No. 776
“And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: Where they crucified him, and two others with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.” (John 19:17-19)
Calvary was the scene of the most wonderful event of history, the foundation of the Gospel, the fulcrum upon which divine love and justice worked to roll away the curse resting upon humanity. As the Apostle wrote, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.” (1 Cor. 15:3)
The exact location of Calvary is not definitely known, but it is referred to in all four Gospels. Matthew, Mark and John refer to it as Golgotha, the Hebrew word equivalent to the Latin word Calvary used by Luke, both words signifying “place of a skull.” (Matt. 27:33; Mark 15:22; Luke 23:33; John 19:17) There is a site outside Jerusalem that is a bare hill with two caves in the front, which gives the appearance of a skull when looked at from a distance, the caves and the brush growing therein representing the eye sockets. It has been suggested that this was the place of the crucifixion.
Crucifixion was a most horrible and torturous form of death, yet it is not the torture alone which our Redeemer suffered on our behalf that awakens our feelings of sympathy and sorrow when we think of Calvary and the events preceding it. Two others were crucified with Jesus, and many others have suffered a similar death before and since. Some, we may presume, suffered as much or more agony through longer and more drawn-out torture, gradual burning at the stake, lacerations, etc. Aside from our dear Savior’s experiences being undeserved by the one “who went about doing good,” the thought that impresses our hearts most deeply is that His experiences were in connection with paying our penalty, so that “with his stripes we are healed.” (Acts 10:38; Isa. 53:5)
“THE LOVE OF CHRIST CONSTRAINETH US”
The thought that Christ died for our sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God – that we might be restored to divine favor and released from the just sentence of death upon us – this thought moves our hearts to loving sympathy. “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead [under sentence of death]: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” (2 Cor. 5:14-15)
Doctors of divinity and college professors of our times, full of the “wisdom of this world” (1 Cor. 1:20), deny the necessity for our Lord’s death and the value of the precious blood as an atonement for the sins of mankind. The more they deny this foundational feature of the Gospel, the more those who are able by the grace of God to see the divine plan must emphasize the value of the cross as the basis of reconciliation between God and man.
Today Jesus is presented as a good, noble, wonderful and wise teacher, whose words are suitable for texts and comments, but the sin of the world is denied when it is claimed that man is evolving to a higher nature, approaching the divine likeness. If there is no sin of the world to be atoned for, the Scriptural record that Jesus made atonement for the sins of the world is of course in error, but this is the view that is rapidly spreading throughout Christendom and destroying all true Christian faith.
Any faith other than faith based on the atonement is not the true Christian faith, not the faith once delivered to the saints, not the faith that is pleasing to God, not the faith that is the basis for justification and forgiveness of sins, not the faith that is to be respected and honored, blessed and rewarded by the Lord in due time. We cannot state this matter too strongly, even though it may offend some to be told that they are not Christians in the Scriptural sense of the word if they no longer hold to the doctrine of atonement through the blood of the cross – through the death of Jesus. Ultimately this doctrine will be the touchstone which will clearly show who are the Lord’s people and who are not, and those who lose it will lose membership in the household of faith, at least, as the present age is concerned. They are no more Christians than are those who adhere to Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, or no faith at all. Many among these groups believe that Jesus lived and died and was a great teacher, but this does not make them Christians and does not justify them. As the Apostle points out, we are justified “through faith in his blood.” (Rom. 3:25)
“CONSIDER HIM” – JESUS BEFORE PILATE
The chief priests and leading Jews of the Sanhedrin had been anxious for some time to apprehend our Lord, causing Him to no longer walk in Judea because the Jews there sought to kill Him. (John 7:1) Our Lord returned only at the time of the Feast of the Passover, knowing that then “his hour was come.” (John 13:1) He knew that it must happen at the time of the Passover in order to fulfill the types and prophecies of the Law.
