Written by Celeste Bailey, from the Village Church.
Last year, I had the opportunity to visit Israel with SAT-7. It was a lifetime experience that brought a renewed spiritual awakening in me. To visit actual places where many Biblical events took place brought a new meaning of Scripture – it became alive! One of the highlights of the trip was walking through Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, which
represents the path that Jesus took to His crucifixion. Via Dolorosa means ‘sorrowful way’ in Latin or ‘way of suffering’. What struck me the most was the stone handprint at Station Five of the Via Dolorosa (photo above). Jesus may have stumbled and reached out His hand on the wall for support as He was carrying the heavy cross to a point that Simon of Cyrene had to help him. As it is written in Luke 23:26 “As they led Him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.” As I placed my hand on the stone handprint, I was overwhelmed by grief for what Jesus had to endure because of His unconditional love for me and the world. My grief was followed by a quick prayer thanking Him for His sacrifice. As I recall that experience, I am reminded of Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Jesus denied Himself for my sake. Am I ready to deny myself and share the burden of the cross for Him?
Carrying His own cross, He went out to the place of the skull [John 19:17]
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