Karev A.V.

"They crucified Him there." In. 19, 18-30

“There”, that is, on Golgotha. Golgotha ​​means "frontal" place. The name “Golgotha”, or “place of the forehead”, is explained by the fact that the hill of Golgotha ​​had the shape of a forehead or skull. This determined its name.

There was a garden on Golgotha ​​- John. 19, 41. This speaks volumes to our hearts. The sin of the first Adam was committed in the Garden of Eden; Adam's salvation from all his sins was also accomplished in the garden. Comparing the Garden of Eden, where the first sin was committed, and the Garden of Calvary, where sin was atoned for, one would like to exclaim in the words of Romans 11:33: “How incomprehensible are His deeds and unsearchable His ways!”

“There they crucified Him”... Crucifixion was the punishment with the maximum suffering and with the greatest duration. And our precious Christ was subjected to this most painful execution, with the most prolonged suffering. Or rather, He went voluntarily to such painful death to give us eternal life in His Kingdom.

“There they crucified Him and two others with Him, on one side and the other, and in the midst of Jesus” - John. 19, 18. The prophecy of Isaiah 53, 12 was fulfilled: “...he was counted among the evildoers.” “Pilate also wrote the inscription and placed it on the cross. It was written: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. This inscription was read by many of the Jews. and it was written in Hebrew, in Greek, in Roman" - John. 19, 19-20.

“When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took His clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier, and a tunic; The tunic was not sewn, but entirely woven on top. So, they said to each other: “Let us not tear it apart, but let us cast lots for it, whose it will be, so that what is said in Scripture may be fulfilled: “They divided My garments among themselves and cast lots for My clothing.” When reading these words about the casting of lots for the clothes of Christ by the soldiers, thereby fulfilling the prophecy - Ps. 21, 19, - we must say that the prophecies of the Bible and the plans of God are fulfilled both by the hands of believers and by the hands of people who are far from God. The warriors had no idea about Psalm 21, but they were nevertheless instruments in the hands of God to fulfill His prophecy. And many more plans of God will be fulfilled by people whom God will take into His instrument, while they will not even know about it.

“Standing at the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.” Other evangelists supplement this group of women with Salome and another Mary. We can be sure that this “other Mary” was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus.

It is impossible to pass by this group of women without noticing their faithfulness and devotion to the Lord. In front of the scribes and Pharisees who slandered Christ, in front of the cruel soldiers of Pilate, they openly, in full view of everyone, boldly and fearlessly expressed their love and sympathy for the Divine Teacher. While the apostles, with the exception of John, were hiding somewhere behind locked doors for fear of the Jews, these women stood to the end at the cross of the Friend of their souls. The love and devotion to the Savior of these women evokes the admiration of Christians of all ages and peoples. Brothers should always remember that women were the last to remain at Calvary and were the first at the tomb on the day of Christ's resurrection.

“And the veil of the temple was rent” Matt. 27, 51; OK. 23, 45

The tearing of the curtain in the temple occurred at the moment of Christ's death on the cross of Calvary. This was the curtain that covered the entrance to the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant stood. This veil was a sign of man's separation from God. She told each of the Old Testament people that the entrance to the Holy of Holies was closed, and there was no access to the place of God’s presence. This separation of the sinner from God continued until the death of Christ on Calvary. As soon as the Savior gave up the Spirit, the curtain in the temple was immediately torn. The separation of sinners from God is over. Access to the holy God was opened for every person.

The veil in the temple was torn “from top to bottom.” Above! God did this, not man. Our Savior did this. He tore the veil from top to bottom - completely. There is nothing left for us to add to the salvation achieved by Christ. Access to the throne God's glory open to one and all, no matter how big or small a sinner he is.

The veil was torn not only “from top to bottom,” but also “in the middle” - Luke. 23, 45. The middle of the curtain in the temple was opposite the ark of the covenant, that is, it led directly to the place of the presence of God. This means that the death of Christ opened the way for us not to the angels, not to the great righteous, but to God Himself. Now we can sing our wonderful song:

“Such as I am, in the name of the Blood shed for us on the cross; in the name of God's callings, Christ, I come to You. Such as I am, blind and poor, not finding good in myself, for faith, sight and forgiveness, Christ, I come to You.”

The path to God, opened by the death of Christ, is open forever, forever.

The veil was torn from top to bottom, and there “Jesus entered into the innermost part of the veil as the Forerunner for us” - Heb. 6, 19-20. And they followed Him, our Redeemer, opened by death Christ heavens countless hosts of the saved. Among them are many people dear and close to our hearts.

