The Cross

"And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left." Luke 23:33

This place “Called Calvary” or in Latin, called "The Skull" which is the Latin equivalent of Golgotha. The place of a skull, because the hill resembled a skull, in which they used it as a place for Capital Punishment. Jesus our Lord and Saviour was crucified when they nailed Him to the wooden cross. They put a nail in each of His hands and nailed His feet to the cross, as well. I would like to say, right here, that even at this moment, Jesus was in complete control. The only reason they could do this, is because He chose to die for you and I. His death on that cross for each of us was so that we might live. At no time was Satan, or any of his demons, forcing Jesus to do anything He didn't want to. He was looking down through time and seeing you and me, knowing that if He got off the cross, we would go to hell. His love for you and I is what kept Him on the cross. In the gospel of Luke, 23:34, Jesus utters these words "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots." Jesus at that moment asked the Father to “Forgive them”: i.e., His tormentors, both Jews and Romans (Acts 7:60). Some of the fruit of this prayer can be in the salvation of thousands of people in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2:41). When Jesus spake “They know not what they do” tells us, they were not aware of the full scope of their wickedness. They did not recognize Him as the true Messiah (Acts 13:27-28). They were blind to the light of divine truth, the tells us “for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8). Still, their ignorance certainly did not mean that they deserved forgiveness. Rather, their spiritual blindness itself was a manifestation of their guilt (John 3:19). But Christ’s prayer while they were in the very act of mocking Him is an expression of the boundless love and compassion of divine grace.

The bible tells us that, they “Cast lots” for his belongings. This was in fulfillment of (Psalm 22:18). The executioners customarily divided the victim’s clothes among themselves. The garments of the victim were the customary spoils of the executioners. (John 19:23-24),

We see from this statement Jesus takes no thought for Himself, but, is thinking of others.

These soldiers did not even have the courtesy to wait until He was dead. They divided His belongings right before Him. The one garment which had no seam was desired of all, so they cast lots for it. Jesus bore the guilt and shame of all us, while being mocked and spat upon by the people. In the Gospel of Luke 23:35 it tells us "And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he, be Christ, the chosen of God." The Book of Psalms, 22:7-8 tell us "All they that see me laugh me to scorn. they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him." They mocked Jesus as if he had to prove something to them. In Luke 23:36 it tells us "And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar," In the books of Psalm 69:21, it states, "They gave me also gall for my food; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." “Vinegar”: Wine that was mingled with gall”: “Gall” simply refers to something bitter. (Mark 15:23), identifies it as myrrh, a narcotic. The Jews had a custom, based on (Prov. 31:6), of administering a pain-deadening medication mixed with wine to victims of crucifixion, in order to deaden the pain. But Jesus refuses; wanting to go through this for all of us. Their mocking will be turned to sorrow when the earth starts to quake and darkness covers the land at noonday.