A Journey with Jesus to the Cross and Beyond
by Tricia McCary Rhodes
DAY TWENTY-ONE -- Golgotha
I want to recover the truth that Jesus was not crucified on an altar between two candlesticks, but on a garbage heap at a crossroads of the world . . . where soldiers gambled and cynics talked smut.
George McCloud
Reflect
Sit in hushed silence with God today, enjoying Him, relishing these moments as precious gifts to you and blessings to Him. There is sorrow in the cross, but also great joy. The anticipation of joy is what enabled Jesus to endure the horror of Calvary. Read the following quote slowly and offer it as a prayer (or give your own) to the Lord based on the joy you sense as you consider the cross today.
How Splendid the Cross
How splendid the cross of Christ!
It brings life, not death;
light, not darkness;
Paradise, not its loss.
It is the wood on which
the Lord, like a great warrior,
was wounded in hands and feet and side,
but healed thereby our wounds.
A tree had destroyed us;
a tree now brought us life.
(Saint Theodore of Studios in Breakfast with the Saints.)
Read
And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.
Mark 15:22
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 further south, have a clear view up the fifteen foot slope as they enter the city.
Crucifixion has proven 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 the 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 that 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 loudly at those crowding the busy crossroads. They must get this prisoner up the last leg of their journey before he passes out or dies. Every step Jesus takes, every movement in his body, inflicts pain beyond comprehension. Centurions on either side now hold his arms, 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 sight of the gruesome prisoner. Those who have followed since the trial at Castle Antonia jostle and push ahead, having set their sites on getting a good view 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? Is he fraught with the kind of fear that makes hearts pound and stomachs heave? Does he long to draw on his divinity to somehow 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 swirling onslaught within and without.
What does he think as he holds it in his hands? Does this cup remind him that only hours ago he held another, pleading for it to pass? This cup holds sour wine mixed with myrhh, an analgesic to deaden his senses and ease the pain. As he lifts it to his split and swollen lips, does he remember the bitter taste of sin from the cup he so desperately resisted in the Garden?
The soldiers are uncertain 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 finally shrugs, tossing the contents out. 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?
Like the bodies of animals which priests took outside the camp to burn after sprinkling their blood on the holy place, the stench of Jesus' flesh will soon waft through the air outside Jerusalem's gates. But first, the blood of the Lamb must be spilt 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
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 heart. 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.
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