Chapter I: TOLD you Andrew and Peter and John were fishermen. They used to go (1)

fishing at night in boats, on the blue lake of Galilee, shut in between the high mountains. One night, they had been out in two boats, trying hard to catch fish, but none would come to their nets.

In the morning, they saw JESUS standing on the bank, with a great crowd of people round Him, come to see and hear His teaching. He called to Simon Peter to come and take Him into his boat, so that He could teach the people from thence without being crowded.

When He had done speaking, He told Andrew and Peter to go out into the deeper water, and let down their nets. They said, "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net." And instantly the net was so full of fishes, that Andrew and Peter could not draw it up without the help of John and his brother James, who was with him in his boat; and both boats were quite full of fish, and ready to sink with the weight.

When the boats came to land, our Lord told the four disciples that they were to come with Him, for He would make them fishers of men, for they were to draw disciples to Him, instead of catching fish. They believed Him, and left all they had to follow Him, and they were always with Him--His dear friends who followed Him everywhere, and stored up His holy words in their hearts.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was the trade of the disciples? 2. Where did they fish? 3. How did they fish? 4. Who came to them? 5. What did he bid them do? 6. What had they been doing all night? 7. But what did they now let down? 8. What did they find in their nets? 9. What were filled? 10. How came the fish there? 11. What did our Lord call them to do? 12. What were they to be? 13. What did they leave? 14. Who were these four?

Forty-fourth Sunday.

_THE MINISTRY._

FIRST READING.

"He went about doing good."--_Acts 10:38_.

SIMON PETER had a house at Capernaum, which is one of the towns that stand upon the shore of the Lake of Galilee. There our Lord cured the mother of Peter's wife of a bad fever by His mighty power in one moment, and there He generally lived when He was in those parts; but He never stayed long there, for He went about doing good.

In every town or village that he came to, He used to go and teach in the synagogue. A synagogue was a place where the Jews who lived too far from Jerusalem to go to the Temple every Sabbath-day used to meet, and hear the Old Testament read and explained to them, and pray together.

Our Lord used to teach in the synagogues, and draw out all the meaning of the Law; and when He came out, all the sick people who were near, and all the blind and deaf and dumb people, were brought to Him, and He cured them all by only just touching them, or even only by bidding their disease to go away. For He was God as well as man, and could do all things. Or He would sit on the mountain side, and all the people would come round Him, and He would teach them.

There is one beautiful discourse of His, called the Sermon on the Mount, which I hope you will soon know well. And in it He taught his disciples the prayer we all say, and call the Lord's Prayer, and which we love the best of all prayers.

QUESTIONS.

1. In whose house did our blessed Lord Jesus live? 2. Where was Capernaum? 3. What had He done for Simon Peter's wife's mother? 4. Where did He teach? 5. What is a synagogue? 6. When did the Jews go there? 7. What did they do in the synagogue? 8. What did our Lord explain? 9. Whom did He cure? 10. Where did He sometimes teach? 11. What is one great discourse of His called? 12. What prayer did He give His disciples? 13. How does it begin? 14. When do we say it?

SECOND READING.

"I have compassion on the multitude."--_Matt. 15:32._

OUR Lord Jesus chose out twelve of His disciples to be always with Him, and to teach and work with Him. All the six you have heard of before were among them, and there was another called Matthew, who had been a rich man, but left all his riches to follow our Lord. These twelve were called apostles.

I told you that the Jews were in two parties, called Pharisees and Sadducees, and they used to quarrel and have many bad ways. When they found that Jesus blamed them, they were very angry; and when He was called the Holy One whom God promised, they said that the Christ would be a great king, and that He was only pretending. But all the poor heard Him gladly; and when He was driven out of the towns, they came after Him into the hills and open places, and went everywhere they could to hear Him.

One day, evening was coming on, and all these people had been with Him all day, and had nothing to eat. He said to Philip, "Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" Philip came from a village just below, but he did not know what to do.

Andrew said there was a little boy there, who had brought five loaves and two small fishes; but what would they be among so many? Indeed, the loaves were not like ours--only thin barley cakes. But our Lord said, "Make the men sit down."

So they all sat on the grass; and He gave thanks, and began to give out to the apostles the bread and the fish, and they never came to an end, but there was enough for all the five thousand; and when they had all done, He told the apostles to gather up the remains, that nothing might be lost. And there was enough to fill twelve great baskets.

