Objects of Easter: The “Via Dolorosa” – The Road of Suffering (Part IV)
Sermon Title: Objects of Easter – The “Via Dolorosa”
Good News Statement: Jesus offers us a meaning of Easter through what we see
Summary: The Easter story is filled with touching moments that have changed the world, but it is also filled with objects that have changed our life; and these objects add depth and meaning to the resurrection, which we count on happening.
Preached: Sunday, March 22nd, 2026 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC
Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.
Scripture (NRSV): John 23:26 and 49 Today’s scripture reading comes from the Gospel of Luke. In the 23rd Chapter of Luke, we encounter a few people who were found along the road that Jesus traveled from the Palace to Calvary. Jesus traveled this road of suffering because he loves us. Our reading comes from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter Twenty-Three, Verses Twenty-six and Forty-nine. May the hearing and reading of this scripture add understanding and meaning to your life?
The Crucifixion of Jesus
26 As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus….
49 But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.
This is the Word of God for the People of God; and all God’s people said, “Thanks are to God.”
Introduction:
Everywhere you look, you see something, an object that has changed the world. According to Nature, an online news source, “nails, wheels, springs, magnets, lenses, string, and pumps are seven everyday objects that have made the modern world.”[1] Just sitting in this room, I bet you can spot a majority of those objects.
Have you ever given any thought to the objects in your life? Have you thought about how at one point in history that object didn’t exist? Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you didn’t have a certain object that you have today? Have you ever taken a step back and said, “My, how things have changed.” We live in a society, in a culture, in a world where life thrives on objects; and the objects we have today, much like in the past, will be replaced by other objects that would confuse us today but will make life easier in the future. Our life has been, is, and will be consumed by the objects in which we seek.
For a moment, listen to this list of objects that have not only changed our life but have also changed the world:[2] the nail, the wheel, string and rope, magnets, the compass, and lenses, the printing press, vaccines and penicillin, concrete, steel, batteries, electricity, the light bulb, airplanes, automobiles, trains, boats, farm machinery, refrigerators, the microwave, and the sewing machine, credit cards, zippers, Velcro, GPS, computers, smartphones, and the internet. These objects created global interconnection, increased personal mobility, and transformed the ability to store, use, and transfer energy and information. This is not an exhaustive list—and it certainly doesn’t account for every object ever made that changed the world—but it is a list of objects in which many of us have access to today that do in fact change our life.
At this point you may be wondering what all this has to do with Easter, since we are in the Easter Season. Well, the Easter Season is filled with objects that have changed the world. There are Easter Eggs, Baskets filled with gifts and treats, bunny cakes, special candies and sweets, and we can’t forget about the Easter Bunny. But there are other objects related to Easter that have also changed the world. And these objects aren’t just any objects but objects found in scripture during the last days and hours of Jesus’ life. But sadly, sometimes we overlook these objects because, as song writer AJR states, we want “to skip to the good part”[3] which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ—the moment when the stone is rolled away, the cloth is folded, and the tomb is empty. So, for the next few weeks, we are going to explore certain objects of the Easter Story that have not only changed our life but have changed the world.
Body:
The remaining days and hours of Jesus’ life on earth are composed of objects: objects that bring forth tears, torture, and trauma, objects that offer renewal, restoration, and rejuvenation, and objects that administer hope, faith, and encouragement. In scripture, specifically in the Gospel accounts—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—there is a plethora of objects that bring to life the remaining hours of Jesus life; and every object mentioned is an object used to change our life and deepen the meaning of the days leading up to Jesus’ last breath from the cross.
As one walks with Jesus during what we call “Holy Week”[4]—a sacred week spanning the final days of Jesus’ life—one will encounter palm branches, cloaks, a donkey, an upper room, a sacred meal, foot washing, a basin of water, the garden of Gethsemane, instruments used for torture, a crown of thorns, a robe, the cross, nails, spears, sponges, a torn veil, anointment used for burial purposes, the folded cloth, the rolled away stone, and a tomb hewed out of stone. The Easter season is filled with objects that add meaning and depth to the story we not only long to hear but count on happening in our life.