The procession there continues, and we are in this procession to the heavenly region, where Christ was the first to enter, where we will forever be with our Redeemer, and where our loud praise will sound to the crucified Christ for the fact that by His death He opened the way to His glorious one for all sinners. Heavenly Kingdom.

“And the stones were scattered” Matt. 27, 50-51

“...the earth shook; and the stones dissipated."

What do these words say? About the power that can crush stones.

What deep meaning is contained in the breaking of the stones that followed Christ's last breath on the cross. This deep meaning is

that the cross of Calvary is a force capable of breaking stones. We remember the words of the Apostle Paul about the cross of Calvary in 1 Cor. 1, 18: “The word of the cross... is the power of God.” In the Greek text of the Gospel this passage reads like this: “The word of the cross is the dynamis of God.”

But what stones does the power of God, inherent in the Calvary sacrifice of Christ, crush? We will find the answer to this question in the book of the prophet Ezekiel 11, 19: “...and I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.”

Let's see how the cross of Calvary crushed some stony hearts at the very beginning. Here in front of us is a thief hanging next to the crucified Christ. He had a heart of stone in his chest, and not only in relation to God, but also in relation to the people whom he killed and robbed. And the suffering Christ crushed this heart of stone and replaced it with a new heart. And instead of slander against the Son of God, which initially came from his wicked lips, a prayer was heard directed to the Savior of sinners: “... remember me, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom!” Behold the power of the cross of Calvary, breaking hearts of stone!

We see another man with a heart of stone at Calvary. This is the centurion who led the execution of Christ. But how did the crucified Christ crush the stony heart of this executioner? Let's read about this in Luke. 23:47: “The centurion, seeing what was happening, glorified God and said: Truly this man was a righteous man.” So this stone was crushed. Tradition says that later this centurion was a blessed presbyter of one of the apostolic churches.

And we also see at Calvary a large crowd of people with hearts of stone in their chests. They mocked the Sufferer of Calvary and shouted: “...he saved others, let him save himself, if he is the Christ, God’s chosen one” - Luke. 23, 35. And what happened? These mockers return from Golgotha, “beating their breasts” - Luke. 23, 48. Their stony hearts were broken and crushed by the suffering and death of Christ.

The Apostle Paul experienced the power of crushing stones. Before coming to the cross of Calvary, the heart of the Apostle Paul was stony, both in relation to Christ and His followers. He himself talks about this in Acts. 26, 9-11: “...I thought that I should do much against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This is what I did in Jerusalem: having received power from the high priests, I imprisoned many saints, and when they killed them, I gave my voice to it; and throughout all the synagogues I repeatedly tormented them and forced them to blaspheme Jesus and, in excessive rage against them, persecuted them even in foreign cities.” But Saul's stony heart was broken by the Calvary sufferings of Jesus Christ, replaced by a new heart that declared that it wanted to know nothing “except Jesus Christ and him crucified” - 1 Cor. 2, 2.

This is how the Calvary sacrifice of Christ crushes the stone heart of a sinner. The suffering and death of Christ on the cross of Calvary also crushed our stony hearts. And He gave us a new heart with which we now glorify Him.

Karev A.V. Doctrines of the Bible.

One can come to an understanding of Christianity by deciphering its symbols. From them one can trace both its history and the development of spiritual thought.

The eight-pointed cross is also called the Orthodox cross or the cross of St. Lazarus. The smallest crossbar represents the title, where it was written “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” the upper end of the cross is the path to Heavenly Kingdom which Christ showed.
The seven-pointed cross is a variation Orthodox cross, where the title is attached not across the cross, but from above.

2. Ship

The ship is ancient Christian symbol, which symbolized the church and each individual believer.
Crosses with a crescent, which can be seen on many churches, just depict such a ship, where the cross is a sail.

3. Calvary cross

The Golgotha ​​Cross is monastic (or schematic). It symbolizes the sacrifice of Christ.

Widespread in ancient times, the cross of Golgotha ​​is now embroidered only on the paraman and the lectern.

4. Grapevine

The vine is the gospel image of Christ. This symbol also has its own meaning for the Church: its members are branches, and the grapes are a symbol of Communion. In the New Testament, the grapevine is a symbol of Paradise.

5. Ichthys

Ichthys (from ancient Greek - fish) is an ancient monogram of the name of Christ, consisting of the first boxes of the words “Jesus Christ the Son of God the Savior”. Often depicted allegorically - in the form of a fish. Ichthys was also a secret identification mark among Christians.

6. Dove

The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. Also - a symbol of peace, truth and innocence. Often 12 doves symbolize the 12 apostles. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are also often depicted as doves. The dove that brought an olive branch to Noah marked the end of the Flood.

