Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-06-09

o'clock, Friday morning. April Z, A. d. 80.
Place.-The high priests palace, the hall OF
the Sanhedrim, Pilates pretorium or judg-
trent hail. and Herod's palace.
Rulers.--Tiberius Caesar, emperor Of Rome;
Pontius PLATE, governor of Judea; Herod An
ipas. of Galilee; Caiaphas, the high priest.
To-day's lesson, includes Luke %: 1916. The
explanations are as follows
S. ''.fiie place called Calvary" The
skull, probably from it's shape, knoll in the
form of a skull. Calvary is Latin and Col
gotha Hebrew for skull. Scholars now tend
toward the belief that Calvary was the knoll
In which is the grotto of jeremiah, about 800
feet beyond the north wall Of the city. They
crucified him." Jesus was nailed to the cross
while it was lying upon the ground, then it
was slowly raised with the sufferer upon 1t.
The feet Of the sufferer were only foot or
two above the ground, and not as represented
in most pictures.
"a. Father. forgive them" These first
words from the cross were probably spoken in
the height Of the agony, when the cross with
the victim upon it was dropped with sudden
wrench into its place in the ground. They
know not what they do They did not realize
that they were numbering their Messiah, the
one who loved them with an infinite love. the
Son of God Therefore, forgiveness was pos
sible for them. and change OF life. They had
not passed the degree from which return was
impossible And they" the guard of
soldiers, parted his raiment," those parts
which could be fairly divided among them,
casting lots for his inner coat or tunic,
which was woven in single piece.
80. And the people and the rulers
also with them derided him. scoffed at him.
There was an unruiy turbulent crowd, shout
ing, soothing, mocking. He saved others; let
him save himself" which of course he could
do III he were he ..Chrisf the Messiah They
implied that he was cheat, mere trickster,
who had deceived the people, unless he proved
his power by using IL to save himself from
crucfxion. But he did not come down, in
order that he might save others. and because
he was the Messiah.
80. THE soldiers also" took part in the
mockery. 1t seemed absurd that this dying
man was king, yet by this act he was be-
coming king over wider realm than Rome
ever knew.
SO. and a superscription also was written
over him." The white tablet nailed upon the
cross above the head of the victim, to declare
the crime for which he was crucified. In
letters of Greek" the language of literature
and culture, read in all cultured circles Of
the world Latin, for the Roman soldiers. the
language of law and power. And Hebrew"
the language of the Jews, the language of re-
ligion. lone of the malefactors," called else
where robbers" Probably Jewish fanatics,
who made insurrection against the Roman
power, and used this as a pretext for rapine
and murder. Rallied on him. in his agony,
wondering why Jesus did not exert his power
II he had any. Pain does not necessarily make
one better. IF thou be Christ" the Messiah,
as Jesus confessed before the high priests.
49, The other rebuked him." 1t is
quite possible that he had heard Jesus and
seen his miracles, and had witnessed the trial.
Al. I'VE indeed justly" showing his peni-
tence
AZ. Lord, remember me when thou CONTEST
into thy kingdom" This implies that the
robber had heard of some Of the teachings of
Jesus. The robber showed that he believed
ID in Christ as the Son of God: CD in his love ;
CD in his power to save; "a in the immor-
tally of the soul; 90 in the kingdom OF
heaven.
43. To-day" not in the far future, 'shalt
thou be with me in paradise" word signify
ing pleasure ground or park, and designating
the place of the happy dead.
"A. 1T was about the sixth hour" II O'Clock
Darkness over all the earth" rather, with
revised version, the land. THE ninth hour"
O'Clock p. m, the hour OF the daily evening
sacrifice.
10. THE veil of the temple was rent" This
was the veil that hung between the holy place
and the holy of holes into which the high
priest entered once year. 1t was 60 feet long
and 80 feet wide. and as thick as the palm of
the hand. At this time were uttered the
fourth, NTH, sixth and seventh words from the
cross, OF which the last was, Father into thy
hands commend my spirit Gave UP the
ghost, or spirit. Literally, breathed out his
lie. None OF the evangelists use the common
word for dying, but all. some form Of ex-
preston denoting voluntary yielding up of
mis- life. AS Jesus died there was an earth
quake. which rent rocks and opened graves
(Matthew 2I 52), and the whole scene deeply
impressed the people, and even the Roman
centurion declared, Truly. this was the Son
of God"