Evening star., 1926-03-20

History's most significant events are
found in this weeks study. A brief
survey of the events connected with
the passion of the Lord Jesus proves
that Christ's crucifxion was not an
afterthought in Gods program. 1t
was a part of His original plan. Our
Savior was 1.-The Lamb of God slain
from the foundation of the world"
He referred to His death upon the
cross when He declared that "As
Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness. even so must the Son of
Man be lifted up; that who
soever believeth OH Him should not
perish, but have eternal life" A dead
Christ could noE have been Re-
deemer. Both the Lords death upon
the cross for our sins and His rising
again from the grave were in accord
ance with the predictions Of the
Scriptures.
We can get 4, composite picture of
these great epocn making events from
the records of the four gospels, that
would be of value. We should study
the narratives of the four evangelists
in connection with this weeks lesson
Our assignment Is drawn from Johns
gospel. He expected that his readers
knew what the synoptic writer's had
reported about the worlds greatest
tragedy and the most important news
Of Christ's victory over the grave.
He supplies some details that the
synoptics had omitted. He was an eye
witness Of the crucifixion and the first
apostle to reach the empty tomb. His
clear insight into the meaning Of these
events furnishes a reason for our con-
sideration Of his record by itself
Between the events in the upper
room, that we considered last week,
and the betrayal of the Master by
Judas there is much that we ought
to consider but space will permit
only the consideration of some of the
important facts in the narrative, as
signed for our study. When Judas,
because of his anger, avarice, am
bition and spite. betrayed Jesus, the
Lord surrendered Himself to take our
place upon the cross. In the four
trials. two OF them illegal. Jesus ap-
peared more like a. judge than a
prisoner. The disgraceful trial came
to an end when PLATE, the cowardly
Roman ruler, delivered the Lord up to
be crucified. God had offered the peo-
PIE salvation in the gift of His only
begotten Son, whom PLATE delivered
up to them for their own condemna-
ton. When they took Jesus and
led Him away bearing the cross for
Himself" they were literally bringing
down upon their own heads the con.
demnation OF history for their part in
His crucifixion.
Rome had introduced the cross into
Judea in an effort to terrify any
revolutionary movement among the
Jews. 1t had its origin in the distant
East; Alexander brought it West. Its
rude arms We're lifted up to punish
the odious criminals and condemned
slaves in nearly every important city.
When Jesus started out carrying His
own cross. which probably had been
used before. 1t was destined TO have
q larger place in the thought and
speech of the race. They were deter
mined that the Master should suffer
everything possible from the deep
degradation that they had forced upon
Him. The weight of the cross, with
its tell-talc holes, dark stains and
dried earth clinging to it's sharpened
end. upon His lacerated and bruised
body may have fastened His breaking
down beneath the load
The place of the crucfixion was out
side the city wall. where criminals
were executed. 1t was near the public
highway. It's conical eminence had
the likeness to skull. which caused
it to be called Calvary. Under the
direction of the soldiers assigned 10
see to it, the three prisoners We're
executed according to the law. The
two highwaymen had lately been cap
tured in some red handed deed. Bar
rabas, their chief. had escaped by
miraculous combination of circum-
stances, SO Christ was crucitied in the
midst of these robbers. The clothing
- ,;s-;%
so they divided among themselves the
clothing of the prisoners. except the
one piece, seamless. woven tunic, that
possibly the Lords mother or one of
the woman followers of the Master
had made for Him. The separation of
this into parts would have made it
worthless. This had such great value
that they gambled for it. in fulfill
ment of the prophetic predictions of
the Scriptures.
The multitude that looked upon the
horrors of that darkest tragedy of
history read above the Lords head
not the usual charge, but the
proclamation. written in three Ian
guages: Jesus of Nazareth. the
King of the Jews" The ecclesia-
astical leaders had protested against
that statement, which they recognized
get even with them for their unwil-
lingness to follow Pilates suggestion.
They felt the sting, but could not
influence him to change 1t the least
bit. There were others. who, reading
the proclamation. thought Of their
blasted hopes that He would be the
political Messiah. Among those We're
Mary, the Lords mother, and John,
the beloved disciple.
Jesus agony and suffering did not
hinder His considering the terrible
mental and spiritual suffering that
His mother was enduring. Words
can't describe her bitter trial and the
pains of her heart. Amidst the an
guish of His torture, the Lord showed
the human affection that He pos
sessed for His widowed mother by
few words to her and John. In what
one has said was the making of His
will, the dying Savior provided for
His mother by calling upon John, the
author of the narrative we are study
ing, to take care of His beloved mother.
Many New Testament scholars take
the view that Mary had no other
children, and that in all probability
the apostle was her nearest blood rela-
tive. being the son of Mary's sister,