"When they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him."
Luke 23,33
Tonight we go to Golgotha to see with our own eyes what happened at the
crucifixion First, the upright timber, usually about ten feet in
length, was firmly planted in the ground. Second, the victim's hands
were tied, on each side of the cross-beam-(you might like to read Psalm
22 at this point),and then nailed to the wood. Third, that beam was
then raised, often with the help of a ladder and affixed to the upright
timber. Fourth, to complete the fierce, barbaric cruelty, the feet,
placed on a rest, were likewise bored through by one of two nails, and
thus the whole body riveted to the cross.
It only will take you a few moments to recount the hideousness of this
horror, and it took only a . . .
"When they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him."
Luke 23,33
Tonight we go to Golgotha to see with our own eyes what happened at the crucifixion First, the upright timber, usually about ten feet in length, was firmly planted in the ground. Second, the victim's hands were tied, on each side of the cross-beam-(you might like to read Psalm 22 at this point),and then nailed to the wood. Third, that beam was then raised, often with the help of a ladder and affixed to the upright timber. Fourth, to complete the fierce, barbaric cruelty, the feet, placed on a rest, were likewise bored through by one of two nails, and thus the whole body riveted to the cross.
It only will take you a few moments to recount the hideousness of this horror, and it took only a few minutes, this heaviest miscarriage of justice in all history, which our text summarizes in these simple words: "When they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him," This form of punishment made its victim suffer the most and languished for days, until increasing pain mercifully made them unconscious. The exposure to the sun and wind, raging fever, the fiery inflammation of the festering wounds, the whole tension of the suspended body, combined to produce a horrifying increasing torment.
Far greater than these physical agonies were the soul sorrows that tortured Christ. There, and only in this light do you understand the true meaning of Calvary. Jesus was torn and crushed by the guilt and punishment of our crimes, by the appalling aggregate of all human iniquity. If we could only know and measure the terror a single sinner must endure in being rejected by God and consigned to hell, you would cry out, "No wonder Christ died after only six hours on the cross." "Great wonder that bearing this burden in His own holy body, mind and soul, He could live even until three o'clock on that Good Friday afternoon in agony and torment such as all men in all ages can never know" O Christ, thou Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. Grant us Thy peace!
Lifted up was He to die,
"It is finished," was His cry;
Now in heaven exalted high;
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Christian friends, pray with me: Christ, as I relive Your crucifixion, let me confess, "It was for me, precious Savior, that You endured these tortures!" Have mercy upon me as my trust is in You and Your blood-brought forgiveness. Amen