The small hill outside the Gennath Gate in Jerusalem buzzes with activity. The other two criminals begin their ascent while Jesus lingers at the bottom, trying to muster enough strength for the short climb.

Two major roads intersect at the base of Golgotha. Merchants from the port of Joppa in the west, and travelers from Samaria and even farther south, have a clear view up the fifteen-foot slope as they enter the city.

Crucifixion has proved an effective deterrent to crime for the Roman government. On any given day, a number of beams bearing the bodies of the accused proclaim to the passing masses that a vile death awaits those who break their laws.

Golgotha—Place of a Skull—has garnered a reputation far and wide. No one knows how it got its name, but stories abound. Some say it simply looks like a skull, with two caverns for eyes and a large jutting rock formation for a nose. Others believe it earned the name from the thousands of criminals who have been executed here. Whatever one might think, the mount outside the city gate is worthy of its title. It is a symbol of death to all whose lives it touches.

Soldiers shout at those crowding the busy crossroads, eager to get their prisoner up the narrow path. Every step Jesus takes inflicts pain beyond comprehension. Centurions now hold His arms on either side, gently guiding Him forward.

Passersby who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time hurry away, quickly covering their children’s eyes at the gruesome sight of the condemned. Those who have followed since the trial at Fortress Antonia jostle and push ahead, determined to find a place at the foot of the three beams.

What occupies the mind of Christ as He faces the final steps to His death? Does dread eat at His resolve? Does fear cause His heart to pound and stomach heave? Does He long to draw on His divinity to infuse strength into His broken body?

As they reach the top, a soldier orders Simeon to drop the crossbeam. Another moves toward Jesus, handing Him a metal cup. How thirsty he must be. Has He had so much as a sip of water since His arrest in Gethsemane? The offer must seem like a gift, a respite from the onslaught within and without.

What does He think as He holds the cup in His hands? Does it remind Him that only hours ago He held another, pleading for it to pass? This cup holds sour wine mixed with myrrh, an analgesic to deaden His senses and ease the pain. As He lifts it to His swollen lips, does He remember the bitter taste of sin from the cup He resisted so in the Garden?

The soldiers are unsure what to do when Jesus hands the cup back after barely tasting the foul potion. Their leaders prefer civilized executions, and without sedation crucified criminals often scream in agony. Never before has anyone refused to drink the drug. The soldier who poured the wine shrugs and tosses out the contents. Does Jesus consider that even now He could dash the cup of man’s sin to the ground like the sticky wine on the grass at His feet?

For hundreds of years sacrifices have been offered for sin—the blood of animals sprinkled across altars and their rank carcasses burned outside the camp. Soon the stench of Jesus’ flesh will waft through the air outside Jerusalem’s gates. But first, the blood of the Lamb must be spillled on this altar that was fashioned before the foundation of the world.

Respond

In your own mind, stand at the top of Mount Calvary. See the crowds coming and going below. See the massive temple and the beautiful city of Jerusalem. Hear the conversations of those who’ve come up the hill. Watch Jesus take the final steps to the top. Imagine His emotions, thoughts, and fears.

Carefully consider the following verses:

For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. (Hebrews 13:11–13 NASB)

See Jesus suffering outside the gate of Jerusalem. Go to Him, bearing (figuratively carrying) His reproach (suffering, reviling, upbraiding). This simply means to feel within and have a deep appreciation for all He endured, willing to suffer yourself if it will further His kingdom.

After a while, write a few words expressing your thoughts and compassion to Christ.

A Prayer

Lord, You who own the cattle on a thousand hills now suffer reproach on one of them. The scent of Your sacrifice is a stench in the nostrils of those who do not understand, those who look the other way, those who clutch their rebellion to their blackened hearts. But to me, Lord, it is sweet—sometimes too strong for my sinful soul—but sweet nonetheless. Help me to breathe deeply that Your aroma of death might finally permeate my heart of hearts.

Reprinted by permission. Contemplating the Cross: a Forty Day Pilgrimage of Prayer, Tricia McCary Rhodes, 2004, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved. Copying or using this material without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited and in direct violation of copyright law.

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