Mountains.6.Calvary

Celebrating Calvary’s Cure

Easter 2026

Mount Calvary: The Mountain of Sacrifice and Redemption

Bible Passage: Luke 23:33

Luke 23:33 “And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.”

Today we delve into Mount Calvary, the site of Christ’s crucifixion, which serves as the ultimate mountain of sacrifice and redemption and the reason we have an Easter Sunday. Sacrifice and redemption opened the grave for Resurrection and Reconciliation.

Mark 15:25 “Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.”

First Three Sayings from 9:00 AM to Noon

1. Forgiveness from the Cross

Luke 23:33–34 “And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.”

Jesus’ first saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” emerges from Luke’s account of the crucifixion (Luke 23:34), and it reveals the depth of his redemptive mission.

The timing of this prayer carries extraordinary weight. Jesus uttered this intercession while his executioners were actively crucifying him, having just driven in the nails; his bones dislocated as the cross dropped into the socket (Ps 22:14). Rather than responding with complaint or curse, even in his agony, Jesus’ concern was for the forgiveness of those who counted themselves among his enemies Ro 5:8,10). He prayed for the thieves who mocked him and for the Roman soldiers who had beaten, mocked, and nailed him to the cross.

The prayer operates on many broad levels. The soldiers held no personal animosity toward Jesus but were simply following orders as they normally treated condemned criminals, unaware they were executing the Son of God. The crowd had been deceived by religious leaders into believing Jesus was a fraud. Yet the prayer extends beyond the immediate executioners to encompass all those involved in his death; Jews and Romans, leadership and people. Even though some acted with ill intent, all remained ignorant of God’s deeper purposes being accomplished through his death.

Most profoundly, Jesus was providing forgiveness for all those who would ever believe in him. He was embodying his own teaching to love enemies and pray for persecutors. By invoking his divine Sonship before the Father, Jesus used his filial rights on behalf of sinners, and the Father granted this petition. The inclusive pronoun “them” becomes a vehicle of mercy into which all believers may enter through humble faith in Christ’s cross.

2. Promise from the Cross

Luke 23:39–43 “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” 40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” 43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.””

There were two criminals crucified alongside Jesus, κακοῦργος kakourgos in Greek, workers of evil. Grace operated through starkly different responses to identical circumstances. The two criminals function as illustrations of contrasting responses among the people witnessing Jesus’ death. One representing hardened rejection, the other demonstrating receptivity to divine mercy.

The first criminal joined in mocking Jesus, taunting him to save himself and the others, though his ridicule carried an implicit acknowledgment that Jesus possessed power. His words revealed spiritual blindness; he could not perceive who hung beside him. Grace remained available to him, yet he refused it through continued mockery and unbelief.

The second criminal’s transformation proves remarkable precisely because Luke provides no indication he possessed prior knowledge of Jesus’ teaching or ministry, with his only exposure coming through listening to Jesus’ intercessory prayer asking the Father to forgive those ignorantly killing him. This prayer proved revelatory, the criminal gained insight about Jesus’ identity as Jesus voiced his petition. Rather than remaining hardened like his companion, this man experienced what might be called a sudden awakening to Christ’s true nature.

The penitent criminal demonstrated repentance of sin, confessed Christ, displayed faith in the Lord’s power and will to save him, and showed deep humility knowledge and fail. His request—“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”, reflected genuine faith Jesus you are a King and have a kingdom, You are going there. “Remember me” act upon my behalf in your kingdom.

The decisive factor was receptivity. Grace extended equally to both men, yet only one accepted it. Rather than addressing the criminal’s distant future hope, Jesus commented on his immediate circumstances, declaring “Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise”. Wherever Jesus is, is paradise. “Absent from the body, present with the Lord” (2 Cor 5:6-9).

Grace bypassed legal deserving entirely. Both criminals merited punishment, yet one received paradise while the other did not. The difference lay not in their circumstances but in their willingness to believe in Jesus.

3. Family from the Cross

John 19:26–27 “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”

Jesus’ charge to John carries significance on multiple interconnected levels; practical, relational, and theological. Jesus’ brothers refused to believe in him, so he needed to ensure his mother’s care when he was gone. Joseph had probably passed away, as the complete absence of him in the Gospels during Jesus’ ministry shows. Rather than entrusting Mary to his biological siblings, Jesus placed her under John’s protection. The selection of John itself proves meaningful. Few of Jesus’ followers were present at the cross, and John was among them while no record exists of any of the other disciples being there. This proximity reflected John’s faithfulness during the crucifixion—a stark contrast to the disciples who had fled. By choosing John, Jesus honored his disciple’s courage and demonstrated that fidelity carries weight in the kingdom.

