The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-07-29

~ h anne. VIII q I
shame? The
shame OF being put to death as a com
mon criminal For II was as such. you
will recall. he was condemned to death,
and as such he died In the eyes OF the
law: though he did nothing worthy OF
death. and PLATE his Judge found in
him no fault at all.
When we apprehend that Jesus
Christ. the Holy one OF God. suffered
the reproach, the dishonor. the con.
tempt the infamy and ignominy Of a
common criminals execution, we begin
to know q little OF the shame OF the
cross. We understand something OF
what Paul means when. speaking of
Christ becoming obedient unto death.
he adds. even the death OF the cross"
But there is q deeper shame than
that OF which we have spoken. Il Is
the shame that came to him through
dying: his death identified him with
the result OF sin. for death is a conse-
Quent OF sin. Wherefore, as by one
man sin entered into the world. and
death by sin; and so death passed
upon all men. for that all have sinned."
So. while Christ suffered the shame OF
dying the death OF a common criminal.
II was greater shame for him, the Son
OF God. In whom was no sin. TO die at
all.
The teaching OF the philosophers
that death is natural TO man. is not
the teaching OF the Bible The body is
not the prison-house OF the soul from
which escape is desirable. The body
and soul united constitute the com
plete man. This does not mean that
when the dissolution OF soul and body
takes place. the soul does not survive
the body. The Scriptures teach II
does: but they also teach that mans
complete personality consists In the
union OF both soul and body. and that
this will be realized at the resurrection
OF the Just. Death then is not natural.
but unnatural. II is the resultant OF
sin. and so for Christ to die was a dis
grace. a reproach. a shame. Death had
no dominion over Christ: no claim up
on him for he was without sin. NO
man. he said. speaking OF his death.
"taketh my life from me. but lay II
down OF myself. I have power to lay
II down. and have power to take II |
again." He alone OF all men could say
this. Other men die because they must.
for death has passed upon all men"
He became obedient unto death; he |
yielded up his spirit that In. he al.
lowed death. the great conqueror OF |
mankind. to overcome him. He SUI. |
fered its shame.
But deep as this shame was. the
shame OF the cross was still deeper.
II was the shame OF our sin For there
on the cross. HE bore our sins In his
own body there. the Lord laid on
him the iniquity OF us ALL" there. "he
suffered for our sin. the just for the
Cod" there. the holy spotless lamb
Of God died for the ungodly." Thus.
"the one who knew no SIM" became
Identified. not only with the result OF
sin by death. but with sin, being made
sin for u.s." II was this, more than any.
thing else. that constituted the shame
Of the cross of our Lord. Its baseness
and dishonor was your sin and mine,
which he there put put away by the
sacrifice OF himself
Was II for crimes that have done.
He groaned upon the tree
Amazing pity. grace unkno
And Love beyond degree!
] wish we might catch the picture
given us OF our Lord in the two words
'despised" and endured" The first
word shows him so far above the
shame OF the cross that he, as II we're,
ooked down upon II. Literally, the
word means ito think down upon"
hat is, to think lightly of II. What a
Christ! Because OF the 10y
yet before him, he could think lightly
u the awful shame OF the cross.
Truly. our master came not to be
ninistered unto. but to minister and
o give his life a ransom for many"
The other word. endured" pictures
I'm as voluntarily. patiently. suffering
N 1.-THE accursed cross. We see him
Ield there. not by the cruel nails that I
'ierced his hands and feet, but by his
'wn indomitable will and supreme Z
owe for US. Human hands placed him /
here. but divine love kept him there. 4
'urely. his crucifxion from the human y
Tide was murder. for with wicked
ands they slew him. but on the divine q
ide II was sacrifice. God giving his I
on to be the savior OF the world and /
he son giving himself that we might v
ave life through him. o