And show its hate without the gate on this, its judgment day. The Lamb of God was sacrificed upon a cross of wood; Outside the ancient city wall the morbid object stood. They crucified the Master with a thief on either side, And willed to make Him suffer even more before He died. Then Pilate wrote a triple note, a short and pointed thing; Above His head the title read that Jesus was the King. Transgressors He was numbered with to prove the Scriptures true, And then He prayed, “ Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” He prayed for those who cast the lot to take His clothes away; He prayed for those who hated Him, as only He could pray. Betrayed, denied, and crucified, He hung upon the cross; Upon the tree at Calvary He suffered total loss. The people stood beholding Him —the Christ, the Undefiled, And held Him in derision while the passing crowd reviled. They told the Lord to save Him self and show His deity, While priests and others mocked again the Man of Galilee. In unbelief one dying thief as sailed Him with the tongue; The other one besought the Son to save him as he hung. The Master closed the issue with a promise to redeem, Though soon His grieving heart would know the agony su preme. The load of sin for all the world would soon be His to bear; The righteous wrath of God Him self must come upon Him there. His Father dear must turn His ear away from God the Son, And hide His face as in dis grace from Christ the Holy One. A deathly darkness veiled the
earth, and day became as night; The sun itself was darkened when it should have been so bright. The light of God was blackened and the face o f God was veiled; And Christ the Son of God was left forsaken as He wailed. Observers thought that Jesus sought a prophet of the past, And stopped to see if possibly relief would come at last. The Son of God was on the cross, for man had done his worst, And openly rebelled against the King who said, “ I thirst.” They gave Him vinegar to drink; He took the bitter cup, And uttered, “ It is finished,” and the ghost He yielded up. A holy flood of precious bleed was shed upon the tree; For Jesus bled that stream of red for all—for you and me. The might o f God was witnessed when the Lamb of God was slain; From top to bottom did He rend the temple veil in twain. The earth did quake beneath His hand, and ageless rocks were rent; And those who stood beholding truly wondered what it meant. But there was one centurion with others near the scene Who saw the death— the final breath of Christ the Naza- rene. They seemed to feel the earth convulse with power divinely odd, And realized they stood before the very Son o f God. Some soldiers came to break His legs according to command, But He remained unbroken by the military band. Then one drew near with ready spear and pierced the Cruci fied; A gory spout of blood came out with water from His side. The loved ones of the Master stood beholding from afar
As the record of the prophets was fulfilled without a mar. At even, Pilate listened to pitiful request; A man would put the Saviour to a fitting final rest. One Joseph came to bear the frame o f Jesus to his grave; With tender care he did pre pare the body for the cave. His body came to rest within that sepulchre of stone; A massive boulder blocked the door to leave it there alone. But Pharisees were fearful that the Lord might yet endure, And took extreme precautions that the vault be made se cure. They would not rest till every test of surety was made To seal His doom within the tomb where never man was laid. The body lay in silence till that third historic day, When the angel of the Lord came down and rolled the stone away. As women neared the vacant grave, he told them not to fear; “ I know that ye seek Jesus,” and he said, “ He is not here.” And then he bade them come and see the place where He was laid. They came and saw, and stood in awe, for they were sore afraid. The Lord of life is risen; He is not among the dead; The tomb is truly empty as the holy angel said. The women were commanded to go forth and tell the news To those the dear disciples of Messiah o f the Jews. So off they went as they were sent to tell the chosen men That Christ arose despite His foes—He is alive again. The Lord appeared to two of them and talked along the way To the village o f Emmaus on the resurrection day. Continued on page 50 33
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