The Son of God was delivered to the people to be crucified; with
shouts of triumph they led the dear Saviour away. He was weak
and faint from weariness, pain, and loss of blood by the scourging
and blows which He had received; yet the heavy cross upon which
He was soon to be nailed was laid upon Him. Jesus fainted beneath
the burden. Three times the cross was placed upon His shoulders,
and three times He fainted. One of His followers, a man who had
not openly professed faith in Christ, yet believed on Him, was
next seized. Upon him the cross was laid, and he bore it to the
fatal spot. Companies of angels were marshaled in the air above
the place. A number of Christ's disciples followed Him to Calvary,
in sorrow, and with bitter weeping. They called to mind His triumphal
ride into Jerusalem but a few days before, when they had followed
Him, crying, "Hosanna in the highest!" and strewing
their garments and the beautiful palm branches in the way. They
had thought that He was then to take the kingdom and reign a temporal
prince over Israel. How changed the scene! How blighted their
prospects! Not with rejoicing, not with cheerful hopes, but with
hearts stricken with fear and despair they now slowly, sadly followed
Him who had been disgraced and humbled, and who was about to die.
The mother of Jesus was there. Her heart was pierced with anguish
such as none but a fond mother can feel; yet, with the disciples,
she still hoped that Christ would work some mighty miracle and
deliver Himself from His murderers. She could not endure the thought
that He would suffer Himself to be crucified. But the preparations
were made, and Jesus was laid upon the cross. The hammer and the
nails were brought. The hearts of the disciples fainted within
them. The mother of Jesus was bowed with agony almost beyond endurance.
Before the Saviour was nailed to the cross, the disciples bore
her from the scene, that she might not hear the crashing of the
spikes as they were driven through the bone and muscle of His
tender hands and feet. Jesus murmured not, but groaned in agony.
His face was pale, and large drops of sweat stood upon His brow.
Satan exulted in the suffering through which the Son of God was
passing, yet feared that his efforts to thwart the plan of salvation
had been in vain, that his kingdom was lost, and that he must
finally be destroyed.
After Jesus had been nailed to the cross, it was raised and with
great force thrust into the place which had been prepared for
it in the ground, tearing the flesh and causing the most intense
suffering. To make the death of Jesus as shameful as possible,
two thieves were crucified with Him, one on each side. The thieves
were taken by force, and after much resistance on their part,
their arms were thrust back and nailed to their crosses. But Jesus
meekly submitted. He needed no one to force His arms back upon
the cross. While the thieves were cursing their executioners,
the Saviour in agony prayed for His enemies, "Father, forgive
them; for they know not what they do." It was not merely
agony of body which Christ endured; the sins of the whole world
were upon Him.
As Jesus hung upon the cross, some who passed by reviled Him,
wagging their heads as if bowing to a king, and said to Him, "Thou
that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save
Thyself. If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross."
Satan used the same words to Christ in the wilderness-- "If
Thou be the Son of God." The chief priests, elders, and scribes
mockingly said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save.
If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross,
and we will believe Him." The angels who hovered over the
scene of Christ's crucifixion were moved to indignation as the
rulers derided Him and said, "If He be the Son God, let Him
deliver Himself". They wished there to come to the rescue
of Jesus and deliver Him, but they were not suffered to do so.
The object of His mission was not yet accomplished.
As Jesus hung upon the cross during those long hours of agony,
He did not forget His mother. She had returned to the terrible
scene, for she could not longer remain away from her Son. The
last lesson of Jesus was one of compassion and humanity. He looked
upon the grief-stricken face of His mother, and then upon His
beloved disciple John. He said to His mother, "Woman, behold
thy son!" Then He said to John, "Behold thy mother!"
And from that hour John took her to his own house.
Jesus thirsted in His agony, and they gave Him vinegar and gall
to drink; but when He tasted it, He refused it. The angels had
viewed the agony of their loved Commander until they could behold
no longer, and they veiled their faces from the sight. The sun
refused to look upon the awful scene. Jesus cried with a loud
voice, which struck terror to the hearts of His murderers, "It
is finished." Then the veil of the temple was rent from the
top to the bottom, the earth shook, and the rocks rent. Great
darkness was upon the face of the earth. The last hope of the
disciples seemed swept away as Jesus died. Many of His followers
witnessed the scene of His sufferings and death, and their cup
of sorrow was full.
