May, 1942
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON Commentary Outline and Exposition Blackboard Lesson < Childrens Division Object Lesson Golden T ext illustration By B. B. S utcliffe By G retchen S ibley By H elen F razee -B ower By E lmer L. W ilder By A lan S. P earce Points and Problems B y A lva J. M c C lain , President of Grace Theological Seminary! Winona Lake, Ind.
IL T he P rayer (Lk. 2 3 :33, 34)
JUNE 7, 1942 FRIDAY : THE DAY OF SUFFERING (II) • (Christ’s Words on the Cross) M ark 15:33, 34; L uke 23:33-46 (C ompare J ohn 19:25-30)
Even in His distress, our Lord, could lift His voice in prayer for God’s for giveness of those who crucified Him. Realizing their ignorance, He pleaded, “They know not what they do” (v. 34; cf. 1 Cor. 2:6-8)—and this fact was true, whether the Roman soldiers or the Jewish leaders were In His mind as the words were uttered. The for giveness would be granted; that was certain. But it. would remain for the forgiven ones to accept it and act upon it. And this they did not do. III. T he M ercy (Lk. 23 ¡35-43) No one can appreciate our Lord’s suffering which was beyond the phys ical distress during- those eventful hours. Thq mental and psychical dis tress of a nature as refined as His never can be put into words. The people scorned Him; the rulers scoffed at Him; the soldiers mpcked Him, and a common thief and murderer railed on Him—and He bore It all. But there was one who cried for mercy from the Lord and, in answer to his cry, ob tained the promise that that very day he would be with the Lord in para dise. That, man went Into the darkness of death—a death deserved, because of his evil deeds—but he was upheld by the Saviour’s glorious promise. In spite o f'a ll his wickedness, his soul was saved because, in simple faith, he trusted the Lord Jesus Christ. But alas, whilë his soul was saved, his life was lost! It is sadly possible to have the soul saved by accepting Christ as Saviour, and yet have the life lost as far as service is concerned (cf. 2 Cor. 5:14, 15; 1 Cor. 3:11-15). IV. T he F inal G ry (L E 23:44-46) ' Luke adds details to the account found in Mark by saying: “The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent- in the midst” (Lk. 23:45). And from Matthew we learn that the veil was rent “from the top to the bottom” (Matt. 27:51). .No human hand tore that heavy veil; it was rént by’ God, because it could no longer bar the approach of those whose sins were covered by the blood of Christ, the true “evening sacrifice.” The way into the immediate presence of thé holy God was made available
Mark 15:33 And when the sixth hour was come» there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour* 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice» saying:» Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is» being: interpreted* My God» my God» why hast thou forsaken me? Luke 23:33 And when they were come to the places which is called Calvary» there they crucified him» and the malefac tors» one on the right hand» and the other on the left. 34 Then said Jesus» Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. 35 And the people stood beholding:. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying:, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. 36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming: to him, and offering: him vinegar, 37 And saying:, If thou be the King of the Jews, save thysielf. 38 And a superscription also was writ ten over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS, Outline and Exposition L T he D istress (M k . 15:33, 34) ^ T " ^ 0 THOSE who declared they would believe in Christ if a sign 1 was given them, the three hours Of supernatural darkness tliat fell upon the earth must- have been most impressive. But nothing could alter the character of their determined unbelief nor change their hatred of Him who was, and is, the Truth. “At the ninth hour Jesus cried.” The ninth hour was the hour of the “ eve ning sacrifice.” The observance of this sacrifice began far. back in the land of Egypt when, at the command of God, the lamb was slain—the lamb whose blood gave full protection to those in the house on'whose door posts it was sprinkled. Later on, Ezra, coming before God with a plea for the forgiveness of the people, “sat aston- f. Lesson material is based- on outlines of International Sunday-School Lessons copyrighted by the International Coun cil of Religious Education and is used by its permission. Scripture portions quoted are from the King James Ver sion unless otherwise stated .]
39 And òue of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying:. If thou he Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But thè other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, see ing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we re ceive the due reward of óur deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, re member me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. 44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent In the midst. 46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. ; GOLDEN TEXT : «He was wounded for* our transgressions, h e , was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 5$:5); DEVOTIONAL READING: Psa. 22:1-5, 14-19. ished until the evening sacrifice" (Ezra 9:4) and then cried, “Behold we are before thee in our trespasses” (9:15). He had nothing to plead 'ex cept the efficacy of the “ evening sac-/ rifice.” . Still later, David, desiring that his prayer .be heard, cried: “Let my prayer be . . . and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice" (Psa. 141:2). He was encouraged to ; believe his prayer would be heard by virtue of that evening sacrifice. When Daniel confessed the sins of himself and his people, it was at the time of the “evening oblation” that his prayer was answered (Dan. 9:21). The “evening sacrifice” offered at the ninth hour on the cross superseded, and filled with reality, all that went before; it was the substance of the shadows. But that “ninth hour” was the hour of our” Lord’s deepest dis tress, for in it He faced the awful ex perience of being forsaken by His own Father—the Father whose absolute holiness made it impossible to coun tenance any sin, including, of course, the dreadful b u r d e n of human iniquity that the Saviour voluntarily bore (Psa. 22:1-5; 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Cor. '5:21).
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