The Way

Within the city of Jerusalem amongst its many roads is a narrow street called Via Dolorosa. According to tradition it is the path that Jesus took, bearing the cross to Calvary. Today the street looks as ordinary as the ones surrounding it. People pass through quickly. It is part of the hustle and busyness of Jerusalem. People on the way to work, to the shops, for errands.

Except not all pass through at a fast pace. For scattered along this street are the Stations of the Cross. They give cause for pilgrims to come, to walk the road and to pause. To pause and remember the path that Jesus took to the Cross. We may not all have the blessing of visiting Jerusalem but Easter gives up the opportunity to do the same. To take time out of our busy lives and to remember, to meditate on the amazing truth that our Lord would willingly lay down His life for us. That He would take on our burden of sin so that we don’t have to. Forsaken so that we won’t be.

The Via Dolorosa means “The way of Sorrow”. It is a sad path to walk. To know that our Lord walked it in pain and agony. And each step took Him closer to the gruesome, torturous death on the Cross. Yet walk this path He did.
But we can take comfort and assurance from the fact that this was part of the plan all along. As Max Lucado wrote “the path began, not in the court of Pilate, but in the halls of Heaven…His desire was singular – to bring His children Home.”

It may be the “Way of Sorrows” but it is also the way home for us and as such the Way of Victory.

“God put on Him the wrong who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 Message)