Golgotha is the Hebrew name of the spot at which our Lord was crucified. The word is interpreted as meaning the “place of a skull”. One interpretation is that it is a place where execution took place and therefore abounds in skulls. It may also mean the round, bald mound which is skull-like, for it is usually called “Mount Calvary”.
1.1- 3: Refer to the introduction
1.4-7: King Herod, frightened by the birth of Child Jesus and by the fact that the Magi or the Wise Men of the East recognized the child as their Saviour ordered the massacre of all male children below two years of age in Bethlehem since no one would betray the child to him. This is a well-known story. We have an Indian equivalent to this story in King Kamsa ordering the killing of all new-borns on hearing of the birth of Krishna.
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1.7: one child: refers to the king himself in this ‘merry old tale’ meaning that he was ignorant and immature.
1.10: king of those wild wastes: Jesus Christ wandered in wilderness for forty days and nights when the Devil made repeated attempts to tempt him but failed.
1.11- 14: Refer to the well-known miracles performed by Christ.
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1.18-19: Refer to the introduction above.
1.20: Judas Iscariot whom Jesus had trusted as one of his faithful disciples betrayed him.
1. 22: It was a very artless betrayal and Jesus could easily see through Judas’ treachery, for when Judas gave a signal to the officers of the temple, by kissing Jesus, He said to Judas, “Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”
II. 23-26: The betrayal of Christ by Judas was nothing compared with many other worse betrayals the world is witness to.