LESSON XLII. THE SOLDIERS. JOHN, xix. 32-37. AT last the soldiers came to see if Jesus and the two thieves were dead, that they might bury them before night. The soldiers looked at one thief, and they saw that he was not dead; so they broke his legs, and that killed him. Then they looked at the other thief, and they saw he was not dead; so they broke his legs. Then they looked at Jesus, and they saw he was dead, so they did not break his legs: but one of the soldiers took a long stick with a sharp point at the end, called a spear, and put it in his side; and out of his side blood and water came flowing upon the ground. John was standing near, and he saw the blood poured out. Do you remember how Jesus, at supper the night before, had poured wine in a cup, and said, This is my blood, which is shed for sinners? Now his blood was poured out. The spear made a hole in Jesus’ side. There was a hole in his side, and a hole in each hand, and a hole in each foot; and his forehead was pricked with thorns, and his eyes had shed many tears, and blood had come from his skin. All this he suffered for us, that God might forgive us our sins. LESSON XLIII. THE GRAVE. JOHN, xix. 38 to end. LUKE, xxiii. 55, 56. MATTHEW, xxvii. 60. THERE was one rich man who loved Jesus; his name was Joseph (not Mary’s husband, this was another Joseph); he had a garden, and in the garden he had made a grave: perhaps he meant to be buried there himself when he came to die. But now Joseph thought, I should like to put the Lord Jesus in my grave. It was a very nice grave, and no one had ever been put there yet. So Joseph went to Pontius Pilate, and said, I want the dead body of Jesus: may I take it down from the cross, and keep it myself? And Pilate said, Yes, you may have it. Then Joseph was glad. He bought some nice white clean linen. What do you think that was for? To wrap Jesus in. And he bought some spices (sweet-smelling things that grow out of the ground), and he brought some men with him, and they took the nails out of Jesus’ hands and feet, and, took his body down from the cross. Then Joseph wrapped a cloth round his head, and another cloth round his waist, and he put sweet spices on him; and then some men carried him along to Joseph’s garden. In the garden there was a high place called a rock, and a hole in the rock, like a hole in a wall; and they walked into this large dark hole, and they laid Jesus down quite alone. Now he was at rest; he felt no pain, no sorrow: the wicked people were not near; and there lay the Lord in his quiet grave. The men took a very large stone and stopped up the hole, so that nobody could get in. No beast, no bird, could touch the Lord Jesus. There were trees and flowers near him in this sweet garden, and there were angels there watching over him, though no one could see them. Where were the poor women who loved Jesus?