QUESTIONS.

1. How many disciples did our Lord choose? 2. What were they to be called? 3. What were the names of the first six? 4. Who was the rich man? 5. Who hated our Lord? 6. Why? 7. Why did they think He could not be Christ? 8. Where was He driven from? 9. Where did he go? 10. Who came after Him? 11. What was all He had to feed them with? 12. Who brought the five loaves and two fishes? 13. Where did they sit? 14. What did our Lord do first? 15. Who gave out the food? 16. How much was left? 17. How many had eaten?

Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done in earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil: For Thine is the Kingdom, The Power, and the Glory, For ever and ever. AMEN.]

THIRD READING.

"Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."--_Matt. 14:27._

THE people whom JESUS had fed wanted to make Him a king, but He would not be an earthly king; so He told the apostles to row away across the lake, while He went up alone into the hills to pray to His Father, where the people could not find Him.

It was a rough night. The wind came down from the hills, and tossed the lake up in great waves; and the apostles rowed with all their might, but they made little way. But when the night was far on, they saw a Figure coming to them, walking on the waves. They were frightened, and cried out. Then the Figure said, "It is I; be not afraid!" and they knew it was their Master, and were glad.

And Peter said, "Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water." So he came out of the boat, and as long as he trusted in His Master, he could walk; but when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid, and cried out, and then he began to sink.

He called out, and Jesus put forth His hand and held him up, saying, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" Then they were both taken into the boat, and the wind ceased, and the lake was calm and still.

QUESTIONS.

1. What did the people want to do? 2. Why did they want to make Jesus a king? 3. What did He do to get out of their way? 4. Where did He bid the disciples go? 5. What sort of night was it? 6. What happened to the apostles? 7. How did our Lord come to them? 8. What did they do when they saw Him first? 9. How did they know Him? 10. Who came out to Him on the water? 11. When was St. Peter safe? 12. When did he begin to sink? 13. What did our Lord say to him? 14. What happened as soon as they were in the boat?

Forty-fifth Sunday.

_WONDERS OF OUR LORD'S WORKING._

FIRST READING.

"Young man, I say unto thee arise."--_Luke 7:14._

NO one can think how good and kind our blessed Lord Jesus was. Once, when He was going with His disciples into a village called Nain, He met a funeral coming out. People are not carried to the grave in their coffins in the East; but they are laid on a sort of bed called a bier, with all their best clothes on, and a wreath of flowers round the head.

The person who was now to be buried was quite a young man, and he was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And when the Lord saw it, He had pity on the poor woman, and He said to her, "Weep not." Then He came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. Then He said, "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise." And he that was dead sat up and began to speak; and our Lord gave him back alive to his mother.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was our Lord always doing? 2. What village was He going into? 3. What did he meet? 4. Who was going to be buried? 5. Had his mother any more sons? 6. And what was she? 7. How are people carried to their graves in the East? 8. Who had pity on the mother? 9. What did He say to her? 10. What did He do? 11. What did he say to the dead man? 12. What did the dead man do at once? 13. To whom was he given back? 14. How came JESUS to be able to work such miracles? 15. Was not he most kind and loving so to do?

SECOND READING.

"His face did shine as the sun."--_Matt. 17:2._

ONLY once all the time He was in this world did our Lord Jesus let His apostles see any of His glory, and then it was only the three who believed in Him best, and whom He kept the most with Him.

One night, He took Peter and James and John out to a mountain with Him, as He was wont to do when He was going apart to pray. They went to sleep; but when they woke, they saw Him in bright light and glory. His face was shining like the sun, and His clothes were as white as the light; and there were two talking with Him, Moses and Elias. And they were talking of how He was come to die at Jerusalem.

The three were afraid, but they were happy too; and Peter said, "Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for Thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias;" for, indeed, he hardly knew what he was saying.

And even as He spoke, a bright cloud came and hid the wonderful sight from them, and then they found that no one was with them but their Master, Jesus, looking as usual; and He bade them tell no one about what they had seen, until the Son of man should be risen again from the dead.

They knew that their Lord was the Son of man; but they could not think what He could mean by rising again from the dead.

