The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-03-18
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

SUNDAY, MARCH 81, 1926.
JESUS DIES AND RISES
FROM THE DEAD.
John 1S:1-20:23.
Therefore doth the Father love me,
because | lay down my life, that |
may take it again.-JOhn 1917.
INTO THE TUNNEL.
Into the shadows of the garden
pressed the throng from the rulers
with Judas leading. Commotion fol-
lowed, blows and blood were turned
aside as unworthy weapons of King
and the process ion found
it's way to the house of Annas on
Mount Zion. Here the semblance of
trial, preliminary examination, was
hurried through and the prisoner was
taken to Caiaphas who held the sem
tence already determined. The San
hedrin pronounced it's verdict at dawn
and before six o'clock they were clam
oring at Pilates door for his confir-
nation. Now PLATE took small pleas
ure in the business, for he bitterly de-
spised the group that was in control
of Jerusalem affairs. Jesus was only
another Jew, but the fact that these
wished His death reused his interest
and enlisted his effort at securing His
release. Convinced by a brief con-
ference that there was no peril in His
Kingdom, he sought to have Herod
take up the matter Then he tried to
go to the people, but the whip held
them steady to the cry of "crucify."
Responsibility was accepted with loud
shouts as he washed his hands of the
affair. Their humanity refused to be
placated by the bloody scourge. Ma
tional pride brought the astounding
lie of loyalty to Caesar Their threat
to report him to the emperor con-
WINGED him that there was no chance
of saving the prisoner and after all
what was one Jew more or less, any
way? He had better have legal ex-
ecution than lynching, but the eff
forts made by this Roman offers high
evidence of the wonderful personality
of the man Jesus. Sentence was pro-
nounced and the sorrowful journey to
Calvary was begun. Simon was i'm
pressed to bear the cross under the
compulsion of Roman spears, but
somewhere in the journey he caught
sight of the face of love and fell I'M
der it's spell so that his children be-
came the members of that early group
of believers in the Way. So they
climbed the hill.
The silence Of Jesus is significant.
There was all the dignity of a King
whose love knew the uselessness of
any appeal to holding hate His colors
might be captured, but they would
be uncovered. Why handy words with
butchers? The vociferous PLATE is
another surprise. That a Roman
should befriend Jew condemned by
their highest court was practically
unknown among these worshippers of
law. Once more it clothes Jesus with
kingliness and crowns Him with
worth. The determined men who
hurled the whole weight of their rae
ial, church and governmental power
against this lone figure presents Him
again as the most regal form that
ever walked the earth.
THE DARKNESS.
Into the tunnel the procession pass
ed. Some of its darkness was that of
brutality. The world still was under
the rule of tooth and fang and it is
only in recent years that something of
its horrors are being abated. Fifteen
centuries brought only its refinement
under the hands of its best people and
Sherwood Eddy still reports Metho-
dist and Baptist lynchings in the
South. 1t was under the darkness of
greed. There were the blood-spattered
soldiers callously gambling for the
clothes of those who watched them
from their crosses, avidly clamoring
for the largest share. Man was moth
ING, IoOI was cNcI lillllS has IHe
day passed? Has it anything to do
with our industrial struggles? Does
it share in giving us the most crimi-
nal record in the world? Is it ever
heard of in our political affairs? Has
it ever been limited that our munitions
makers are war makers also? An
other black shadow was that of hate.
II was heard in the raucous cries of
the rabble that trailed their leaders
to see the spectacle. 1t cut in the cul-
tured tones of the rulers who sneer-
ingly demanded that He came down
from the cross. 1t suffered chok-
ingly from the lips of praying priests.
Does it still cloud our world and rear
a cross for those who run counter to
our desires, our prejudices, our pas
sions? Does it stife industry, cause
lynchings and stir up war?
But there are lights in the dark
ness. One is above the sufferers head
in the writing in Hebrew, Greek and
Latin declaring in the languages of
religion, of learning, of power that
Jesus is King. Emotion, intellect and
will, the whole man bows before His