Thought for the Month - September 2011

"There they crucified Him" By Brian Wade

(Luke 23:33)

It is almost as if Doctor Luke looks to the crucifixion of Jesus and wants to convey the awfulness of Calvary in just a few short words. We read in Luke 23:33 that "when they were come to the place called Calvary there they crucified Him".

In those four short words, Luke says what many other writers take much time to say. He seems to almost hurry to the scene, but leaves out a lot of the details that the other gospel writers included. The dreadful details of the actual death of the Lord Jesus Christ are not included as he appears to allow the other writers to make a more factual record of the historical account of the event. By this time, crucifixion was a very common occurrence in the day to day life of Roman occupied Israel.

We come in the gospel account to the skull shaped hill; the Lord Jesus Christ has been nailed to a cross of wood. The cross has been sunk into its socket in the ground; the full weight of the Lord's body is now starting to tear against the wounds in his hands and feet. He hangs between earth and heaven; the bystanders get ready to watch Him die. Around the world, there have been written volumes of words about Calvary - Luke says all he needs to say in four short words.

THE PLACE - 'there'

Our verse in Luke is the only place where the KJV Bible records the actual place by the name Calvary, a Latin form of the Hebrew "Golgotha" (from "Gulgoleth") meaning the "place of a skull". Tradition said it was the place that King David carried the head of Goliath and buried it there, another said that Adam's skull was buried there. It was also a place that the Lord as a young boy would have passed every year on his way to the temple to celebrate Passover in the Jewish calendar. It was believed to be the temple mount, that place called Mount Moriah where Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice.

After the trials, the beatings, the false accusations, the crown of thorns, the shouting crowds, the long arduous walk along the way, the journey from Glory to Galilee, to Gethsemane, to Gabbatha, to Golgotha, the Lord Jesus Christ arrives at the Place - "THERE".

THE PEOPLE - 'they'

The Romans were there, the roman centurion and all his cohorts with him, a mighty military strength, stretching out across the then known world.

The Greeks were there, the title above his cross was in Greek, Hebrew and Latin. The Greek with all his learning, culture and language was there.

The Jew was there, the rabbi and his followers with their proud boast of being Abraham's seed and the heir of Moses and the Prophets, with His Talmud and his Passover celebration ready for the coming feast.

Roman government, Greek culture, Jewish religion, with perhaps up to one million people who would be in Jerusalem at that particular time, with Jews from all parts of the world.

The WORLD was there, ALL of mankind was there, OUR representatives in the persons of those who stood by the cross of CHRIST were there. The human race stands exposed and condemned by its guilty representatives - "THEY".

THE PRICE - 'crucified'

Crucifixion was an hideous method of execution; the Romans had almost perfected it, guaranteeing a slow excruciating painful death. The cross was a wooden upright post with a cross piece for the two outstretched arms, the victim was nailed alive to the cross and hung up to die. At times death was hurried on by breaking the lower limbs. On the cross the person was open to all that agony, and often the taunts from the watching crowd.

Dr Luke would have known better than most, the depth of meaning behind that word - "CRUCIFIED".

THE PERSON - 'Him'

The one who had been the centre of worship in Heaven, whose praise the angels sounded out across the whole universe - was crucified!

John said ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM (John ch 1 v13)

The Holy Spirit said about HIM - TO HIM GAVE ALL THE PROPHETS WITNESS (Acts ch 10v43)

Moses said about HIM - LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM (Hebrews ch1v6)

All the Holy angels cry in relation to HIM - Holy, Holy, Holy (Isa ch 6v 2/3)

Paul said about HIM, IN HIM DWELLETH ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY (Col ch2v9)

Heaven of heavens cannot contain HIM (2 Chron ch6 v18)

John saw the Spirit descend upon HIM - (John ch1 v32)

GOD said concerning HIM - this is my beloved son hear ye HIM - (Matthew ch17v5)

The disciples said - even the wind and the sea obey HIM - (Mark ch 4v41)

But wicked men crucified Him - "HIM".

"There they crucified Him". In four short words, but thank God that was not the end of the story. The tragedy of Calvary was turned into a mighty victory for all the world. The Lord Jesus was raised from the dead, to be able to offer a full free gospel to all and any who come to Him and believe that He is the Son of God who laid down his life for their sin and who trust and believe in Him alone for eternal life.

Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!