The most moving sites from our family’s trip to Israel a few years ago were those relating to the last days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, His crucifixion, and His resurrection.
In these days leading to this year’s Resurrection Sunday, I’m posting a different kind of series—a picture from this trip, especially from the Jerusalem area, with a few thoughts relating to that scene. Most of the pictures will not fall on the day of the week in which the correlating event occurred, but I trust they will turn your thoughts toward Christ in this week leading to the Resurrection.
The Crucifixion: Matthew 27:33–56, Mark 15:22–42, Luke 23:33–49, John 19:16–37
I’ve sung “On a Hill Far Away” more times than I can count. But until I went to the Holy Land a few years ago, I never quite pictured that hill to look like this.
The Hebrew word Golgotha is a good description for this site—the place of a skull. Can you see it in the picture?
The stark face of these stones doesn’t even begin to portray the ugliness of our sin placed on Jesus here. No human can fathom the awfulness of God’s wrath poured out on Jesus—for our sin.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)
The place of a skull.
The Cross.
On this hill is God’s last argument to any question or need you or I will ever face—the love of God and His redemption for our sin.
It is finished.
Earlier posts in this series:
