The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-03


when he LETT Athens for Corinth But
the cruciiiXion is not only the central
theme of the gospel message: it is also
the central fact in human history. God
stood at the foot OF the cross when lie
drew the circle of redemption around
me human race. and to the foot of the
cross have come the noble souls of
each succeeding generation to gaze
upoh the bleeding and diving victim
OF mans hate, and to gather inspira-
ton for heroic self-sacritce for,
others good. Let us gather there this
morning To gaze in wonder. awe and
praise. The Son of Man hangs there,
nailed to the cruel tree. The sun in
darkness hides his face and Mother Ma
ture clothes herself in mourning In
nonor OF her Creator. Night-moon-
less anu starless-wields her leadcn
sc"ptre ut midday. Out of the dark
ness Of those terrible hours and the
hiackness of that horrible crime. We
hear the familiar voice saying, 1T is
finished" He dies. The earth quakes.
ana the people flee in terror and wh,s-
per. HE is dead lie is dead"
How shall wo interpret the death
OF Jesus There have been many in
,,er2retations given to His death. and
that we might more readily under
Stond lex us examine some OF them.
The Substitute Theory
l. That of the old theology. which
declares that Jesus Christ becamc a
substitute for tho individual, and tina.
the individual may partake of the
dressings OF the atonement either
throuSh baptism or faith. To set forth
TINS Interpretation more clearly, let
me tell story. A certain man had
Two sons. One was wicked and vicious
lie violated all the laws of God and
man and became n criminal by muir
ue'lhE the victim of his own lusts. He
WAS arrested. tried. convicted and SEN
fenced to die. Outraged Justice raised
her arm to strike. The other son vas
u Eood man. He was pure In life. snot
i"SS IN character and untiring In his
chorts to alleviate human suffering. He
was 4 great teacher and an eminent
physician. The tongue of the dumb
was made TO sing and the ear of the
oeat became gallery of music. The
poor also blessed his name. because he
healed their sick without money and
W'thout price. When he saw that tho
younger brother was about To be exc
cutcd. he offered himself as n substi-
,u'e. The judge accepted. The law
struck. The innocent died. The guilty
escaped Under this Interpretation
Goa was angry. His arm was uplirtcJ
|" huri the thundcrbolt OF His wrath
upon the dcfcnsclcss head of tho sin
lui soul. Jesus flinGs Himself between
an angry God and sinful men. and
the descending Judgment
upon His head. He Is a refuge for
sinful men from the anger of n ri,h ~.
cous God -
Objections to Theory
Ihcre are two reasons why l can
mo-, nos accent ,hts Interpretation. The
irst Is the Unity of God" He is moi
divided Jesus said: 1.-The Father and
are one; and again He said: ..H.
mat hath seen Me hath seen tho
rainier. cannot think of the Father
as natinS, and the Son az loving: the
.athcr as destroying. the Son as saw
laE: the Father as stern and wrotbfuI
the Son as tender and pitiful Nj No;
G'6 IS one, and Jesus's attitude toward
Hihiui men Is the eternal attitude of
inc Father. God does not love us no
cause Christ died for us: Christ died
Tor us because the Father loves nc
ne second is that God is God of
justice me idea that His wrath is
"rpcased by the blood of IN innoccn,
victim Is rcpulsive to me. There 10 NO
justice in Furnishing the innocent ma
allowing the guilty to go free Justice
demands that the punishment shou
tall upon the guilty.
IN. second Interpretation is that OF
the humnnitarans. To these Jesns
poor ana suffered the privotions Of
poverty with many others around Him
re sii" the misery and poverty Of mo
fc"Pic' ana heinG a profound student
oil social conditions, He clearly nor
cc'Ned mat their want ana SUFFERING
Sn''hE IRON the selfish individualism
OF society. He saw that the stron,.
ana the shrewd had seized nil th1
forces OF production and Distribution
win Inc positions of authority in tba
state and in the church. These wero
iic": 'die' luxurious. MASTERS and NOT
- oU"ceiS; lnrinS sumptuously every
Wv: "hiic the poor. clothed in sores.
a.. ~ 'heir gates and begged The
LUIS were crowded with debtors and
'hc courts were corrupt. There wns
no '"stloc Tor the widow or the or
i'I'"' ihe humanitarians saw ,b,.
Jesus consecratcd His life IN w,n,
against special privilege and in,u"r
t''." 'hc movement of democracy. lie.
therefore, became the tribune of ~
people and defended the rigbts 81 ne
poor lie denounced the selfish rich
'' thelr greed and hurled His anathc-
t'iS against the corrupt authorities of
the state and the hypocritical lca,Ior'.
oi the church. That these two norttas
use" their interests ana combined
- "i''S' IN" common enemy That
th"N secretly plotted against Him an,i
cruciiied Him for political exnndJonn,.
A't lie diod martyr for human ill.,
erty' ana the establishment OF Justice
u.
Both Martyr ana saviour.
mere can be no doubt that what the
mum" hita rians teach is true. but it
Is not the whole truth. Jesus's death
was more than that of Il martyr. IT
was that of n Saviour
me third interpretation is that
which believe to be the truth. nc
cording TO the Scripture. God loved
the world, that il, the race of men
created in His own likeness. Man
Hlhhco lie transSrcsscd the divine
order ana filled the universe with mis-
cry ana lawicssness. In consequence
OF MS SIN. his understanding was
uarkencd and his soul became blind to
lis own welfare. The forces OF de-
generation FASTENED on 10 death. Men
nccame more sinful. sordid and self
lSh They lost their way to God. TO
peace ana TO JOY. God revealed Him
self in nature. but the phenomena OF
nature were but broken lights. He
them revealed himself In human ma
turc. He came in the likeness Of