The Jackson herald., 1910-12-01
THE
CRUCiFIXION
Sunday School Lesson for Dec. II, 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper

o'clock 7. NJ
PLACE.-CD Pilates Judgment hall eith-
er in Herod's Palace In the western part
of the city; OF In Castle Antonia adJoin-
Ing the Temple area on the north.
The Roman trial, before plate,
was in the palace OF PLATE, opening
into a large court. See place. In the
Jewish court the charge brought
against Jesus was blasphemy, that is
treason against God and the Jewish
commonwealth. The penalty was
death.
When the leaders brought Jesus be-
fore PLATE they hoped that the gov
ernor would accept their verdict, and
simply countersign their sentence
without inquiring further taking for
granted that they would not have con,
demned man to death unless he de-
served II. But plate asked: What
accusation bring ye against this
man."
The verdict of plate was, '1 fnd no
fault In this man"
From the mockeries in Pilates
court Jesus was led away to be cruel
fed
Jesus was so weak from his long
and intense sufferings that an African
from Cyrene was compelled to help
him bear the cross.
The distance was from half mile
20 a mile. according to the place II
starting (the tower of Antonia. o.
Herod's palace) and the location of
Calvary. In advance was n soldier
carrying white wooden board on
which was written the nature OF the
crime. Next came four soldiers, un'
der n centurion. with the hammer and
the nails. guarding Jesus. who bore,
as always in such cases, the cross or
which he was TO suffer tJohn 1917.
=. W. Then came two robbers. each
bearing his cross and guarded by four
soldiers. As they went forth into the
street they were followed by a great
muliitude-many with eager curiosi-
ty: priests exulting over their en-
envy; Mary. with other women, weep
ing Lake 23:2O.
This scene is viyidly described In
"Ben Hur:" He was nearly dead.
Every Few steps he staggered as II he
would fall A stained gown, badly
torn, hung from his shoulders over a
seamless under.tunic. An inscription
on a board was tied to his neck. A
crown OF thorns had been crushed
hard down upon his head. The mob
sometimes broke through the guard
and struck him with sticks, and spit
upon him. Yet no sound escaped him"
The seven words from the cross:
/. Father. forgive them: for they
know not what they do, was probably
spoken in the height OF the agony.
when the cross with the victim upon
II was dropped with a sudden wrench
into its place in the ground.
2. Today shalt thou be with me in
paradise. To the penitent robber. to-
ward noon.
3. Woman. behold thy son. Behold
thy mother, Toward noon, when COM
mitting his mother to the loving care
OF John.
A. Flo 1, Flo l. Ia ma sabach thani.
Aramaic for My God. my God. why
hast thou forsaken me? Spoken in
the darkness and depression of spirit
near his death. about three o'clock in
the afternoon. The sole expression OF
spiritual suffering.
5. thirst. in the intense thirst Of
his dying hour. The sole expression
OF bodily suffering.
6. 1t is finished. THE Workers.
Cry OF Achievement, the Sufferers
Cry of Relief"
Z. Father, into thy hands | COM
mend my spirit His dying cry. the
triumphant note Of a conquerer."
Redemption through his blood" 80
frequent..s- referred to In the New
Testament. gives the highest possible
expression OF love. Blood is life. the
life he gave to save us. But this in
cludes the whole life of Christ, his
coming. his life work. his death on
the cross, and his resurrection-it was
this Christ who expressed his su'
preme love ard his Fathers love by
giving his life that we might live. The
sacrifice on the cross was the highest
proof and the strongest expression OF
the love OF God to man. Christ proved
the greatness Of his love by what he
was willing to suffer for those he
loved. Ruskin says that "the fountain
/ In which sins are indeed washed away
is that OF love, not OF agony" But the
!. agony was the measure and the proof
Z of love II declares Gods love tc
man "in letters that can be read from
-. the stars" The fact is that there IL
no other way to express in language
|, that all can understand the highest
: degrees of heroism, courage, self-sac
a rifice, and love, It is these qualities
!. we see rather than the agony. as We
|, do not see the particles of matter II
the air by which the sunlight Is dif
, fused, but we see the light.
!, Every power and every motive tba
: can touch the heart Of man to IF
: him out OF sin into the kingdom o
: heaven radiates from the cross, az th'
a completion of the sacrifice OF Christ
a 30