Crucifixion of Jesus

Biblical Account

All four Gospels record this event (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19). After the trial of Jesus, Pontius Pilate released Barabbas and handed Jesus over to the soldiers. Jesus was scourged and mocked. In the Synoptic Gospels, Simon of Cyrene carried the cross in Jesus' place, whereas the Gospel of John states that Jesus carried it himself.

The place of execution was Golgotha, meaning "the place of a skull," and two thieves were crucified with Jesus. A title (a placard stating the charge) reading "The King of the Jews" was attached to the cross, and the soldiers divided Jesus' garments among themselves. The Gospel of Mark reports that darkness covered the whole land from the sixth hour until the ninth hour (from about noon until about three in the afternoon). It then records that Jesus cried out with a loud voice and gave up the ghost, and that the veil of the temple was torn (Mark 15:33–37). Joseph of Arimathea took the body and buried it. The words Jesus spoke from the cross are reported differently in each Gospel; collected together, they are known as the Seven Last Words.

Background

Crucifixion was a method of execution that Rome used chiefly for slaves, rebels, and provincial subjects. It is generally understood not to have been applied to Roman citizens. The punishment was designed to inflict prolonged suffering and public shame, making an example of the condemned. The Greek word stauros originally denoted an upright stake or pole, and the text does not specify the exact shape of the cross.

The execution took place around the time of Passover, on the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath (Mark 15:42). The years AD 30 and 33 are commonly proposed, but the date has not been established with certainty. All that is clear about Golgotha is that it lay outside the city gate (Hebrews 13:12). Views on its location differ: one tradition places it at the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, while others claim it lay near the Garden Tomb.

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

The New Testament reads this death as the fulfillment of the Old Testament. The Gospels evoke Psalm 22 and the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53. Paul cites Deuteronomy 21:23, which declares that one hanged on a tree is accursed, and interprets it to mean that Christ bore the curse in the place of others (Galatians 3:10–14). He also says that although the cross is "unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness," to those who believe it is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:22–25). Together with the resurrection, the cross stood at the center of the early church's proclamation of the gospel.

Interpretations and Issues

• Explanations of the atonement: Many Korean denominations confess that Christ died in the place of sinners, but they differ in emphasis when explaining this. The Reformed tradition places particular stress on penal substitution, the view that Christ bore the penalty for sin in the sinner's place. Other explanations see the cross as a victory over the powers of sin and death, or as an event revealing the love of God.
• Differences among the Gospels: Mark states that Jesus was crucified at the third hour (15:25), while John records that the sentence was pronounced about the sixth hour (19:14). Among the explanations offered for this difference is that the two writers used different methods of reckoning time.
• Alternative claims: Ancient Docetism held that Jesus did not actually suffer. The Qur'an states that Jesus was not crucified. Jehovah's Witnesses maintain that Jesus was hung not on a cross but on a single upright stake.
• Later traditions: Accounts that Jesus fell three times or that Veronica wiped his face are not found in Scripture. These are traditions handed down through devotions such as the Catholic Stations of the Cross.

In the Korean Church

Many churches hold worship services or special early-morning prayer meetings to meditate on the crucifixion during Holy Week, especially on Good Friday. "Calvary," a name frequently found in hymns, derives from Calvaria, the Latin translation of Golgotha. The cross atop church buildings is a characteristic feature of the Korean church landscape. The Lord's Supper is observed as a rite commemorating the Lord's death (1 Corinthians 11:26).