Evening star., 1923-03-17
Sunday School Lesson

halled ABOVE Ills cross, tHe lnUlct-
ment. This is the king of the Jews"
1t was the equivalent of saying:
This nation cannot produce better
monarch than this; and this is the
fate which all pretenderS incur" He
was crucified in weakness because
there was no other way for Him to
save the world. He had emptied Him
self Of His power and glory so that
He might through the cross reveal
to the world the love of God and the
way of salvation. BY His stripes we
are healed: by His weakness We are
made strong.
Enduring the cross, depicting the
shame" meant more then than now
for Jesus. Instead of being disgraced
by it, He has lifted the blood stained
cross and made it a symbol of the
glory of His gospel. The tender
hearted women lamented His fate.
They loved Him and revered Him.
Christ heard their lamentations amidst
the revilingS of the wretched crowd
as He struggled under the burden of
the cross toward Calvary. He spoke
to them words of comfort and COM
passion that revealed His unselfish
solicitude for others. He thinks of
the time when even more ruthless
crimes would be done in the land. If
IN spite of His loyal acceptance of
Roman rule. which entitled Him to
compare Himself with the green
tree He was treated as He was, how
much Sorer would be the fate of those,
who would prove rebellious (dry) I"
Luke records three of the seven
words spoken from the cross by the
Master, who spent most of the time
there in silence watching the events
that transpired at the foot of the
cross, while He was suffering the just
for the unjust. The first of the three
words reveals Jesus as priest, pray
ing for His enemies. The petition,
which probably fell from His lips, as
HlS cross was being raised and let fall
INTO the socket which must have filled
nim win an eXcruciating pain, re-
veals the forgiving spirit of the
Cnrlst. lie prayed that those respon-
Slble for His crucifiXion might be for
given. He based His request upon
the fact they were ignorant of what
they were doing. His plea for the.
murderers. gamblers and Knockers,
VINO derided His claims to the king
ship, was probably answered at
Pentecost
One of the two robbers between
whom Jesus was crucified had become
convinced by the Masters spirit of
II9rs4nehess toward His enemies that
lie was indeed the long. expected
klng, He rebuked the other male
factor and reverently asked the Lord.
Remember me when Thou comest
INTO Thy kingdom" No greater ex-
nIbition of faith is recorded in the
rejected. He was dying upon the
cross between two thieves, vet in that
hour the penitent thief demonstrated
not only personal faith in Jesus g
the Messiah. but also confidence
IN His power to forgive. and a belief
IN life after death The world saw
Inc Master defeated and about TO die
tne penltent robber with a spiritual
VISION saw beyond the outward signs
OF the moment. The dying Lord an
hn
unto Himself by the cross with the
authority Of King. promising the
penltent thief, who had publicalIv
confessed Him, that he would be with
HIM that day in paradise
ChrlSts final word from the cross
iilliltlhs his spirit into the Fathers
kLeePinG. 1t was fitting that He
should close His battles of conouest
as ne mad commenced His conflicts
with Satan in the wilderness by quot
ing the Scriptures When the end
came and He had mastered the king
"I terrorS and demonstrated that even
upon the cross He was the Master
or HIS own life. He clothed His last
prayer with the words of the Bible.
words would tell the world all thar
they would wish to know about
Chrlst- The first showed His at
tltude OF forgiveness to His foes. Tho
S'oiiu IeNeald the welcome that He
ouIu give every repentant. sinner
IL promised salvation to all men The
last proved that He retained TO rho
end an unshaken faith and trust in
the Father" St III
yesterday the sun was darkened in
many places throughout the world 8
IL was when Jesus was crucified
America escaped it. We can escane
the darkness of life that crucifies the
Lord afresh if we will consider what
IHe cross means to us individually
1oen ~ mas a strange power to influence
men. Years ago Count Zinzendorf
stood before the painting. "Ecce
homo in the Dusseldorf gallery
Inc young nobleman was ereativ
moved as he gazed upon the Masters
palmetto face crowned with thorns
ana the blood trickling down from
their wounds. He was attracted bv
the words written beneath the naint.
ing: Il did this for thee; what hast
tnou done for me?" He answered by
Ewing his life to the Lord Jesus. The
result of the counts consecration ia
seen IN the missionary work of the
MoraV1ans that was inspired by yin.
Zendorfs vision of Christ on the crosse
Loyoia, the founder of the Societv of
Jesus, had similar experience when
ne was convalescent. 1t resulted in
establishing the missionary order that
mas sirdled the globe in fulfillment of
lls mission The cross has a personal
message of salvation for every soul.
Every one who prayerfully and
reVerently meditates upon its mean
ing VIII be moved to devote his life
10 win men by the gospel it proclaim
10 lie of self-denial, sacrifice and
service for the glory of the Christ
VINO died upon the cross to save the