Matthew 27:31-35

Mat 27:31 (KJB)
And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

Once the time of mocking was finished, they then ripped the robe off of Him which would have once again opened the wounds from the scourging and made it feel like a second scourging. Then they placed His own garments upon Him and started the walk to where He would be crucified. By this time now Jesus would have been forced to carry His own cross and would soon buckle under from the weight of it.

Mat 27:32 (KJB)
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

The scourging and the other blood letting by mocking had severely weakened Jesus in that He was unable to carry His own cross or maybe just the cross beam which would be nailed to the supporting post to form a cross. On the way out to Golgotha, they compelled a man named Simon who was of Cyrene. Cyrene was located where modern day Libya is. Cyrene was located on the tip, right on the Mediterranean. It was in the province of Cyrenaica. There were many Jewish colonies there. Simon was probably in Jerusalem because of the Passover Feast. Jesus was taken outside the city to be crucified. (John 19:20 KJV) This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. In the time of Moses, when someone was to be stoned to death it was to be done outside the camp. (Num 15:35 KJV) And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.

Mat 27:33 (KJB)
And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,

The name Golgotha, in the Aramaic is “gulgultã” which means “skull.” In Hebrew it is “gulgõleth” means “skull” and in the Greek, “kraniou totos” which means “the place of the skull.” Some believe it is Gordon’s Calvary because the rocks below the surface look like a skull, but that is doubtful. It was located north or west of Jerusalem. This place was not a designated place for executions and nowhere is it described as a skull shaped hill, or even a hill itself. What happened there was more important than the geographical location, as long as it was in keeping with the Scriptures.

Mat 27:34 (KJB)
They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

Before they crucified Jesus, the soldiers had attempted to give Him some sour wine mixed with a bitter substance. It was a Jewish custom to give a condemned person a pain killing drug before sentence was carried out. Jesus had tasted it and it was bad so He refused to drink because He wanted to pay for the sins of His people fully conscious and not drugged up. “Gall” was normally used to indicate some type of unpleasant tasting substance. It is also believed to be some type of opiate which caused a deep sleep or numbed the pain of the execution.

Mat 27:35 (KJB)
And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

They had crucified Him by stripping Him naked. All the pictures of “Jesus” we see on the cross always has a loin cloth on Him but the reality is that the prisoner was stripped naked and then crucified. The arms were outstretched on the cross beam and were nailed in the wrists because if they were nailed in the palms, the weight of the body would rip the nail out or between two of the fingers. The prisoner was then placed on the cross upright and the body was supported by a little seat. The feet were nailed separately to the upright or supporting beam. It was done this way to prolong the agony of the prisoner and they normally took a long time to die. Then when Jesus was already on the cross, they had cast lots for His garment. (Psa 22:18 KJV) They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. This was also a fulfillment of prophecy. The soldiers could not tear the garment and give a small piece to each because it was seamless and that is why they had to cast lots, so one person would win the whole piece. (John 19:23 KJV) Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

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