22.   And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. 23   And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. 24   And they crucify him, and part his garments among them, casting lots upon them, what each should take. 25   And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. 26   And the superscription of his accusation was written over, the King of the Jews. 27   And with him they crucify two robbers; one on his right hand, and one on his left. 29   And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ha! Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, 30   save thyself, and come down from the cross. 31   In like manner also the chief priests mocking him among themselves with the scribes said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. 32   Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reproached him. 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, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 35   And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elijah. 36   And one ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to take him down. 37   And Jesus uttered a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. 38   And the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom. 39   And when the centurion, who stood by over against him, saw that he so gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

(For verses 1-21 see Notes.)

Verses 23, 24. Why did He refuse this drink? (See Notes) What is crucifixion? Ps. 22:16. What was the Jews' method of execution? Acts 7:58. Why did they crucify Jesus? (John 3:14; 12:32, 33; 18:31, 32). Who foretold the circumstance of the lot and the garments 1,000 years before it happened? (Ps. 22:18).

Verses 25, 26. Was this a very peculiar "accusation"? Was it true? Were the Jews pleased with it? John 19:21, 22.

Verse 27. What else was done to add to the shame and humiliation of our Lord's public execution? Who had foretold this? (Isa. 53:9, 12).

Verses 29, 30. It is common to mock and taunt a dying man, even if he were a criminal? What was back of all this demonstration? John 15:23-25. Can we be friends with a world that so hates our Lord? (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15, 16). If we are true to our Lord, what attitude will the world take toward us? (John 15:18, 19). Can that be avoided? What saying of Jesus did they remember? John 2:19. Did they give it correctly? Could Jesus have come down from the cross, had He chosen to do so? COuld they at all have crucified Him had He not willingly surrendered Himself? (John 10:18).

Verse 31. Was this true which they said? If He had saved Himself could He have saved others? (John 12:24; Isa. 53:5).

Verse 32. Would they have believed had He done so? (John 5:40; comp. Luke 16:31). Who else mocked Him so? Did both the

thieves continue to mock Him to the last? (Luke 23:40-43).

Verse 33. How long did Jesus hang on the cross? Is that a long time? How many hours did the darkness prevail? Was this an eclipse, or a supernatural darkness? (See Notes).

Verse 34. What did Jesus cry out then? Where had the Holy Spirit recorded this cry beforehand? (Ps. 22:1). [226]

Verses 35, 36. What cause of their misunderstanding? Did one present feel some compassion? Did all share that pity? Did Jesus actually obtain that relief? (John 19:28-30).

Verses 37, 38. When He cried aloud, did He say anything? (Luke 23:46; John 19:30). What was finished? (Heb. 10:10, 14). What was the significance of the rent veil? (Heb. 9:8; Heb. 10:19, 20). Was it rent from below or from above?

Verse 39. What did even the hardened Roman soldiers feel and express, while the religious leaders of Israel sneered?

      (For the rest of the chapter, see Notes).

JESUS BEFORE PILATE. MARK 15:1-21.

      Pilate was the Roman governor. The Jewish leaders could have exposed Jesus to mob-violence as they did Stephen later; but neither was it expedient for them to do that in Jesus' case, nor would it have satisfied their intense hatred. Thus they turned Him over to the Roman authorities, that the scriptures might be fulfilled, and that Jesus might die the shameful death of the cross. Pilate of course, could have set Him free. He perceived at once the Prisoner's innocence, and the evil motive that actuated the accusers (v. 10). But Pilate gave way to public pressure and clamor, as many a weak and corrupt official has done since in similar situation. In this evil world a weak man always becomes a bad man in the end. The interview by Pilate is most fully given by John. In order to see Pilate's several efforts to shirk his responsibility and get rid of this troublesome case, the records of Matt. 27, Luke 23, and John 18 and 19 should be read. Note especially what it was that finally settled Pilate on the side of wrong (John 19:12, 15, 16); also the fearful responsibility assumed by the Jews (Matt. 27:25). From outside sources we learn that Pilate in the end gained nothing by his miserable surrender of principle. A man never does. He fell into disfavor with Cæsar, was deposed from office, and finally (the report claims) he committed suicide. But the guilt of that righteous blood has been upon the Jew ever since. They have paid the penalty over and over from the fearful destruction of their city (Matt. 22:7) and ever since, and will suffer under that curse until that day when in their extremity the nation shall look unto Him whom they have pierced and mourn for Him, and a fountain shall be opened for them to wash away their guilt for ever. (Zec. 12:10; 13:1).

THE BURIAL. MARK 15:40-47.

      The manner of Jesus' death deeply impressed the multitudes (Luke 23:48). The women named in verse 40 lingered, beholding. The circumstance of the bone-breaking, and of the piercing of Jesus' side (John 19:31-37) should by all means be read; as also the coming to the front of two, formerly secret, timid, believers. (John 19:38-42). One of these appears in our lesson (Mark 14:43-46). The new tomb into which Jesus was laid, belonged to the man (Matt. 27:60). The women followed and watched carefully, so that, after the Sabbath, they might complete that which was yet lacking of loving service upon the body of the Lord.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CROSS.

      The Cross of Jesus holds the central place in the gospel.

      In order that faith in Him might result in eternal life to the believer Jesus had to be crucified. (John 3:14, 15. Comp. 12:32, 33). Against the preaching of the Cross, in its significance, is all the cunning of Satan directed. Infidel "criticism" scorns it from the pulpit. The wicked cults which are gaining so much ground in our day--"Christian Science," falsely so-called; Spiritism, which is a latter-day form of demonism; Theosophy, and its milder form, "New Thought," which is a mixture of pagan philosophy, Buddhism, Hindooism, Yogism; and such like cults--these agree in one as to the significance of the Cross; to them the Blood means nothing beyond the symbol of a hero's martyr-death. Saving efficacy it has none. To the Judaist, the legalist, the moralist, Christ died in vain. (Gal. 2:21). These fancy that man possesses in himself all the resources and powers necessary [227] for his own development and salvation. The first fact of the gospel, then, "that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:1-4) become a general test-stone. To them that perish this doctrine (that Jesus bore our sins in His own body upon the tree, 1 Pet. 2:24) is a stumbling-block and foolishness; to those who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor. 1:18, 23, 24; 2:2).

      What does the Cross mean to God? (John 3:16; Rom. 8:32; 2 Cor. 5:19).

      What does the Cross mean to Christ? (Phil. 2:5-11; John 10:18).

      What does the Cross mean to us? (Isa. 53:4-6; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13, 14; 1 Pet. 2:24). [227]

Source: Third Lord's Day Lesson of June. Lesson 11. June 16, 1918. Jesus on the Cross (Mark 15:22-39). The