April 4
“Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. But Jesus, turning to them, said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, “Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!” Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?’ There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death,” Luke 23:26-32.
As soon as Pilate yielded to the cry of the multitude, “Crucify Him!” and pronounced the death sentence, the Jews were in a hurry to get Jesus to Calvary where He would be crucified. According to Jewish law, the crucifixion had to be finished before six o’clock, the beginning of the Sabbath Day. Of course, according to Roman law, this also was illegal! The law of the Romans stated that ten days were to pass between the time when the sentence was spoken and the time when it was executed. But in that motley, angry crowd, who cared whether what was being done was legal or illegal?
The Roman soldiers took Jesus and the two criminals and led them away along the Way of Sorrows to be crucified. The words of the prophet Isaiah were being fulfilled: “He was numbered with the transgressors,” Isaiah 53:12. At the beginning of the journey to Calvary, Jesus carried His own cross. However, soon the weight of the cross was too great for His weakening body, and the soldiers forced a man by the name of Simon from Cyrene to carry the cross for Jesus instead.
In the huge crowd that was following along the way, special mention is made of a number of faithful women who were mourning and weeping as they followed the suffering Savior. The exhausted Jesus still had strength enough to speak loudly to the weeping women: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’ For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?” Jesus asked the women not to weep for Him. He was not suffering for sins that He had committed; He was carrying their sins and the sins of all people. He was calling for repentance from all who could hear His voice. He warned them as He spoke of the coming destruction of Jerusalem, which came in the year 70 A.D., when the Romans destroyed the city.
Jesus was represented by the expression, “green wood” – the Tree of Life. What will happen to the “dry wood” – people who are dead in sin and refuse to repent and who reject the Savior? In these words of Jesus, there is a call for repentance to each of us. Repent and believe the Gospel! On the Way of Sorrows, we behold the Lamb of God who has taken away the sins of the world. Let us bow our heads and shed tears of repentance as we think of our many sins. Then, let us lift our heads high to “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation . . . (God) made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him,” 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21.
Jesus walked the Way of Sorrows and carried the load of our sins so that you and I can walk the way that leads to eternal life in the glories of heaven! Dear Lord, keep us in the faith!
“My burden in Thy Passion,
Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression
Which bro’t this woe on Thee.
I cast me down before Thee;
Wrath were my rightful lot.
Have mercy, I implore Thee;
Redeemer, spurn me not!” Amen.