JESUS CRUCIFIED

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 26, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 21.

Lesson XI.—Sunday, June 12, 1898.

JESUS CRUCIFIED.

Lesson Scripture, Matt. 27:35-50, R.V.

35 “And when they had crucified Him, they parted His garments among them, casting lots; and they sat and watched Him there. 36 And they set up over His head His accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38 Then are there crucified with Him two robbers, one on the right hand, and one on the left. 39 And they that passed by railed on Him, wagging their heads, 40 and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself; if Thou art the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41 In like manner also the chief priests mocking Him, with the scribes and elders, 42 said, He saved others; Himself He can not save. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe on Him. 43 He trusteth on God; let Him deliver Him now, if He desireth Him: for He said, I am the Son of God. 44 And the robbers also that were crucified with Him cast upon Him the same reproach. 45 “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? 47 that is, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? And some of them that stood there, when they heard it, said, This man calleth Elijah. 48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave Him to drink. 49 And the rest said, Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to save Him. 50 And Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.”

Golden Text: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” I Cor. 15:3.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) What was the last formal act in the condemnation of Jesus? V. 35. Note 1. (2) What was done with His garments? Same v. Note 2. (3) What scripture was thus fulfilled? Ps. 22:18. (4) Then what did the guards do? Verse 36. (5) What inscription was placed over Him? V. 37. (6) Who were crucified with Him? V. 38. Note 3. (7) What was done by the people who passed by? V. 39; Ps. 22:7, 8. (8) What did they say? V. 40. Note 4. (9) Who else mocked Him? V. 41. (10) What did these officials say? V. 42. Note 5. (11) With what other taunt did they revile Him? V. 43. Note 6. (12) What did the thieves say to Him? V. 44. (13) What phenomenon occurred at noon? and how long did it last? V. 45. Note 7. (14) At the close of this dark period, what did Jesus say? V. 46. Note 8. (15) What then did some of the spectators say? V. 47. (16) What did one of the men do? V. 48. (17) What did the rest say? V. 49. (18) What was the last act of the suffering Christ? V. 50.

NOTES.

1. “They crucified Him.”—The cross was a heavy piece of timber, with a shorter piece fastened crosswise near one end. The victim was laid on this timber, the arms stretched upon the crosspiece and made secure by thongs or bands, but in the case of Jesus by nails driven through the hands. Then, as a further support to the body, the feet were bound, but in the case of Jesus, nails were driven through the feet into the main timber. Then the structure was raised to an upright position and planted in the ground. The body was sufficiently elevated to make it a conspicuous spectacle. The position caused the most excruciating pain, but Christ’s suffering in spirit because of the doom that His persecutors were bringing upon themselves was greater than His bodily pain.

2. “They parted His garments.”—The garments were the perquisites of the soldiers who did the cruel work. Here the prophecy was fulfilled to the letter, “They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.” Ps. 22:18. John (chapter 19:23, 24) says, “The coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout;” for this reason they said, “Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be.” Of course they did not know that they were fulfilling the scripture.

3. The two “thieves” (or “robbers,” Revised Version) were men who had been engaged with Barabbas in his “sedition,” and were condemned with him. By request of the people, at the instigation of the priests, Barabbas had been released, and Jesus crucified in his stead. Thus was Christ “numbered with the transgressors.”

4. “Thou that destroyest the temple,” etc.—This was a perversion of His own words, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” John 2:19. “But He spake of the temple of His body.” Verse 21. The perversion of His words by applying them to the temple building was the accusation brought against Him by two false witnesses at His trial before the high priest. Matt. 26:61.

5. “He saved others, Himself He can not save.”—In this saying the revilers of Christ unwittingly uttered a great truth. That they did not understand the mission of the Messiah, is shown in their railing sarcasm, “If He be the King of Israel, let Him come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.” This demonstrates the extent of their deception. They would believe one who could save himself; but if Christ had saved Himself, He could not have saved anybody else. The fact that He could save others and not Himself, was proof that He was the Saviour and the King of Israel.

6. “He trusted in God.”—That was because He knew God. So will the true follower of Christ trust in God, no matter what the circumstances or the trial. The true Christian has no thought of self-defense. It is the world’s maxim, “Self-defense is the first law of nature,” but the spiritual man trusts in God for defense. “He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.” Ps. 62:2. “Yea, tho I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” Ps. 23:4.

7. “Darkness over all the land.”—It was not an ordinary eclipse of the sun; it was a sudden darkness.

8. “Why hast Thou forsaken Me?”—It was part of the penalty of sin which He was bearing for the whole world. “His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.” 1 Peter 2:24.