For the next couple of weeks leading up to Easter, in no specific order, we are going to look at some of these objects and ask ourselves, “How does this object help me better understand the meaning and significance of Jesus’ remaining days on earth?” Today, we find ourselves on one of the most daunting roads ever to have been traveled. This road does not hug sides of cliffs. This road is not threatened by towering mountains with constant shifting rocks ready to tumble to the ground below. This road does not pass any flowing streams of water nor pass under any beautiful waterfalls. This road does not take one on a Safari, seeing the wonders of the world. And this road is certainly not perfect.
The road that we find ourselves on today, is far from perfect: it is filthy, dusty, maybe covered with a few rocks, passes through a popular town, and leads from power to loneliness. This road is hazardous. This road is dangerous. This road is brutal. This road lead hundreds, possibly thousands, to death. The road we find ourselves on today is the very road the Jesus traveled, which is often described as the “Way of Sorrows” or the “Way of Suffering.” The question we are asked today is, “Are we willing to find ourselves on the roads that Jesus traveled?”
Movement One: The “Upper Room”, the Courtyard, and the Crown and Robe…
Three weeks ago we began a new sermon series focused on the “objects of Easter” that appear during the week, days, and hours leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Two Sundays ago, we spent time in the “upper room” as mentioned in Mark 14:12-16. Based on biblical descriptions and historical context the “upper room”[5] in Jerusalem—a “large” (Mark 14:15), “furnished” (Luke 22:12), and “ready” (Mark 14:15) space—located on the second floor was used to escape noise, often had improved ventilation, was sometimes where guests stayed, and was where women in the household resided. It was in the upper room where Jesus had one last meal with his disciples, what we call today Holy Communion or the Last Supper; and it’s where Jesus washed the feet of his disciples showing them what it means to serve and not be served (Matthew 20:28). Later on, according to the Book of Acts, the disciples—a total of 120—gathered at Pentecost in the upper room as they “were filled with the Holy Spirit…” (Acts 2:4).[6] The upper room, that two disciples sought out and required upon Jesus’ request, was more than just a room.[7]
Today, the upper room is an object that changed the world because at one point it rejected Mary and Joseph—there was now room in the upper room (Luke 2:7)—but then it became a place that was available to Jesus, to the disciples, to the 120, and now available to us. At one point in time, the upper room, the kataluma, was a place of rejection but now is a place of acceptance: a place where one is able to accept the presence of Christ in their life.
To this, I invited you to contemplate the following questions: “Where is your upper room? Where do you allow yourself to feel the presence of Christ in your life?” Having an upper room in your life is essential not only for your faith but for your relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s in your upper room, whatever that may be, that you allow yourself to experience the presence of Jesus Christ. So this Easter, find that space and enjoy it.
Two weeks ago, we found ourselves in the courtyard with Peter, who was caught denying Jesus three times before the rooster crowed twice (Mark 14:66-72).[8] It’s in the courtyard surrounding the palace, around a fire, in which Peter denies Jesus three times. In denying Jesus, Peter also denies the past three years of his life; he denies who he is and what he had become, a follow of Jesus; and he does something in which he thought he would never do: protect himself before protecting Jesus. Peter’s denying is important because it calls us to consider all the times in which we have denied Jesus to some degree in our life. But that is not the only thing that takes place in the courtyard.
We read “And he broke down and wept” (Mark 14:72). Peter wept. The one who walked on water and the one who saw Jesus transfigured, wept. The one who chose to follow Jesus and who decided to give up his fishing nets to fish for people, wept. The one who became the rock—something firm and strong and brave and courageous—wept. The one who identified who Jesus was, wept. Peter wept. He wept because he realized what he had done. But he also realized what we have come to believe today: Jesus forgives us and Jesus loves us.
In the courtyard, Jesus put Peter’s wrongs to right and he can also put our wrongs to right. Jesus can forgive everything we have ever thought, said or done wrong. Even when we deny him—get upset with him, don’t agree with him, talk back to him, don’t listen to him—he is still willing to forgive us. In the courtyard with Peter, we learn the power of Jesus’ forgiveness and are reminded of how much he loves us: he loves us even when we aren’t perfect, even when we weep.
