THE CROSS.
At the place which is called Calvary, our Lord was crucified, and on the cross with him hung two thieves, one on each side. The soldiers divided his clothes among them, casting lots which should have them. He prayed for them all; he said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The people and the rulers stood about him, looking at him and mocking. They said, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is Christ, the chosen one of God.” And the soldiers also mocked him, offering him vinegar to drink, and saying to him, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” Then they wrote on a tablet in Greek, and in Latin, and in Hebrew, “This is the King of the Jews,” and hung it over the cross. One of the thieves joined in the mocking, saying, “If you are Christ, save yourself and us;” but the other thief reproved him, asking him if he did not fear God, since they were suffering the same punishment. “They,” he said, “deserved their punishment, but the other had done nothing wrong.” Then he spoke directly to Jesus: he said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” And instantly Jesus answered him in these words, “Verily I say unto you, To-day shalt thou dwell with me in Paradise.” These things happened about twelve o’clock. From that time until three o’clock the earth was dark; the sun hid away. When Jesus cried out with a loud voice, he said, “It is finished;” and then, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit;” and having said this, he died. Just then the veil which had always hidden the inner temple split in two from top to bottom.
THE CRUCIFIXION.—John xix. 25.
THE WALK TO EMMAUS.
The third day after Jesus was buried, two of his friends walked to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they talked together about the sad things that had lately happened. At that moment Jesus himself came along and joined them, but they did not know him. He asked them what it was they were talking about, and why they were so sad. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him if he was a stranger in Jerusalem that he had not heard the strange, sad news. He asked them, “What news?” And Cleopas answered: “Why, about Jesus of Nazareth; he was a mighty prophet; his words and his deeds were wonderful; but our rulers condemned him to death and crucified him. We hoped that he was the one who was to redeem the people of Israel; but this is the third day since these things were done. Some women who were at the grave this morning, told us a strange story; they say his body is not there, and that they saw angels who said that he was alive; and some of our friends went to the grave and found that it was as the women said, but they did not see him.” Then Jesus said to them: “O what foolish people. How slow you are to believe all that the prophets wrote about this! Did they not tell that Christ must suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then he began with the books that Moses wrote, and explained what he and the other writers had said about Christ. When they drew near to Emmaus the stranger acted as though he was going further, but they begged him to stop with them, as the day was nearly gone. So he stopped with them, and as they sat down to the table together, suddenly something opened their eyes to know that it was Jesus who sat with them. He took some bread and blessed it, and gave them some. Then he vanished out of their sight.
JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES AT EMMAUS.—Luke xxiv. 30.