Jesus’ Crucifixion

The Road to Golgotha (Mark 15)

After Pilate gave in to the mob’s demand to crucify Jesus, the Roman soldiers whipped Him mercilessly, using a scourge made of leather straps with metal or bone attached, causing severe lacerations to His back. After the beating, the soldiers mocked Jesus, dressing Him in a purple robe and creating a crown of thorns, pressing it onto His head. They mocked Him with sarcastic praise, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” before spitting on Him.

After the mockery, they forced Jesus to carry His own cross to the place of execution, Golgotha, which means “Skull Place.” But Jesus, weak from the beatings, struggled under the weight of the cross. A man named Simon from Cyrene, who was in Jerusalem for the Passover festival, was compelled to carry the cross for Jesus. Together, they made the painful journey to Golgotha, with a crowd following, some weeping for the innocent man who was about to be crucified.

Jesus on the Cross (Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19)

At Golgotha, Jesus was crucified along with two criminals, one on either side of Him. The Roman soldiers nailed Jesus’ hands and feet to the cross, a brutal method of execution designed to prolong suffering. As they worked, the soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothes. Hanging on the cross, Jesus looked down and, despite His excruciating pain, prayed for His executioners, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

The crowd mocked Jesus, challenging Him to save Himself if He was truly the Messiah. One of the criminals on the cross next to Jesus joined in the mockery, but the other criminal rebuked him, saying, “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” He turned to Jesus and asked, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus responded with a promise, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Among the crowd, the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee were present, including Mary, His mother. In His final moments, Jesus spoke to His beloved disciple, John, and said, “Here is your mother,” entrusting Mary’s care to him. Jesus then looked to His mother and said, “Here is your son.”

At noon, when the sun should have been brightest, a thick darkness covered the land, lasting for three hours. Jesus bore the weight of the world’s sin during this time, feeling the separation from His Father. At 3 p.m., He cried out, “It is finished!” and with those words, He gave up His spirit and died.

The Burial of Jesus (Mark 15)

After Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy and secret follower of Jesus, asked Pilate for permission to take Jesus’ body. Pilate agreed, and Joseph, along with Nicodemus, who had visited Jesus at night, carefully took down Jesus’ body, wrapped it in linen cloths, and placed it in a tomb that Joseph had prepared for himself. The tomb was a cave, sealed with a large stone.

Some of the women who had witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion followed to see where He was laid, but they were too overcome with grief to do anything more at that moment. Exhausted from the sorrow of the day, they went away, preparing to return after the Sabbath to anoint His body.