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T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
bore our sins not in th e manger of Bethlehem , nor by the Sea of Galilee, not even in th e Garden of Gethsemane, bu t “ on the tree .” 1 Pet. 2:24. There fore the preaching of the cross is the power of God unto salvation to every one th a t believeth. He could save oth ers because He would not save Himsefl. Had He come down from the cross at the challenge of His enemies, He must have left His name Jesus behind Him and we must have said, “He saved Him self, therefore, he could not save us.” FRIDAY, Dec. 12. Matthew 27:45-50. The Noonday Darkness. At high noon on the day of crucifix ion, the sun should have been pouring down its full-orbed radiance upon th a t aw ful tragedy. Instead of th a t, the face of the heavens was black and the noon-day sun was tu rn ed to darkness upon th is g reat and te rrib le day of the Lord. It could not have been a n atu ra l eclipse for the Paschal moon was a t th e full. It was one of those sup ern atu ral signs from heaven which the Pharisees had so often vainly asked. The tau n ts and jeers of the Savior’s foes seem to have been confined to the earlier hours of th e day. This solemn po rten t to gether w ith th e shaking earth and rend ing rocks must have filled th e minds of all w ith deep foreboding and dismay. SATURDAY, Dec. 13. Jo h n 6:60-69. Many Of H is Disciples W ent Back. . Christ was surrounded by a motley crowd who followed Him for w hat they could get. They would even make Him a king by force and lift up th e standard of revolt. At the cost of His popularity He undeceived them and revealed the tru e character of His mission. It had an immediate effect. Those who had w ant ed to crown Him began to m urm ur at Him and many of H is own disciples went back and walked no more w ith Him. When he sadly asked th e twelve if they were not going too, Peter, th e
fore th e cock should crow twice, he would thrice deny Him. Satan asked for all the disciples th a t he m ight sift them as wheat bu t Christ prayed speci fically for P eter since His need was spe cial and his danger great. Our fu tu re sins as well as our past sins are under the blood. “ If any man sin, we have an advocate w ith the F a th e r.” Christ prayed for P eter not only before He re pented bu t even while he was uncon scious of any danger. God does not for give us because we have repented but th e free unm erited mercy of God breaks our hard h earts and melts them into penitence and tears. WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10. Duke 22:54-62. The Eclipse Of F aith . Christ did not pray th a t P eter should no t fall. He did not even ask th a t he should be taken out of S atan ’s sieve. He only asked th a t his faith m ight hold out. It has been said th a t Simon must be perm itted to b reak down as Jacob had to be broken down, in order th a t as the princely Israel sprang out the crippled Jacob, so th e rock-like Peter m ight arise from th e sifted Simon. Jacob had to lose his cunning, Job had to repudiate his goodness, Simon had to give up his strength. It does not m at te r very much w hat happens to a man if his faith holds out. When faith goes, all is gone. This experience of P ete r’s led him to emphasize in his epistles, the need of meekness and Godly fear. THURSDAY, Dec. 11.— John 19:23-30. At The Crucifixion. The death of Jesus upon the cross was voluntary and expiatory. He who was the Life E tern al could not die a so-called n atu ra l death. The only al tern ative was a voluntary su rrend er of His life by a violent death a t th e hands of His enemies. In th e crucifixion sin attain ed its u tterm o st gu ilt and re deeming love its highest expression. He
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