ying out, "He saved others; himself he
cannot save." Had they put it, "He saved others, himself he _will not_
save," they would have been strictly within the truth. For he could
have saved himself, since it lay within his power to call for twelve
legions of angels, and they would have responded at once. Then where
would the chief priests or even the Roman soldiers have been?

#145.# There, too, were _the Apostles_, who were filled with despair
at the fate of him who they had hoped would redeem Israel. Now their
hope perished, and they gave way to dark despair. All his
acquaintances from Galilee were there, the women beating their breasts
for sorrow. Criminals were there as his companions in agony and shame.
Yes, the scene at the cross was the most dramatic that the world had
ever seen. For the time, the powers of darkness seem to have
triumphed, and the best man in the world was nailed to the accursed
cross.

#146. The Penitent Robber.#--Yet even here a sudden ray of light
divine breaks the darkness, and in the penitent robber we have the
most wonderful record of the triumph of faith that the world has ever
seen. How he was led out into the light of faith just at the moment
that the faith of all others was eclipsed we cannot tell, but the fact
remains. Note, all, even the Apostles, had given up faith in Jesus as
the Messiah. But just at this moment, like the sun bursting through
the dark thunder-cloud, we see the faith of this robber emerge,
resplendent, for he recognized in the crucified man next him his
"Lord." He also recognizes in him a king, for he speaks to him
concerning his kingdom, to which he is about to go. More than this.
The robber believes that it will be well with him in the next world if
his dying companion in pain remembers him, and he also believes that
he will be willing to remember him. What a most wonderful exhibition
of faith this was, under the circumstances. At the moment when the
powers of darkness were most triumphant the power of the Holy Spirit
was also most clearly shown. And in response to all this faith comes
the reassuring reply, "To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise."

#147.# At the cross, too, we may see the epitome of all men in their
relation to sin and death, for while all three of the victims that day
were brought to the cross by sin, they stood in very different
relationships to sin. See, all died because of sin. But the impenitent
robber died _in_ his sin. On the other hand