This wonderful showing forth of His glory is called the Transfiguration.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was the Transfiguration? 2. Who were allowed to see it? 3. Where did it happen? 4. What was our Lord's face like? 5. What were His clothes like? 6. Who came and talked to Him? 7. Who was Moses? 8. Who was Elias? 9. Do you remember what had become of Elias? 10. What were Moses and Elias talking about with Him? 11. What were the three apostles doing at first? 12. What did Peter say when he woke? 13. What happened then? 14. Who was left with them? 15. What did He forbid them to do? 16. When might they speak of it? 17. What could not they understand?

THIRD READING.

"Suffer the little children to come unto me."--_Mark 10:14._

AFTER His Transfiguration, our Lord Jesus often told His apostles that He was going to be taken by the chief priests at Jerusalem, and that He should be ill-used, and beaten, and spit upon, and put to death on a cross; and that the third day He should rise again. But they never could understand how this would be, for they had never heard of rising from the dead; and they were so sure that He was Christ, and that Christ would be a great King, that they never understood or believed that He was to die.

And sometimes they even disputed among themselves who would be first and greatest in His kingdom. When they did this our Lord called a little child, and took him, and set him in the midst, and said that the greatest in His kingdom would be the most like that little child; for only those who are ready to be last here can be high up there.

The Lord loved little children. Once, when the mothers were bringing their babies for Him to touch, the disciples wanted to keep them away; but He said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

And then He took the little ones up in His arms, and put His hands on them, and blessed them. And just so He embraces and blesses the little children we bring to Him in church, though we cannot see Him now; and He is always glad to hear them pray.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was the Transfiguration? 2. What did our Lord say would happen to them? 3. Why would not the disciples believe it? 4. What did they dispute about? 5. Whom did our Lord call? 6. What did He tell them? 7. What is the way to be high in the kingdom of heaven? 8. Who were brought to Him?

Forty-sixth Sunday.

_GOING UP TO JERUSALEM._

FIRST READING.

"Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David."--_Matt. 20:30._

FOR three years our blessed Lord went about doing good and teaching, generally in Galilee, in the towns or on the hills, where the people came out to hear Him; and at the feasts, when people ought to worship at Jerusalem, He used to go up and speak to them in the outer court of the Temple.

But there was a wicked high priest named Caiaphas, who had been set up by the Romans, and he and the Pharisees and Sadducees all hated JESUS, because He found fault with their evil ways, and they would not believe He was the Christ, but wanted to put Him to death.

So whenever He came to Jerusalem it was more dangerous; and then they stirred up the chief men of Galilee, so that He could not be in the town, but had to wander on the hills. Once, when a man wanted to follow Him, He said, "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head."

And at last, when His time was come, He set His face to go to Jerusalem to keep the Passover, though He knew that He would be taken and put to death there, and so be the real Passover. As He was going, two blind men, who sat by the roadside begging, called out, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David!" And He stood still and cured them both.

QUESTIONS.

1. How long did our blessed Lord teach? 2. Where did He teach? 3. When did He go to Jerusalem? 4. What did He go to Jerusalem for? 5. Where did He teach? 6. Who hated him? 7. Who was Caiaphas? 8. Why did they hate Him? 9. Where did they drive Him? 10. What did He say about having no home? 11. When did He set His face to go to Jerusalem? 12. What feast was He going to keep? 13. What did He know would happen to Him? 14. Whom did He cure as He was going? 15. What did the blind men cry out?

SECOND READING.

"Hosanna to the son of David."--_Matt. 21:9._

IT was only the great rich wicked men that hated our Lord. The common people heard Him gladly, and only wanted Him to begin to be king. And they really thought the time was come when He came up to Jerusalem. Just before He came in, He sent two of His disciples to fetch a young ass on which no one had ever sat, and on it He rode down Mount Olivet.

Now, there was an old prophecy which said to Jerusalem, "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass." People remembered this, and began to receive Him like a king; they spread their mantles on the ground before Him, and others cut down branches from the trees and strewed them in the way; and the people before and behind, especially the children, cried out with all their might, "Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna means, "save now."

The Pharisees were very angry, and bade Him stop them; but He answered with the verse of a Psalm, "Yea, have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength?"

But as He looked at beautiful Jerusalem, He wept over the city, for He knew that sad and dreadful punishments were coming on it; and yet the people would not listen to Him, and be sorry, and so be saved.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who loved our Lord? 2. What did they want Him to do? 3. What made them think His reign was coming? 4. How did He come into Jerusalem? 5. What was the old prophecy? 6. What did the people do in His honor? 7. What did they cry? 8. What does "Hosanna" mean? 9. Who were angry? 10. What did He say? 11. But why was He grieving? 12. What made Him sorry for the city? 13. How were the people bringing sad punishment on themselves?