The Jewish leaders had been exasperated by the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the ass, and by His driving the money-changers out of the Temple. They seized upon the idea of using Judas to betray Jesus at night, capturing Him when the multitudes were at home, and holding His trial and condemnation by the Jewish court during the night. They planned to rush the matter through and secure Pilate’s endorsement of the death sentence, which was essential. After the Lord’s arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was brought before the high priests, Annas and Caiaphas, for examination and trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin. Our Lord was brought in as a prisoner at probably about one o’clock in the morning, and the examination and trial are thought to have lasted until the early morning hours.
It was necessary that at least a form of justice be followed in the trial before the Sanhedrin, the Jews highest court. Accordingly, witnesses were sought to prove something against our Lord which would show Him worthy of death. But finding no such witnesses, they ultimately secured two who were willing to bear false witness by slightly perverting our Lord’s statements. Their wish to bear witness against Him and to secure the favor of the chief priests probably prompted them to distort our Lord’s words. (Matt. 26:59-66)
A little later that morning, He was brought before Pilate, the representative of the Roman government. They brought Jesus before Pilate because the Sanhedrin had no power to put anyone to death without the consent of the Roman governor. They brought Him bound, to indicate that they had already determined Him to be a vicious character and duly guilty, and that the endorsement of their verdict and the order of execution were the only proper steps for Pilate to take.
The charge before the Sanhedrin had been blasphemy, a charge that would have had no weight before Pilate, since he himself was probably not a believer in the Jewish religion and customs. Hence, the charge they made against Him before Pilate was treason to Caesar, the high priests and Sanhedrin hypocritically taking the position that they were loyal defenders of the Roman power. No charges of treason or sedition were made in the trial before the Sanhedrin, because that would have been out of order. As the Jews held to their right to freedom from the Roman yoke, treason to Rome would have been considered loyalty to Judaism. Besides that, they had been waiting for centuries for a great deliverer to free them from Roman rule.
Pilate evidently saw through their subterfuge. His experience with human nature enabled him to see at a glance that the prisoner before him was a remarkable man and not the type to be a dangerous enemy to the empire. Pilate’s question to our Lord was evidently one of curiosity and full of irony: “Art thou the King of the Jews?” If Pilate expected Jesus to make any assertion of power and greatness, or any appeal for compassion or pity, he was disappointed. The Master merely answered in the brief and simple words, “Thou sayest.” He made no response to the various charges and calumnies the Jewish elders and priests heaped upon Him – “never a word.” (Matt. 27-11-14)
Jesus knew that His hour had come; He knew that the cup of bitterness and ignominy which He was drinking was permitted by the Father. His will was entirely submitted to the Father’s will, and He had no desire to clear Himself, nor to avoid or resist the death sentence being sought. Pilate was amazed that anyone could be so indifferent to the preservation of His own life; but he clearly saw that the charges were base fabrications, unworthy of consideration. He informed the accusers that it was the season when it was the custom for him to a set a prisoner at liberty, hoping they would be satisfied to reckon Jesus as having been justly accused, justly sentenced, and then set free.
Pilate announced that the one to be released would be either Jesus or a very noted criminal named Barabbas. By naming Barabbas as the alternative choice to Jesus, he evidently thought that the Jews would finally conclude that of the two they would prefer to have Jesus at liberty rather than the clearly undesirable Barabbas, but Pilate was mistaken. The Jewish leaders were enraged at the thought that their plans might fail, and they incited the gathered multitude against such a decree. The hatred inspired by religious fanaticism is the deepest, wickedest and most conscienceless of all, and Barabbas was promptly accepted, leaving Pilate committed to freeing him and leaving Jesus under the implied sentence.
When Pilate asked what he should do then with Jesus, their blood-curdling cry was, “Let him be crucified!” Astonished, Pilate answered, “Why, what evil hath he done?” Seeing that the case hung in the balance, the bloodthirsty accusers cried out with greater vehemence for Him to be crucified, causing Pilate to fear a general insurrection if their demands were not met. As a representative and mouthpiece for the Roman Empire, Pilate was required to preserve order at any cost. Although he yielded to the demands, he indicated his disagreement, washing his hands with water before them and saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.” (Matt. 27:22-25) Thus he put the responsibility upon them, evidently still hoping they would change their minds.
When all the people cried, “His blood be on us, and on our children,” it was a prophecy of divine judgment against them. (Matt. 27:25) When they cried, “We have no king but Caesar,” the Almighty took them at their word. (John 19:15) The only way for them to escape the curse of His blood that they pronounced upon themselves is to accept His blood, freely offered to them as to all mankind, as the blood of sacrifice, the blood of atonement which sanctifies (makes holy to God) all who accept it by faith. It is the blood or seal of the New Covenant.
Pilate endeavored to arouse sympathy for Jesus in His accusers by having Him scourged. His soldiers then put a crown of thorns and a purple robe on Jesus, and Pilate presented Him to the crowd. He stated again that he found no fault with Jesus and then cried, “Behold the man!” (John 19:1-5) All Pilate’s appeals were futile. Jesus’ enemies were so filled with bitterness and envy that they were blind to His personal qualities, although some women who were not His disciples seemed to perceive them, and as He passed they wept.
Jesus was the most composed of all those present, because He had the assurance that He was doing the Father’s will. This assurance had kept Him calm and unmoved from the moment the angel appeared in Gethsemane to give Him the word of divine favor and thus strengthen Him. (Luke 22:43) Because He had such confidence in the wisdom, love, justice, and power of God, He was ready to endure anything that would be the Father’s will and would carry out the Father’s plan. To the weeping women He said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.” (Luke 23:28) He doubtless had in mind the awful trouble that was to come upon that city thirty-seven years later.
The story of the shame that our dear Redeemer endured so patiently on our behalf is deeply touching. The telling and reading of it may have brought more hearts to repentance than almost anything else, nor does it lose its power with those who have already accepted our Lord and the redemption effected by His blood. The Apostle gave one of his most forceful lessons on this subject: “For consider him that endured such contradiction [opposition] of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” (Heb. 12:3) It mellows our hearts every time we consider that the opposition was unmerited by Him, and that it was a part of His sacrifice on our behalf. The Apostle urged all the Lord’s followers to consider the meekness, patience and sufferings of Christ, endured most unjustly, lest we become weary or faint in our minds, when enduring comparatively light afflictions.
“TAKE UP HIS CROSS”
The route from Pilate’s judgment hall to Calvary was indeed a “via dolorosa” – a sorrowful way, a doleful way. Jesus, bearing His cross, headed the procession, accompanied by four Roman soldiers. The two thieves with their crosses followed, with four soldiers guarding each. The entire procession was under the charge of a Centurion. Our Redeemer had been under a tremendous strain and without food for about twelve hours. Evidently He was scarcely able to carry His load, and the Centurion compelled Simon of Cyrene, a countryman, to bear the cross after Jesus. (Luke 23:26) It is uncertain whether this means that he walked behind Jesus in the procession, carrying the cross, or whether he carried the back part of the cross with Jesus. In any event he had a most glorious opportunity, even though it was compulsory.
Many of the Lord’s people who have read this account have wished that they could have had a share in carrying that cross, but where were Peter, James, John and all the other disciples? Sadly, they allowed fear to stand in their way, depriving them of a most glorious service. When we think of this, we should remember that our Lord has graciously provided that all of His followers may share in the carrying of His cross. The weight of the cross has not ceased. The cross of Christ is still in the world, and the privilege is still with us to bear it with Him, following after Him. Although the Apostles lost the privilege of bearing the literal cross for Jesus, they gloriously recovered from their fear, and we have the record of their noble service, bearing the cross of Christ for all the years of their lives afterwards.
