Quick Facts

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is an important event for all Christians across the world. Jesus' crucifixion is described in all four Canonical gospels. Here is a quick look at the important facts that define the journey of Christ to Golgotha.

Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles, for thirty pieces of silver. Judas deceived Jesus by kissing him, while He was praying at a place called Gethsemane. After being arrested, Jesus was taken to the high priest, Caiaphas, where false evidence was put forward, so that Jesus could be brought to death. Peter, one of the 12 apostles, disowned Christ, three times before the rooster crowed, as was predicted by Jesus. Judas, seized with remorse for sinning against an innocent blood, returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priest and then went away and hanged himself. The chief priests used the money to buy the potter`s field as a burial place for foreigners, which is till date called the `Field of Blood`. Pilate, the governor is persuaded by the chief priests to crucify Jesus and release Barabbas, a notorious criminal. Jesus was taken to a Praetorium, where he was stripped and mocked at, by the soldiers saying ‘Hail, King of the Jews’. On the way to Golgotha, which means The Place of the Skull, Simon of Cyrene was asked to carry the cross for Christ. Jesus` clothes were divided up by casting lots. Above His head, on the cross, a written charge ‘IESVS•NAZARENVS•REX•IVDÆORVM’ (INRI), which translates to English as ‘Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews’ was placed. At the ninth hour Jesus cried out loud ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani’, which means ‘my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ and gave up his spirit. As Jesus gave up his spirit, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, the rocks split, the tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people were raised to life. Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea, took the body of Jesus, wrapped it up in clean linen cloth and placed it in his own new tomb cut out of the rocks. On the third day following His death on the Cross, Jesus first appeared before Mary Magdalene. Compiled By Liji Varghese