Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 81, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 June 1909 — The Crucifixion of Christ— The World’s Greatest Tragedy. [ARTICLE]

The Crucifixion of Christ— The World’s Greatest Tragedy.

W. V. Reed, of Chicago, delivered an able address on this subject in Rensselaer on Sunday morning. He spoke of the glories of Babylon under the rule of Nebuchadnezzer, of the victories of the Medes and Persians under the leadership of Cyrus, of the all conquering policy of Greece when Alexander carried his banners in triumph over many a well fought field, of the palmy days of ancient Rome when in the days of Julius Caesar her eagles formed the only invincible ensign of the Old World.

But a greater than these mighty chieftains was born in Bethlehem of Judea when the angels sang of “Peace on earth and good will to men.”

He recounted the wonderful story that shall never grow old until faith is swallowed up in victory—the story of she Babe in the Manger, whose life was sought by Herod, of the teacher by the wayside, on the sea shore, and on the hill tops. The story of Him who recognized the existence of sin and forgave the sinner, who recognized the existence of pain and healed the sufferer, who recognized the reality of death and raised the dead.

He showed that the cross was made by nailing a beam (called in Greek the stauros) across the trunk of a tree so that his arms were extended upon that while his feet were nailed to the trunk below it. He told of the sealing of the tomb and the rolling away of the stone by a power 1 mightier than that of the Caesars, told of the greeting of Mary to her risen Lord who afterwards was seen of five hundred of bis disciples at once. Told of bis ascension to Heaven and the prophecy of the angels that “This same Jesus shall so come, in like manner as ye have seen him go away.” He told of the victories of peace upon the dawning of that morning when earth shall wear her bridal robes and be wedded to the glories of