Via Dolorosa

Pontius Pilate was a political hack who thought the ungodly Jewish leadership could be satisfied with the scourging of Jesus. Yet, they incited the mob even further. Pilate should have let Jesus go, but it was expedient to pacify them.

The half mile to the crucifixion site after the scourging was pure torture as the God-man’s breathing was labored, His skin hung in ribbons, and the flayed nerves stung with unrelenting pain. The crossbeam on His shoulders proved to be too much and He soon fell to the ground overcome by its weight and His injuries.

Simon, a Jewish onlooker from Cyrene, was recruited to carry the crossbeam to Calvary. When Jesus saw women weeping for Him, He did a final short public teaching, imploring them to look to themselves and the awful future they faced. Caiaphas, Pilate, and the rest of the corrupt players are long dead. They influenced future generations to join their same fate in hell. The question remains, where do you stand?