Satan did not then exult as he had done. He had hoped to break
up the plan of salvation; but it was laid too deep. And now by
the death of Christ he knew that he himself must finally die,
and his kingdom be given to Jesus. He held a council with his
angels. He had prevailed nothing against the Son of God, and now
they must increase their efforts and with their power and cunning
turn to His followers. They must prevent all whom they could from
receiving the salvation purchased for them by Jesus. By so doing
Satan could still work against the government of God. Also it
would be for his own interest to keep from Jesus as many as possible.
For the sins of those who are redeemed by the blood of Christ
will at last be rolled back upon the originator of sin, and he
must bear their punishment, while those who do not accept salvation
through Jesus will suffer the penalty of their own sins.
The life of Christ had ever been without worldly wealth, honor,
or display. His humility and self-denial had been in striking
contrast to the pride and self-indulgence of the priests and elders.
His spotless purity was a continual reproof of their sins. They
despised Him for His humility, holiness, and purity. But those
who despised Him here will one day see Him in the grandeur of
heaven and the unsurpassed glory of His Father.
In the judgment hall He was surrounded by enemies who were thirsting
for His blood; but those hardened ones who cried out, "His
blood be on us, and on our children," will behold Him an
honored King. All the heavenly host will escort Him on His way
with songs of victory, majesty, and might to Him that was slain,
yet lives again, a mighty conqueror.
Poor, weak, miserable man spat in the face of the King of glory,
while a shout of brutal triumph arose from the mob at the degrading
insult. They marred with blows and cruelty that face which filled
all heaven with admiration. They will again behold that face,
bright as the noonday sun, and will seek to flee from before it.
Instead of that shout of brutal triumph, they will wail because
of Him.
Jesus will present His hands with the marks of His crucifixion.
The marks of this cruelty He will ever bear. Every print of the
nails will tell the story of man's wonderful redemption and the
dear price by which it was purchased. The very men who thrust
the spear into the side of the Lord of life will behold the print
of the spear and will lament with deep anguish the part which
they acted in marring His body.
His murderers were greatly annoyed by the superscription, "The
King of the Jews," placed upon the cross above His head.
But then they will be obliged to see Him in all His glory and
kingly power. They will behold on His vesture and on His thigh,
written in living characters, "King of kings, and Lord of
lords." They cried to Him mockingly, as He hung upon the
cross, "Let Christ, the King of Israel, descend from the
cross, that we may see and believe." They will behold Him
then with kingly power and authority. They will demand no evidence
of His being King of Israel; but overwhelmed with a sense of His
majesty and exceeding glory, they will be compelled to acknowledge,
"Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord."
The shaking of the earth, the rending of the rocks, the darkness
spread over the earth, and the loud, strong cry of Jesus, "It
is finished," as He yielded up His life, troubled His enemies
and made His murderers tremble. The disciples wondered at these
singular manifestations; but their hopes were crushed. They were
afraid that the Jews would seek to destroy them also. They felt
assured that such hatred as had been manifested against the Son
of God would not end with Him. Lonely hours they spent in weeping
over their disappointment. They had expected that Jesus would
reign a temporal Prince, but their hopes died with Him. In their
sorrow and disappointment, they doubted whether He had not deceived
them. Even His mother wavered in her faith in Him as the Messiah.
Notwithstanding the disciples had been disappointed in their hopes
concerning Jesus, they yet loved Him and desired to give His body
an honored burial, but knew not how to obtain it. Joseph of Arimathaea,
a wealthy and influential councilor of the Jews and a true disciple
of Jesus, went privately yet boldly to Pilate and begged from
him the Saviour's body. He dared not go openly, because of the
hatred of the Jews. The disciples feared that an effort would
be made by them to prevent the body of Christ from having an honored
resting place. Pilate granted the request, and the disciples took
the lifeless form down from the cross, while in deep anguish they
mourned over their blighted hopes. Carefully the body was wrapped
in fine linen, and laid in Joseph's new sepulcher.
The women who had been Christ's humble followers while He lived,
would not leave Him until they saw Him laid in the tomb and a
stone of great weight placed before the door, lest His enemies
should seek to obtain His body. But they need not have feared;
for I saw that the angelic host watched with untold interest in
the resting place of Jesus, earnestly waiting for the command
to act their part in liberating the King of glory from His prison
house.
Christ's murderers feared that He might yet come to life and escape
them. They therefore asked of Pilate a watch to guard the sepulcher
until the third day. This was granted, and the stone at the door
was sealed, lest His disciples should steal Him away and say that
He had risen from the dead. -