Spiritual meaning of golgotha: Golgotha is the place where Jesus died according to Christian belief. It is the place of one of the most famous crucifixions in history and it has become one of the most famous pilgrimage sites in the world. What does golgotha mean? We will discuss golgotha in the bible.
In the Bible, Golgotha is known as the place of the skull or Calvary, which was where Christ was crucified. Traditionally, Golgotha has been believed to be a corruption of an Aramaic word which means “the hole-in-the-head”, sometimes interpreted as meaning “place of executions” or “place of skulls”. This location is given several alternative names in the Gospels, including: Skull Place (John 19:17), Gather-Place (Hebrews 10:12), and Place of a Skull (Luke 23:53).
Spiritual Meaning Of Golgotha
Golgotha – that has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? So what does the spiritual meaning of Golgotha really mean? I’m sure you’ve heard lots about Golgotha, but you might find that it can be interpreted in a number of different ways. That’s why it’s important to know the spiritual meaning. The spiritual meaning of Golgotha is what you want to know about because it will help with your faith.
Did you know that CHRIST Himself was crucified on a hill called GOLGOTHA just outside Jerusalem? He came to this Earth and suffered the most revealing pain any man will ever be exposed to. He came to redeem us of our sins and uncleanliness, our shame, filth and wickedness! It is from this place of crucifixion that the true meaning of Golgotha is revealed.
Golgotha In The Bible
Golgotha is a word that means “skull” in Aramaic. It is where Jesus was crucified, and it is the place where he died on the cross.
In many Christian traditions, Golgotha symbolizes the place of man’s sinfulness and suffering—the place where mankind’s relationship with God was broken. The skull represents death and decay; when Jesus died on the cross, he took on these attributes so that his followers could be redeemed from them.
A quote from The Bible says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Golgotha, or Calvary, is the hill where Jesus was crucified. It is a symbol of suffering and sacrifice. The word comes from the Latin word “calvaria,” which means skull.
The name Golgotha comes from two words in Hebrew: “gol” (skull) and “gath” (field). The Bible says that the site was called this because it was a place of execution for criminals.
In ancient times, criminals were often executed on the spot where the crime had occurred or close to it. Because Jesus died there as a criminal, it’s appropriate that his death took place on Golgotha (Calvary).
spiritual meaning of golgotha
Golgotha in the Bible – The Location of Jesus’ Crucifixion
“Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away. And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.” ~ John 19:14-18 NKJV
Golgotha, a skull-shaped hill in biblical Jerusalem, is the place of Jesus’ crucifixion. It is mentioned in all four books of the Gospels. Also known as Calvary, this site was directly outside Jerusalem’s boundaries where Jesus was crucified along with two thieves, one who confessed that Christ was God and was saved that day. Its traditionally revered location, distinguished by Queen Mother Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, in 325, is at the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The Gospels use the Koine term Kraníon when mentioning the place outside Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified (Mark 15:22), “Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means: ‘the place of a skull’).” Kraníon is often translated as “Skull” in English, but more accurately indicates Cranium, the part of the skull enclosing the brain. In Latin, it is rendered Calvariae Locus, from which the English term Calvary derives. Hence, the different terms used when describing the place of Christ’s crucifixion as “Golgotha and Calvary” come from the Hebrew and Latin translations, respectfully.
Where is the Location of Golgotha?
Golgotha, also named Calvary in Latin, is normally said to be connected to the traditional site of Christ’s Crucifixion, now in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem. This church is within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. Below is a diagram from Wikipedia showing how the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built on the place called Golgotha:
With regard to the position of the site of the Crucifixion (with which is bound up the site of the Tomb) the New Testament gives us no indication whatever; indeed, by those who abandon tradition, sites have been suggested on all sides of the city–and West Two views hold the field today:
(1) that the site of the Crucifixion, or at any rate that of the Tomb itself, is included within the precincts of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; and
(2) that a prominent, rounded, grassy hill above the so-called “Grotto of Jeremiah,” Northeast of the Modern Damascus Gate, has at least a very high probability of being the true site. It is impossible here to go into the whole question, which requires a minute and long elaboration, but an excellent review of the whole evidence may be consulted in “Golgotha and the Holy Sepulcher,” by the late Sir Charles W. Wilson, of PEF.
Golgotha in The Bible
According to Smith’s Bible Dictionary, Golgotha is the Hebrew name of the spot at which our Lord was crucified. (Matthew 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19:17) By these three evangelists, it is interpreted to mean the “place of a skull.” Two explanations of the name are given:
(1) that it was a spot where executions ordinarily took place and therefore abounded in skulls; or
(2) it may come from the look or form of the spot itself, bald, round and skull-like, and therefore a mound or hillock, in accordance with the common phrase –for which there is no direct authority– “Mount Calvary.” Whichever of these is the correct explanation, Golgotha seems to have been a known spot.
Different reasons have been suggested for the name Golgotha or “skull”, such as:
That it was a spot where skulls were to be found lying about and probably, therefore, a public place of execution. This tradition apparently originates with Jerome (346-420 AD), who refers to (3), to condemn it, and says that “outside the city and without the gate there are places wherein the heads of condemned criminals are cut off and which have obtained the name of Calvary–that is, of the beheaded.”
This view has been adopted by several later writers. Against it may be urged that there is no shadow of evidence that there was any special place for Jewish executions in the 1st century, and that, if there were, the corpses could have been allowed burial (Matthew 27:58; John 19:38), in conformity with Jewish law (Deuteronomy 21:23) and with normal custom (Josephus). [Excerpt from the ISBE]
Is Golgotha a Holy Place?
In short, yes. Many Christians of different denominations around the world travel to visit and revere the place where Christ was crucified, buried, and rose again located now at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
According to traditions dating back to the fourth century, it includes the two holiest sites in Christianity: the site where Jesus was crucified, at a site known as Golgotha, and Jesus’s empty tomb, where He was buried and resurrected.
Can you visit Golgotha now?
In general, yes, you can visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, given that travel is permitted to Jerusalem at the time.
This church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City is where Christ was crucified, buried, and resurrected. This is one of the most venerated sites in Christendom and a major pilgrimage destination.