Journey to Calvary
As the chief priests led Jesus away to be crucified, he fell beneath the weight of the cross. His back was torn and bleeding. He was weakened from blood loss. They grabbed Simon, a Cyrenian who was coming out of the country, from the crowd and forced him to pick up the cross and carry it for Jesus. They laid the cross on his back, so that he could carry it behind Jesus.
A great crowd of people followed Jesus. The women among them bewailed and lamented him.
They were astonished. His face and body were disfigured more than any man. As predicted by Isaiah, he didn’t even look human anymore.
“Many were astonished, his face was marred more than any man. His body beaten beyond that of any other,” Isaiah wrote. (52:14)
Jesus turned to the women and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. The days are coming, when they shall say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.”
Two criminals were led with Jesus to be put to death. These criminals carried their crosses up the hill. They arrived at the place called Calvary, which means “the place of the skull.” This was a place of execution, a place of death. In Hebrew, the name of the hilltop was Golgotha.
Forgive Them
The hill was near the city, where all could see the penalty for crimes. This public torture deterred others from breaking the Roman laws. To further the criminals’ humiliation, they were stripped of their clothes.
Jesus was offered a drink with myrrh in it. The myrrh would ease his pain a little, but it would cloud his mind. Jesus refused the drink.
Three crosses were laid on the ground. The Roman soldiers hammered nails through the prisoners’ hands and feet into the wood. They had never experienced anything more painful until the crosses were raised upright, and the weight of their bodies hung from the nails in their hands. Roman crucifixion was considered the most brutal form of punishment.
They crucified the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left of Jesus. As they set the crosses in place, it was nine o’clock in the morning. (Mark 15:22)
And the scripture which says, “He was numbered with the lawbreakers” was fulfilled.
Jesus called out from the cross, “Father, forgive them, because they don’t know what they’re doing.” (Luke 23:26-34)
Jesus had preached “forgive your enemies” to the crowds, and now he demonstrated that forgiveness.
Pilate’s Sign
A sign was placed on the cross above each man. It stated his crime. Above Jesus Pilate had required the title, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” It was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, so that anyone who passed could read it.
Many read this title, because Calvary was near to the city, and people passed as they went to and from Jerusalem. On this day, many were coming to offer their Passover sacrifices at twilight.
Those who passed by yelled insults at him, shaking their heads in disgust. Still the chief priests were upset that the people were reading this sign that proclaimed Jesus as King.
They went to Pilate and protested, “Don’t write ‘The King of the Jews.’ Instead write ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’”
Pilate refused, “What I’ve written, I’ve written.”
His garments
After nailing Jesus to the cross, the soldiers took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier, and set his coat aside.
The coat was well-made, woven from top to bottom with no seam. Perhaps this coat was made by the loving hands of a mother.
The soldiers said among themselves, “The coat has no seam; therefore, let’s not tear it. Instead let’s cast lots for it to determine who will get it.”
The scripture written by King David which says, “They parted my garments among them, and for my robe they cast lots” was fulfilled. (Psalm 22:18)
Mocked
After this the soldiers sat down and watched Jesus as he suffered on the cross. (John 19:19-24)
As Jesus hung on the cross, there were shouts from those who passed by and those who stood watching.
“You who could destroy the temple and built it again in three days, save yourself,” some called out.
Others among them shouted, “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
The chief priests also mocked. They stood with the scribes and elders. Shouts came from their group.
“He saved others, but he can’t save himself.”
“Let him save himself if he is the Christ, the chosen of God, the King of Israel.”
“Let Christ the King of Israel come down from the cross now, so we may see and believe.” (Luke 23:35)
“He trusted in God; let God deliver him now. God may not have him, because he said, ‘I am the Son of God.”
The soldiers mocked him. They came to him, offering him a drink; but it wasn’t water, it was vinegar.
The soldiers taunted, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” (Mark 15:29-31, Matthew 27:41-43)
Mother
Jesus saw his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene as they stood by the cross. He also saw his disciple John, whom he loved, standing by.
Jesus (to his mother): Woman, behold your son!
Jesus (to John his disciple): Behold your mother!
And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. (John 19:25-27)
Paradise
One of the criminals hanging on a cross called insults to him.
He said, “If you are Christ, save yourself and us.”
The second thief rebuked the first, “Don’t you fear God, seeing you receiving the same punishment? We are justly condemned; because we receive the punishment due for our crimes. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Looking at Jesus, he said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus replied, “Truly, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:36-43)
It is Finished
Suddenly, at the noon hour, darkness covered all the land.
It remained for three hours.
At that time, Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Those standing nearby thought he was calling for Elijah.
“Let’s see if Elijah will come to save him,” they shouted. (Matthew 27:45-49)
Knowing that all things were now accomplished, and that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.”
