A Place Called Golgotha - Matthew 27:33

Matthew the apostle wrote after Pilate the governor, “had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross”, and in chapter twenty-seven and verse thirty-three of his book, Matthew wrote how the soldiers, “came to a place called Golgotha” where we read:

And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,

The verse reads, “And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, ...” Matthew began words, “and when” which means “and at the time and moment” “they were come unto a place” or “the soldiers came to a location, portion or space marked off” “called Golgotha” which means “affirmed, maintained and spoken of as Golgotha which means the skull”. Matthew shared how the “soldiers” took Jesus to “Golgotha” where He was to be crucified.

The verse goes on to say, “... that is to say, a place of a skull,” Matthew continued with the words, “that is to say” or “which is to affirm, maintain and speak of”, “a place” which means “a location, portion or spaced marked off as” “of a skull” or “pertaining to a hill that looked like a human skull”. Matthew shared how the place the “soldiers” led Jesus was known as “the skull” because it appeared in likeness to a human “skull”.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we discover the place Jesus was led by Pilate's soldiers. “The place of the skull” or “Golgotha” was located on Mount Moriah just outside of Jerusalem, and it was the same place where Abraham took his son Isaac to offer him as a sacrifice in obedience to the command of God. (See Genesis 22:2). During their walking to Mount Moriah Abraham told Isaac, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:8), and “Golgotha” was the place where God fulfilled this promise. God gave “Himself” as the sacrificial lamb through His Son Jesus Christ so all who believe in Him may be “saved”. Oh what love the Heavenly Father has for people to allow His Son Jesus to be led to this place to die for the sins of the world that they may have “everlasting life” with Him. Let all who read these words hear, understand and yield their lives to Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”.

Next time Matthew wrote how the governor's soldiers, “gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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