The citizen., 1918-06-06

the garden, and before the chief priests
and the council, they bound Jesus. and
carried him away and delivered him TO
Plate. the Roman governor, that he
might have him put 10 death. as a
m0lefnctor. who was perverting the
nation. and forbidding TO give tribute
10 Caesar. After Pilates repeated as-
sertion that he found no fault In him.
and being warned by his wife not 10
have anything 10 do with him because
Of dream she had, II being his Gus
tom at that feast To relense unto them
n prisoner whom they might select. and
having notable prisoner who had
been murderer, he gave them a choice
between Barabbas and Christ. hoping
that they would surely ask for Christ.
The chief priests and elders persuaded
the multitude TO ask for Barabbas,
and destroy Jesus. When Peter re-
hearsed this In one OF his dlscourses he
said, "Ye denied the Holy One. and the
Just, and desired n murderer 10 be
granted unto you. and killed the Prince
Of Life" tActs 3:l4-i5). When they
called for Barabbas, PLATE asked.
"what will ye then that shall do unto
him whom ye call the King Of the
JewsT or. as II Is In Matt. q 30,
"What shall do then with Jesus. who
is called Christf They cried out.
Cruelty him" (vss. 5-14). PLATE there
fore took water. and washed his hands
before the multitude. saying II am ia.
nocent Of the blood OF this just per.
son: see ye 10 H." willing 10 content
the people he released Barnbbas unto
them. and delivered Jesus, when he
had scourged him. 90 be crucified Tvs
Is and Matt. "a :24). Oh, hut II IL
hard 10 read IL and write II. What dc
all the atrocities Of this present war
amount 10 compared with this treat
ment OF the Son Of God. who giveth &c
all life and breath and all thingsi
when plate said. Behold your King =
the chief priests said. "We have nc
king but Caesar" (John 19:14-15). and
they have had their choice ever since
even TIN now.
Jesus In the hands Of the soldiers
mocked. crowned with thorns. smitten
spit upon. a robe put on his bleedinl
back and taken OF again. and his owl
clothes put on with rude and crue
hands. and the cross laid on that back
makes one shudder. and sick at heart
(vss. 16-2D. Whether he stumbled We
are not told. but II is just n mite OF
relief TO see the cross taken from his
poor bleeding back and placed upor
another. What privilege was thus
conferred upon Simon the Cyrenian
whether he realized II or not.
Reaching the place Of cruciflxion, hs
would not accept any stupefying po
tion. but calmly submitted TO be cruel.
fed for us. made a curse for us. that
we might not perish (vss. 22-24; Gal
3:13). Can you see him as he meekly
bore all this shame and pain In your
stead. and not say from the heart
"God forbid that ! should glory, save In
the cross OF our Lord Jesuy Christ, by
whom the world Is crucified unto me
and unto the world" (Gal. 6:1D. We
can mediate upon all the agony of
that night. and that day. ON which he
made atonement for the sins Of the
world. and talk Of IL. and sing Of IL, but
10 understand It or In any sense realize
II In simply impossible. We should
say from the heart. see what IL cost
him TO redeem me. Mark gives the
three hours OF his crucifixion. the dark.
ness, and his death. the third sixth
and ninth hours. Jewish time, which
would be our nine, twelve and three
O'Clock Tvs. %. S3). Consider all the
Scriptures fulfilled In the piercing Of
his hands and feet. the dividing of his
raiment. his being numbered with trans
gressors, not bone of him broken, and
others, and expect as literal a fulfill
ment OF all Scripture. Consider the
reviiing Of those who passed by and of
the thieves. and that when he was re-
viled he reviled not again Il Pet
2 :23-24). Consider his seven words,
or sayings, from the cross and their
and application TO you.
The veil OF the temple was syWpol
Of his body OHeb. 10 :20). and wheh he
died Il was rent IN twain from the top
to the bottom (vs. 3s). 1t was full Of
figures of cherubim, symbols of bis re
deemed. and they being rent when II
was rent teach us that when he died
we died with him (Ex. 30 :35; Gal.
2 20; Rom. 8:s. III. Joseph Of Ari-
mathea asked plate for the body and
he aud Nicodemus prepared II for bu-
rial and laid II in Joseph's new tomb
and thus fulfilled another Scripture
which said, "They made his grave with
the rich In his death" (yss. 42-47
John 10 :SS-42; lisa. 90 80.
The women who ministered unto him
beheld where his BODY was laid, and
returned. and prepared spices and
that they might anH!nt his
body when the Sabbath was past. ana
hey rested the Sabbath day according
TO the commandment Tvs. Al; Luke
% :b5, 66). Their love was real but
not believing what he had said sbous
his rising again the third day II was
owes labor lest.
Notice what is written IN Matt
n :62-6e about sealing and making
sure the tomb, and consider mans vain
thoughts. Contrast the shutting up and