Last week, we spent time examining the crown of thorns pressed and forced upon the head of Jesus and the purple robe draped upon Jesus before he appeared to the crowd who shouted, “Crucify Him. Crucify Him.” We learned last week that the crown of thorns was originally viewed as an object of mockery, humiliation, and torture made from twisting date palms together into a circular shape, and then pressed, most likely with force, upon the head of the victim. The crown of thorns that Jesus wore was not the crown he wears today, but it was a crown that carried our sins. The thorns represent the sins of the people; and Jesus wore our sins to the cross. Today, we aren’t meant to want to wear the crown of thorns, but rather seek—through the teachings and sayings and love and grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ—a heavenly crown that guarantees us righteousness and salvation.
Then we learned about the purple robe, which much like the crown of thorns was an object of mockery. The robe is a sign of Jesus’ authority, his power, his servitude, and the fulfillment of his heavenly title, “The King of Kings.” Now the color purple, aside from meaning royalty, lordship, and wealth, represents courage. It took courage for Jesus to commit to the will of God, be betrayed, put on trial, questioned, beaten and tortured nearly to death, and placed upon the cross. Purple represents courage; so when Jesus was draped with the purple robe it was a visual sign to all of us of the courage that Jesus has draped over us. This courage allows us to deny ourselves, carry our cross, follow Jesus, love our enemies, love our neighbors as we love ourselves, turn the other cheek, pray for those who persecute us, and simply do what Christ needs us to do. This courage allows us to live the life that we have been so graciously gifted.
From the upper room to the courtyard and to the crown of thorns and purple robe, we now find Jesus outside the Palace of King Herod traveling a road that will lead to his death on Calvary or Golgotha, the “Place of the Skull.”
Movement Two: The Roads We Travel…
Have you ever thought about the roads you have traveled? All of you at some point in your life have traveled down roads that are paved with blacktop, are covered with gravel, and are neither blacktop nor gravel but dirt with a row of weeds or grass growing down the middle. All of you have traveled down roads that are distinctly marked with white and yellow lines, and all of you have traveled down roads that have never seen painted lines in all of its existence. All of you have traveled down roads that are well maintained, smooth, and a dream come true. All of you have traveled down roads that are covered with potholes, frequently flooded by heavy rains, are not plowed by the city or county but by neighbors who have tractors, and often leaving one asking, “Who put this road here?” All of us have traveled down roads that have left us wondering, “Should I be driving on this road?” All of us have traveled down roads that bear heavy traffic and roads that seem to be less traveled on, roads that twist and turn, roads that feel as if you are on a rollercoaster, roads that enhance our need to exceed the suggested speed limit, roads that only allow one to go 25 miles per hour, roads that seem to lead to somewhere and others that seem like they lead to nowhere, and roads that stretch on for miles and roads that only last for a few hundred feet. We have all traveled on some sort of road in our life.
Growing up, on the last day of school from first grade through sophomore year of high school, I would ride my bike—with my brother Thomas and my father—from our house to school: about a twelve mile journey. We wouldn’t take the main road which was smooth and didn’t have very many hills and had plenty of houses to approach if we needed help, but we took the country roads with plenty of hills and less houses. Although the country roads had their challenges, they were certainly the most peaceful.
We would start the trek to school around 6:00am: there was dew on the cross, not a lot of traffic, and a sense of peace in the air. We rode by a golf course that was just opening its doors for business. We rode parallel to the Hennepin Canal and heard the subtle sound of the water lapping against the banks and dead trees. We rode by cemeteries with fresh flowers placed on the tombstones. We rode by a few houses with children waiting to get on the bus. We rode by small country churches. It was peaceful.
When we got into town somewhere between 7:00am and 7:30am, our path of travel would lead us just one block from the local donut shop. After spending all that time pedaling, a donut, fresh out of the oven, covered in chocolate, with some apple juice was definitely needed. We would relax for a bit—often seeing people that we knew—and then I would head to school while my dad went to my grandma’s in town. On the way there, I remember my dad, being funny, would play songs like “Life is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane, later remade by Rascal Flatts; John Denver’s song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads”; “The Long and Winding Road” by The Beatles; and Willie Nelson’s song, “On the Road Again.”
