Just One Week Before...
In this study, we'll "visit" one of my favorite places. Turn to Matthew 26...

Personal Bible Study: Just One Week before our visit to Israel and Egypt…
"Lead Me to Calvary"  -  Looking at Events of the Crucifixion

Get out your Trip Marker, and open your Trip Bible to Matthew 26:57- 28:10.
You’ll want to mark this section, and highlight other verses listed in this study.
______________________________________

One of my favorite old hymns has been sung most often at Communion time.
Remember that we share the Lord’s Supper together at the Garden Tomb -
against the rock backdrop of Calvary's hill itself!
         King of my life I crown Thee now. Thine shall the glory be.
         Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow, lead me to Calvary...

A. The Cross (Matthew 26:57- 27:56)
First the trumped-up trials (26:57-27:26)
  1. Trial before the Sanhedrin (26:57-75)
       Peter denied Jesus during the time the Master was appearing before Jewish leaders in the high    
       priest Caiphas' house. Peter had followed at a distance, but when directly confronted, he 
       blatantly denied his Lord.
  2. Trial before Pilate (27:11-26)
       Although the exact location is uncertain, tradition says that Jesus appeared before Pilate in the 
       Fortress of Antonia over the northwestern edge of the temple.
       From here Jesus began His walk to Golgotha, "The Place of the Skull."

Then the torture (27:27-31)
Roman authorities flogged Jesus (v. 26), a lashing so severe that prisoners sometimes died from this punishment alone - even before being crucified. (Not wanting to overstep what was lawful, Jews had placed      a limit of 39 lashes on those they punished in this way, but the Romans had no such restraints!)
After the flogging, Jesus was stripped, mocked, spat on, and beaten over the head with a staff.
All this in "preparation" for the next step…

The crucifixion (27:32-56)
   1. Jesus' journey to Golgotha (27:32-44)
       Jesus carried a beam of the cross until, weakened by His prior flogging, He collapsed.
       The Roman soldiers forced a passerby to carry it the rest of the way to Skull Hill.
       From the vantage point, uprignt on the cross, Jesus in great pain, could see soldiers gambling for His 
       clothes, religious leaders mocking His death, and two thieves sharing His dreaded fate.
   2. Jesus' death on the cross (27:45-56)
       Crucifixion was a lengthy, torturous death. Displayed in public, crucifixion was also a powerful deterrent to 
       crime, and to rebellion against the Roman rule.
       However, in paying the price for humanity's sin, Jesus "gave up his spirit" as a  willing act of sacrifice!
       Always remember, He did not die from the beating or even the crucifixion. As He had said,
           "I lay down my life - only to take it up again. No one takes it from me but I lay it down of my own
            accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again" (John 10:17-18).

B. The Grave (Matthew 27:57-66)
The burial at the tomb (27:57-61)
   1. Joseph of Arimethea boldly requested the body of Jesus (vv. 57-58)
   2. Joseph placed Jesus' body in his own new tomb (vv. 59-61)
        In a "coincidence" prepared by God, Joseph's new tomb had been chiseled out in the same area 
        where Jesus was crucified. According to John's Gospel,
            "At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in
             which no one had ever been laid."  (John 19:41).

The guarding of the tomb (27:62-66)
   1. The request came from religious leaders who had remembered Jesus' words (vv. 62-64)
   2. The order came from Pilate and was carried out by his experienced soldiers (vv. 65-66).
        Their careers, and even their lives depended on properly guarding the tomb from any tampering.
        The theory that the disciples of Jesus stole His body contradicts this key fact: Jesus' tomb was sealed  
        and under professional Roman guard. Frightened disciples would have been no match for experienced 
        soldiers. Think of it. God actually put the tomb under protective Roman custody to validate the truth of the
        Resurrection – for all people, for all time!

C. The Empty Tomb (Matthew 28:1-10)
The opening of the tomb (28:1-4)

The announcement to the women (28:5-10)
   1. Jesus is risen
   2. The tomb is empty
   3. You will see Him

The Bottom Line:
Hallelujah!  God's "good news" is simple and it is profound! The good news is that Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures. His death was validated by His burial. He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. His resurrection was verified by several public appearances - to His disciples and others. Paul declares that this is the "good news" that he preached and by which we are saved (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). During our visit to Jerusalem, we walk the Via Dolorosa, stand at the place of the Skull, and actually step into the empty garden tomb. As you do, remember that Jesus suffered, died, and rose again for you.
Now THAT’s the best “good news” ever!!
          “…Lest I forget Gethsemane, lest I forget Thine agony.
               Lest I forget Thy love for me, lead me to Calvary!”

Please pray that our pilgrimage will continue to bless all our passengers – drawing each of us closer to the risen Savior! If you’re joining us on this tour we’ll see you Monday! If not, maybe you can join us next time!

If you have any questions about a trip to the Lands of the Bible, about the Bible itself, or about our ministry, please contact us. If you'd like to know more about our Awesome Savior, please contact us!
Have a blessed day!  Shalom!                                                                                                        - David & Marilyn



________________________________________
I hope you’ve enjoyed these Bible Studies including material I’ve adapted from:
The Christian Traveler's Guide to the Holy Land by Charles H. Dyer and Gregory A. Hatterberg
Published by: Broadman & Holman Publishers; Nashville, TN 1998