ants upon the cross here in a general
way, Luke only (23: 30-43) particulariz-
ing and distinguishing them.
"When the sixth hour was come, there
was darkness over the whole land until
l.
sympathized, and this great event was
signalized also by miraculous portent
"Jesus cried with loud voice and gave
up the ghost" saying probably here,
Father, into thy hands l commend my
spirit" Just before, he had said 1T is
finished" and moment before that, "My
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
meY There were seven voices on the
cross, four of them spoken expressly in
mans behalf.
Hints and Illustrations.
"On Calvary there was a cross,
And nailed thereon was One
Who was the bearer of my sins,
Gods well-beloved Son."
Incorporate Golgotha into your personal
history; consider Calvary as a part of
yourself Jesus was there for you, for
me. Our part then in one aspect was as
large as his; yes, larger. The sin there
carried was all ours; the strength and
glory and righteousness all his. Accept
to-day of Christ's atonement. Drive the
truth home i'm the minds and hearts of
all, that the stupendous transaction of
the cross is. as nothing to us unless it
mean individual salvation. Is he your
Saviour? Do you take him now?
"Oh, why was he there as the Bearer Of
sin
If on Jesus thy guilt was not laid?
Oh, why from his side flowed the sin
cleansing blood,
If his dying thy debt has not paidT
At the hour of his deepest anguish Jesus
was still all compassion. He thought of
others rather than of himself. When he
saw the women weeping on the way to
the cross his word was: Daughter of
Jerusalem, weep not for me. but weep for
yourselves and for your children" Christ's
last act ere he yielded up the ghost was
ministering to others. He had enough
sorrow of his own land indeed he bore the
griefs of us alp to weigh him down, but
he looked down and ministered comfort
to his mother. Himself he could not save
being Christ, but he turned and mnistered
salvation to the penitent thief at his side.
When we behold that anguish In Geth-
semane and that pain upon the cross, what
does it say to us? This at least: If our
salvation meant so much to Christ, the
Son of God, what ought it to mean to us?
Is it nothing to me that Jesus died in be-
half of my poor lost soul?