Today, I don’t know if I could make that 12 mile trek, 24 miles round trip—I mean, I get winded riding my bike from the garage to the mailbox—but I’m thankful that I did make that trek for ten years. Today, those memories make me wonder about the roads that I have traveled and the roads that I have yet to travel or maybe the roads I want to revisit. You know, metaphorically, we all have traveled on some roads in our life and you may be on a road right here, right now, right at this very moment, in which you are prepared for, in which you are not prepared for, in which you can see the end, in which there may be no end. But you aren’t the only ones who have traveled down roads.
Jesus traveled many roads while growing up and especially while involved in his ministry. It has been calculated that Jesus may have walked 3,125 miles during his ministry and anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 miles in his lifetime and quite possibly 20 to 25 miles per day.[9] Jesus traveled on many roads to share his message not for himself but you and all of us. But the last road Jesus traveled, just hours before his death, is probably the most significant in all his life. The road Jesus traveled to his crucifixion is known as the Via Dolorosa. In Latin it means “Way of Sorrows” or “Way of Suffering.” This road is located in the Old City of Jerusalem. It stretches roughly 2,000 feet—less than a mile—from the Palace of King Herod, where he was condemned by Pontius Pilate, to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site of his crucifixion and burial. Today, thousands, possibly millions, of people travel this road—possibly walking in the very footsteps of Jesus to help them remember what Jesus went through for them. This is the last road Jesus physically walked on this earth. This is the road we find ourselves on today.
Movement Three: Roads in the Bible…Emmaus and Damascus…
As I mentioned just a few minutes ago, Jesus traveled many roads which are recorded in scripture. But there are two significant roads in scripture that lead to the changing of people’s lives. I want us to spend a few minutes revisiting those roads. The first one takes place in Luke 24 on the Road to Emmaus; and the second one takes place in Acts 9 on the Road to Damascus.
The Road to Emmaus is found in Luke 24:13-35. Here are just a few verses from that story: “Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?’ He asked them, ‘What things?’ They replied, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.’… As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight” (Luke 24:13-21, 28-31).
Two disciples (Cleopas and another) are walking to Emmaus, discussing the crucifixion. Jesus joins them, but they are prevented from recognizing him. They express their sadness and disappointment that Jesus was crucified, having hoped he was the redeemer of Israel. Jesus tells them the Messiah had to suffer. Since it was getting late, the two disciples urge him to stay with them. At dinner, he takes bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them. Their eyes are opened, they recognize him, and he vanishes.
On the Road to Emmaus, we are reminded of all the times that Jesus has appeared to us in some way. On the Road to Emmaus, we are reminded of all the times we have called Jesus a stranger because we didn’t recognize him but he recognized us. On the Road to Emmaus, we are reminded of all the times Jesus has met us where we are, even in our great sadness and lack of hope. On the Road to Emmaus, we recall how Jesus is willing to reveal himself to us if we are willing to invite him into our life. On this specific road, our life can be changed if we are open to the possibility of keeping our eyes open to see Jesus in all that we do, in all the places we go, and in the people that we call a stranger. When the two disciples traveled back to Jerusalem to tell the eleven disciples, who are in hiding, their hearts were “burning within.” Are you on a road that allows your heart to burn for Jesus?
The second road is the Road to Damascus found in Acts 9. Here these words: “Meanwhile Saul [who later is named Paul in Acts 13:9], still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way [believers of Christ], men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank” (Acts 9:1-9).
The Road to Damascus describes Saul’s dramatic conversion from a persecutor of Christians to a follower of Jesus Christ. While traveling to arrest Christians, Saul was blinded by a divine light and heard Jesus’ voice, leading to his baptism, and his transformation into the apostle Paul. Along this road, Jesus spoke to Saul, asking, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Essentially asking Paul, “Why have you chosen a life that hurts me and those who believe in me?”
On the Road to Damascus, we encounter a sinner, a non-believer, a doubter, and someone who was perfectly fine with hurting and persecuting those who believed in Jesus. However, we also encounter a person who Jesus believed in, who was included in the words, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34), and who deserved a second chance. We have all been found on the Road to Damascus: we have been called out for our actions, for being a sinner, for making mistakes, for not getting things right the first time, for not being willing to change, and for quite possibly doing things that Jesus isn’t proud of; but along this road, we have also allowed Jesus to point us in the right direction, to return to him, to seek forgiveness, to realize that a second chance is possible, and to come to terms with knowing that Jesus knows our heart.
