4. The Road to Golgotha
Eunjin Chang • March 17, 2025
When Jesus was with his disciples, many people followed him. He said that if they wanted to follow him, they must deny themselves, pick up their cross, and follow him. This statement was perplexing and difficult for them to understand. In those days, the cross represented the most terrifying, horrific, and shameful way to die, as the person crucified would be stripped naked and hung on a cross.
Even the day before Jesus' crucifixion, the disciples were arguing among themselves about who was the greatest and who would sit at Jesus' right and left hands when he restored the nation of Israel. They had no idea what Jesus would do for mankind and the eternal implications of his actions. When Jesus was arrested, all the disciples fled except for Peter. Peter, the outspoken disciple whom Jesus loved dearly, stood at a distance, warming himself by a fire made by the servants of the high priests while anxiously watching what would happen to his master. Would Jesus call down fire from heaven to destroy those who mocked him and demonstrate his power?
Peter's curiosity was not rooted in belief but rather in doubt mixed with hope. When a female servant accused him of being a disciple of Jesus, Peter denied it three times, even cursing. Then, when the rooster crowed, and Jesus looked at Peter, he realized his true self. He had been testing Jesus instead of truly believing in him. Peter wanted to prove himself to Jesus and the other disciples, hoping to witness Jesus' power and understand events in his own way.
When Peter recognized that he was testing Jesus and felt fear even before a female servant, he was ashamed and ran outside, crying bitterly. From this account, we see that even Jesus' best disciple, Peter, became a coward when faced with difficult circumstances that could cost him dearly. When Jesus calls us to deny ourselves daily and pick up our cross to follow him, it cannot be done through our own power or will. This transformation requires a complete change from within, facilitated by the Holy Spirit.
Later, when Jesus restored Peter, he became a mighty Apostle for the church and ultimately died as a martyr, along with most of the other disciples. None of them considered their lives precious in the cause of Jesus. How is this possible?
When a person believe in Jesus for the first time, they are saved by hearing the word of God. The word enters their soul, and the Holy Spirit brings it to life in their spirit. Although the spirit becomes alive, the soul (mind) and body often remain entrenched in old ways of living.
Denying oneself is a daily practice at the level of the soul. However, our survival instincts make it difficult to deny ourselves. Jesus' command goes against the very fabric of our soul's existence. Yet, as new believers begin their walk with Jesus through the Holy Spirit, they learn the teachings of Jesus while the Holy Spirit searches their hearts, helping to train their souls to become followers of Christ.
We aspire to be good disciples of Jesus; however, we often find it nearly impossible, even with the best intentions. This is where the blood that Jesus shed while carrying the cross is crucial, allowing us to become true disciples of Jesus.
After Jesus was whipped and beaten, the crowd demanded his crucifixion. Although Jesus did not sin, the crowd was incited to demand his death. When Pilate washed his hands and claimed to have nothing to do with Jesus' death, releasing Barabbas instead, his cowardly decision and the crowd's behavior reflect how cowardly we can be as we follow Jesus, labeling ourselves his disciples. Peter and the rest of the disciples ran away, leaving Jesus alone to carry the cross to the hill.
As he made his way to the crucifixion site, the crowd jeered, threw trash, and spat at Jesus despite having welcomed him just days earlier with cheers of "Hosanna! The King of the Jews!" That same crowd, under the influence of mob mentality, turned against the true King of the Jews.
Jesus did not have to carry the cross; it was the cross of Peter, the disciples, and all mankind. Nevertheless, Jesus took upon himself that cross after receiving beatings and wearing a crown of thorns because he wanted to be an example of what he had said: "Whoever wants to follow me must deny themselves and take up their cross."
Jesus denied himself, even though he was God, and humbly carried the cross to Jerusalem. Today, you can visit the Via Dolorosa, the path where Jesus carried his cross to Golgotha, marked by seven churches along the route. It is said that Jesus fell seven times, and at each place he fell, a church was built in his memory.
As he carried the cross toward Golgotha, Jesus bled continuously from the wounds inflicted upon him. Each drop of blood that fell on the way to Golgotha was shed unjustly because Jesus was innocent.
Matt 27:32 “And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.”
Mark 15:21 “And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.”
The person that the Roman soldier gave the task of carrying Jesus' cross was a person named Simon from Northern Africa. Many scholars claim he was a diaspora Jew who came to Jerusalem on his holy land journey to enjoy the feast. He prepared many years to come to this feast. When he came to a street in Jerusalem, he heard a crowd jeering and in an uproar. As his curiosity brought him to the center of the crowd, he was faced with a man with a crown of thorns on his temple and without any form or shape, as he was completely drenched in blood.
