The Carlisle independent., 1917-06-07

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- Tel. After the mocking and the scourg- ing, Pilate said unto the people, Be- hold the man" (v. 3, and later in sar- casm he said to the same people, "Be- hold your king" (v. 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.
 l. The Crucifixion of Jesus (vv. 16-22). It was about nine o'clock in the morning when Pilate gave his infa- nous order that Jesus should be cru cified. It was indeed 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, a 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
 
 wrote a 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 Pilate would take malicious revenge upon the mob which had made him perform a deed he had sought to avoid. Literally this sign meant "This man is the kingliest of | all Jews, and see what they have done to him." In response to Pilates ques- tioning, Jesus said, ''I am the King of the Jews" Pilate knew that he was 1 innocent, and sought to let him go free, 1 but, rather than incur the hatred of the Jewish authorities, he yielded to their l demand for his blood, and became party to the murder of the Son of God. | Men today take part in his cruci- | fixion rather than surrender wholly l to him, and pay the price of open con fession. "They crucified him." How these words laid the pride of men in the dust. Human nature is the same l today as it was two thousand years ago when the worlds bitterest hate was wrecked 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 Qsa. B :6), but the physical suffering was not the most severe agony he bore CPS. 69 20; Matt. 27 :46). The crucifxion of Jesus was part of the eternal purposes of 1 Gods love and redemption.
 II. The Worlds Darkest Hour (vv. 23-30). Each of the Gospel writers re- fers to the part the soldiers took in casting lots for his garments. They were unconsciously fulfilling the prophecy of Psalm 2;1S, and it was from their number that one of the su. preme testimonies to the character of Christ came (See Matt. 27 :54. The 1 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 l of the one who was being crucified. But there were others who were spec l tators of this event, a group of Christ lovers (v. 25).
 Tt is finished" These are remark able words. He had finished his suf- fering; he had finished that for which he came into the world when he be- gan his ministry; he had finished the mission for which his father had sent l him into the world; he had finished | 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 it's claims upon the believer were concerned l (Rom. 10:4; Col. 2:13; Eph. ? :15 and 16). Outwardly it seemed to be Sa- tan's supreme hour. It was the worlds darkest hour.
 The seven last words. These would be an interesting study for any class. 1 O) Father forgive them for they know not what they do;" (2) To-day | thou shalt be with me in Paradise"
 (3) "Woman, behold thy son; (4) My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' (5) q thirst;;'' (6) Tt is fin ished;" CD "Eather into thy hands commit my spirit" Christ had power to lay down his life. He had power to take it up again, but he laid it down, | submitting to a burial in the tomb. At that moment note the effect upon the malefactor, upon the centurion, up on the elements of cloud and sky, up on the veil of the temple, upon the people and upon his friends. What is