THE CRUCIFIXION.
FIRST READING.
"They pierced my hands and my feet."—Ps. 22:16.
WHEN the judgment was over, Pilate gave up our Lord to the four soldiers who were to crucify Him. His cross, a heavy beam of wood, with another fastened across it, was laid on His shoulders, that He might carry it to the place where He was to suffer—a place named Calvary, outside the walls of Jerusalem.
He was so weak and worn out after the long sad night, the being taken from one judge to another, and the beating and tormenting, that He could hardly walk under it; and the soldiers met a man coming out of the country whom they forced to carry it after Jesus.
When they came to Calvary, the soldiers made the blessed Jesus lie down on the beam of wood, and they stretched His arms out on the cross-beam, and drove a large nail through each of the palms of His hands into the wood, and another nail through His feet; and then they lifted up the cross, with Him upon it, and planted it in the ground, that He might hang there till He should die.
And all He said while they were thus nailing Him were the words, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do!" That was the great pain He bore to save us!
QUESTIONS.
1. Where was our Lord to be crucified? 2. Who led Him there? 3. Where was it? 4. What had He to carry? 5. But who had to be called to help Him? 6. Why was He so worn out? 7. What had they done to Him? 8. What was the cross? 9. How was He fastened to it? 10. What was done to it then? 11. What prayer did He make? 12. For whom was He praying? 13. For whom was He dying?