Let us love much and show our love by our zeal in cross-bearing. The mainspring of our devotion to the Lord must be love for Him, a desire to do what would please Him, and an appreciation of what He has done for us. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matt. 16:24)
“HE WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSORS”
It was prophesized that our Lord would be “numbered with the transgressors” (Isa. 53:12) and His crucifixion between two thieves fulfilled that prophecy. (Mark 15:28) From the standpoint of Jesus Himself, this could only have meant the depths of humiliation. Any noble man or woman would find it especially detestable to be considered as belonging with transgressors, murderers, and thieves. If this is true with us in our imperfect condition of mind and heart, how much more intense must this feeling have been in the perfect one, our Lord. How He must have loathed sin, how utterly opposed to it in every sense of the word He must have been, and how much more shame He must have felt than we could possibly have felt in His position.
That the heavenly Father permitted His Son to experience such humiliation was evidently intended to be a demonstration to angels and to men of the Son’s unlimited loyalty of heart: “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil. 2:8) Thus the Lord demonstrated that He was not only willing to die, but He was willing to die in the most despicable manner possible. He demonstrated full self-renunciation, complete deadness of His own will and thorough aliveness of His own heart and mind to the Father’s will. In all this He became an illustration of humility to His followers, as the Apostle suggested: “Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” (1 Pet. 5:5-6) Humility is essential to all who would be of the Lord’s family, no matter how deep the humiliation that obedience to God may bring.
From the standpoint of the priests and Pharisees, the Lord’s crucifixion with the two thieves was especially desirable. It prevented Him from being seen as a martyr, demeaning and degrading Him before the people, and making them ashamed to be seen as His followers. How could it be expected that any could ever see glory in the cross of Christ? But how wonderfully God’s plans overrule all human arrangements, and make even the wrath and envy and villainy of the human heart work out to His praise and in accordance with His plan.
KILLING THE PRINCE OF LIFE
The distance from Pilate’s palace to Golgotha apparently was not great, though the latter is outside the city wall. The spot was soon reached, the crosses were laid upon the ground, and the soldiers quickly stripped the prisoners and nailed them, probably with wooden spikes, to the crosses which they then lifted and dropped into the previously prepared holes, the feet of the crucified coming within about two feet of the ground. The agony resulting from such a proceeding can be better imagined than described, especially at the moment when the cross dropped into the socket, and the weight of the body together with the swinging, surging, and jolting of the cross would make the pain extreme.
It was customary to publish the crime for which the convicted was being executed by a printed notice over the head of the victim. In the case of Jesus, the notice said, by Matthew’s account, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Mark gives the superscription as, “THE KING OF THE JEWS,” and Luke gives it as, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” (Matt. 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38) All three may be correct since the notice was written in three languages – Hebrew, Greek and Latin.
In a sense, this was Pilate’s opportunity to get even with the envious and malicious Jewish rulers who were forcing him to crucify Jesus, contrary to his will and contrary to justice. His decision to allow the writing above Jesus to stand was correct, and ultimately the blind eyes of the world will be opened to the great truth that Jesus was indeed divinely anointed to be the King of earth, but as He said, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” (John 18:36) That is to say, His Kingdom was not of the present order or arrangement and was not yet due to come into power. His followers were also not of this world and thus were not fighting to establish His Kingdom authority.
