And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
He went forth from Pilate's court and judgment hall toward Calvary outside Jerusalem, the criminals' execution place called the place of a skull, bearing upon His bruised shoulders His own cross prepared for Barabbas while a vast multitude followed. Weakened by sleepless suffering, agony, betrayal, trials, mockery and scourging without food or drink since the Passover supper, He fainted and fell beneath its weight two or three times until Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry it the rest of the way. In bearing it outside the city He suffered as humanity's substitute, taking the curse of the law upon Himself to redeem sinners, and carrying not wood alone but the burden of the sins of the world. That journey was a further step downward into the depths of humiliation, enduring insult, reproach and shame at the hands of wicked men while Satan's malice reached its climax in the conflict witnessed by the universe. His bleeding progress to be nailed to the cross reveals the price paid for redemption, leaving His followers no room for ease but calling them to self-denying service measured by His sacrifice.
Journey to Golgotha
He went forth from Pilate's court and judgment-hall toward Calvary outside Jerusalem, the place where criminals were executed called the place of a skull. News of His condemnation spread through Jerusalem so that people of all classes and all ranks flocked toward the place of crucifixion and formed a vast multitude following Him. Disciples and believers from the city and the surrounding region joined the throng because the priests and rulers were bound by a promise not to molest His followers if He Himself were delivered to them. He bore His own cross, which had been prepared for Barabbas, laid upon His bruised and bleeding shoulders. Crosses were also placed upon two others who were to die with Him, companions of Barabbas described as two thieves.
He was in weak and suffering condition and the burden was too heavy for Him, for since the Passover supper He had taken neither food nor drink. He had passed through agony in Gethsemane, betrayal, desertion by His disciples, examinations before Annas and Caiaphas and Pilate and Herod, insult upon insult and mockery upon mockery through a sleepless night, and two scourgings, all borne with firmness and dignity speaking no word but to glorify God. Bruised, bleeding, and weakened by blood loss, weariness, and pain, human nature could bear no more and He fell fainting beneath the cross. After the cross was laid on Him again He was revived and forced on, only to fall fainting again, two or three times in all, the cross being placed on His shoulders three times and He fainting three times as those who held it teach.
He was hurried away to execution amid loud shouts of triumph. The crowd saw His weak and staggering steps and showed no compassion but taunted and reviled Him because He could not carry the heavy cross. As He was led out bearing the heavy cross, the daughters of Jerusalem mourned while the crowd jeered. When His persecutors saw He could carry it no farther they were puzzled to find anyone to bear the humiliating load, for the Jews themselves would not because defilement would keep them from the Passover, and none of the mob would stoop to it. So Simon of Cyrene, a follower who believed in Him but had not openly professed faith, was forced to carry it to Calvary. The encounter stirred his sympathy for Jesus, and the events and words at Calvary led him to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God and the world's Redeemer.
On the way the crowd passed a retired place and saw the dead body of Judas who betrayed Him lying at the foot of a lifeless tree. He had hanged himself until the cord broke under his weight, so that his falling body was horribly mangled and was being devoured by dogs, and his remains were ordered to be buried at once. The revolting sight quieted the noisy mockery and left many pale-faced with fearful thoughts as retribution already visiting those guilty of His blood. At Calvary He was crucified between two others with a crowd gathered around the crosses. Crucifixion there soon fell out of use after the events surrounding His death terrified the Romans, but it was revived at Jerusalem's destruction when multitudes of Jews were crucified and crosses covered Calvary.
What His Suffering Means
Bearing his own cross outside the city toward the place of execution where criminals died, he suffered as humanity's substitute, and his suffering outside recalls the banishment of Adam and Eve from Eden for breaking God's law, for by taking the curse of the law upon himself he redeemed people from that curse. The burden he carried was not the wooden cross alone but the burden of the world's sins and of human sin.
His bearing of the cross was a further step in his humiliation and a descent into the depths of humiliation, enduring insult and reproach and shame while suffering for humanity. He was in the hands of wicked men, with his own nation clamoring for his blood, crowned with thorns and clothed in the purple robe, mocked and struck with the reed, scourged as the worst of criminals while the murderous Barabbas was chosen in his place, then lifted up and dying as a malefactor. That taking away of the Bridegroom gives cause to mourn and fast, and it tries faith until hope and courage fail. At the place of execution Satan's malice against him reached its climax while the universe witnessed the conflict between Christ and Satan. His sinless purity reproached the proud and sensual people who hated him, and in rejecting Jesus the Holy One of Israel the Jewish people became responsible for his crucifixion on Calvary's cross.
