Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-06-08
NIEpNKTlONAL.
SUNlMSOOOL
LESSON
(By E. Q. SELLERS, Acting Director of
the Sunday School Course of the Moody
Bible Institute)
Copyright. 1917, Western Newspaper Union )I
LESSON FOR JUNE 10
JESUS cRucIFIED.

We are compelled to omit a consider
alton of that dark, despicable trial in
Pilates judgment hail. Pilates weak
kneed subservience to custom and the
cry of the politician is one of the black
est pages in history. His scourging of
the man whom he, himself, declared
innocent, is practically without paral-
lei. After the mocking and the scourg-
ing, Plate said unto the people, Be-
hold the man" ". 81, and later in sar-
casm he said to the same people. 'Be+
hold your king" ". 14). Teachers
should emphasize at the beginning and
all through this lesson that Jesus
suffered and died for the sins of all
men, ours as well as those of his own
day.
!. The crucifixion of Jesus wv.
1929. 1t was about nine o'clock in
the morning when PLATE gave his infa-
nous order that Jesus should be cru
CITED. 1t was indeed a sorrowful pro-
cession which moved itself along the
"Via Dolorosa" (the Sorrowful Way),
consisting of the Roman soldiers, the
tottering, physically exhausted man of
Galilee, and, Luke adds, "sorrowing
women" They took him to the place
of skull, hill about sixty feet high,
at the foot of which was the rock
hewn sepulcher in which his body was
later laid. The place was called in
Hebrew "Golgotha," the Aramaic for
skull. Calvary is the Latin for the
same. On either side of him were
crucified the robbers, which was an
evident effort to add to his shame as
well as salutary warning to the Pass
over pilgrims. Over the cross PLATE
wrote title on wooden tablet. Fol-
lowing the usual custom, this was
| nailed at the head of Jesus, setting
forth his crime. The words it bore
were, "Jesus Of Nazareth, King of the
! Jews" as though PLATE would take
malicious revenge upon the mob which
had made him perform deed he had
sought to avoid. Literally this sign
meant 'gThis man is the kingliest of
all Jews, and see what they have done
to him." In response to Pilates Ques-
tioning, Jesus said, ST am the King Of
the Jews" PLATE knew that he was
innocent and sought to let him go free.
but, rather than incur the hatred of the
Jewish authorities, he yielded to their
demand for his blood, and became a
party to the murder of the Son of God.
Men today take a part in his cruci-
fixion rather than surrender wholly
to him, and pay the price of open con-.
fessfon. "They crucified him." How
these words laid the pride of men in
the dust. Human nature is the same
today as it was two thousand years
ago when the worlds bittefest hate
was wreaked not upon a bad man but
upon the best man, the perfect man.
the Goldman. The pain Jesus suf-
fered on Calvary was no imagination.
He suffered it all for us lisa. 50 :6),
but the physical suffering was not the
most severe agony he bore Cps. SO 20;
Matt. 27 :46). The crucifxion Of Jesus
was part of the eternal purposes of
Gods love and redemption.
II. The Worlds Darkest Hour (vv.
23-3O). Each of the Gospel writer's re-
fers to the part the soldiers took in
casting lots for his garments. They
were unconsciously fulfilling the
prophecy of Psalm % :18, and it was
from their number that one of the su-
preme testimonies to the character of
Christ came (See Matt. 81 :54). The
first three evangelists tell US Of the
throng of pilgrims who passed along
the highway from the north, close at
hand, and who wagged their heads in
imitation and mockery of the agony
of the one who was being crucffed.
! But there were others who were spec
, tators of this event, group of Christ
lovers ". 25). Joseph, Mary's hus-
band, had doubtless died long before.
? The sister here spoken of was prob
ably Salome, the mother of John, the
, evangelist. Mary, the wife Of Cleophas,
who was the mother of James the Less
and of Joses and also Mary Mag
S dalene, the grateful one. Jesus, look
ing upon this company, remembered
the coming loneliness of his mother,
: and her lack of protection. Turning
1 to John(, the evangelist. he tenderly
commits the mother to his keeping (vv.
26. 2O. OF the two malefactors were
g hanging by his side, one gave himself
: up to the Christ. The other died un-
repentant, To the one who was re-
pentant, Jesus made ready answer,
{ and held out loving promise of Para
disc.
sIt is finished" These are remark
able words. He had finished his suf-
| Gric &hot f0r which
n he came iato the world when he be-
gan his ministry; he had finished the
mission for which his father had sent
d him into the world; he had finished
j. and fulfilled the prophecies concern
/ ing his suffering and death; he had
completed the work of the redemption
. the atonement was finished, and Sa-
tan's power was finished; the Mosaic
law was finished as far as its claims
upon the believer were concerned
s (Rom. 1914; Col. 2:13; Eph. 2:15 and
e 16). Outwardly it seemed to be Sa'
tan's supreme hour. It was the worlds
darkest hour, but in that hour, Christ
on the cross, struck the death knen OF
l. Satan, and won his mightiest victory
three days later when he arose from
the dead. Bowling himself in submis
sion to the father, he gave up hi:
q spirit. It was not wrested from hin
by Satan, the conqueror, but he freely
gave it up willingly. He was the con
uueror of Satan (Heb. 2:14; Col
Il 2:15).
The seven last words. These would
be an interesting study for any class
Q) "Father forgive them for the,
Il know not what they do;" (2) "Toda,
thou shalt be with me in Paradise"
(S) "Woman, behold thy son; "a IN,
. God, my God, why hast thou forsakel
mer' (5) 81 thirst" (6) "It is fin
I. ished;" Cd "Father into thy hands
- commit my spirit" Christ had powe
to lay down his life. He had power t.
take it up again, but he laid it down
submitting to a burial in the tomb
At that moment NOTE the effect upol
s the malefactor, upon the centurion, up