Those who have thus far acknowledged Him as King are very small in number and very insignificant in the world – “not many mighty, not many noble,” but chiefly “the poor of this world rich in faith.” (1 Cor. 1:26; Jas. 2:5) Those who conclude that Jesus is now the King of the world and is reigning are nearly as blind and prejudiced as were the doctors of divinity who secured our Lord’s death. Those who “love his appearing,” whose souls long for the presence of the King and the inauguration of His reign of righteousness in the earth are a woefully small number. (2 Tim. 4:8)
After they crucified Him, the Roman soldiers immediately began to divide His garments, casting lots for them. The soldiers coldly looked at the Lamb of God who was suffering, the just for the unjust as their redemption price, and divided His clothing as their plunder. They greatly resembled the whole of “Christendom” throughout history, from that time to the present. In all parts of the civilized world, millions who have heard of Jesus and His love for us and His sacrifice on our behalf are still totally unmoved, unconcerned, and unthankful. They are willing to receive and divide among themselves the various blessings and advantages which have come to them through His death, but they receive them without appreciation or gratitude. As the Apostle explained, the most kindly view we can take of them is that the Gospel is hidden to them: “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Cor. 4:3-4)
WITH HIM IN HIS DYING HOUR
Four of His very special friends were with the Lord in His dying hour: His mother, the wife of Cleopas (stated to be His mother’s sister, but perhaps her cousin), Mary Magdalene, and John. We are not to judge too severely the apparent lack of courage on the part of Jesus’ other friends. The popular bitterness against Jesus which led to His crucifixion extended to His followers to a large degree, and it was natural for them to be afraid; it had even been hinted that Lazarus would be put to death also. The three women might reasonably feel themselves safer from being harmed despite their interest in Jesus. John may also have had reason to be less afraid because he had a friend in the High Priest’s household. That friend had permitted him to be present when Jesus was first brought before the High Priest, while Peter had been afraid to show himself.
Although He was in great pain, it was at this time that Jesus commended His mother to John’s care, saying to her, “Woman, behold thy Son!” To the disciple He said, “Behold thy mother.” (John 19:25-27) Although we are not literally able to be at His cross to show our sympathy for Him, we can lend our presence and aid to dear brethren in their dark hours and He will count it as being done for Him.
Another prophecy of Scripture remained to be fulfilled: “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” (Psa. 69:21) The fulfillment of this prophecy would further identify Jesus as the Messiah, and it is why He mentioned His thirst: “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.” (John 19:28) He doubtless had been thirsting for quite a while given the circumstances of the crucifixion, but now the time had come to express it. Vinegar (actually a sour wine, the common drink of Roman soldiers) was given to Him. It was mixed with gall or myrrh, a bitter substance commonly given to those being crucified to dull the pain. It was a kindness, not an injury, but Jesus refused it, preferring to experience the full measure of pain and suffering the Father’s wisdom, love, and justice had prepared for Him.
Having thus fulfilled the various Scriptures relating to His career, our Lord realized that the end of His course had come. It was probably at this point that the Father’s fellowship was withdrawn from Him for a moment. The actual withdrawal of the Father’s favor and communion was a necessary part of the Lord’s suffering as a sin-bearer so that at least for a short time He had the full experience of the sinner. He was treated as a sinner on our behalf so that we might be considered as righteous by God. Of all our Lord’s experiences we believe that this moment, in which the Father completely hid His face from Him, was the most trying moment, the severest ordeal, and the one that apparently our Lord had not foreseen. Although bereft of every earthly comfort, favor, privilege, and blessing up to this moment, He had nonetheless possessed a realization of fellowship and communion with the Father. For that upon which His whole life had depended to now be taken away was the severest trial.
In agony He cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46) He wondered what He had done to cause a cloud to come between Him and the Father. He probably soon realized that it was necessary for Him to thus fill up the cup of suffering and to demonstrate to the very limit His loyalty and obedience, fully and completely meeting the penalty against our race. While probably still under this cloud, but with having come to this realization, He cried, “It is finished!” and died. (John 19:30)
We figuratively speak of people dying of broken hearts, but it appears our Lord experienced this very thing. Today this is referred to as “broken heart syndrome,” a potentially fatal condition. Deep grief tends to interfere with the ability of the heart to pump blood, causing strain upon the heart. We have all felt this at times – a weight and heaviness of heart when under unusual stress. This seems to have been the case in our Lord’s situation; He literally died of a broken heart.
If we are devoted followers of Jesus, we should consider that our Lord bore this agony for us and ask ourselves, what we have borne for Him – what shame, what humiliation, what pain? The very thought of this should make us ashamed to mention any trials we may have endured, and give us more courage to patiently endure all things which divine providence may allow us to experience because of our discipleship.
_____________________________
This paper is drawn from the writings of Pastor Russell, primarily Reprints 3560 and 2312.
Write to us at: epiphanybiblestudents@gmail.com