The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-06-09
WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
JESUS ON THE CROSS
Sunday June 10.
Matthew 27.35-50
By HIGHT {. MOORE

Sunday June 10.
Matthew 27:35-5O.
Golden Text - Looking unit
Jesus the author and finisher o
our faith, who for the joy tina
was set before him endured tn
cross. despising shame. and is Sc
down at the right hand of tn
throne of God.-Hebrews 1872.
The Civil Trial and Death o
Jesus as recorded by Matthew
(27:l-66) includes the appear
ance before Plate who sentenced
him to the cross, an interlude OF
the fate of Judas who died a SUI
eide. the crucifixion at Golgothi
with its agony and death, and thu
interment in the new tomb o.
Joseph of Armathea-
The Entire Story of Christ OF
the Gross as recorded in the
gospels may be grouped arounG
seven points: the one submission
wherein he endured the cross
the two malefactors, the ont
penitent; the three inscriptions
Latin, Greek, and Hebrew; the
four challenges of his word anc
work, title, and trust; the five
fulfilments including his cruel
fixion with robbers, the disposl,
ton of his raiment, his cry OF
thirst, the fact that no bone was
broken and that his side was
pierced the six testimonies from
Plate, the thief, the sun. the
centurion. the disciples, and the
multitude: and the seven sayings
which included the voice of pray
er for his enemies, of protection
to his mother, of promise to the
penitent thief, of spiritual lone
illness before God, of intensest
physical agony, and at last the
shout of triumph followed by the
tranquil surrender of his spirit to
the father.
THE SUBMISSION TO
THE CROSS
The Uplifted Christ made his
voluntary submission to the cross.
The victims were bearing their
crosses to the place of execution.
The centurion was accompanied
by four soldiers detailed to carry
out each death sentence. The
crowd that followed included
Temple servants, a number of the
eceiesiastics, and a miscellaneous
throng. Though exhausted by
days of agitation, a night of
agony. and the six trials, three
ecclesiastical and three civil,
through which he had passed,
Jesus went willingly to Golgotha.
The angels would have leaped to
his rescue. He had the power
himself to avert his fate. But he
gave himself. so that the cross
was less an an instrument of Ro-
man law than an altar of divine
love. 1t was on Skull Hill over
looking the northern wall off
Jerusalem ths5 Jesus was nailed
hands and feet to Roman cross
and uplifted to suffer excruciat-
ing pain until his release from
the body. 1t may have been that
the authorities wished the Pass
over throne then in Jerusalem to
conclude that a gang of thieves
had been apprehended and sent
to speedy justice. At all events,
the two malefactorS, the one i'm
penitent and the other penitent
showed the two attitudes of the
world then and since to the
Christ on the cross. Probably the
first words that fell from the
lips of Jesus under the initial
Dang of crucifixion breathed a
prayer of forgiveness for the exc
.cutioners and also probably for
all who had sought his death.
When the soldiers on duty had
transfixed their victims to the
crosses and uplifted them to
await the end, they naturally
claimed their perquisites under
the Roman law. So. the four SOL
diers at the foot of the cross of
Jesus parted his outer garments
among them, and for his inner
vesture they cast lots to see
which one should have it. Thus
Scripture was fulfilled and the
Son of God was Inundated.
The SPITE AGAINST
THE CROSS
The Tainted Christ endured
patiently the spite against the
cross. He endured the shame OF
popular scorn mingled perhap.
with the pity of some who as
Isembled to see him die. There
were the people who congregates
in curiosity at a public execution
There were the Jewish ruler.
who, not content at wringing the
death-sentence from an unwilling
judge, pursued their victim tt
his cross and scoffed at him as /,
saviour who claimed to save 9th
ers but could not save himself
and who claimed to be the Sol
of God and man. They would no
isee that the Saviour who savec
others must not save himself ant
that Father and Son were uniting
at Calvary in the supremest sac
rifice of the universe in all tn,
eternities. There were the sol
diers who caught the genera
spirit of, mockery and lifted vine
igar to the lips of Jesus, feignin,
to be cup-bearers to a mock kin,
on the cross. There above tn
head of Jesus in three language
was the superscription giving tn
reason for the crucifixion, but
embodied the opinion of, PLAT
that Jesus was the king of tn
Jews. There was the hard-heart
ed malefactor who rallied upor
Jesus in bitter words challenging
him if he were the Christ to saw
the church lawn, sponsored b