The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-06-09

SdlNdIlOH lloii Oil
from suffering and death. ne
would not have sunk out of sight
into the outer darkness.
THE SACRIFICE ON
THE CROSS
| The dying Christ poured out
his life in sacrifice on the cross
The darkness that enveloped Col
gotha and Jerusalem was not ar
eclipse, for it lasted three hours
instead of few minutes and il
covered the whole land instead
of a of a narrow strip of terri
tory. Nature yelled herself in
black while her Maker went down
the dark and shadowy way to his
death. But just before he eX.
PRED we hear his last words
commencing his spirit to the Fa.
Their. And we see the great vel
of the Temple rent in twain at
that moment from top to bottom
in striking symbolism of the fact
that hereafter anybody, any
where, any time may come di-
/ rectly to the Mercy-Seat through
him who had just died on Cal
vary instead of through the high
priest who entered the Holy of
Holes only once year. Not
such another death was ever so
meaningful to men.
CHRIST DIED FOR
OUR SINS
a. The Crucified Christ and
His Suffering. When they were
come-he would not drink" Vol
UNFAIRLY with deliberate purpose
Land after long anticipation Jesus
endured the cross He was not
surprised and overpowered but
"gave himself" Nor would he
take the usual potion to mitigate
his sufferings.
CIV The Crucified Christ and
His Executioners. "They cruel
fled him-they parted his gar
ments-they sat and watched him
!, there" The cross on which Jesus
was transfixed was more than an
instrument of torture and the
machine of death. 1t was an al
tar of sacrifice.
60 The Crucified Christ and
His Accusation. "This is Jesus
the king of the Jews" The title
Plate gave him, whatever its de-
sign, was not inapt. He was not
only the kingliest of all the Jews
but their rightful king and king
of al 1.-The earth.
ca The Crucified Christ and
the Malefactors. "Then are there
crucified with him two robbers"
The authorities may have had
sinister purpose in executing tbs
robbers at the same time with
Jesus. But there could not be a
more graphic setting forth of the
Identification of Jesus with sin
ners. Even so, he saved one of
them who exercised faith in him,
being thus snatched as a brand
from the burning.
(5) The Crucified Christ and
the Passersby. "They that pass
ed by rallied on him." The in
different throng caught the popu-
lar attitude that prevailed at the
moment. So it was that to the
depth of humiliation he went
when they stripped him, nailed
him to the rough wood, uplifted
him to the gaze, of the morbid
crowd, tainted him, saw him die.
CO. The Crucified Christ and
the Ecclesiastics. "Chief priests
moeking him with the scribes and
elders" The vinegar dripped
from bitter tongues into his dy-
ing ears. How cruel and unjust
were their challenges Silent he
heard it all.
CD The Crucified Christ and
Nature. "There was darkness
over all the land" Nature fold
ed a canopy of black across the
face of the sun and darkness
, prevailed for the three fiercest
hours of the day.
I (S) The Crucified and the Fa-
Their. "'My God, my God. why
hast thou forsaken me?" When
he looked up into the black
heaven his cup iof agony over
flowed in tina theartbreaking ut
terance of utter loneliness. Did
ever such a cry before or since
escape the lips of any human be-
ing? And certainly no other
voice like it came from the lips
of deity.
CO.. The Crucified Christ and
the Bystanders. "Some of them
that stood there - one of them
ran-the rest said, Let be-" A
part of the thrOng fingered about
the cross during the ominous
darkness. When in bitterness of
soul he quoted line from one
of the Psalms they misunderstood
him. But one of them more hu-
name or thoughtful than the 9th.
ers tried to give him. relief. 9th
ers awe-struck or heartless stood
still awaiting some supernatural
display.
4 I0) The Crucified Christ and
His Spirit. Jesus cried again
and yielded up his spirit" At
last treachery and trial. scourge
and thorn, nail and challenge did
their worst. There was the shout
of triumph over finished work
and the quiet commentator of
his spirit to the Father and then
the paroxysm of dissolution. The
head fell upon the breast and the
l'feless body of Jesus dangled
upon the cross.