Christ. Crucified
21 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. 22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.
25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.
27 They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. [28] [a]
Horsham: 6th January 2026
‘They took not the shortest but the longest way to the place of execution. They followed every possible street and lane, so that as many as possible should see and take notice.’ (Barclay, Loc 7195)
Once more, uncomfortable though it is, you have to try to imagine that you are there.
We can easily forget the condition to which he had been reduced. Sleep deprived. Dehydrated. Spat upon. Beaten with fists. Beaten with sticks. Flogged. A crown of long, sharp thorns forced onto his head. Black eyes. Covered in bruises. Open wounds from the flogging. Blood and spit running down his face. Internal injuries. Exhausted. Traumatised. In shock.
The prisoner needs to be taken from the Praetorium to Golgotha, the place of execution. These two places were barely a stones throw apart, yet under guard of at least four soldiers, the prisoner was forced to take a lengthy, circuitous route , through narrow, crowded streets. The people of Jerusalem need to be reminded who is in charge. They are subject to Roman rule. The message is clear and simple. This is how we treat those who are condemned to die. Step out of line, and this could happen to you.
The beatings and floggings were perfectly normal for condemned prisoners. It was perfectly normal for the condemned prisoner to then carry his own cross, or at least part of the cross, to the place of execution. The Centurion in charge of this particular prisoner escort is determined that this prisoner will arrive at Golgotha alive. The fact that some guy called Simon is told to carry the cross is of itself an indication that the condemned man’s injuries are already life threatening.
The place of crucifixion is called Golgotha, which means ‘place of the skull’. It is immediately outside the city gate. The stench of this place is overwhelming. It is a place of death. Once there, the wooden bar is thrown on the ground. Myrrh has some sedative qualities. It is offered to each prisoner, mixed with wine. The prisoner is stripped of his clothes.
The prisoner is then laid across the wooden cross beam. His arms are first tied to the cross beam before nails are driven through his hands or wrists. The screams are horrific and relentless. The agony unbearable. The prisoners, unconscious by this point, have their feet secured to the upright before the cross is then lifted into position. There is a hole in the ground. A socket. There is a sickening thud as the upright slips into place. The screams are indescribable. They are unforgettable.
‘Forgive them Lord, they know not what they do.’ Luke 23:34
Immediately, it is agony to breathe. The weight of the body makes every breath almost impossible. A man can hang like this for days, growing weaker and weaker, their strength ebbing away.
End Piece
There are, of course, three crosses. Three prisoners. Each prisoner has been abused violently. The three crosses are identical, except in this. Before lifting it into position, a piece of wood is nailed to the top of each cross, detailing why each individual is being crucified. The one on the left says something like ‘thief’ or ‘insurrectionist’. The one on the right is similar. Whether or not they deserve death, or even whether they were guilty, both of these men have at least been accused of a crime.
The one in the middle is interesting. At the top of this cross, unusually written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek, it simply says ‘Jesus of Nazareth – King of the Jews.’ (John 19:19-20)