Though he could have called upon his Father for angelic help, he endured insult and suffering meekly without complaint, and his innocent death made a way of escape for lost humanity. His dying upon the cross came in a terrible hour of gloom and darkness that became a ground of test and trial for the disciples, who beholding him there lost faith. Through sleep they had failed to watch and pray, and had not received the light of the knowledge of his sufferings and the glory that should follow, nor shared his self-sacrifice. Had they remained watching, rays of hope from that knowledge would have lighted the darkness and sustained them, but instead they failed to endure the proving, as when Peter denied his Lord before his enemies.
Example for Believers
On the way to be nailed to the cross as a bleeding victim, His ordeal shows the cost of His sacrifice and reveals the price paid for humanity's redemption, and beside that cost all human self-denial for Him appears small. The cross on that way to Calvary shows that He is at His followers' side to help them, and that through His sacrifice they may receive the grace and power He gives. He fainted beneath its weight, for it included not only the wooden cross but the burden of the world's sins, and His willingness to endure such suffering for others exposes unwillingness to suffer for His sake. That same suffering for others is the reason they should be willing to suffer for Him.
Though the people had no right to inflict such indignities upon Him as carrying the cross on which He was about to be crucified, He did not refuse to submit. His example in so submitting supports a servant's paying tribute or fines as the Master did, so as not to offend others. As the Majesty of heaven and King of glory bearing the heavy cross to redeem souls by His precious blood, with the thorny crown and the bitter cup, He leaves no room for reclining at ease, glorifying self, and forgetting the souls He died to save. Those He redeemed must therefore give while they have power, do while they have strength, work while it is day, and devote time and means whole-heartedly to the service of God, that they may have His approbation and receive His reward.
Calvary is a model for self-giving service whose spirit those who serve others are to carry, calling people to surrender themselves to Him and live in keeping with His will. His sacrifice on the cross sets the measure of the church's work and shows how far short it remains of what it should accomplish. Weakened by exhaustion, pain, and blood loss He fainted beneath its weight, and after the cross was placed upon His shoulders three times and He fainted three times, a follower who believed in Him but had not openly professed faith was made to carry it to Calvary. Disciples followed Him toward crucifixion in grief, remembering His triumphant entry into Jerusalem and their mistaken hope that He would become a temporal king of Israel.
He went forth from Pilate's court and judgment hall toward Calvary outside Jerusalem, the criminals' execution place called the place of a skull, bearing upon His bruised shoulders His own cross prepared for Barabbas while a vast multitude followed. Weakened by sleepless suffering, agony, betrayal, trials, mockery and scourging without food or drink since the Passover supper, He fainted and fell beneath its weight two or three times until Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry it the rest of the way. In bearing it outside the city He suffered as humanity's substitute, taking the curse of the law upon Himself to redeem sinners, and carrying not wood alone but the burden of the sins of the world. That journey was a further step downward into the depths of humiliation, enduring insult, reproach and shame at the hands of wicked men while Satan's malice reached its climax in the conflict witnessed by the universe. His bleeding progress to be nailed to the cross reveals the price paid for redemption, leaving His followers no room for ease but calling them to self-denying service measured by His sacrifice.
Journey to Golgotha
He went forth from Pilate's court and judgment-hall toward Calvary outside Jerusalem, the place where criminals were executed called the place of a skull. News of His condemnation spread through Jerusalem so that people of all classes and all ranks flocked toward the place of crucifixion and formed a vast multitude following Him. Disciples and believers from the city and the surrounding region joined the throng because the priests and rulers were bound by a promise not to molest His followers if He Himself were delivered to them. He bore His own cross, which had been prepared for Barabbas, laid upon His bruised and bleeding shoulders. Crosses were also placed upon two others who were to die with Him, companions of Barabbas described as two thieves.
He was in weak and suffering condition and the burden was too heavy for Him, for since the Passover supper He had taken neither food nor drink. He had passed through agony in Gethsemane, betrayal, desertion by His disciples, examinations before Annas and Caiaphas and Pilate and Herod, insult upon insult and mockery upon mockery through a sleepless night, and two scourgings, all borne with firmness and dignity speaking no word but to glorify God. Bruised, bleeding, and weakened by blood loss, weariness, and pain, human nature could bear no more and He fell fainting beneath the cross. After the cross was laid on Him again He was revived and forced on, only to fall fainting again, two or three times in all, the cross being placed on His shoulders three times and He fainting three times as those who held it teach.
