_And bound Jesus._ THE LAMB OF GOD It is interesting to observe the remarkable resemblance which is found to exist in several particulars between the ceremonial of the daily sacrifice of the lamb on the altar in the Temple and the sacrifice of the true, spotless Lamb of God. After the lamb had been... [ Continue Reading ]
_But He answered nothing._ THE SILENCE OF OUR LORD From our Lord’s sublime silence we may learn- 1. That the manifestation of anger and temper is inconsistent with a Christian spirit. Again, anger is said to rest “in the bosom of fools,” a mortifying fact, which should be a corrective to this tend... [ Continue Reading ]
_He released unto them one prisoner whomsoever they desired._ BARABBAS OR CHRIST It affords the most vivid illustration in the New Testament of just two great moral lessons: Pilate’s behaviour shows the wicked wrong of indecision, and the chief priests’ choice of Barabbas’ release shows the utter... [ Continue Reading ]
_Had delivered Him for envy._ ENVY AND MALEVOLENCE Mutius, a citizen of Rome, was noted to be of such an envious and malevolent disposition, that Publius, one day, observing him to be very sad, said, “Either some great evil is happened to Mutius, or some great good to another.” ENVY AND MALEVOLEN... [ Continue Reading ]
_The King of the Jews _ PILATE’S QUESTION I. The title-“King of the Jews.” II. The embarrassment that prompted the utterance of this question. III. Regard this as a present question. What shall you do with reference to Him who is “King of the Jews”? Will you reject Him? Will you be neutral? Will... [ Continue Reading ]
_And so Pilate, willing to content the people._ PILATE AND JESUS I. What sort of man was Pilate? Probably not worse than many Roman governors; not very unlike Festus, Felix, Gallio, and the rest. 1. Cruel. 2. Determined. 3. Worldly. II. What was he to do with Jesus? This was his difficulty; th... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they clothed Him with purple and platted a crown of thorns._ MOCK DIGNITY Among the Babylonians and Persians it was customary on a certain feast to bring forth a malefactor from the prison, to place him on a throne, adorned with the royal insignia, to treat him with homage and honour, give him... [ Continue Reading ]
_Crucify Him._ THE WORLD’S TREATMENT OF CHRIST John Wesley, at a considerable party, had been maintaining with great earnestness the doctrine of _Vox populi, vox Dei, _against his sister, a lady whose talents were not unworthy the family to which she belonged. At last the preacher, to put an end t... [ Continue Reading ]
_And led Him out to crucify Him._ PREPARATIONS FOR CRUCIFIXION The case was shut and the last chance was gone, and Pilate uttered the terrible formula, “Go, soldier; get the cross ready!” The cross, perhaps, was found on a pile of grim lumber in some prison yard not far off. Perhaps it was a bole o... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian._ BEARING THE CROSS I. In going through the history of the fact, our thoughts must glance along the links of the connection between the last appeal of Pilate, “Behold, the Man,” and the subject which claims our attention now. II. We pass from the historic fact... [ Continue Reading ]
_The place Golgotha._ Golgotha. The place of execution Calvary, or Golgotha, is not now distinguishable as a hill, partly because of the accumulation of rubbish from the ruin of the city, in the hollows and valleys, and partly because it is doubtful whether it ever was, properly, a hill. It stood b... [ Continue Reading ]
_But He received it not._ Wine mingled with myrrh. The stupefying potion Solomon’s words in Proverbs 31:6, were taken by the Jews to apply to such as were condemned to death, and it was usual for the most illustrious and honourable women of Jerusalem to attend criminals to their execution, and to g... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they crucified Him._ THE MYSTERY OF ETERNITY It was a death of horror; yet inflicted on Jesus, the Son of God, whose crime was mercy, whose mission here was one of redeeming love. I. All the mysteries of human nature are here. 1. Sin. 2. Freewill. 3. Judgment. After these things must ther... [ Continue Reading ]
_The King of the Jews._ JESUS MOCKED AND CRUCIFIED Jesus suffered and died under the forms of law. His execution was the result of a six-fold trial-three trials at the hands of the Jews, and three at the hands of the Romans. When Jesus was led to Golgotha bearing His cross, He had stood at the foc... [ Continue Reading ]
_And with him they crucify two thieves._ THE MALEFACTORS We propose to advert to the fact that Jesus endured his last agonies between two malefactors; and then to notice the respective characters of his companions in suffering. I. Let us behold this strange sight: Jesus suffering, dying between tw... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let Christ, the King of Israel, now descend from the cross._ A GLORIOUS REPROACH In the Divinest sense He could not save Himself. Physically, of course, He could have delivered Himself, “come down from the cross,” and overwhelmed His enemies with destruction. But morally He could not, and His mor... [ Continue Reading ]
_There was darkness over the whole land._ THE THREE HOURS’ DARKNESS What a call must that midday midnight have been to the careless! They knew not that the Son of God was among them; nor that He was working out human redemption. The grandest hour in all history seemed likely to pass by unheeded, w... [ Continue Reading ]
_My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?_ FORSAKEN OF GOD One thing we know, He was alone; He had reached the climax of that loneliness in which His whole earthly work had been carried on. It is hardly possible for us to understand the nature of the solitude of the life of Christ. “It was not th... [ Continue Reading ]
_A sponge full of vinegar._ THE ACIDS OF LIFE They go to a cup of vinegar, and soak a sponge in it, and put it on a stick of hyssop, and then press it against the hot lips of Christ. You say the wine was all anesthetic, and intended to relieve or deaden the pain. But the vinegar was an insult. I am... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Jesus cried with a loud voice._ CHRIST DIED AS A SUBSTITUTE In one sense, Jesus died as our substitute. Now, what is a substitute. A substitute is one who suffers for or instead of another. A schoolboy feeble of body was brought up to the master’s desk for breaking one of the laws of the scho... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the veil of the temple was rent._ THE RENT VEIL If you look into the account of the arrangements and furniture of the Jewish temple, you will find that there were two veils-the one at the entrance into the holy place; the other between the holy place, or the sanctuary, and the most holy, or th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Truly this Man was the Son of God._ THE CENTURION’S CONFESSION Never did reason obtain a more complete victory over prejudice. Death is the touchstone of the soul. Even in the most favourable circumstances it tries a man severely. But in this instance there were many aggravating circumstances to... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor._ THE CRISIS IN JOSEPH’S LIFE The record of spiritual progress through many years is given here. Long looking for the promised Saviour, almost convinced that Jesus is the Christ, yet for a while doubting so great a consolation, we find him at last se... [ Continue Reading ]