Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-17
SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON
For March 20. Matt. 81: $3.50
BY DR.. MARION M'H. HULL

Golden text: "But God commandeth
Els love toward us, in that while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for US"
The wealth of material to select
| from in treat ing this subject today is
| staggering. When we consider that
about one-half of the gospels are
given to the details of this last
| twenty-four hours and that volumes
have been written in amplification of
that simple story, we can under
stand how difficult 1t is to select
some phase of it for our brief con-
sideration. However, what impress
ed US most at this time is the vio-
lence, the value, and the victory of
the cross.
Violence Of the Cross
1t is hardly possible to appreciate
the suffering which the victim of
crucifxion endured. The cross was
through the hands and feet; then the
cross was lifted up and dropped into
a hole, the weight of the body tear
ing the wounds. There for hours and
days the victim would suffer until
from thirst, fever and exhaustion
death would finally give him release.
But Ink addition to this, there was one
particular physical suffering which
Jesus endured; it began in Geth-
| semane the night before, and the
mental agony which He endured was
so great, as He anticipated what was
before Him, that sweat like great
drops Of blood fell from His brow,
and it was necessary for God to send
an angel to strengthen Him lest He
be overcome by death there in the
garden. Then throughout the whole
night He had been subjected to
scourging and blows from the hands
of those who were torturing Him,
and from fatigue in bearing His
| cross along the via dolorosa. The
| crown of thorns had been pressed
upon His brow, and He had been
without food. We cannot appreciate
| the physical torture which He endur-
ed for us, for it is with His stripes
that we are healed and He was
bruised for our iniquities.
There was moral violence, too. How
acutely a sensitive nature like that
of Jesus must have suffered to have
them spit in His face and dress Him
up as king and make sport of Him,
cross and exposed to the gaze of the
multitude. This was the least of
His sufferings, the realization that
every one of those who had been
closest to Him should now forsake
Him. He felt truly that He was
absolutely alone.
While all of this was done, even
this was nothing to be compared to
the spiritual violence which He en-
dured. In the garden of Gethsemane
the night before He began to appre-
clate more keenly than He ever did
what the cross would mean. He had
come into the world for this purpose
All through His ministry He had re-
allied that this was before Him; for
the last six months He had been
constantly telling His disciples that
this was at hand: but when He came
right to 1T, it seemed to be more
than His human nature could bear.
So that in agony in the garden He
had prayed to His Father if it was
possible that this cup might pass
from Him. What was this cup? Ger
| tainly not death. certainly not even
the violent death of the cross; many
man had stood that before without
shrinking; but the cross meant more
to Him. 1t meant separation from
God. There in the garden began that
uneXp1ainable thing, wherein He that
| knew no sin was made sin for US
that we might be made the righteous
ness of God in Him. When the burden
of your sin and mine began to be
laid on Him, when the pure. holy Son
| of God became sin in our stead. and
when He realized that this would
mean separation from His Father. He
did not see how He could stand it,
and prayed. if it was possible. that
|
His life. unbroken fellowship and
communion with God the Father had
been life itself to Him. and now to
| think that fellowship was to be
broken. that He was to be separated
from God who was of purer eyes than
to behold to evil. seemed to be more
than He could bear. And now that
the time had come. about, noon dark
ness came over the land as If the
sun had gone out entirely and the
earth shook; and He cried out: IN" my
God. my God, why hast thou for
caken me?" For three hours He was
absolutely alone, the only man who
in all the world who had beer, God
forsaken, he went to the very depths
of sin and misery. Yes. the violence
of the cross, not only included intense
physical suffering and moral shame.
but spiritual suffering in that the Son
of God was forsaken by God!
Value of the Cross
But In that fact lies it's very
value. Having reached the very
] depths of human misery and sin He
could lay the foundation upon which
|