286 awful n igh t had th e Lord passed through,— the agony of LESSON the Garden, the betray- EXPOSITION al, the desertion, the T. O. H orton mock tria l by Jew ish leaders and Roman gov ernors, th e cruel scourgings, th e ’ in dignities,— all these were enough to have killed a less sensitive man than Jesus. - It was the custom for crim inals to bear th e ir own crosses to the place of crucifixion. Around the neck was hung a tab let bearing the inscription of the crime for which they were to suffer. No doubt Jesus bore such a tab let which was afterw ards nailed to th e cross. Jesus staggered under the weight of the cross and th e soldiers impressed one Simon, of Cyrene, (one of th e Passover pilgrims, no doubt) to carry H is cross for Him. This was an u n ju st act. The soldiers had no rig h t to require such a service of Simon, but the Lord made it a blessing to him, as we find his family identified w ith th e early church. Contrast th is procession w ith the one w hich,, but a few days before, had borne Jesus in trium ph into the city. (1) THE DERISION OF ‘THE RULERS, vs. 35-38, “The ru lers also derided him .” At the “place of th e sku ll” were erected th ree crosses, one of which had been intended for Barabbas, th e robber, whose place was now taken by Jesus of Nazareth. Barabbas had been warm ly welcomed by the Jew ish ru lers although he was a m urderer. Indeed, th e ir h atred for Jesus was so g reat th a t they would, no doubt,, have welcomed the devil himself. Upon the th ree crosses are stretched th e th ree victims, bu t the h earts of the Jew ish ru lers are occupied w ith the mid dle cross where hangs the h ated «Galilee- an. This is the day of th e ir trium ph and they must make th e most of it. The people stood beholding, filled with wonder. The women were bewailing,
T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S filled w ith grief. The soldiers were mocking, filled w ith unconcern and in difference. B u t th e rulers-—the cul tured, refined ecclesiasts, stood deriding. He was fair game for th e ir fiendish rage. Had not H is words cut them to th e quick before th e people? Is not revenge sweet? They ta u n t Him. “You saved others; save yourself, if you are the Christ.” Yes, He had saved others bu t not by saving Himself. To save Himself would be to sacrifice th e dearest wish of H is F a th e r’s h ea rt; it would be to seal th e gate of heaven forever to sin ful men; to shu t out hope forever from th e hum an breast. (John 12:27.) " N o w is m y s o u l tr o u b l e d ; a n d ■w b a t s h a ll I s a y ? F a t h e r , s a v e m e f r o m t h i s h o u r . B u t f o r t h i s c a u s e c a m e 1 u n to t h i s h o u r .9’ No, He could not save H imself and tliis was His highest title to the Messiah- ship. “King of th e Jew s!” So P ilate w rote and th is was an undesigned a t testation to a g reat fact. An awful spectacle now before men, bu t tru ly the King whose rod shall one day sway all empires. . (2) THE DEFENSE OF THE TH IEF, vs. 39-43, “This man h ath done nothing am iss.” , V Matthew tells us th a t a t th e beginning both th e m alefactors railed on Him (Matt. 2 7 :4 4 ). Led on by the example of th e soldiers and rulers, they passed th e tim e in blasphem ing Him.
W hat a picture is th is of the n atu ral h ea rt a t its worst. A dying man, suffer ing the to rtu res of crucifixion, railing on a fellow sufferer, and th a t sufferer such, a one as the Holy Christ! To what depths of depravity can th e human h eart descend in its wandering from God. Behold, on th e o ther hand, to w hat a height such a one can be lifted, and th a t q t once, when caught by the sweep of the Holy Spirit and lifted from his vile estate to a place of sonship! Suddenly convicted by the wonderful bearing of Jesus, or because of previous GOOD NEWS FOR SUNDAY SCHOOLS and
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