On the Road to Damascus, we reflect on these words from Luke, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows you heart” (Luke 16:15), and from 1 Samuel 16:7, “…man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart”, and from Psalm 139:1-2, “O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.” On the Road to Damascus, we realize just how much Jesus knows us and how much he is willing to transform us. On the Road to Damascus, much like Saul, our life is changed from what was to what is and can be. On the Road to Damascus, we are given a second chance. Paul completely changed his life for Christ, are you willing to travel that same road and do the same thing?
The Road to Emmaus and the Road of Damascus are just two roads of many mentioned in the Bible, but along these two roads lives were not just changed but saved. Are you someone today who is on the Road to Emmaus: needing to witness the presence of Jesus in your life, needing to invite him into your life, and needing the reminder that Jesus is willing to meet you where you are? Or are you someone today who is on the Road to Damascus: needing to be forgiven of your sins, needing a second or a third or a thirty-third chance at doing what Jesus needs you to do, and needing the reminder that you can be set free from your past? On both of these roads, we are called to have a change of heart so that Jesus can lead us back to the road that leads to him. But before we find ourselves on either of those roads, Jesus needed to travel one specific road: The Via Dolorosa.
Movement Four: The Road Jesus Traveled for You…
As I mentioned earlier, The Via Dolorosa (or “The Way of Sorrow” or “The Way of Suffering”) is the road leading from the Palace of King Herod to Calvary, the place of Jesus’ crucifixion. It is 2,000 feet in length and would take someone five to ten minutes to walk on their own. This road still exists today and those visiting Jerusalem can travel this road, possibly placing their feet in the same place where Jesus walked. However, when Jesus walked this road he wasn’t remembering but living in pain, torture, sorrow, and immense suffering.
As Jesus traveled this road, which wasn’t perfect by any means and what seemed to be a parade for the condemned, he was beaten and tortured, forced to carry his cross—either the entire cross or just the cross-beam—people shouted and mocked him, those in the crowd spat on him and possibly through things at him, a group of women followers stood off in the distance watching holding items used for one’s burial, the disciples are nowhere to be seen, Mary the mother of Jesus is crying off in the distance as her son is marched to his death, and Simon of Cyrene—who is in town for the Passover—was forced to carry the cross as his two sons are hidden in the crowd shielded from seeing the horrendous sight.
According to the Catholic practice of the 14 Stations of the Cross, it is said that along this road Jesus fell three times: the first time Jesus falls, he sees his mother and Simon is forced to bear the cross; the second time he falls, a woman named Veronica wipes Jesus’ face and the women in Jerusalem weep over Jesus; and the third time Jesus falls is at Calvary where he is stripped of his garments, nailed to the cross; and hoisted up in the air for all to see. [10] Tradition holds that Mary, the mother of Jesus, set up stone markers at her home outside Jerusalem to retrace the steps of her son’s Passion, but the origin of the devotion in its present form is not clear.
This is the road Jesus traveled during his last hours on earth. He traveled a road identified as “The Way of Sorrow” and “The Way of Suffering. But why did Jesus have travel this road? I believe our answer is found in a song released 22 years ago. In 1984, song writer and singer, Sandi Patty, released a song titled Via Dolorosa and it begins with these lyrics: “Down the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem that day/ The soldiers tried to clear the narrow street/ But the crowd pressed in to see/ The man condemned to die on Calvary./ He was bleeding from a beating, there were stripes upon His back/ And He wore a crown of thorns upon His head/ And He bore with every step/ The scorn of those who cried out for His death./ Down the Via Dolorosa called the way of suffering/ Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King/ But He chose to walk that road out of/ His love for you and me/ Down the Via Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary.”
