Golgotha

by D.J. Kerr, Barrhead | Category: The Days Of His Flesh | Oct 1974

No words, however carefully chosen or well written, could ever capture for the mind or convey to the reader an adequate appreciation of what took place at Golgotha. Sometimes hymn-writers come close to it but there is no more enriching experience than to sit down with the Gospel narrative and, undisturbed, ponder over the account of the death of our Lord. As narratives go it is written in few words, yet in these few divinely-chosen words is conveyed to us the greatest event of all time. It is unwise to be excessively emotional in the matter, for while the deepest human feelings are reached when thinking of Christ's death yet there is a grandeur and dignity about it which raises human appreciation to the highest level. I would now ask readers that, if circumstances make it possible, before reading further into this article they first quietly read the account in Matthew 27, Mark 16, Luke 23 and John 19.

"And He went out, bearing the cross for Himself, unto the place called The place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha" (John 19:17).

Just as the place of Christ's birth was precisely determined in the divine plan of salvation so also was the place of His death. Luke says simply, "And when they came unto the place ..., there they crucified Him". This place was Golgotha (Hebrew - a skull) or Calvary (Latin - a skull). Much conjecture has been made as to how this place received its name and the most reasonable suggestion appears to be the shape of the rock on the location. We do know that it was near a garden outside the city of Jerusalem and that in the garden was a tomb, so it was probably a pleasant spot belonging to some wealthy Jew. Here then in this appointed place the most profound event of all time was to be enacted. Here the Son of God would submit Himself to the cruelties of men; here God would reconcile the world to Himself; here Christ would overpower the Devil and completely conquer him; here for the first time Christ and God would be separated in some deep mysterious way and here our Lord would spoil principalities and powers to make a show of them openly.

There is a vast difference between what we, with the benefit of all the Scriptures, now know was taking place and what was then outwardly seen to be taking place. The blind leaders of the Jews had captured and condemned Christ, the frightened disciples had hurried off and left Him, the spineless Pilate holding all the authority of Roman power had tried and sentenced Him, the barbarous soldiers had mocked Him, the two-faced common people had left their palm leaves at home and had cried, "Away with Him", and now the officer of the day was stirring some gall into his cheap vinegar wine to offer to the royal Sufferer. We might ask why the Saviour refused the stupefying drink. He must have wished to face the wrath of men and of God with full sensibility to suffering, but perhaps, more important, He would never by choice entertain anything which would dull the clarity of His communion with the Father. We know, of course, that ultimately this was severed in His being forsaken by God. Thus with dignity the slumberous potion was refused as He prepared to take to Himself the load of human guilt.

At the same time another wonderful thing was taking place many of the great types and foreshadowings of the Old Testament Scriptures were now coming into focus at Golgotha. Things that people had said and done, not fully understanding the typical significance of their words and actions, were appearing as shafts of light to the spiritually discerning, illuminating, yet another aspect of this greatest of all events. Abraham and Isaac come readily to mind and as we read of father and son going together to the appointed place of sacrifice we can appreciate in measure how God viewed the incident and understand more fully the harmony which existed between the Saviour and His Father. David in such apparent weakness going to meet Goliath, the Ark of the covenant being delivered into the hands of Israel's enemies and many such other incidents we now understand must have been tender to the heart of God at the time, in the foreknowledge of what was now taking place.

One type particularly was very pertinent and that was the Passover lamb. Many lambs were slain on that first Passover night and yet God giving instructions in Exodus 12 said, "thou shalt kill it in the evening". In the divine reckoning there was only one lamb and now that lamb, so to speak, had arrived at the altar, the place called Golgotha. As Israel prepared to keep this Passover remembrance of what had happened in Egypt, little did they understand that they were fulfilling the type so perfectly. The leaders had covenanted with Judas to betray the Lord during the time they were ceremonially watching the lambs for sacrifice that these might have no spot or blemish. But no lamb was ever scrutinized by men to the extent to which they watched the Saviour that they might find some sin in Him. They had watched Him for three years and no fault was found in Him. Thus the events unfold the masterly fulfilment of the Old Testament arrangements.

How varied these types were. Thinking of Moses we remember that the Lord said that he was to put a brazen serpent on a pole and all who looked would live. Some might have thought that God's ways were strange. But as Moses raised that standard, what did God see? We recall the words in John 3, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up".

It is little wonder we say that here at Golgotha the most profound event of all time was enacted. Moreover, it was just the beginning of new and wonderful things, for other Old Testament scriptures and events were lining up, so to speak, awaiting their turn for fulfilment. Jonah, three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish, Joseph, being exalted to the throne of Egypt and Joel, talking about dreams and visions, are a few examples.

As Golgotha's day drew to an end it appears that most of the disciples would feel like the two on the road to Emmaus - bewildered and downhearted. Time went past and they looked back at the event with a new and higher understanding of what had actually taken place. We likewise look back and perhaps best sum up our feelings in the words of John Bunyan:

What place is this!

Must here be the beginning of my bliss?

Must here the burden fall from off my back?

Must here the strings that bound it to me crack?

Blest cross! blest sepulchre! Blest rather be,

The Man that there was put to death for me.

D.J. Kerr, Barrhead | Oct 1974
The Days Of His Flesh