THE PLACE CALLED CALVARY
The Place of a Skull
Luke 23:32-33, “And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. 33And 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.
Introduction:
The time had come. Judas had betrayed Him and He had been brought before the High Priest where He was tried. He was found guilty of being the “Son of God” and therefore, condemned for blaspheme. He was take to Pilate who had authority to crucify Jesus. Pilate sent Him to Herod who could get no satisfaction and returned Him to Pilate.
Pilate wanted to release him for he declared that he had “have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:” (Luke 23:14). However, willing to appease the Jews who cried for His crucification, “gave sentence that it should be as they required.” (Luke 23:24).
Now we come to Calvary or Golgatha as the other gospels call it.
I. JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED ON CALVARY, THE PLACE OF A SKULL.
A. Jesus receives His crown on the way to Calvary, Mark 15:16-18, “And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band. 17And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, 18And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!”
B. His hands and feet were nailed to the cross, Psalms 22:16, “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.”
C. Being crucified was a painful and the most horrible form of death, and to a Jew it would acquire greater horror from the curse in Deuteronomy 21:23, “His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”
D. Being crucified Jesus fulfilled prophecy, Galatians 3:13, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”
II. HE WAS CRUCIFIED BETWEEN TWO THIEVES.
A. He was crucified in midst between the two thieves as if he had been the worst.
1. One saw nothing in Jesus Christ, v. 39, “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.”
2. The other saw a Savior in Jesus Christ, vs. 40-42, “But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
B. Thus fulfilling the Scriptures, Isaiah 53:12, “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
III. HE WAS CRUCIFIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE.
A. The Rulers stood among the people deriding Him, v. 35, 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.”
1. The people joined in the mockery.
2. Even the soldiers mocked Him, v. 36, “And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,”
B. They challenged Him to save Himself FROM the cross when He was saving others BY the cross, Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
1. Through the blood of His cross He reconciled man to God, Colossians 1:20, “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”
2. On that cross Jesus slew the enmity between God and man, Ephesians 2:16, “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:”
CONCLUSION
On the cross the Jews thought they had conquered Jesus, but He had conquered sin, death and Hell. By His death man can have life eternal through faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior. Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” John 7:37, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”