Evening star., 1918-06-16
JESUS ON THE CROSS.
Mark. 15.1-47.
Golden Text: Truly this man
was the Son Of God.-Mark, 1888.
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.


BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.
Christ's crucifxion is the most sig
nificant event of all history. 1t is the
| meeting place Of both eternities where
the love of man and God reveals their
personality. The death Of Christ, which
Is the only experience described at length
IN the New Testanent, was no after
| thought of Jehovah's plan. This planet
was brought into being to hold the cross,
for Jesus was the Lamb slain from the
| foundation of the world" No other
event in the life Of the Lord calls for
| the study of all that the evangelists have
| given in their gospels like that Of the
supreme tragedy Of history which DEM
| onstrates "the power of Cod With
! one Of the three classes that gathered
| around the cross-the Indifferent, hostile
or friendly-all men can be grouped by
| their attitude toward Jesus on the cross.
No one has fathomed the depths of all
| the issues of Calvary. Paul taught that
Christ died for our SINS" and that the
possibility of the forgiveness OF sins, of
! the redemption of the human life from
the power of evil, and of the reconcilia-
tion of man with God is realized through
His death. The tragedy Of the cross.
| with its blazing injustice was permitted
for purpose Of love: and the death Of
Christ. instead of demonstrating the in
difference OF God to moral distinctions.
is the supreme evidence Of His good will
and love to men. Some have had their
faith in the goodness Of God taxed by
the present war which has caused such
fearful sacrifices Of men. President Will
! son. however. sees Sin the spectacle of
twenty nations fighting for the redemp-
| tion OF humanity striking proof that
Christ still rules in the hearts of men,"
All men in the fullness of time will see
| how through the suffering of the just
for the unjust providential blessings have
been secured for the world. through the
blood OF men who have been filed with
| the spirit of Christ in their battle
against the powers of evil.
The procession to the cross, after
Pilate had sanctioned judicial murder,
gives portrait Of the Master weakened
by the mental. moral and physical strain
through which He had passed during His
farewell in the upper room. as s>we1l as in
the garden and the several illegal trials
OF the previous night which had taxed
HIS resources SO much that the soldiers
| were compelled to assist Jesus on the
Simon. the African Jew. who was enter
ing the city while they were on the
| way to the place OF the cruciixion,- Into
carrying the cross. He was crucified in
weakness" because there was no other
| way for Him to save the world. He had
emptied Himself Of His power and glory
SO that He might through the cross re-
F, veal to the world the love Of God and
] the way of salvation. By His stripes
| we are healed; by His weakness are we
| made strong.
| Wickedness ran riot at Calvary,
| where the baser elements of human
1 ity nailed Jesus to the cross and
Knocked the One who loved them. The
| SO diers gambled for His clothes. The
thieves who were crucifled with Him
Jeered Him. The scene upon the
disappearing hill cannot be de-
scribed by pen. paint or preacher.
No one can appreciate the sorrow of
| Mary. the mother of the Lord, and
John. saw them nail Jesus to the
cross and then suspend 1t in the air.
The words and events Of that hour
burned themselves into their minds
! SO that they never forgot them, al
though man can never appreciate the
sufferings endured by the Lord. who
amidst His trials provided a homo
| for His bereaved mother with John,
the beloved disciple.
1t will pay to recall some Of the
played a part in, the tragedy of CAL
vary. AS you read the list the fact
that human nature has not changed
will become apparent. for the wicked
ness that placed Jesus on the cross
can still be found among men.
guise Of friendship there was perfidy.
falsehood paraded as truth. and a
! kiss was the sign Of treachery. The
Jewish authorities were moved by
sacrificed every Virtue to bring
about His death. PLATE was a craven
coward and compromising poll
tician who did not dare to- do his
duty and give to Jesus His freedom.
The mob was heartless and moved by
spirit of violence, while the indif-
ference of the Roman soldiers con-
tributed their share to the crucihxion
OF Jesus. Such wickedness as led to
the Masters death has broken out In
evil that have crucified in this day the
Lord Jesus that the armies Of Amer
lea have been called into battle to
redeem humanity from the grip of
the Hun. The guilt of those who
by the fact that He died in exact
fulfllment of the prophecies of the
psa mfsts and nrophets.
Every criminal when he went forth
TO be crucified was given a board.
neck until he reached the place Of ex-
ecution. Upon it was written the
name, address and crime Of the one
condemned to be punished. Probably
the full title that Plate wrote was:
This is Jesus of Nazareth the King
of the Jews" 1t was written in Latin.
the official tongue; Hebrew. the popu-
la- language Of the people. and n
Greek, the universal speech Of truth
and philosophy. The leaders disliked
1t. but PLATE refused to change 1t, for
he enjoyed his display of irony. The
! title appeared in the language of
|, three civilizations. which represented
law, religion and culture. It was
prophetic Of His universal leaderghip,
!. for the Conqueror of the world was
victorious upon the cross.
The marks of death were not upon
His face when the Savior cried out
with loud voice the message of His
triumph, 1T Is finished" He volun-
tarily gave up His life at the hour
Of sacrifice. 1t was not death that
i. separated His spirit from His body.
but 1t was the power Of the Lord hll-
, ed with the consciousness that His
earthly career and mission was ended.
that "edemptIon was comnletad