162 ¥ESUS CRUCIFIED.

 

large nails through his hands and feet, to fasten him to it.
Then strong men raised the cross, and let it down into a_
hole made in the ground, so that the Savior hung by
- these nails. .

What torture and suffering! Yet in it all not a mur-
mur escaped his lips, but he prayed for those who were
taking his life. Hear his prayer: “ Father, forgive them.
for they know not what they do.”

With Jesus they crucified two thieves, one on the
right hand and the other on the left. One of them, you
remember, cried to Jesus for salvation, while he was hang-
ing on the cross, and Jesus saved him. He said, “ To-day
shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Jesus will never turn
a deaf ear to the cry of a penitent sinner. |

All that Jesus suffered in body, while hanging on the
cross, was but a small part of his suffering. | There was
on his soul the fearful load of our sins, and he was in
depths of sorrow we can never fully know. .

Jesus died in our stead; that is, we had sinned and
were justly condemned to death by God's holy law. But
Jesus stepped into our place, and bore all the punishment,
so that now we need not suffer or die for our sins, if we
only accept Jesus as our Savior. His blood makes us as
pure and holy in the sight of God, as though we had
aever sinned. O, what a Savior he is, to have loved us
so. We could have no hope for heaven if Jesus had not ©
died. |