A vessel full of vinegar sat there. They filled a sponge with vinegar, put it on hyssop stick, and lifted it to his mouth.
When he had received the vinegar, Jesus said, “It is finished.” (John 19:28-30)
He cried with a loud voice, “Father, I entrust you with my spirit.”
Jesus bowed his head, and allowed his spirit to leave his body. (Luke 23:46, John 19:30)
The Veil Was Torn
The veil of the temple was tore in two from the top to the bottom;
and the earth quaked,
and the rocks tore;
And the graves were opened;
and many bodies of the saints who were buried there rose.
They came out of the graves after his resurrection, went into the holy city, and appeared to many.
(Matthew 27:51-53)
A Testimony
At that moment, the earth shook, and rocks were torn apart. The veil of the temple was torn in two. This veil separated man from God’s mercy seat. It was torn from the top to the bottom; God tore it, not man.
The Roman soldiers were watching Jesus, and when they saw the earthquake and those things that were done, they were very afraid. These men were trained from childhood to fight to protect themselves and their country, but these hardened warriors were afraid.
The Roman soldier and those with him agreed, “This was the Son of God.” (Matthew 27:54)
All the people that had come together to see the things that were done struck their breasts and went away. (Luke 23:48-49)
Many women had come with Jesus to Jerusalem. When he was in Galilee, these women followed him and ministered to him. Among them were Mary Magdalene and the mother of Zebedee’s children and Mary the mother of James and Joses and Salome. All his acquaintances, including the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, seeing these things. (Mark 15:40-41)
No broken Bones
The Jews petitioned Pilate that the legs of those on the cross be broken and their bodies taken away. The next day was not just the weekly sabbath day; it was the high day, the Passover Sabbath. The Passover week began with a day of rest, it was a high Sabbath. The bodies couldn’t stay on the cross on a sabbath day.
The soldiers came and broke the legs of the criminals who were crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they didn’t break his legs. Instead one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water came out. The soldier who saw it bore record, and all can believe his record was true.
These things happened because the written scriptures had foretold it. (John 19:31-37)
David wrote, “A bone of him shall not be broken.” (Psalm 34:20)
And prophet Zechariah penned, “They will look on him whom they pierced.” (Zechariah 12:10)
Burial
Joseph from Arimathaea was a counsellor. He was a good and a just man who waited for the kingdom of God. He was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews. He hadn’t consented to the counsel against Jesus or the actions the Jews had taken. (Luke 23:50-51)
As evening drew near, Joseph went boldly to Pilate and begged that he might take away the body of Jesus before the evening came. At evening the sabbath began and no more work could be done. The body could not be lifted from the cross or carried to the tomb once the Sabbath began.
Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead, since criminals often hung on the cross suffering for days. He called the centurion to him and asked if Jesus had been dead for a while. Once the soldier confirmed that Jesus was dead, Pilate gave the body to Joseph. (Mark 15:42-45)
Joseph had bought a fine linen cloth for the burial. The Pharisee Nicodemus also came and brought a hundred pounds of a mixture of myrrh and aloes. Then they took the body of Jesus down from the cross and wound it in the clean linen clothes with the spices. This was the custom of the Jews for preparing a body for burial. (John 19:39-40)
Joseph and Nicodemus took the body to Joseph’s own new tomb. Joseph had hewn the tomb out of a great rock, and no man had lain in it before.
By dying with the criminals and being laid in a rich man’s tomb, the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled.
“He made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death.” (Isaiah 53:9)
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses sat against the rock of the tomb and watched as Joseph and Nicodemus placed the body inside. Then the men rolled a great stone across the entrance and hurried away, because the high Sabbath drew near. (Matthew 27:59-60, Mark 15:47, Luke 23:54)
Tomb Secured
The next day, the chief priests and Pharisees came together and went to Pilate.
“Sir, we remember that the deceiver said, while he was yet alive, ‘I will rise again after three days. Command that the tomb be made sure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come by night, and steal his body, and say to the people, ‘He is risen from the dead’ and things would be worse than before.”
Pilate agreed, “You will have a watch. Go your way, make it as sure as you can.” The chief priests and Pharisees left to make sure the tomb was secure. Roman soldiers arrived to stand guard at the tomb, and the Roman seal was placed on the stone. For anyone who broke the Roman seal, the penalty would be death.
Pilate agreed, “You will have a watch. Go your way, make it as sure as you can.”
The chief priests and Pharisees left to make sure the tomb was secure. Roman soldiers arrived to stand guard at the tomb, and the Roman seal was placed on the stone. For anyone who broke the Roman seal, the penalty would be death. (Matthew 27:62-66)