THIRD READING.

"My house shall be called the house of prayer."--_Matt. 21:13._

THE first thing our blessed Lord did at Jerusalem was to go into the Temple; and there, in the courts, He found people keeping shop, selling the lambs that were wanted for the Passover, and doves for other services, and changing the coin that strangers brought for Jewish money.

This was very disrespectful to God, and He was angry. He had driven them all out once, and they had come back, and now they were doing it again. So He drove them all out, and told them His Father's house was a house of prayer, but they had made it a den of thieves.

No one dared to answer Him, and all that day and the next He stood in the Temple, teaching the people, and showing the wickedness of the chief priests and Pharisees. It seemed as if all the people of Jerusalem were ready to follow Him, and as if He might begin His reign directly; but this was not what He came for, and, as He well knew, the Pharisees were planning against Him.

They wanted to get Him to say something that they could say was against the Law, so they asked Him many hard questions, but His great wisdom put them all to silence, and made them ashamed; but they were so hard and wicked that they only hated Him the more.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where did our Lord go? 2. What were the Jews doing there? 3. Why was this wrong? 4. What did He do to them? 5. Had He done this before? 6. What did He tell them? 7. Who was his Father? 8. What was His Father's house? 9. What are our houses of prayer? 10. How must we behave in them? 11. Who were planning against Him? 12. But who followed Him gladly? 13. What did they want Him to be?

Forty-seventh Sunday.

_THE EVENING OF THE BETRAYAL._

FIRST READING.

"JESUS knew that his hour was come."--_John 13:1._

THE chief priests grew more fierce and bitter when they saw how all men listened to the Lord Jesus. They could do nothing to Him by day, because the people would have risen up to defend Him; so they tried how to find Him alone and at night, to take Him secretly.

Now, one of the twelve apostles, named Judas Iscariot, was too fond of money, and used to take for himself what was trusted to him to take care of. So he went on from bad to worse, till at last he did the dreadful thing of promising the chief priests that he would show them to some lonely place, where they could take his Lord and Master prisoner; and then they were to pay him for this wickedness with thirty pieces of silver.

Judas settled all this, and then he went back to our Lord and the other eleven apostles just as usual, thinking they did not know; but our Lord did know very well. But He bade the apostles get ready the supper that was eaten the night before the Passover, in a large upper room that was lent to them for it, and there He sat down to eat with them.

QUESTIONS.

1. What feast was being kept at Jerusalem? 2. Why were the priests and Pharisees angry? 3. What did they want to do? 4. Why did they not take Him in the Temple? 5. Where did they want to take him? 6. Who said He would show them the way? 7. What did they promise to Judas Iscariot? 8. Who was he? 9. Then how came he to be so wicked? 10. Where did our Lord go to eat His Last Supper? 11. Who were eating with Him?

SECOND READING.

"This do in remembrance of me."--_Luke 22:19._

WHEN our Lord and His apostles were eating the Supper together, He was very sorrowful, and said, "One of you shall betray me." The apostles were grieved, and each said, "Lord, is it I?" And He said, "He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me."

And then, as the custom was, He dipped His piece of bread in the dish in the middle of the table, and gave it to Judas. Then the wicked man presently got up and went away.

And as they were still in the upper room, our Lord took bread and broke it, and gave a piece to each of His apostles, and said, "Take, eat: this is My Body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me." And He took a Cup of wine, and said, "This Cup is the new testament in My Blood: This do, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."

And that was the beginning of what we call the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, "For as often as ye do eat of this Bread, and drink this Cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come."

QUESTIONS.

1. Who were eating together? 2. When was it? 3. Why was our Lord sorrowful? 4. What did He say one of them would do? 5. What did they all ask? 6. Who did He say it would be? 7. What did He dip then? 8. To whom did He give it? 9. Who went away? 10. What holy Sacrament did He appoint? 11. What did He take? 12. What did He say of the bread? 13. What did He then take? 14. What did He say of the wine? 15. What is the outward sign of the Lord's Supper? 16. What is the inward grace? 17. What does it show forth?

THIRD READING.

