Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-06-11
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
international Lesson for June IA. 1906
Jesus Crucified-Luke 23:33-46.

4 GOLDEN TEXT.-Christ died for our sins
according TO the Scriptures Cor. f:S.
LESSON NOTES.
l. The Trial-From a little before
one o'clock Friday morning till sunrise,
about half-past five, Jesus was endur-
4 ing an unjust trial. in some form. before
the Jewish authorities. The court
/ was the Jewish sanhedrim. The first
meeting was irregular, because it was
illegal 10 try any person before it dur
ing the night. The witnesses were
difficult TO procure, of the kind sought.
/ But, finally. two false witnesses We're
/ obtained. who perverted a saving of
Jesus, and did not agree even in their
4 Perversiou. The sentence was pro-
nounced. not from anything the wit
nesses brought forward. bur from
Jesus own confession that He was the
i Messiah, the Son Of God This they
construed as blasphemy, n capital Of
Tense among the Jews. lie was voted
/ TO be worthy of death. The saphedrim
then adjourned TIL dawn, when they
met in regular session. and pronounced
the formal sentence.
It was now that Peter was .sifted
as wheat" Peter, beset and worried
/ by a crowd IF menials and roughs, sur
rounded 10y darkness. amid unknown
! dangers, thrice denied his Master, the
last time with cursing and swearing.
Sach conduct was unlike that Of dis
ciple. Jesus look of reproof was more
! eloquent than volume of words, and
Peter went out and wept bitterly.
! After the latter session of the sanhe-
drim, Jesus was taken before Plate.
The religious accusation of blasphemy
would be of no account in Pilates
courts, hence twas carefully suppressed.
Instead of this, the Jews charged Jesus
with treason, under the triple accusa-
tion of CD sedition, exciting revolt
against Rome. (2) rebellion, refusing
to pay tribute, and (3) open treason
in claiming to be king. The second
charge we know was utterly false, and
the other TWO, though true in a sense,
not true in the sense intended and not
ut all reasonable. PLATE knew Jesus
| to be innocent, but wanted to please the
Jews. He tried in various ways TO es-
cape L formal decision, but in vain.
Il The sentence of death by ecrucifxion
was finally pronounced. ana Jesus was
led ont toward Calvary.
H. The Crucifxion.-T was trans
4 piring from nine o'clock till three, Fri
day, April Z, on Calvary. Just outside
the walls of Jerusalem, beginning and
ending at the hours of the daily sacri-
flee.
As soon as the sentence was pro-
nouneed the necessary preparations
were made, during which some of the
soldiers Knocked Jesus again, and then
the sad procession moved out of the
castle. Two incidents of the journey
are described-Simon of Cyrene com
PEELED to aid Jesus in bearing the cross,
and Jesus words to the daughters Of
Jerusalem. Thus Jesus was aided by the
strength of man and the sympathy of
woman.
i Jesus was nailed to the cross while it
was lying upon the ground, then it was
| slowly raised with the sufferer upon it.
CrucifiXion was an unspeakably awful
form of death. The most revolving fea-
ture of death by crucifXion was that
the torture was deliberately prolonged.
Jesus was upon the cross five or six
the burning of the wounds in the hands
and feet, the uneasiness of the un-
natural position, the oppression of
| overcharged veins and the intolerable
thirst were constantly increasing. But
the most intense su:ferings of Jesus
were of the spirit. He was bearing the
sins of the world.
We may here note four scenes of in
terest that took place around the cross.
First, the parting of Christ's raiment
by the guard of soldiers, then the east
ing of lots for Ills inner coat or tunic.
Second, the shouting, scofing and
mocking of the unrulv, turbulent
crowd, crying: "He saved others; let
Him save Himself The rulers and sol
diers also took part in this mockery.
Third. there were friendly watchers
amid these exciting scenes; the three
Marys were there-Mary, the mother of
Jesus; Mary, the wife of Cleopas, and
Mary Magdalene. His mothers sister,
the mother of John. was there, as also
many other women from Galilee; John
was there, and the other disciples were
probably not far away. Fourth, about
noon Jesus commits His mother to the
care of John.
The conversion of one of the malefac-
tors, crucified with Jesus, occurred to-
ward noon. One of the malefactors
joined the mob in crying: IF thou be
the Christ, save Thyself and u.s." But
the other, answering, rebuked him,
saying: ''Dost not thou fear God, see
ing thou art in the same condemna-
ton? And we, indeed, justly; for we
receive the due reward of our deeds;
but this man hath done nothing amiss.
Then the request that Immediately fol-
lows implies that the robber had heard
of some of the teachings of Jesus. He
believed in Christ as the Son of God
and in the Immortality Of the soul
The darkness that fell upon the earth
at about - o'clock was typical of the