Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1921-03-17
IMPROVED uEIfoRM INTERNATIONAL
SUNDNNSOIOOL
LESSON
(By REV B. FITzwATER. - d.
Teacher of English Bible in the Moody
Bible Institute of Chicagol
20. 1921. Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR MARCH 20
JESUS ON THE CROSS.

LESSON TEXT-Matt q $3.50 /.
GOLDEN TEXT-God eommendeth His
| love toward us in that while we were yet
sinners. Christ died for us.-Rom SIS.
REFERENCE MATERIAL-Matt.2 6 81.
2f:S2; John 12:24-SS; Cor l:lS-25; 2I; Gal
! e:14
PRIMARY ToPIC-Jesus Dying for Us
| JUNIOR ToPIC-Jesus Crucifed.
| INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
THE Supreme Sacrifice.
| YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
The Cross and Its Meaning Today.
The grand climax of the six months
| lessons is reached in this one. If one
miss the significance of the crucifxion,
all the preceding lessons are value
less. 1t is not a matter of learning
the lessons taught by a great teacher,
| or initiating the examples of great
! and good man, but of experimenting
the atonement made by the worlds
Redeemer.
1.-The Place of crucfixion wv. 33,
34).
They led him away to Golgotha,
! hill north of Jerusalem resembling a
skull. He was not crucified within the
city, for he was to suffer without the
gate (Heb. 1912. At first they COM
| PEELED him to bear his, own cross, but
when physical weakness made II nee
essary that some other should bear 1t
| for Him. they compelled Simon the
| Cyrenian to bear It. In order that He
might not succumb to death before He
/ 30 no hn cnldforc
offered Him a stimulant of vinegar
mixed with gall He refused this. as
He would consciously drink the cup of
sin to its bitter dregs
u. Gambling for the Clothing Of the
Lord (vv. 35 36).
1t was the custom for the soldiers
who had charge of the crucifxian to
receive the garments of the one cruel
fed Here we have the fulfillment of
Psalm 22:1S "They parted my gar
ments among them. and upon my YES
ture they did cast lots II they had
but eyes to see they could have beheld
a robe of righteousness being provided
In His death to cover their sinful
nakedness.
III. The Accusation ". 80.
II was customary to place over the
victim of the cross the name and
crime of the offender. This super
scription was placed over Jesus by
PLATE to vex the Jews He was their
King They had long looked for Him.
and now when He had come this is the
| kind of treatment they gave Him.
". Two Thieves Crucified With
Him ". 38).
This was another fulfilment OF
Scripture Elsa. SO :12) "He was num-
bered with the transgressors.' In
these three crosses we have set forth
spiritual history of the whole
world
v. The Dying Savior Reviled wv.
8o-44)
This revling was engaged in by
The passerby. the chief pFiests, scribes
and elders and the thieves who were
crucfied with him In their mockery
they unwittingly spake great truths
l. He saved others. himself he can
not save" ". 42). This jest was
meant to show the absurdity of Jesus
claims but it demonstrated them
and showed the reason for His suffer
ings He could not save Himself and
| others, so He chose to give Himself
to save others.
2 "If he be the king of Israel, let
him now come down from the cross
| w. 42). His refusal to abandon the
/ If+r oIa !, 10.
very fact that He did not abandon the
cross proves that He was what He
claimed to be for it was unto the cross
that He came.
8. "He trusted in God. let him de-
liver him now ". 43). His refusal
to abandon the cross proved Gods full
delight and satisfaction in His Son. His
! obedience unto death was the sacrifice
which met Gods full approval
vi. The Death of Christ (vv $500
So shocking was this crime that ma.
ture threw around the Son Of God a
shroud that the Goddess company
could not gaze upon Him n rkness
was upon the land at noon-d Upon
the termination of the darkness He
cried with lOud voice. MY God. my
God. why hast thou forsaken me?"
This darkness was the outer < N of
that which hung over the L0 He
became sin for the world, AM he sin
hid Gods face from Him. God for
sock Him; turned from Him who had
taken the sinners place.
When the price was paid He cried
out with a loud voice. showing that
He still had vitality-that His death
was not from exhaustion. but by His
sovereign will He yielded up the
ghost, sent His spirit away He died
| of His sovereign will. He died like no
other man in all the worlds history
He did not die of broken heart.
God Sends Love to You.
4 ssL7or now and new and ever new