Luke 23:33

And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

Verse 32 Read Chapter 23 Verse 34

Ambrose of Milan

AD 397

The very place of the cross is in the middle, as conspicuous to all. It is above the grave of Adam, as the Hebrews truly argue. It was fitting that the beginning of death occurred where the first fruits of our life were placed.

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Athanasius the Apostolic

AD 373

Now our Savior came to accomplish not His own death, but that of man, for He experienced not death who is Life. Therefore not by His own death did He put off the body, but He endured that which was inflicted by men. But although His body had been afflicted, and was loosed in the sight of all men, yet was it not fitting that He who should heal the sicknesses of others should have His own body visited with sickness. But yet if without any disease He had put off His body apart in some remote place, He would not be believed when speaking of His remote place, For death must precede resurrection; why then should He openly proclaim His resurrection, but die in secret? Surely if these things had happened secretly, what calumnies would unbelieving men have invented? How would the victory of Christ over death appear, unless undergoing it in the sight of all men. He had proved it to be swallowed up by the in corruption of His body? But you will say, At least He ought to have devised for Himself a... Read More

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Augustine of Hippo

AD 430

For not without reason did He choose this kind of death, in order that Hemight be the master of breadth and length, and heighth and depth. For breadth lies in that cross piece of wood which is fastened from above. This belongs to good works, because on itthe hands are outstretched. Length lies in that which is seen reaching from the former piece to the ground, for there in a certain manner we stand, that is, abide firm or persevere. And this isapplied to long-suffering. Heighth is in that piece of wood which is left reaching upwards from that which is fixed across, that is, to the head of the Crucified; for the expectation of those who hope for better things is upward. Again, that part of the wood which is fixed hidden in the ground, signifies the depth of unrestrained grace.

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Bede

AD 735

Or else, without the gate were the places where the heads of condemned criminals were cut off, and they received the name of Calvary, that is, beheaded. Thus for the salvation of all men the innocent is crucified among the guilty, that where sin abounded, there grace might much more abound. But the two robbers crucified with Christ signify those who under the faith of Christ undergo either the pains of martyrdom, or the rules of a still stricter continence. But they do this for eternal glory, who imitate the actions of the thief on the right hand; while they who doit to gain the praise of men, imitate the thief on the left hand. But the two robbers crucified with Christ signify those who under the faith of Christ undergo either the pains of martyrdom, or the rules of a still stricter continence. But they do this for eternal glory, who imitate the actions of the thief on the right hand; while they who doit to gain the praise of men, imitate the thief on the left hand.

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Cyril of Alexandria

AD 444

By becoming like us and bearing our sufferings for our sakes, Christ restores human nature to how it was in the beginning. The first man was certainly in the Paradise of delight in the beginning. The absence of suffering and of corruption exalted him. He despised the commandment given to him and fell under a curse, condemnation and the snare of death by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. By the very same thing, Christ restores him to his original condition. He became the fruit of the tree by enduring the precious cross for our sakes, that he might destroy death, which by means of the tree [of Adam] had invaded the bodies of humankind. Commentary on Luke, Homily

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Cyril of Alexandria

AD 444

When he hung on the precious cross, two thieves were hung with him. What comes from this? It was truly a mockery as far as the plan of the Jews, but it was also the commemoration of prophecy. It is written, “He was also numbered with the transgressors.” For our sakes, he became a curse. That is, he became accursed. It is written again, “Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree.” His act did away with the curse that was on us. We are blessed with him and because of him. Knowing this, blessed David says, “Blessed are we of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Blessings descend to us by his sufferings. He paid our debts in our place. He bore our sins. He was stricken in our place, as it is written. He took our sins in his own body on the tree, because it is true that his bruises heal us. He also was sick because of our sins, and we are delivered from the sicknesses of the soul. Commentary on Luke, Homily

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Cyril of Alexandria

AD 444

The only-begotten Son of God did not Himself in His own nature in which He is God suffer the things which belong to the body, but rather in His earthly nature. For of one and the same Son both may be affirmed, namely, that He does not suffer in His divine nature, and that He suffered in His human.

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Eusebius of Caesarea

AD 339

But if, on the contrary, after His intercourse with men, He suddenly disappeared, flying away to avoid death, He might be likened by man to a phantom. And just as if any one wished to exhibit some incombustible vessel, which triumphed over the nature of fire, he would put it into the flame, and then directly draw it out from the flame unharmed; so the Word of God, wishing to show that the instrument which He used for the salvation of men was superior to death, exposed His mortal body to death to manifest His nature, then after a little rescued it from death by the force of His divine power. This is indeed the first cause of Christ's death. But the second is the manifestation of the divine power of Christ inhabiting a body. For seeing that men of old deified those who were destined to a likeend with themselves, and whom they called Heroes and Gods, He taught that He alone of the dead must be acknowledged the true God, who having vanquished death is adorned with the rewards of victory, h... Read More

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George Leo Haydock

AD 1849

Called Calvary. A place at a small distance from Jerusalem, where condemned malefactors were beheaded. So Christ, as a malefactor, dies on Calvary for the redemption of all: that where sin abounded, grace might more abound. (Ven. Bede) In this mountain, according to the Hebrew doctors, were interred the remains of our protoparent, Adam. (St. Athanasius)

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Gregory of Nyssa

AD 394

But the figure of the cross from one center of contact branching out into four separate terminations, signifies the power and providence of Him who hung upon it extending every where.

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John Chrysostom

AD 407

Two thieves also they crucified on the two sides, that He might be a partaker of their reproach; as it follows, And the thieves one on his right hand, the other on his left. But it did not so turn out. For of them nothing is said, but His cross is every where honored. Kings, laying aside their crowns, assume the cross on their blue, on their diadems, on their arms. On the consecrated table, throughout the whole earth, the cross glitters. Such things are not of men. For even in their lifetime those who have acted nobly are mocked by their own actions, and when they perish their actions perish also. But in Christ it is quite different. For before the cross all things were gloomy, after it all things are joyful and glorious, that you may know that not a mere man was crucified.

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Tertullian of Carthage

AD 220

Moreover two malefactors are crucified around Him, in order that He might be reckoned amongst the transgressors.

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Theophilus of Antioch

AD 184

Because also by a tree death had entered, it must needs be that by a treeit should be abolished, and that the Lord passing unconquered through the pains of a tree should subdue the pleasures which flow from a tree.

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