King's Business - 1921-03

T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S

267

. M A R C H 20 , 1921 JE SU S O N T H E CRO SS .

love toward us, in that, while we were TEXT •27:32; Jno. 12:24-33; 1 Cor. 1:18-25; He saved o th ers; h im self he can n o t save. If he be th e K in g of Isra el, le t him now come down from th e cross, and we w ill believe him . (43) He tru ste d in God; le t him deliver him now, if he w ill have him : fo r he said, I am th e Son of God. (44) The th iev es also, w hich w ere c ru c i­ fied w ith him, c a s t th e sam e in his teeth. (45) Now from th e six th ho u r th e re w as d a rk n ess over all th e lan d un to th e n in th hour. (46) And a b o u t th e n in th h our Je su s cried w ith a loud voice, saying, E li, E li, lam a sab a ch th an i? th a t is, to sa y My God, m y God, w hy h a s t th o u fo rsa k e n m e? (47) Some of them th a t stood th ere , w hen th e y h eard th a t, said, T his m an c alleth fo r . E lias. (48) And s tra ig h tw a y one of them ran , a n d to o k a spunge, and filled it w ith vin eg ar, and p u t it on a reed, and gave him to d rin k . (49) T he r e s t said , L et be, le t us see w h e th er E lia s w ill come to save him . (50) And Jesu s, w hen he h ad cried a g a in w ith a loud voice, yielded up th e ghost. fully. There are four great actors at the Cross: Man, whose sin madei it necessary. Satan, whose hatred prompted its performance. Jesus, whose obedience suffered it. The Father, whose love provided it. In the light of these actors every de­ tail should be studied. (1) PILATE AND THE PRISONERS: “Whether of the twain.” Pressed by the Jewish rulers, Pilate was in desperate straits. The message from his wife concerning her dream filled him with superstitious dread and he sought by strategy to evade the real issue. He introduced the two noted prisoners, Barabbas, and Jesus Christ, in hopes that they would select the rob­ ber; but the chief priests and elders were not to be foiled and insisted upon the crucifixion of Jesus. Pilate washed his hands, (Deut. 21:6, 7; Psa. 26:6), but he could not wash his conscience.

Golden Text: God commendeth his yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom. 5:8 LESSON Mat. 27:33-50. (Rea

(33) A nd w hen th ey w ere come un to a place called G olgotha, th a t is to say, a place of a skull, (34) T hey gave him v in eg a r to d rin k m ingled w ith g a ll: and w hen he had la s te d thereo f, he w ould no t d rink. (35) And th ey crucified him, and p a rte d h is g a rm e n ts, c a stin g lo ts: th a t it m ig h t be fulfilled w hich w as spoken by th e p rophet, T hey p a rte d my g a rm e n ts am ong them , and upon m y v e stu re did th e y c a st lots. (36) And s ittin g dow n th ey w atched him th e re ; (37) And se t up over his h ead his accu satio n w ritte n , TH IS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEW S. (38) T hen w ere th e re crucified w ith him , one on th e r ig h t hand, an d a n o th e r on th e left. (39) And th e y th a t passed by rev iled him , w a g g in g th e ir heads, (40) And say in g , T hou th a t d estro y est th e tem ple, and b u ild est it in th re e days, save th y self. If th o u be th e Son of God come down from th e cross. (41) L ikew ise also th e chief p rie sts m ocking him , w ith th e scribes and elders, said, (42)