7. Lamb

The Lamb is the Old Testament symbol of Christ's sacrifice. The Lamb is also a symbol of the Savior himself; this refers believers to the mystery of the Sacrifice of the Cross.

8. Anchor

The anchor is a hidden image of the Cross. It is also a symbol of hope for the future Resurrection. Therefore, the image of an anchor is often found in burial places of ancient Christians.

9. Chrism

Chrisma is a monogram of the name of Christ. The monogram consists of the initial letters X and P, often flanked by the letters α and ω. Christianity became widespread in apostolic times and was depicted on the military standard of Emperor Constantine the Great.

10. Crown of thorns

The crown of thorns is a symbol of the suffering of Christ, often depicted on crucifixes.

11. IHS

IHS is another popular monogram for Christ. It's three letters Greek name Jesus. But with the decline of Greece, other, Latin, monograms with the name of the Savior began to appear, often in combination with a cross.

12. Triangle

The triangle is a symbol of the Holy Trinity. Each side personifies the Hypostasis of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All sides are equal and together form a single whole.

13. Arrows

Arrows or a ray piercing the heart - an allusion to the saying of St. Augustine in Confessions. Three arrows piercing the heart symbolize Simeon's prophecy.

14. Skull

The skull or Adam's head is equally a symbol of death and a symbol of victory over it. According to Sacred Tradition, Adam's ashes were on Calvary when Christ was crucified. The blood of the savior, having washed Adam’s skull, symbolically washed all of humanity and gave him a chance for salvation.

15. Eagle

The eagle is a symbol of ascension. He is a symbol of the soul that seeks God. Often - a symbol of new life, justice, courage and faith. The eagle also symbolizes the evangelist John.

16. All-seeing eye

The Eye of the Lord is a symbol of omniscience, omniscience and wisdom. It is usually depicted inscribed in a triangle - a symbol of the Trinity. Can also symbolize hope.

17. Seraphim

Seraphim are the angels closest to God. They are six-winged and carry fiery swords, and can have from one to 16 faces. As a symbol, they mean the purifying fire of the spirit, divine heat and love.

18. Eight-pointed star

Eight-pointed or Star of Bethlehem- symbol of the birth of Christ. Over the centuries, the number of rays changed until it finally reached eight. It is also called the Virgin Mary Star.

19. Nine-pointed star

The symbol originated around the 5th century AD. The nine rays of the star symbolize the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit.

20. Bread

The bread is a reference to the biblical episode where five thousand people were fed with five loaves of bread. Bread is depicted in the form of ears of corn (sheaves symbolize the meeting of the apostles) or in the form of bread for communion.

21. Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd is a symbolic representation of Jesus. The source of this image is the Gospel parable, where Christ himself calls himself a shepherd. Christ is depicted as an ancient shepherd, sometimes carrying a lamb (lamb) on his shoulders.
This symbol has deeply penetrated and become entrenched in Christianity; parishioners are often called the flock, and priests are shepherds.

22. Burning Bush

In the Pentateuch, the Burning Bush is a thorn bush that burns but is not consumed. In his image, God appeared to Moses, calling him to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. The burning bush is also a symbol Mother of God touched by the Holy Spirit.

23. Leo

The forest is a symbol of vigilance and the Resurrection, and one of the symbols of Christ. It is also a symbol of the Evangelist Mark, and is associated with the power and royal dignity of Christ.

24. Taurus

Taurus (bull or ox) is a symbol of the Evangelist Luke. Taurus means the sacrificial service of the Savior, his Sacrifice on the Cross. The ox is also considered a symbol of all martyrs.

25. Angel

The angel symbolizes the human nature of Christ, his earthly incarnation. It is also a symbol of the Evangelist Matthew.

The Cross of Calvary is the most symbolic cross

Calvary Cross- this is church jewel, the most symbolic, in the literal meaning of the word. The pectoral cross is, in general, a symbol Christian faith. are distinctive signs adherents Christian faith. Over the two millennia of the history of the Christian faith, crosses have acquired many canonical forms, changing from the simplest to the most bizarre. Images of the Lord, Christian saints, and biblical scenes are applied to the crosses. But sometimes they do without iconographic images, replacing them with stylized images, or even replacing them with symbolism.

Calvary cross- This pectoral cross simple four-pointed shape, massive and laconic. On the front side of the cross is a schematic image of an eight-pointed cross - the Crucifixion, standing on Mount Golgotha. Golgotha ​​is a hill or small rock near the city of Jerusalem on which Jesus Christ was executed. Translated from Hebrew, “Golgotha” means “place of execution.” For Christians, Golgotha, like the Holy Sepulcher, is the greatest shrine.