Sandi Patty tells us that Jesus chose to walk that road out of his love for you and me. Jesus walked the way of sorrow and suffering for you. He walked upon an imperfect road for you. He walked on a dirty road for you. He walked a road of mockery and pain for you. He walked a road of great suffering for you. He walked a road of torture for you. He walked a road of humiliation and dehumanization for you. He walked a road of 2,000 feet in length while carrying the cross for you. He walked a road that stripped away his life with every step he took for you. Sandi Patty sang, “The blood that would cleanse the souls of all men/ Made its way to the heart of Jerusalem” for you. Jesus walked the Via Dolorosa for you because he loves you.
This is by far the most important road mentioned in scripture because without it we aren’t able to witness the love of Christ and we aren’t able to allow the love Christ to change us and set us free from our past. Along the Via Dolorosa, we are reminded of our own sufferings, of our own pains, of our own struggles, and of our call to “turn from our selfish ways, take up our cross, and follow Christ” (Matthew 16:24).[11] On the Via Dolorosa, we find ourselves but we also find Jesus. This 2,000 foot dirt, imperfect, crowded, road changed the world; and it changes us every day because it reminds us of how much we are loved.
Movement Five: What Road are you Traveling…
So, now I feel compelled to ask you, “What road are you traveling today?” Are you traveling a road that is paved with blacktop, perfectly smooth, painted with guiding lines, and well maintained? A road where everything seems perfect. Are you traveling a road that is nothing but gravel, with grass and weeds starting to poke through the surface, that isn’t always maintained, and that has the potential to leave a few dings and scratches in the paint? A road where life is still passible but not perfect. Are you traveling a dirt road that just appeared, that gets covered with weeds when not traveled on, that is easily hidden, and appears to be not a road at all? A road where life seems overwhelming and unpredictable. Is the road that you are on filled with potholes, plenty of U-Turns, twists and turns, hills and valleys? Is the road you are on straight and narrow?
Does the road you are on allow you to fly through life with nothing stopping you? Does the road you are on require you to slow down and make decisions? Does the road you are on have a destination in sight or does it seem to be leading to nowhere? Does the road you are on allow you to enjoy the scenery or require your full-undivided-attention? Does the road you are on help you become the best version of yourself for those in your life? Does the road you are on provide you with signs?
Most importantly, does the road you are on lead you to Jesus? Does it give you exits for forgiveness, on ramps of grace, side streets of salvation, and roundabouts of change? Are you allowing yourself to encounter Jesus on this road? Are you allowing yourself to do what brings you joy?
Church, all of these questions can be asked of the church today: “What road is the church traveling? Where is the church going? Does the church have a destination? If so, how will it get there?” But for today, I invite you to really consider what kind of road you are traveling in your life? What is the road like? Are you traveling alone? Do you know where the road is going? Your road probably isn’t perfect and your road probably isn’t what you expected. There may be pain and suffering on your road; there may be grief and sorrow; there may be worry and doubt; there may be anxiety and setbacks; and there may be moments you want to forget. However, I bet there have been moments on your road that have changed your life, that have brought you great joy, that have made you smile and laugh, and that have left you feeling blessed. No matter what comes along your road, remember the road that Jesus traveled for you. He traveled the Via Dolorosa because he loves you.
Conclusion:
I want to bring this message to a close. Again, I want you to think about the road that you are currently on. What kind of road is it, who is traveling with you, what are you feeling, where are you going? Does your road lead to Jesus? Does your road remind you of how much you are loved?
As I biked home on the last day of school for those ten years, I repeatedly told myself, “This is crazy, this is nuts. Who would choose to do this?” (Me, because I did it for ten straight years!) But as I got closer to home, my attitude changed. I told myself I could do this. The road Jesus traveled was something he didn’t want to do, but he chose to do it for you. He didn’t like the journey to the cross, but on the cross he saw his home in heaven. He realized that the road he traveled was worth it because millions of people would be saved, changed, and loved. He thought this was crazy; but knew the outcome would be rewarding.
Are you willing to see your journey through to the end, no matter what you may encounter along the way? What road are you traveling today?
The Easter Season, as portrayed in scripture through the events of Holy Week, is filled with objects that add depth and meaning to the remaining days and hours of Jesus’ life. From the palm branches to the upper room to the garden to Calvary and to the empty tomb, everything we encounter along the way teaches us more about how much we need the meaning of Easter in our life so that we not only wait for it but count on it happening.