The act also reveals something profound about spiritual kinship. Even while dying, Jesus fulfilled his obligation to care for his widowed mother, entrusting her to the care of John rather than to one of her biological sons because they had not yet believed in him. Spiritual relationships are to take precedence over biological and physical relationships (Mt 12:46-50). By establishing this new family bond, Jesus modeled the church’s future identity; a community bound not by blood but by faith.

The language itself carries legal weight. The language Jesus used (“Dear woman, here is your son … Here is your mother”) is found in Jewish family law when a person is legally entrusted to another. Jesus looked down and saw his mother standing near the beloved disciple and decided to forge a new family relationship so as to ensure the security of his mother. This charge demonstrates that even in pain, Jesus remained attentive to human obligation and vulnerability—showing that redemptive love extends to the concrete, daily needs of those we cherish.

Matthew 27:45 “Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.”

last Four Sayings Noon to 3:00 PM

4. Forsaken on the Cross

Matthew 27:46 “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?””

Taken from Psalm 22:1 “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?” Jesus uses it as a way of implying the entire Psalm to His crucifixion.

Jesus’ cry of abandonment reveals the deepest dimension of his redemptive suffering and carries implications that reshape how we understand both sin and salvation.

The utterance demonstrates that Jesus died comprehending the gravity of sin, particularly its power to sever relationship with God. The phrase “My God, My God” carries particular weight because it emerges against the backdrop of eternal, unbroken fellowship; making the forsaking profoundly significant. Sin accomplished what nothing else in creation could; it separated the Father from the Son, despite the inability of human opposition or demonic forces to achieve such separation.

As the sin-bearer, Jesus bore humanity’s transgression, and because God’s holiness cannot tolerate sin, the Father turned away from his own Son. This abandonment was not merely psychological or emotional—it involved a real, not merely felt, abandonment by the Father, stemming from Jesus’ complete self-identification with sinners. (2 Cor 5:21)

The implications extend in multiple directions. First, Jesus experienced personally the profound pain that sin brings through its separating power from God. Second, God himself identifies with the godforsaken by placing himself with sinners and experiencing the full effects of sin. Third, though forsaken by God, Jesus reveals God’s presence and demonstrates God’s love, compassion, and mercy. Jesus walked the lonesome valley alone so that believers need never experience such abandonment. His cry transforms suffering into redemptive solidarity; those who feel forsaken by God can know that God himself has preceded them into that darkness.

5. Thirst on the Cross

John 19:28 “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!””

These next three passages John 19:28, 30, and Luke 23:46 form a unified arc within Christ’s redemptive work, each addressing a distinct dimension of his sacrificial completion.

Jesus’ only request on the cross was made after all the suffering for sin was done. He was truly human, His suffering was extreme, His life was almost gone. He needed a very clear voice to proclaim His victory cry.

6. Finished at the Cross

John 19:30 “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”

The Greek word Τετέλεσται· tetelestai (It is finished) derives from a term meaning complete, mature, or perfect. It was language servants used when fulfilling their master’s assignments. A specific work committed to the Savior began with his cross-sufferings and ended with his death, to which his words “It is finished” refer. Having regained His voice by drinking the sop, Jesus declared victory. He had fulfilled God’s will concerning salvation. This proclamation stands as the climactic announcement that redemption’s objective work was accomplished. It stands as a defiant message to any who would try to work for His salvation, as if the cross was not enough. Galatians 2:21 “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.””

7. Commitment on the Cross

Luke 23:46 “And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.”

Psalm 31:5 “Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.”

Jesus’ final utterance—“Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit”—represents the victorious voice for God, as the cross becomes a tremendous triumph despite appearing tragic to humanity. This commitment of his spirit to the Father represented the fully conscious surrender of one who had maintained complete awareness throughout. With these last words, Jesus closes his earthly mission and opens the door to the further mission of his disciples. Jesus is going home to be with the Father.

Together, these sayings reveal redemption’s architecture: humanity acknowledged, divine work completed, and filial trust perfected—transforming suffering into triumph through conscious, willing obedience.

Resurrection Validation

1 Corinthians 15:13–16 “13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.”