"Not as I will, but as Thou wilt."--_Matt. 26:39._

SUPPER being over, and night coming on, our Lord went out with His disciples to a garden, full of olive trees, called Gethsemane, where He often used to pray. He told them again on the way that they would soon all be afraid, and leave Him; but Peter could not think so, and said boldly that if everybody fell from Him, he never would. But JESUS answered, "Verily, I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice."

Then He went on to the garden, taking only Peter, James, and John into it with Him, and telling them to watch while He went apart to pray. They were heavy and sorrowful, and could not keep awake; but while He was praying, He was in the greatest trouble and grief that ever anyone felt.

He knelt and prayed in an agony, till His sweat was as great drops of blood falling down to the ground. For He was feeling the sorrow for all the sin of all the world--the sorrow that belongs to you and me.

The disciples heard Him say, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt." He came to them more than once, and called them, as if He longed for them to comfort Him; but still they fell asleep again, though He said, "What, could ye not watch with me one hour? The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

QUESTIONS.

1. Where did our Lord go then? 2. What was the garden full of? 3. What did He say the apostles would all do? 4. Who thought He never could leave Him? 5. What did our Lord tell Peter? 6. Whom did He take into the garden? 7. What were they to do? 8. What great grief did He suffer? 9. Why did He suffer such agony? 10. What did he pray? 11. What could not the disciples do? 12. What did He say at last? 13. What was their flesh? 14. Was He angry? 15. But was He not much grieved that they did not comfort Him?

Forty-eighth Sunday.

_THE TRIAL AND CONDEMNATION._

FIRST READING.

"Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?"--_Luke 22:48._

JUST as our Lord had wakened His three apostles for the last time, there came a tread of soldiers, and lanterns gleamed through the olive trees. For Judas Iscariot, the traitor, knew that his Master was apt to go to the olive garden to pray at night, and he was leading them, and he said to them, "Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is He: hold Him fast." And he came up first to JESUS, and said, "Hail, master;" and kissed Him. All our Lord said was, "Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?"

Peter tried to defend Him, and drew a sword and cut off the ear of one of the servants; but our Lord bade him put the sword back into the sheath; and then, in His great love, our blessed Lord touched the ear, and cured it in an instant, and begged that all the disciples might be allowed to go their way. Indeed, they were so much afraid that they all forsook Him and fled away, except John and Peter, who both followed to see what would be done with Him.

The soldiers dragged our blessed Lord to the house of the high priest, Caiaphas, where his enemies tried to make out some charge to bring against Him; but as He was good and holy, and had no sin at all, they could accuse Him of nothing. And when they asked Him questions, He answered them not a word, for He knew that it was only to accuse Him.

While He stood at the upper end of the hall, John, who knew one of the servants, had come in to the lower end, and had brought in Peter with him. The chill of the morning had come on, and the servants lighted a fire on the pavement, where Peter stood and warmed himself. One of the maids there looked at him, and asked if he did not belong to Jesus of Nazareth. Peter was afraid, and said, "I know not what thou sayest."

But then another maid said, "This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.." Peter grew more afraid, and went on declaring he did not know such a person; but presently another servant said, "Did not I see thee in the garden with Him?" Again Peter's fear of being punished for wounding the man in the garden led him further astray, for he began to curse and swear, and say, "I know not the man." Just then the cock crew, and the Lord turned round and looked upon Peter.

That look went to his heart. He went out and wept bitterly; and whenever he thought of his sin, he wept.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where was our Lord? 2. What time was it? 3. Whom had He taken with Him? 4. Who came up in the night? 5. Who was leading them? 6. How did Judas show which was our Lord? 7. What was he wicked enough to say? 8. How did our Lord answer? 9. How did Peter try to save Him? 10. What blow did He strike? 11. What command did our Lord give Peter? 12. What did he do for the wounded man? 13. What care did He take for His disciples? 14. Who only followed Him? 15. Where was our Lord taken? 16. What did the chief priests try to find? 17. Why could they find nothing to accuse Him of? 18. What had He said Peter would do? 19. What had Peter then said? 20. Yet what did he do? 21. What made Him deny? 22. What did he answer? 23. What brought his better mind back? 24. What sound? 25. What look? 26. What did he do when he thought of his sin?

SECOND READING.

"He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter."--_Isaiah 53:7._

AS soon as it was light, all the chief men of the Jews met in the council chamber in the Temple, and had our Lord brought before them. But no one could prove that He had broken the law; and whenever a story was brought against Him, it turned out not to be true.