Let it be so…
Closing Prayer:
Let us pray: Dear Jesus, thank you for traveling the road of sorrow and suffering for us. Thank you for traveling a road that wasn’t perfect for us. And thank you for choosing a road that would change us and set us free. In your holy name, we pray, Amen.
Benediction:
Church, Jesus traveled the Via Dolorosa for you because he loves you. Are you willing to travel a road that demonstrates your love for him? May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go forth counting on the resurrection of Christ to happen. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.
[1] Anna Novizky, “Seven everyday objects that made the modern world,” Nature online. March 06, 2023: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00643-8#:~:text=Nails%2C%20wheels%2C%20springs%2C%20magnets,By Accessed: February 24, 2026.
[2] the nail (enabling construction), wheel (transportation), string/rope (securing tools), magnets/compass (navigation), and lenses (optics/microscopy), the printing press (information sharing), vaccines/penicillin (medicine), the steam engine (energy-into-motion), which fueled factories and trains, alongside concrete and batteries, electricity, the light bulb, airplane, automobile, farm machinery, refrigerator, and the sewing machine, credit cards, zippers, Velcro, GPS, computers, smartphones, and the internet. These objects created global interconnection, increased personal mobility, and transformed the ability to store, use, and transfer energy and information.
[3] AJR, “The Good Part”, The Click, 2017. Streamed on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.
[4] Holy Week (or Semana Santa) is the most sacred week in Christianity, spanning the final eight days of Jesus’ life, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. It is a time of intense reflection, prayer, and liturgical services commemorating the Passion, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. Key days and events during Holy Week include: Palm Sunday: Commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem; Holy Thursday: Celebrates the Last Supper and the washing of feet; Good Friday: Solemnly marks the crucifixion and death of Jesus; Holy Saturday: The day of the Easter Vigil, leading into the celebration of the Resurrection: Easter Sunday: Celebrates the Resurrection.
[5] In Greek anagaion meaning upper room or cenaculum meaning dining room.
[6] Also in the Book of Acts, we read that Paul, before departing Ephesus, is found preaching from within an upper room, in which someone falls asleep and tumbles out of the window (Acts 20:7-12). Later on, in Philemon, Paul requests that a guest room—an upper room—be prepared for him: “One thing more: prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be restored to you” (Philemon 1:22). But even before the previously mentioned events in the Book of Acts, we read that it was in the upper room that Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection to greet them and show them his hands and his side (John 20:19-29), removing Thomas’ doubt (John 20:26-27), after saying “Peace be with you” (Luke 24:36-49). Even before all these events, the upper room is where the prophet Elisha stayed: the room was furnished with a bed, table, chair, and a lamp (2 Kings 4:10).
[7] It represented a “place set apart,” symbolizing a space for personal communion, spiritual empowerment, and a precursor to the first Christian gathering places.
[8] After Jesus spends time in the upper room and then prays in the Garden of Gethsemane as three of his disciples fall asleep, Jesus is betrayed by Judas with a kiss (Mark 14:43-50).[8] It’s after this kiss that Jesus is turned over to the Roman authority and transported by night to the Praetorium, the palace, of King Herod where Roman Governor Pontius Pilate was staying.
[9] Ray Downing, “How Far Did Jesus Walk?” February 21, 2023, https://www.raydowning.com/blog/2023/2/20/how-far-did-jesus-walk#:~:text=The%20whole%20country%20is%20only,A%20240%20mile%20round%20trip Accessed March 18, 2026.
[10] “Stations of the Cross | Definition, Description, History, & Practices | Britannica”. www.britannica.com. Accessed March 17, 2026. Jesus is condemned to death; Jesus takes up his cross; Jesus falls the first time; Jesus meets his mother; Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross; Veronica wipes the face of Jesus; Jesus falls the second time; Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem; Jesus falls the third time; Jesus is stripped of his clothes; Jesus is nailed to the cross; Jesus dies on the cross; Jesus is taken down from the cross; and Jesus is laid in the sepulcher.
[11] Matthew 16:24 (NLT): “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.'” Luke 9:23 (NKJV): “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.'” Titus 2:12: Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.