St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1938-06-17

ransom for many. Mark 10:45.
PRIMARY ToPIC-God's Wonderful
Love.
JUNIOR ToP1c-on Calvary.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR
Observation-Disclosures for Others.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT
TOPIC-Love's Supreme Sacrifice.
"A Christianity without q dying
Christ is a dying Christianity. His
tory shows us that the expansive
ness and elevating power Of the
Gospel depend upon the promi-
hence given to the sacrifice Of the
Cross. An old fable says that the
only thing that melts adamant Is
the blood Of a lamb. The Gospel
reveals the precious blood Of Jesus
Christ, his death for US as q ran
som, as the one power that subdues
hostility and binds hearts to Him"
alexander MaclareD.
We consider today that darkest
Of all days in the history Of the
world-when wicked men with cruel
hearts and hands crucified the low
ing Son Of God. But, thanks be to
God, it was also the day when bright
hope shone forth for sinful human
ity, for in His death Christ bore our
sins upon the tree, the veil was
rent, the old sacrifices were set
aside, and the new and living way"
was opened into the ''holiest by the
blood of Jesus" CHeb. 10:2O.
The cross is not just an ornament
to decorate the steeple Of church,
or to adorn man. 1t speaks Of the
black horror Of the cry. MY God,
my God. why hast thou forsaken
mel" but it also tells Of our God
who $50 loved the world that he
gave his only begotten Son" as its
Redeemer.
1. Crucifed-That We Might Live
wv. 22-28.
The details of and circumstances
surrounding the crucifxion are of
deep interest to every Christian. We
stand with Luther and weep as we
see Christ'S unspeakable agony, not
only of body but Of spirit, and we cry
as did Luther, For me. for mel"
How can any believer contemplate
the cross and withhold self, SUBJ
stance, or service from Christ?
Equally earnest and heart-search-
ing is the message Of the cross to
the unbelever. He knows he is a
sinner (Rom. 1929, he knows that
''the wages Of sin is death" Rom.
$3.50, and he knows that neither
Is there salvation in any other, for
there is none other name under
heaven given among men whereby
we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Here at the cross he meets that
one "who his own self bare our
sins in his own body on the tree,
that we, being dead to sins, should
live unto righteousness: by whose
stripes ye were healed Il Pet. q:
"a. There were two malefactorS
who were cruciied with Him, and
one rallied at Him. The other said,
Lord, remember me when thou
contest into thy kingdom; and
Jesus said to him, To-day thou
shalt be with me in Paradise" duke
23:3949. Unbeliever. who reads
these lines, will you not just now
take the eternal life which Jesus
died to make possible for you?
II. FOrsaken-That We Might Be
Accepted wv. 1886.
The railing, head wagging,. and
other abuse that men heaped upon
Jesus as He hung on the cross,
must have been grevious thing for
His tender loving heart to bear.
But it was as nothing compared
with that hour when, covered with
all the sin and curse of the world,
He who knew no sin was made
sin for us" Il Cor. 5:2D, and God
turned a%dX. from Him; .::::...:
We;:caniot tathan the fun: mean.
ing. Of that hour, we dare not at
'tempt to: eNplairi It, we :c3H .:otiY
ACCEPT IF and thanh; God: mat Be:
cause He did become sin for US we
may be made the righteousness OF
God in him" QI Cor. 5:2D. He died
that we might live. He was for.
saken that we might be accepted
In" Him-"the beloved (Eph. /:
@.
III. A Veil Rent-That We Might
Enter wv. S7-39).
The death Of Jesus was not the
pitiful weakening Of a human mar
tyr. Here was the Son Of God, cry
ing with loud voice ". Sd, giving
up His spirit to the Father duke
H:46), declaring that the work of
redemption was finished"
AS a visible indication Of that part
and as declaration that the old
dispensation Of law had given place
to the dispensation Of grace, God
tore the temple veil in twain. Only
He could have done It. No. man
could have torn this sixty-foot long.
twenty-foot wide, and inch-thick
curtain from top to bottom. It had
hung in the temple to keep all but
the High Priest out Of the Holy Of
Holes, and he entered with fear and
trembling but once a year as the
representative Of the people. Now
all this is changed. We have now,
brethren, holiness to enter into
the hottest by the blood Of Jesus.