The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-06-10
SABBATH. SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOE
JUNE IL.
Lesson Text: "Jesus Crucifed," Luke
xxiii., 33-46-Golden Text:
Cor. xv., 3-Com-
mentary.

So. "There they cruciaed Him." Four
words, but how unutterably significant, VINO
can measure It? Then the events between
i the passover and supper OF the evening De-
fore and this last and crowning event: Geth-
semane, the betrayal and arrest, Peters de.
nial, the long and weary and awful night
and morning before the council, and Herod,
| and Plate; the mockery and the scourginS,
and now the crucifxion, and that between
two malefactors as If He. too, was one.
Truly He was numbered with the transgres-
sors, and He complained not. Oh, my soul,
1t was all for thee! What thinkest thou OF
1t, and Of Him who was crucifed on thy ac-
count2
"a. "Father, forgive them, for they know
not what they do" This was Bis first utter
ance from the cross. If we take the seven
In order as we find them here and In verse
4S. then John XIX. 1927; Math. xvii. 46;
John xix, %, 80; Luke x1iit., As, we have
suggested to US the great facts OF forgive
ness, glory, all that we need between for
giveness and glory, His being forsaken that
We might never be. His thirst and all that Is
implied In 1t, His finished work and then His
exit from the body to His Father
IS. "He saved others. Let Him save Him
self II He be Christ, the chosen OF God"
Thus the people and the rulers derided Him:
not. therefore they talked foollshly. He
could have saved Himself, for he said, mo
man taketh My life from Me. lay 1t down
Of Myself" (Johp K, 1s), but he could not
save Himself and save others too. He laid
down His life voluntarily that He might
save others.
save Thyself." Thus the soldiers also
Knocked Him, not knowing what they said:
He would not save Himself, but He would
save them If they would let Him, for had
He not prayed for them even as they drove
the nails into His hands2 Let us lay to
heart His words, "He that saveth his lie
shall lose it, but he that loseth his life for My
sake, the same shall save 1t duke TX, 2Q.
3S. "This isthe King Of the Jews" Thus
PLATE caused 1t to be written over Him in
the languages of the world. Greek and Latin
and Hebrew, and he would not alter 1t even
to please the Jews. This was doubtless Of
God. for the time will come when all the
world shall see and acknowledge that this
same Jesus. once crucified at the place OF q
He also be King OF Kings and Lord Of Lords.
without Him all the things Of earth are as
empty as skull, nothing to them, all vanity
and vexation Of spirit, but In Him and with
Him all Is peace and righteousness.
SO. "And one Of the malefaetors which
were hanged rallied on Him, saying, II Thou
be Christ, save Thyself and u.s." Both Mat,
Him. Luke does not contradict that, Tor II
both at first did 1t, he Is correct in saying
that one Of them did 80, and he doubtless
refers to the one who persisted In doing go.
TO save Himself and them was impossible,
but to give His life In orderto save them was
what He was doing.
40. "Dost not thou fear God. seeing thou
art In the same condemnationr when
malefactor turns preacher, something has
happened to him, and In O short space OF
time something remarkable has come to this
thief. His eyes have been opened to see that
the One in the midst Is more than He ap-
pears to be, and he has already In his heart
believed upon Him and received Him as
Lord.
the due reward Of our deeds, but this man
hath dore nothing amiss." Here Is evidence
of the new birth. he condemns himself and
iustifes the Lord, whereas the carnal mind,
which Is enmity against God, always justI-
fles itself and condemns God (Rom. Will, .;
Luke XVII, 15). He confesses mis- sins and
acknowledges that he Is suffering only What
he Justly deserves, while at the same time
he testifes to the holiness Of the One In the
midst. This Is the work OF the Spirit Oh
God.
AZ. "And he said unto Jesus, Lord re-
member me when Thou comest into my
kingdom" No man can say that Jesus is
the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit q COZ.
Kill, 81. See, then, the Spirits Work IN tnis
mans heart. he believes that Jesus, though
crucined as an evil doer, Is the Lord OF
glory and that He has kingdom.
4S. "And Jesus said unto him. Verify
saw unto thee, to-day shalt thou be with Me
in paradise" What a Joy. to the penitent
thief, his sins all gone, his bodily suffer1ngs
glory with his Lord! Let us not modify or
seek to alter the precious words They are
In perfect accord with other words Of the
book concerning the death OF the righteous.
"To die is gain ITO depart and be with
Christ is far better" "Absent from the
body. present with the LORD Phil. l., q,
%; II Cor. ", 81. But. says one, Jesus had
not ascended to the Father when De met
Mary Magda!ene on the morning Of the ere re-
could the thief be with Him in paradise
that day? He spoke 10 Mary Of His ascend
ing to the Father In His risen body. but as
to His Spirit he was surely IN paradise as
soon as He died.
A. "And 1t was about the sixth hour, and
there was a darkness over all the earth until
the ninth hour" he was crucifed at the
third hour MARX xv, 25), or In the morn
ing, and from noon till p. m. there was
this awful darkness, for the prince OF dark
ness was doing his worst. 1t was his hour
and the power Of darkness:
IS. "And the sun was darkened, ana the
veil Of the temple was rent In the midst"
When the Son Of Righteousness was suffer-
ing for the sins OF the world, 1t was surely
meet that the sun in tho heavens should re-
fuse to shine Just before He comes IN HIS
glory the sun and moon shall both be dark
ened in the day of His wrath CMath. XIV,
2s, SO). The veil in the temple was a symbol
las body for He hath opened for Us new
say, His flesh (Heb. Z, 20). The veil was
worked full of cherubim, and when 1t was
rentthe cherubim were rent also. When He
died, all who believe in Him died.
46. "Father into Thy hands commend
MY Spirit" These were. His last words
uttered with loud voice, so that He may be
said to have died In His full strength. They
did not take His life, He gave It up and He
went out to God. When Stephen died. he
said, "Lord Jesus receive my spirit" Acts
VIII, 59), and he went out to be with his
Lord, more alive than he ever was before.
while kind hands laid his body away till
| Jesus copnes-LAssou Helper.