HOW JESUS GAVE HIS LIFE FOR THE WORLD
One afternoon in the springtime, just before Easter, Margaret was playing with her dolls. Her mamma came into the room and said:--
"I want my little girl to be good while I am gone; I am going to church."
"Why, mamma," said Margaret, "this is not Sunday, this is Friday."
"Yes," said mamma, "and this evening I will tell you and Harold why I am going to church on Friday."
At bedtime, mamma said, "Now I will tell you
HOW JESUS GAVE HIS LIFE FOR THE WORLD.
"It is a very sad and yet a very sweet story. It is very sad to think that Jesus had enemies who hated him so much that they could kill him, and yet we love the story because it tells us how much Jesus loved us.
"If we love anyone very much, we are willing to give up things for him."
"Yes," said Margaret, "Harold loves me, and he gave up his party when I was sick, and noise troubled me."
"That was a very kind and unselfish thing for Harold to do," said mamma, "but Jesus gave up very much more than that for our sakes.
"You would have to love anyone very much indeed to give up your home for him. You would have to love {258} anyone better than you love yourself to give up your life for him."
"Do you mean like Frank"s papa," said Harold, "when he ran into the fire when his house burned, to get Frank, and almost died?"
"Yes," said mamma, "Frank"s papa loved his little boy better than he loved his own life, and he was ready to give his own life that his little boy might be saved."
"But why is the story sad, then?" said Margaret.
"It is sad," replied mamma, "because his death was such a cruel one, and because he suffered so much.
"One night Jesus gathered his dearest friends about him, and they had supper together, and he told them how much he loved them, and that they must never forget him.
"After the supper was over he went out into the night, to a place called the Garden of Gethsemane. Then his enemies came with torches, and found him there, and seized hold upon him, and bound him with ropes, and led him away.
"After they had treated him with great cruelty, they took him to a hill called Calvary outside the city, and there, before a great mult.i.tude of people, they nailed his hands and his feet to a cross of wood, and after he had suffered very much, he died there upon the cross. Then it grew dark upon the hill, and an earthquake shook the ground, and the people ran away in terror, because they began to see what a wicked thing they had done."
"Oh, what wicked people," said Margaret, "to kill dear Jesus!"
{259}{260}
[Ill.u.s.tration]
JESUS IN THE HOME OF MARY AND MARTHA By Siemiradski (1843- )
"And fast beside the olive-bordered way Stands the blessed home where Jesus deigned to stay; The peaceful home, to zeal sincere And heavenly contemplation dear, Where Martha loved to wait with reverence meet, And wiser Mary lingered at Thy sacred feet."
--_John Keble_ [End ill.u.s.tration]
{261}
"Jesus loved even them," said mamma, softly. "He was so good that he loved them, even while they were killing him, and asked his Father in heaven to forgive them, too.
"You must remember that when we do what is wrong, we hurt our Father in heaven very much, but Jesus has taught us that he loves us still, and is ready to forgive us when we ask him.
"So this is the reason why we love Jesus so much. "We love him because he first loved us." This is the reason why mamma went to church to-day, to thank G.o.d for sending to the world such a loving Jesus, and to remember the day on which he died for us, and for all the world.
"Now mamma will sing you a beautiful hymn about the cross. The cross was dreadful then, but we love it now because it makes us remember the love of Jesus."
"In the cross of Christ I glory; Towering o"er the wrecks of time; All the light of sacred story Gathers round its head sublime.
"When the woes of life o"ertake me, Hopes deceive and fears annoy, Never shall the cross forsake me; Lo! it glows with peace and joy.
"When the sun of bliss is beaming Light and love upon my way, From the cross the radiance streaming Adds new l.u.s.ter to the day.
{262}
"Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, By the cross are sanctified; Peace is there that knows no measure, Joys that through all time abide.
"In the cross of Christ I glory; Towering o"er the wrecks of time; All the light of sacred story Gathers round its head sublime."
{263}{263}
[Ill.u.s.tration]
THE FIRST EASTER DAWN By J. K. Thompson
"The day of resurrection, Earth, tell it out abroad: The Pa.s.sover of gladness, The Pa.s.sover of G.o.d.
From death to life eternal, From earth unto the sky, Our Christ hath brought us over With hymns of victory."
--_John of Damascus_ [End ill.u.s.tration]
{265}
THE STORY OF THE FIRST EASTER DAY
It was Easter Day. Both Margaret and Harold went to church. It was a beautiful day, warm and pleasant. The gra.s.s was green, and the tulips and the crocuses were blossoming in the gardens. Everybody was glad that the snow and the cold of winter had gone. When they were on their way to church, they saw a robin on a branch of a tree. The children laughed with pleasure to see Mr. Robin Redbreast back again. At church there were beautiful flowers, and the choir sang Easter songs and hymns. One of the hymns Harold liked very much indeed. He said it made him feel that the world was so glad that it couldn"t help singing its gladness right out. This hymn began--
"Christ the Lord is risen to-day Sons of men and angels say, Raise your joys and triumphs high, Sing, ye heavens, and, earth, reply."
In the evening they sat with their mamma, watching the beautiful sunset.
"Mamma," said Harold, "I don"t think that I just understand about that long word the minister used so much this morning--resurrection; won"t you explain it, please?"
{266}
"Well," said mamma, "it is not very easy for little folks to understand, but I will try. I will tell you the