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THE KING’ S BUSINESS
only a suggestion o f what would come upon the people as a whole because o f their treatment o f Him. T o add to our Lord’s disgrace two notorious malefactors were led along with Him to crucifixion at- the same time, in this a definite Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled (Isa. 53:12). Friday, March 17 . Luke 23:33-38. O f the three who hung upon the crosses only the Sinless One o f Israel was the butt o f ridicule during His dying agonies. The world hates a holy man more than it hates a bad one. Passers-by, rulers, sol diers, and even the malefactors united' in ridiculing Him (cf. Matt. 27:39, 44). This ridicule broke the heart o f Jesus, because He I loved those who mocked Him (Psa. 69:20). Jesus made no reply to all their reviling (1 Peter 2:23). Tauntingly the rulers sneer, “He saved others; let Him save Himself, if this is the Christ that God has'chosen.” But if He saved Himself He could not save others (John 10:11; Matt. 20:28; Gal. 3:10). I f He had accepted their challenge and saved Him self He would not thereby have proven that He was “the Christ o f God, His Chosen,” but would have proven just the contrary. The religious leaders were the most prominent persons in this reviling o f Christ. Religious leaders have often since taken the lead in the ridicule o f truth and Its representatives. Jesus was also exposed to ridicule by the superscription on the cross, “ This is the King -o f the Jews.” Pilate had written that title partly as an accusation, partly as a taunt to the Jews who had driven him to do what his own conscience disapproved and upon whom he would now have revenge. He had also written it partly as an expression o f the deeper conviction o f his own heart, and as a sort o f atonement for the grievous^wrong he had done Jesus. But whatever Pilate intended by it, the hand o f God was in it, and God by the hand o f this wicked man, proclaimed to all ages in three languages, the language o f religion, the language of law and government, and the language o f literature and philosophy, that Jesus of"
man like Pilate. While he wished to do the right thing, -he wished •moré to “ con tent the multitude” (Mark 15:15), and that is the usual path to ruin and disgrace trodden by politicians. The Bible and all history are full o f incidents-of weak men who wished to do right but who committed awful sins because o f the fear o f man. In a world so full o f evil influences as the one in which we live, a weak man will always end by being a bad man. Pilate did not save himself from loss o f office by his nefarious concession but ended his life in exile and disgrace. God had not left him to his awful deed without many warnings. He sinned against much light and became the victim o f awful judgments. Thursday, March 16. Luke 23:26-32. A passerby, “ Simon o f Cyrene,” was impressed by the Roman soldiers that He might bear the cross after Jesus. This was a mqst sweet privilege to thus be permitted to lighten the crushing burden o f our Saviour in these last hours, and Simon doubtless had his reward. His being men tioned so definitely by name and by .resi dence indicates that he became a Christian and was well known in the Christian com munity. - A Lucius o f Cyrene is mentioned in Acts 13:1 immediately after a Simeon who was called Niger. It is not impos sible that this Simeon was the Simon here mentioned. I f so, this Simon became a prominent teacher in the early church. Not every one was against Jesus, a large com pany followed Him in the hour o f His rejection, and especially to be noted among them a company o f women who bewailed and lamented Him. But Jesus’ pity went out toward them and He forgot His own sorrows, overwhelming as they were, in those that were coming upon Jerusalem as a result o f their rejection o f Him. He told ’"them not to' weep for Him but to weep for themselves and for their children. Days were coming, when the judgment that fell upon that nation would be so awful that people would cry to the mountains to fall down upon them, and to the hills to cover them. What was being done to Him was
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