15:1), a root and a star (Rev. 22:16). The same is true of the cup. These emblems represent the life He gave up at Calvary for lost men. The Singing of a Hymn v. 26 Before going to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn. Many think that the hymn sung was the Hallel, consisting of the 113th to 118th Psalms, which were customarily used at the Pass- over season. They are Psalms of praise. A practical suggestion comes to us from this singing. In the ob servance of the ordinances of the Lord the note of praise should never be left out, for their purpose is to bring be fore us again the kindness of the Lord in providing our salvation. The Gethsemane Experience vv. 22-36 Gethsemane means oil press. It was here that the pure soul of Jesus was pressed beyond measure. Here He went through a struggle of incompar able intensity. His holy soul shrank from the awfulness of bearing the burden of man’s sin upon Calvary. The thought of enduring the wrath of God against sin stirred Him to the depths. He was not afraid to die, but the horror of carrying the weight of a world’s sin upon His own heart brought unspeakable sorrow. But He met the supreme test and emerged from the Garden ready for His greatest ministry, Helps for the Children Jesus Faces Death Mark 14:12-72 Memory Verse: “ Not what I will, but what thou wilt” (Mark 14:36). If some friend of yours has moved to another city, perhaps he left a gift, a book, or a picture to help you to remember him better. Each time that you see the gift, or read the book, or look at the picture you think of your friend. Before the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, He gave His dis ciples, and us, something by which He told us to remember Him. It was the Lord’s Supper or the Last Supper or the Communion service. In an up per room the disciples had made ready for .their last evening with their Lord. As they were eating, the Saviour told His disciples that one of them should betray Him. Rather than whispering to his neighbor, “ Is it heV’ as he pointed to another disciple, each man asked, “ Is it / ? ” After the supper, the disciples and Jesus went out into the Mount of Olives. When Jesus told His friends that all of them would forsake Him, Peter declared that even F E B R U A R Y , 1 9 5 1
though it meant death, he would never leave his Lord. Three times the Sav iour went away alone to pray before the great trial that lay ahead of Him; each time He returned to find His disciples sleeping rather than watch ing with Him as He desired. Soon Judas, one of the disciples, brought the enemies to where the Lord was in the garden, and betrayed Him to them. Peter became so angry that he cut off one of the men’s ears with his sword. Even in His sorrow and pain, the Saviour remembered to minister unto others. He healed the ear at once and told Peter to put up his sword. The disciples did just as Jesus had predicted; they all forsook Him and fled away. Peter followed Jesus afar off and warmed himself at the ene my’s fire while his Lord was being tried. Three times he was asked if he were not one of the disciples, and three times he denied his Lord for fear that he, too, would be harmed. As the cock crew the second time, Peter remembered the Saviour’s words, “ Before the cbek crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.” When he thought of their meaning, Peter went out and wept. Can you say to God, as did your Lord, “Not what I will, but what thou wilt” ? Sometimes God’s way is the hardest way, but it is always the best way. March 25, 1951 THROUGH DEATH TO LIFE Mark 15:33-37; 16:1-7 Pointers on the Lesson Mark’s Gospel reaches its climax in today’s lesson. We see Jesus, the mighty Servant of Jehovah, perform ing His greatest ministry. We do not usually think of a person’s greatest ministry as being associated with his death. But it was so in the case of the Lord Jesus Christ. He came into the world to die. The key verse of Mark’s Gospel tells us this fact (10:45). And, of course, intimately associated with His death was His resurrection which proved the effi cacy of His death. Experiences at Calvary 15:33-37 The passage chosen for today’s study of Christ’s Calvary ministry presents a number of different ex periences through which He passed. First, there is the darkness (v. 33). For three hours, from noon until three in the afternoon, a supernatural night settled over the scene. It spoke of the darkness of sin, of the black-
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