Foreshadowing

John 19:17

Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha).

The cross had always been part of Jesus’ life. Growing up in a region that was ruled by Rome, crucifixions were used to subdue the populace.

The Roman cross was considered one of the most brutal ways ever devised to take the life of a human. It killed with almost 100% certainty, and it was brutal. It could take as little as 6 hours to die, or as much as four days. You died from a number of possible reasons, from cardiac arrest to loss of blood. More often than not, you died from asphyxiation.

Both men and women were crucified; slaves, thieves, political dissidents were all hung on a cross as cruelty makes no distinctions.

And Jesus saw it all growing up. Imagine being a sixteen old Jesus walking through town, and seeing people dying on a cross, knowing that it was your future.

The baby Jesus in the manger became the Savior dying on a cruel cross. And he did it for you. He did it for me. He did it for us, because like Roman cruelty, his love makes no distinctions. Rich or poor, young or old, no matter your nationality or race, Jesus died for you.

He carried the cross to Golgotha, making the long uphill walk to the Place of the Skull. He made that walk out of obedience to his Father, and his love for us.

It was the greatest act of love the world has ever known. And he did it for you.

Today’s Readings: John 19-21

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