At last the high priest stood up and commanded Him to say whether He were the Christ or not. He answered, "Thou hast said: nevertheless, I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."

At this answer, Caiaphas and all the other enemies made a great outcry, as if they were very much shocked, at His speaking of Himself as the great Judge of all--namely, as God.

They all cried, "He is guilty of death;" and they began to beat Him and strike Him; and they blindfolded Him, and struck Him on the face, and bade Him say whose blow it was. And all the time He stood gentle and patient, and said not one word of complaint or anger.

Since the reign of the great wicked Herod, the Romans had not allowed the Jews to put anybody to death without their leave; so the chief priests were obliged to take JESUS before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. But it was not possible to find anything that a Roman would think He deserved to be put to death for.

When the chief priests said that "by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God," Pilate only feared to do anything against Him; for he saw that there was no fault in JESUS, but that the chief priests were spiteful, and hated Him.

Then the chief priests said that He called Himself King of the Jews. This made Pilate more anxious, for to set up to be an earthly king would have been rebelling against the Romans; but still he wanted to let JESUS go, because he saw that He was innocent; yet he did not like to offend the priests, who might have accused him to the Emperor of Rome. Pilate saw what was just; but he was afraid, and cared for himself more than for his duty.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where did the chief priests meet? 2. Who was brought there before them? 3. What did they intend to do? 4. But could they find any fault in Him? 5. So what did the chief priest ask Him? 6. What did He say? 7. What did they all cry out? 8. How did they begin to treat Him? 9. How did He bear it all? 10. How can we try to be like Him? 11. What were not the Jews allowed to do? 12. Who had the power over them? 13. Before whom did the chief priests take our Lord? 14. Who was Pilate? 15. What did Pilate think of the charges against Him? 16. But why did not Pilate set Him free? 17. Why was he afraid of His being called King of the Jews?

THIRD READING.

"Ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you."--_Acts 3:14._

PILATE thought he had found a way of saving the Lord Jesus without offending the Romans. It was the custom that at the feast of the Passover he should set some prisoner free, whomsoever the Jews asked for. And he thought, as the people loved our Lord, that they would ask for Him.

But there was a robber and murderer in prison named Barabbas, and the enemies of our Lord went about among the people, stirring them up to ask for him to be set free; so that the poor, foolish people all broke out with a great shout to ask that this murderer Barabbas might be set free.

Pilate asked them what he was to do with JESUS, and then there was a great roar from all the people, "Crucify Him! crucify Him!"

Now, crucifying was a very horrible and painful punishment, that had never been allowed among the Jews, but was chiefly used by the Romans themselves for slaves and for robbers; so that their savage cry was for JESUS to have the punishment that belonged to Barabbas.

Pilate's soldiers were very cruel, and they laughed at a poor man being called a king; so when they had beaten the blessed JESUS till He was bleeding all over, they took one of their old red soldiers' cloaks and threw it over Him; and they platted a crown of sharp thorns, and forced it upon His head; and they put a reed in his right hand, instead of a sceptre; and they bowed their knees, mocking Him by pretending to do Him honor.

He never spoke one word of anger all this time; and when Pilate saw His meek, brave, patient face, pale and faint with pain, and streaming with blood, he thought the people would pity Him; so he led Him out once more to the top of the steps of the judgment hall, and said, "Behold the man!" But the people were too mad to have any pity or feeling, and they only cried louder and louder still, "Crucify Him! crucify Him!"

Pilate was not brave enough to go against them all, even to save an innocent man; so all he did was to take water and wash his hands before them all, to show that he was clear of wishing it, and he said, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person." But the chief priests made the dreadful answer, "His blood be on us, and on our children!" meaning that they would take the guilt and punishment.

QUESTIONS.

1. What plan had Pilate for saving our Lord? 2. Whom did he always set free at the feast? 3. Whom did he wish to set free? 4. But whom did the chief priests make them ask for? 5. Who was Barabbas? 6. What did they all cry out? 7. What kind of punishment was crucifying? 8. To whom would it naturally have belonged? 9. But who was going to bear the worst of punishments? 10. How did the soldiers treat our Lord? 11. Why did they mock Him? 12. What did they put on His head? 13. What did they dress Him in? 14. What did they put in His hand? 15. What did Pilate hope to do? 16. What did he say? 17. What was the cry in answer?

Forty-ninth Sunday.

_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?

SECOND READING.

"Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews."--_John 19:19._

OVER the head of the blessed Lord on the cross was a tablet, with the words, "JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS;" and on each side of Him was another cross, with a robber upon it.

There He hung patiently, while the chief priests and Pharisees passed by, mocking and laughing at His pain, and crying out, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him."

Even the robbers at first joined in the cry; but by-and-by one of them began to feel that He who was so patient and so great in all that agony must truly be the Son of God; and he rebuked his fellow, and said, "Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom!" And the Lord answered, "To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise!"

His holy mother had come to stand by the foot of His cross, and with her, her sister and some other women, and His beloved apostle John. The Lord looked down at her, and said, "Woman, behold thy son!" and He looked at St. John, and said, "Behold thy mother!" And John took the blessed Virgin home with him, and was always like a son to her afterward.

At noon-day, a dreadful darkness came over all the earth, and it lasted for three whole hours, as if the very sun mourned for Him who made it. Just at three o'clock, the blessed Lord said, "I thirst;" and as one of the soldiers was touching His lips with a sponge full of vinegar, He gave a great sad cry, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me!"

Then presently he added, "It is finished! Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit!" And He cried with a loud cry; and so He, who was God and man in one, died for us men, and for our salvation.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was set up over our Lord's head? 2. Who were crucified on each side? 3. How did the robbers behave at first? 4. How did one change? 5. What did he say? 6. How did our Lord answer? 7. Who were standing by His cross? 8. What did He say to His mother? 9. What did He say to John? 10. What did John do for her? 11. What came over the earth? 12. How long did the darkness last? 13. What did our Lord cry out? 14. How did a soldier try to quench His thirst? 15. What was His sad cry?

THIRD READING.

"And rested the sabbath day."--_Luke 23:56._

THERE were some good people even among the chief of the Jews; and two of these, named Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, went to Pontius Pilate, and asked him to let them bury the body of Jesus. People generally were much longer in dying on the cross, so Pilate sent to see if He was dead.

To make sure, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and out came blood and water together. The robbers were still alive, so the soldiers broke their legs, that they might die sooner; and so the repenting one soon went to our Lord in Paradise.

Then Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea took the holy body down from the cross, quite dead. Now, close by, Joseph had a garden, and in it was a cave which he meant to be buried in, but where no one had yet been laid. They carried our Lord's body there; and the good women who followed Him, Mary Magdalene and the rest, wrapped it up in linen cloths and sweet spices.

They wanted to do more for it; but it was getting late on Good Friday evening, and the Sabbath or seventh day was counted from sunset, and then they could do no manner of work. So they had to wait till the Sabbath should be over; and Joseph rolled a great rock to close up the door, and they went away in their grief.

And then came a guard of soldiers, whom the chief priests had sent to watch the stone, for fear, as they told Pilate, that the disciples should steal the body away in the night. So they put seals, to make sure that no one should move the stone; and the soldiers were set to watch.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who asked for our Lord's body? 2. What did Pilate want to know? 3. How did they make sure that our Lord was dead? 4. What was done to the robbers? 5. Where did Nicodemus and Joseph take the body? 6. To whom did the cave belong? 7. Who were there too? 8. How did they wrap the body? 9. What did they put with it? 10. Why did they not do any more? 11. What day was it? 12. What was the next day? 13. What is the Fourth Commandment? 14. When did the Sabbath begin?

Fiftieth Sunday.

_THE RESURRECTION._

FIRST READING.

"Now is Christ risen from the dead."--_1 Cor. 16:20._

THE holy women waited all the Sabbath day in sorrow; and our Lord Jesus lay in His grave. But, on the night after, He rose up from His grave, and came forth again, for He is alive for evermore. There was a great earthquake, and an angel came from heaven, and rolled away the stone from the door of the cave, and sat upon it; and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and were as dead men.

Very early in the morning, Mary Magdalene and the other women came with the sweet spices they had prepared. They wondered who would roll away the stone for them; but when they came nearer, they saw that it was taken away; and when they went in, they saw that the body of the Lord was gone.

They feared at first that some one had taken it away; but behold, two men stood by them in shining garments, who said, "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

And as the women went in great wonder to tell the disciples, they saw JESUS Himself, the same whom they had seen and touched quite dead the day before yesterday, standing before them, speaking kindly to them. So they held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him. For never was there such wonderful joy and gladness in all the world.

QUESTIONS.