Golgotha ​​is the place where it was shed blood of christ, having redeemed humanity, where the path to the Kingdom of Heaven was opened for humanity. Golgotha ​​on the cross symbolically depicted in the form of three steps, and signed with the monogram “MLRB”, which means “Place of frontal paradise.” The three steps symbolize the stages of spiritual rebirth.

• Under the top step there is an image of a skull, which is signed with the letters “G” and “>A” - “head of Adam”. Adam's skull, washed with the blood of the crucified Jesus, symbolizes the sins of mankind, which were atoned for by the Son of God at the cost of his life.
• The body of Jesus is not in the schematic image; it is indicated by the monograms “Is Xc” - Jesus Christ.
• Above the eight-pointed cross is the inscription “King of Glory,” meaning that Jesus acquired all earthly glory with his life and death.
• On the sides of the cross, also symbolically, are depicted the instruments of torture and murder of Christ - a cane with a sponge and a spear, marked with the letters “K” and “T”, and the signature “Nika”, which means “defeated”. With this word Jesus rose again.
• At the top of the cross there is also an abbreviated inscription “Son of God,” which speaks of the divine nature of the Savior.

Calvary Cross, as we have already said, has a schematic representation of the Crucifixion in the form of an eight-pointed cross. The eight-pointed cross is most typical for Orthodox tradition. According to the Gospel description, three crossbars were nailed to a vertical tree - a pillar - a tablet with the name of the person sentenced to execution, a crossbar to which Christ's hands were nailed, and a footstool where his feet rested. The bowed foot also has a symbolic interpretation. It is the measure of the sin of those executed. Jesus was executed along with two criminals. One of them repented and asked God for forgiveness, and the footstool on his side rose upward, pointing the way to the Kingdom of Heaven. The second, located on the other side of Christ, at the hour of death did not admit his guilt, sins and cursed the Lord. The foot showed him the way down to hell.

Myself pectoral cross of Calvary has a simple four-pointed shape. Cross Christian theologians interpreted as an ideal model of the world. The vertical indicates the direction from earth to sky, the horizontal is a symbol of everything earthly. In general, the four ends of the cross, connected at the point of intersection of the beams, are latitude, longitude, depth and height, held together by Divine power. Top part The cross symbolizes the divine realm, and everything below the horizontal beam is the earthly kingdom.

Calvary Cross decorated with floral patterns. This is also no coincidence. The floral ornament symbolizes the earthly and heavenly kingdoms. On earth, plants are symbols of spiritual rebirth, renewal, as well as the Virgin Mary. In the Kingdom of Heaven, these are the tabernacles of paradise and Christ. The floral ornament entwining the Orthodox pectoral cross on the sides and back of the cross is the whole world striving towards the center of the cross - towards God.

On back side cross - a prayer praising the cross. The entire ideological and artistic design of the Calvary Cross is to glorify the Life-Giving Cross. This prayer calls the cross the guardian of the Universe, the beauty of the church, the power of kings, the affirmation of the faithful, the glory of angels and demons, and the plague.

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Cross - ancient symbol. He had sacred meaning among some pagan peoples, but in Roman civilization it acquired a different purpose - it became an instrument of cruel and shameful execution. The execution of Jesus Christ forever determined its meaning - the cross became a symbol of salvation, eternal life, the atoning sacrifice of the Lamb. The plot of the crucifixion the most important moment The Passion of Christ formed the basis for the image of the Savior on the Cross of Calvary, present in any church.

The image of the Calvary cross without the crucified Lamb is a common element of church symbolism. It is present on the vestments of the clergy and in the decoration of the temple. This image includes an Orthodox eight-pointed (three-part) cross standing on three steps or a hemisphere (a symbol of Mount Calvary and spiritual ascent). At the base of the mountain is the skull of the progenitor Adam, whose original sin was atoned for by the blood of Christ. Often near the cross are also depicted the spear with which the centurion Longinus pierced the hypochondrium of the Savior, and a cane with a sponge soaked in vinegar - attributes of the Passion of Christ. The eight-pointed shape of the cross also has hidden meaning. The upper short crossbar is a tablet with an inscription inscribed by Pontius Pilate: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” The hands of the Savior were nailed to the long horizontal crossbar, while the lower one served as a footstool. It is depicted as inclined, the left end is raised upward, since to the right of Christ (to the left of the observer) was a prudent thief who repented before death.

