June 19–Via Dolorosa
I’ve been studying about the Via Dolorosa the last few days. While I was in Jerusalem, I walked the traditional “Way of the Cross” from the Lions Gate to the church of the Hoy Sepulcher. We know Jesus carried His cross from when he was sentenced by Pilate at the Pretoriam at Herod’s palace, all the way to Calvary. History, archeology and scripture pretty well tell us that it was a very different route than the one that is marked today.
Since the time of Jesus, there have been a few “routes”-one from Mount Zion, one from the Temple Mount. In the early 1900’s the current route was developed with stations—some Biblical and some from traditional stories. Station 1 is where He was condemned; 2 Where He began to carry the cross; 3 He fell; 4 Jesus met His mother; 5 Where Simon of Cyrene was pulled out of the crowd to carry the cross; 6 where supposedly a woman named Veronica wiped his face with a cloth and it retained His face imprint; 7 He fell again; 8 When He told the “Daughters of Jerusalem“ not to cry for Him but for their children; 9 He fell for the 3rd time; and 10-14, Stripped, Nailed, Died, Taken down and Buried.
After Jerusalem was crushed by Rome, Hadrian decided to make Jerusalem a Roman City. He named Judea, Palestine after their worst enemies the Philistines. He built the Temple to Jupiter over the Temple Mount and a temple to Aphrodite over the tomb of Jesus. After Roman became Christian, Constantine’s mother had those torn down and rebuilt churches. Much of the current church was built by crusaders around 1100.
Although I love the history and the archeology of it all, for me it’s not nearly as important that I walk the exact route as the fact that HE walked it—He absolutely did walk it that day. After he was beaten to the point He was unrecognizable, His body was raw and open, He carried that awful cross through those narrow, stone streets all the way to Calvary.
“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.””
1 Peter 2:21-24 NIV
He entrusted himself to the just judge. What an amazing example is Jesus Christ our Lord!
Lord Jesus, thank you for the cross, for your suffering and bleeding, since by those wounds we are healed. Thank you for taking the beatings, the humiliation, the insults and finally your murder all so that we could live. What a wonderful wonderful Savior you are, Jesus. We live you and adore you and praise God, soon we will bow before you. Hallelujah to the Lamb. We ask for your mercy and grace today and we ask for special blessings for those who are suffering. We offer praise and sacrifice to you this day. Amen and amen.
Love you dear one,
Pam
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