1. What happened all the Sabbath? 2. What happened the night after? 3. Who rose again? 4. Who came down from heaven? 5. What happened to the soldiers? 6. Who were the first at the grave in the morning? 7. What did they bring? 8. What did they wonder about? 9. What did they find? 10. Who stood by them? 11. What did the angels say? 12. Who was living? 13. Whom did they go to tell? 14. Who met them? 15. How did they show their joy? 16. Why were they so very glad? 17. What day was it?

SECOND READING.

"The Lord is risen."--_Luke 24:34._

IT was the first day of the week that our Lord rose from the dead, and we call that day the Lord's day, and have kept it holy ever since, instead of the seventh. But on that first day it seemed too wonderful. The apostles had never understood when their Lord spoke of dying and rising again; and though the women said they had seen Him, they were afraid to trust their word, and thought it a mistake.

Later in the day, two of the disciples were walking to Emmaus, a little village near Jerusalem, when a stranger came and joined them. He asked why they were sad, and what they were talking of. They told Him it was of Jesus of Nazareth, who had been a great prophet, and they had hoped would have redeemed Israel; but now He had been put to death the day before yesterday, yet that some of the women said that they had seen a vision of angels which said that He was alive.

Then the stranger began to show them, as they had never seen before, that all the Old Testament meant that when the Christ came, the Seed of the woman, He was to suffer, and save the world before His kingdom and glory could begin; and their minds understood, for they were opened to see and know the Scripture, so that they were sure that Jesus was the Christ.

So they came to Emmaus, and went into a house; and the stranger made as if He would have gone farther, but they pressed Him to come in.

He sat down with them, and took bread and blessed and broke it; and then their eyes were opened, and they knew it was JESUS Himself! And as they knew Him, He vanished out of their sight. And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way?"

QUESTIONS.

1. What day did our Lord rise? 2. What is it called? 3. Which day do we keep holy? 4. Who could not believe yet? 5. Where were two disciples going? 6. Who came and walked with them? 7. Who was it really? 8. Did they know Him?

THIRD READING.

"Peace be unto you."--_Luke 24:36._

In the evening, the ten apostles were all together in the upper room, with the doors close shut, for fear of the Jews. There were only ten, for Thomas was not there; the wretched Judas had hung himself in his grief and despair.

The two disciples came back from Emmaus, and told how they had seen JESUS; and while they were telling about it, though the door was not opened, they found JESUS Himself standing in the midst, and they heard His voice say, "Peace be unto you."

They were afraid at first; but again He said, "Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have." Then He showed them that there were the marks of the nails in His hands and feet, and the spear-wound in His side; so that it was His own real body that had come again from the dead.

And while they could not believe for joy, and wondered, He said, "Have ye here any meat?" And they gave Him a piece of broiled fish and a honeycomb; and He ate with them, to make them quite sure it was Himself.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where were the ten met? 2. Why were there only ten? 3. Who were away? 4. What had become of Judas? 5. Who had come home? 6. Who stood in the midst? 7. What did He say? 8. What did He show? 9. What did He eat before them?

Fifty-first Sunday.

_THE ASCENSION._

FIRST READING.

"Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."--_John 20:29._

OUR blessed Lord Jesus did not stay with His apostles as He did before His death and rising. They did not see Him after that first day for a whole week; and they could not make Thomas, who had not been there when He came, believe that it was true that any man could come again from the grave.

He said He should never believe that it was the Lord Himself, unless he could put his fingers into the prints of the nails, and his hand into the wound in the side.

The next Sunday evening, Thomas and the other ten were all in the upper room together, when Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing."

Then Thomas knew Him indeed, and could only say, "My Lord and my God."

And the Lord answered, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." And that is the blessing for all of us, who have not lived when our blessed Lord was on earth. We have not seen Him, but we must believe in Him; and that faith is the beginning of all goodness.

QUESTIONS.

1. What had happened on Easter-day? 2. Who saw our Lord then? 3. Who had not seen Him? 4. What could not Thomas believe? 5. What did He say? 6. What prints did he mean? 7. When did our Lord come again? 8. Where were the apostles? 9. Who was there this time? 10. What did our Lord say to him? 11. What did Thomas answer? 12. What did our Lord then say? 13. Why had Thomas believed? 14. But who are blessed? 15. Have we seen our Lord? 16. But what must we do? 17. What is believing called? 18. What begins with faith?

SECOND READING.

"Feed my lambs."--_John 2:15._