Language Of The Cross

 

Language would fail to describe the common 

agonies of being crucified, hands and feet being

 nailed to the cross; but in addition to all this, 

the only begotten Son of God felt the weight of

 the sins of the whole world upon him. No death

 was ever like his. His agony was so great, that

 at the ninth hour [three o'clock in the afternoon]

 he cried to his Father. "My God, my God, why

 hast thou forsaken me?" “And Jesus when he

 had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the

 ghost." At this moment the veil of the temple

 was rent from top to bottom. There had been

 darkness over all the land for three long, 

dreadful hours, the sun refusing to shine while

 the Lamb of God was suffering with such 

dreadful agony. And when he was about to 

breathe the last breath, and cried, ” Father, into

 thy hands I commend my spirit," creation felt 

the shock. The earth quaked, and the rocks rent.

Before this took place, they that passed by the

cross of Jesus, reviled him, wagging their heads,

and the chief priests, scribes and elders mocked

 him.

But now, as they see creation trembling, the

 temple and the rocks rending, they also begin to

 fear, and tremble. And when the centurion and

 they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw

 the earthquake, and those things that were 

done, they feared greatly, saying,  “Truly this

 was the Son of God."

When you see the rent and shivered rocks, you

should be reminded of that awfully solemn hour,

when the dear Saviour died upon the cross.

There was a good and just man, who had not

consented to the counsel and deed of those who

condemned and crucified our Lord, named 

Joseph.

This man went unto Pilate and begged the body

 of Jesus. He took it down from the cross, and

 wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre.

 This was a new sepulchre, or tomb, hewn out of

 a rock.

Read Matthew 27:60.

It is generally believed that the crucifixion was

on the sixth day of the week, or, on what is

 called Friday. And it is said that the Sabbath

 drew on, or it was near the time of the Sabbath,

 the seventh day, when Joseph laid the body of

 Jesus in his own new tomb. As Jesus died at 

three o'clock in the afternoon, there were three

 hours before the commencement of the Sabbath,

 at six o'clock. In these three hours, Joseph took

 down the body of Jesus, and laid it in the tomb.

 The women also, which came with Jesus from

 Galilee, followed after, and beheld the 

sepulchre, and how his body was laid. They then

 returned from the sepulchre, and prepared 

ointments and spices to anoint the body of Jesus

 with, to preserve it, and "rested the Sabbath 

day according to the commandment." Luke 

23:56. They had not time to go again to the

 sepulchre, and anoint Jesus that night, before

 the Sabbath commenced, so they rested on the

 Sabbath according to the fourth commandment,

[Exodus 20:8, 11.] and waited until the morning

 of the first day of the week, before they went to

 the sepulchre to anoint the body of Jesus.

The sepulchre was made sure, "sealing the

 stone, and setting a watch." But very early in 

the morning of the first day of the week, the 

women came to the sepulchre with the spices 

which they had prepared, and they found the 

stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And when

 they entered it, they found not the body of the

 Lord Jesus. The angel of the Lord had 

descended from heaven and rolled back the

 stone from the door of the sepulchre, and sat

 upon it. “His countenance was like lightning,

 and his raiment white as snow." And for fear of

 this angel the "watch," or keepers of 

the sepulchre, shook and became as dead men.

 Then said the angel to the

 women who had come to anoint the body of the

 Saviour, "Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek

 Jesus, which was crucified. He is  not here; for

 he is risen as he said. Come see  the place 

where the Lord lay." 

Read Matthew 28:16.

And as they entered the sepulchre, and found

not the body of the Lord; but saw two men 

standing by, clothed in shining garments, they

 were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the

 earth.

[These "men" were angels; they are sometimes

called men in the Bible.] Then said the angels.

"Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is

not here, but is risen. Remember how he spake

unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying. The

Son of man must be delivered into the hands of

 sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day

 rise again." And they remembered his words.