He was hurried away to execution amid loud shouts of triumph. The crowd saw His weak and staggering steps and showed no compassion but taunted and reviled Him because He could not carry the heavy cross. As He was led out bearing the heavy cross, the daughters of Jerusalem mourned while the crowd jeered. When His persecutors saw He could carry it no farther they were puzzled to find anyone to bear the humiliating load, for the Jews themselves would not because defilement would keep them from the Passover, and none of the mob would stoop to it. So Simon of Cyrene, a follower who believed in Him but had not openly professed faith, was forced to carry it to Calvary. The encounter stirred his sympathy for Jesus, and the events and words at Calvary led him to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God and the world's Redeemer.
On the way the crowd passed a retired place and saw the dead body of Judas who betrayed Him lying at the foot of a lifeless tree. He had hanged himself until the cord broke under his weight, so that his falling body was horribly mangled and was being devoured by dogs, and his remains were ordered to be buried at once. The revolting sight quieted the noisy mockery and left many pale-faced with fearful thoughts as retribution already visiting those guilty of His blood. At Calvary He was crucified between two others with a crowd gathered around the crosses. Crucifixion there soon fell out of use after the events surrounding His death terrified the Romans, but it was revived at Jerusalem's destruction when multitudes of Jews were crucified and crosses covered Calvary.
What His Suffering Means
Bearing his own cross outside the city toward the place of execution where criminals died, he suffered as humanity's substitute, and his suffering outside recalls the banishment of Adam and Eve from Eden for breaking God's law, for by taking the curse of the law upon himself he redeemed people from that curse. The burden he carried was not the wooden cross alone but the burden of the world's sins and of human sin.
His bearing of the cross was a further step in his humiliation and a descent into the depths of humiliation, enduring insult and reproach and shame while suffering for humanity. He was in the hands of wicked men, with his own nation clamoring for his blood, crowned with thorns and clothed in the purple robe, mocked and struck with the reed, scourged as the worst of criminals while the murderous Barabbas was chosen in his place, then lifted up and dying as a malefactor. That taking away of the Bridegroom gives cause to mourn and fast, and it tries faith until hope and courage fail. At the place of execution Satan's malice against him reached its climax while the universe witnessed the conflict between Christ and Satan. His sinless purity reproached the proud and sensual people who hated him, and in rejecting Jesus the Holy One of Israel the Jewish people became responsible for his crucifixion on Calvary's cross.
Though he could have called upon his Father for angelic help, he endured insult and suffering meekly without complaint, and his innocent death made a way of escape for lost humanity. His dying upon the cross came in a terrible hour of gloom and darkness that became a ground of test and trial for the disciples, who beholding him there lost faith. Through sleep they had failed to watch and pray, and had not received the light of the knowledge of his sufferings and the glory that should follow, nor shared his self-sacrifice. Had they remained watching, rays of hope from that knowledge would have lighted the darkness and sustained them, but instead they failed to endure the proving, as when Peter denied his Lord before his enemies.
Example for Believers
On the way to be nailed to the cross as a bleeding victim, His ordeal shows the cost of His sacrifice and reveals the price paid for humanity's redemption, and beside that cost all human self-denial for Him appears small. The cross on that way to Calvary shows that He is at His followers' side to help them, and that through His sacrifice they may receive the grace and power He gives. He fainted beneath its weight, for it included not only the wooden cross but the burden of the world's sins, and His willingness to endure such suffering for others exposes unwillingness to suffer for His sake. That same suffering for others is the reason they should be willing to suffer for Him.
Though the people had no right to inflict such indignities upon Him as carrying the cross on which He was about to be crucified, He did not refuse to submit. His example in so submitting supports a servant's paying tribute or fines as the Master did, so as not to offend others. As the Majesty of heaven and King of glory bearing the heavy cross to redeem souls by His precious blood, with the thorny crown and the bitter cup, He leaves no room for reclining at ease, glorifying self, and forgetting the souls He died to save. Those He redeemed must therefore give while they have power, do while they have strength, work while it is day, and devote time and means whole-heartedly to the service of God, that they may have His approbation and receive His reward.
Calvary is a model for self-giving service whose spirit those who serve others are to carry, calling people to surrender themselves to Him and live in keeping with His will. His sacrifice on the cross sets the measure of the church's work and shows how far short it remains of what it should accomplish. Weakened by exhaustion, pain, and blood loss He fainted beneath its weight, and after the cross was placed upon His shoulders three times and He fainted three times, a follower who believed in Him but had not openly professed faith was made to carry it to Calvary. Disciples followed Him toward crucifixion in grief, remembering His triumphant entry into Jerusalem and their mistaken hope that He would become a temporal king of Israel.