130
The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 3
Heaven had been filled with admiration when the prayer of Christ was
offered in the midst of his terrible suffering—“Father, forgive them;
for they know not what they do.” Yet there stood men, formed in the
image of God, joining with Satan to crush out the last spark of life
from the heart of the Son of God.
In Christ was the embodiment of God himself. The plan and
execution of man’s salvation is a demonstration of divine wisdom and
power mysterious to finite minds. The unfathomable love of God for
the human race, in giving his Son to die for them, was made manifest.
Christ was revealed in all his self-sacrificing love and purity; man
could now obtain immortal life through his merits. When the justice of
God was expressed in judicial sentence, declaring the final disposition
of Satan, that he should be utterly consumed with all those who ranked
under his banner, all Heaven rang with hallelujahs, and “Worthy is the
Lamb that was slain to have all authority and power, and dominion,
and glory.”
When we dwell upon the justice of God, we look upon only one
side of his character; for in his greatness and might he has conde-
scended to our feebleness in sending his Son to the world that man
may not perish. In the cross we may read his tender mercy and for-
giveness, harmoniously combined with his stern, unwavering justice.
The severity of God is felt when we are separated from him; but when
we repent of our sins, and make our peace with him through the virtue
of the cross, we find him a merciful Father, reconciled to men through
his Son.
The body of Jesus was hastily placed in the tomb because of the
[187]
near approach of the Sabbath, that the disciples might keep the day
according to the commandment. The two Marys were the last at the
sepulcher. This was a never-to-be-forgotten Sabbath to the sorrow-
ing disciples, and also to the priests, rulers, scribes, and people. The
passover was observed as it had been for centuries, while the antitypi-
cal Lamb, which it prefigured, had been slain by wicked hands, and lay
in Joseph’s tomb. Crowds of worshipers filled the courts of the tem-
ple and presented their morning and evening sacrifices as heretofore.
Many minds were busy with thoughts started by the scenes of Calvary.
Many sleepless eyes, from the crucifixion to the resurrection, were
constantly searching the prophecies; some to learn the full meaning of
the feast they were then celebrating; some to find evidence that Jesus