The Clio messenger., 1919-09-25

name, Barabbas,
has been written
down as a part Of Holy Scripture.
And Barabbas is the name by which
every reflector of Christ Is known, for
1t means "son of his father" Son Of
his father! Born but once. Twice
dead, therefore, in trespasses and sins.
Barabbas is the name of every man
who has not been born again, proclaim
ing what he is as a sinner lost and un-
done. 'Ye must be born again." But
Barabbas escapes the cross that has
been prepared for him and another
Barabbas, Son of his Father, Only Be-
gotten and well-beloved, goes to that
cross in his stead, and In yours and
mine. And a legend has 1t that, as the
darkness gathered round, Barabbas ran
to the foot of it and, shifting his
breast, cried, "Oh, thou Jesus OF Naz-
areth, / know not who thou art, but
one thing do know; thou art hanging
there in my place"
Oh, soul, have you said that to Him?
That is the faith that saves! That Is
what is means to "believe on his name"
1t is but saying again with the apostle,
''The Son of God loved me and gave
himself for me-"
But see the other two crosses. Hang
ing there are two men sunk far down
in sin. Not only condemned by the
Roman government to die an igno-
minious death because of their crimes,
but while standing at deaths door they
revile and blaspheme the Lord of life
and glory: the thieves also which
were crucified with him cast the same
In his teeth"
But a ray Of divine light enters the
soul Of one, and by 1t he is led to see
the glory of that Person hanging at
his side. From the depths of his sim
full heart there rises a cry, Lord, re-
member me when thou contest in thy
kingdom" He has seen all the truth
Has seen that this Is the Compromised
Messiah. Sees that though he is dying
q shameful death, he must come back
again in his kingdom, according to all
the prophets and make good the title
nailed above his head: "The King Of
the Jews" But the Lord Jesus, with
out an upbraiding word, with no sylla-
BILE Of reproach, without a question or
condition Of any kind, goes far beyond
his request, as He always does, and
says: "You do not have to wait until
come in my kingdom; will do better
for you" "verily, say unto thee, to-
day shalt thou be with me in paradise"
Saved! in the twinkling of an eyei
Saved Snatched from the very jaws
Of death A man who is not fit to live
on earth made fit to be with Christ in
paradise! What mlraclel And he is
the same woodworking Savior to-
day. 1t has been said, "There was one
such case that none might despair, but
only one that none might presume"
Let us rather say that here is pat.
tern case of salvation, clearly and full.
ly revealed, so that wherever the story
Of the cross should be told, this story
of the saved thief must be told In con-
nection with it.
Look now at those three crosses. On
the right hangs the saved sinner; on
the left the lost one; In the middle the
Savior. This man on the right has
sin in him still, and so has every saved
man. But there Is no sin on him. Un.
seen hands have lifted the sin that was
on him and have laid 1t upon the One
who hangs at his side, and he dies
beneath the awful load. This Man on
the middle cross has no sin in him:
'holy, harmless, undefiled and separate
from sinners" must He be to die In
your place and mine. The sin-offering
in Israel must be without blemish.
This man on the left has sin in him,
but alasl It is still on him, and he
dies and goes to hell.
Look againl This man on the right
is dying to sin, In the death of his
Substitute on the middle cross. That
is what the Lord meant by losing
ones life In order to find it. I must.
at the cross, lose the life with which
1 was born, to find there q new life In
the Crucified. This Man on the middle
cross is dying "for" sin. The man on
the left is dying "in" sin.
Oh, soul, these three little preposi.
lions tell all the story. that our God
Is so eager to tell, and that men are
so slow to hear. Do not die in sin, die
to 1t by receiving as your personal
Savior that Blessed One who died for
1t In your place once for all, and phys
ical death shall then, at the very worst
Of Its doing, but tdyke you to be with