This Calvary cross was created by icon painters of the workshop for the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Khimki, Moscow Region. It is extremely laconic, completely devoid of details. Nothing distracts the attention of the worshiper from the mournful figure of Christ, whose feet and outstretched arms are nailed to the cross. Bloody traces are visible on the palms and soles of the Savior, as well as under the rib on the right, where the centurion Longinus thrust his spear. The thin, tortured body of Jesus is naked, his hips are girded with white linen. This image of the pinnacle of Christ’s Passion is completed by the helplessly bowed head of the Savior with eyes closed, crowned with a golden cross-shaped halo. The cross on His halo is an allegory of the torment of the cross; the letters on it form the Greek word “Is.” Above the head of Christ, according to the canon, there is a board with the inscription IN CI (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews).

How was the icon made?

The icon was created within the framework of the iconographic canon, according to ancient technology egg tempera, which consists in using only natural paints obtained from hand-pounded stones (lapis lazuli, malachite, dioptase and others), mixed with egg yolk and dry wine.

Strict adherence to ancient technology guarantees the durability of a work of icon painting.

More detailed information You can get it in the section Technologies for writing icons.

Additional decoration of the icon

• Gilding of the halo and/or background.
• Ornament self made gold on the margins and halo. Decoration with jewelry and semiprecious stones. You can see examples of decorative design of icons in the section Gift icons with decorative decoration.
• The icon case protects the icon from external influences and can be decorated with carvings, as well as cupronickel or brass basma (jewelry embossed). You can get more detailed information in the Icon section.

How best to realize the spiritual intention of an icon?

In order to better realize your wishes and the spiritual intention of the icon, we recommend that you come to the workshop and visit the production premises, where you will look at samples of icons “live”, hold them in your hands and meet directly with the master who was blessed to paint the icon for you.

How do the icon painters of our workshop work?

The icon painters of the workshop work with prayer and fasting with the blessing of the rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” on the Great Ordynka, His Eminence Bishop Hilarion, Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.

If you don’t have time to paint an icon

Christ's death on Calvary and the subsequent Resurrection are the central events of all Christianity. On the Cross, man was redeemed from sin, the path to deification was opened to him, Christ became the New Adam. Therefore, over the centuries, images of the Calvary cross concentrated all the symbolism with which the developing Orthodox theology gradually filled it.
The Calvary cross is strict, in full accordance with its sacrificial meaning. It depicts the suffering Christ, and every detail is important. Above the Savior’s head is a tablet with his name King, and at the very bottom, at the base of the cross, is the skull of Adam’s head. When the Blood of Jesus was shed, it washed away the guilt of the first man and delivered his descendants from the consequences of the sin he had committed. Often, two lances are depicted on the sides of the crucifix, on one of them there is a sponge, with the help of which the crucifixion soldiers gave vinegar to drink to Christ, as well as the lance with which His ribs were pierced to certify his death.
Often the Calvary cross is decorated with complex ornaments. Such patterns are not just decoration, but also symbolize branches and shoots as a sign that the cross has become a new Tree of Life, which has blossomed and is bearing the fruits of grace.
Pectoral crosses with the image of Golgotha ​​are presented in a wide variety in our store. While maintaining the proper rigor of their important subject matter, they nevertheless differ in color. On the site it is possible, mainly light silver, as well as with a dark blackened background, on which the relief of the light image stands out in contrast.
The Cross of Calvary is worth buying as a gift for a Christian who has already taken his first steps in church life and who will be able to understand the full significance of such a gift. The cross, reminiscent of the Sacrifice of Christ, will inspire the believer to fight temptations and fulfill the gospel commandments.

What does the Cross of Calvary mean?
In ancient times, this sign denoted belonging to God, and later became a symbol of martyrdom on the cross. Christian tradition does not have unambiguous canons for the outline of the Cross, however, there are some traditional signs that are more common than others.
The eight-pointed Golgotha ​​cross, which can be purchased at Trinity, has two small crossbars at the top and bottom. This is, respectively, a tablet and a foot. The image of Mount Golgotha ​​(Place of Execution) also varies: it can be a pyramid, a hemisphere, or even a skull, symbolizing the head of Adam, whose sin Jesus washed away with his blood. On the sides of the cross are often depicted the Instruments of the Passion - a spear and a cane. Besides,
How to buy a cross
The Calvary Cross (silver, gold, enamel, blackening) can be selected and purchased at the Trinity store. Our features: attractive price, large range of quality products and full compliance with Orthodox traditions.
The cross with Golgotha, which our store offers to buy, differs from others precisely in the symbol of the mountain on which Christ’s execution took place. The style in which the product is made can be any to your taste, but the essence of the sign remains unchanged and is very important for a believer.
By purchasing a Calvary cross at an affordable price from Trinity, you are giving yourself or your loved ones a gift with sacred meaning.