As Simon was forced to carry the bloody cross of Jesus, many thoughts were going through his head. What if the soldiers at the crucifixion site relate Simon to being crucified as well, as Jesus' blood on the cross, and probably gotten onto Simon's clothes? There might have been a possibility that when Simon arrived at Golgotha, the Roman soldiers there might have made a mistake in crucifying Simon, as it was a norm for the prisoner to carry his own cross to be crucified. There were no SNS, internet, or phones at that time, and it was a real possibility that the soldiers might mistakenly crucify Simon at Golgotha.
Simon's nice clothes and his plan for the afternoon were ruined as he came closer and closer to the crucifixion site. When he arrived, he saw two robbers already crucified and in great pain. As he drops the cross onto the ground, he finds his new clothes drenched in his sweat and the blood of Jesus. This was definitely not part of his plan but forced upon him.
As Jesus walked up behind him, Simon saw Jesus' bloody body lying helplessly on the cross and in pain as the Roman soldiers began to nail his hands and feet onto the cross. What thoughts were going through Simon's mind at that time? The soldier who wrote the title "Here, the king of the Jews" nailed it onto the cross of Jesus, and Simon became fascinated with who this person Jesus was. Later, we find out that he and his entire family became great leaders who played vital roles in establishing churches worldwide.
Had Jesus not allowed Simon, who did not know what was going on, to carry Jesus' cross, we could have given all kinds of excuses for not carrying our own cross. But because Simon carried Jesus' cross, then he had no relation to Jesus; we can effectively proclaim that we, too, can carry our own cross and follow Jesus.
The blood Jesus shed for us while carrying the cross is the power that gives all of his disciples the ability and courage to carry our own cross. When we see that even Simon, a nobody, carried the cross up, we can be courageous enough to carry our own cross. The power of Jesus's blood that he shed on the way to Golgotha gives the reason and power for all disciples to live a life as disciples of Jesus.
When we begin to meditate, pray, and apply the blood of Jesus, which he shed for us on the way to Golgotha, we will be strengthened by the power of the blood of Jesus and can receive the courage to carry our own cross.
For a Christian to be healthy, we must sleep or rest in Jesus. Just like sleep is essential to the health of our physical body, sleep or rest in Jesus is essential to our spiritual walk with Jesus. When Jesus came to the world, he came to do the works of the Father, and he completed them on the cross, when he said, It is finished. The very reliance of the blood of Jesus that he shed for us on the cross gives us the rest that our spirit needs. To sleep or rest in Jesus means to cease all our agendas. Many Christians fall into a trap that once you become a Christian, you must do so many things and not do so many things. Being a disciple becomes a matter of checking off a list of dos and don’ts. However, this is far from rest that Jesus gave us when he said, It is finished, on the cross. The rest comes to us when we die in Jesus. When we follow Jesus as a disciple, Jesus is inviting us to pick up our own cross, deny ourselves, and follow him. Where did Jesus end up? On the cross, and he died for the sins of the world. When apostle Paul stated that he had been crucified with Christ and he no longer lives, he was stating the mere nature of a disciple of Jesus. When Jesus invites us to die with him on the cross, it is not to destroy us or end us. Human nature is to struggle to survive and to have another breath. But to follow Jesus is to deny that very nature. How can it be done? It is impossible with human effort or will, as it is contrary to the very nature of humanity. When one becomes a disciple of Jesus, everyone has one or a few things that they cannot surrender to God. It may be finances, children, or even their own life. However, Jesus invites all of his disciples to give up that one thing that everyone has. Every Christian faces this question at some point in their walk with Jesus. They have eaten and drunk the flesh and blood of Jesus. They have tasted the goodness of the Lord and His mercies. They delight in worship and even give up many things for the Lord and His body. But that one thing, no matter how minor it seems, Jesus asks the question, “Can you give up that one thing for me?” Which is the question of death. The death of our old self. To Abraham, it was to offer Isaac on an altar. To Jacob, it was to deny his ability to cheat, steal, and lie. To the Apostles, it was to give up their life for the sake of the gospel. So many of our ancestors of faith have demonstrated giving up that one thing that matters the most to them for the sake of Jesus. Why would they do that? The most important question of all is, how were they able to do that for Jesus? The answer is simple: daily eat and drink Jesus’ body and blood; daily excrete out what the Holy Spirit is telling us; daily rest in Jesus. This daily trust and obedience provides us with a sense of security and guidance in our walk with Jesus. The death of oneself does not come from human effort nor willpower. It comes from trusting in Jesus even till death. It can only be done when one is deeply involved with Jesus and Jesus’ DNA becomes their DNA. Without questioning, they hear the voice of Jesus, respond, and lay down their lives and their most essential things for Jesus. It is a daily walk with Jesus and having a moment-by-moment relationship with Jesus. Jesus said My sheep hear my voice and follow me. It is interesting to note that when Jesus calls his sheep, it is among other sheep that are not of Jesus’. Jesus calls his sheep to take them through the valley of the shadow of death. Jesus’ sheep hear his voice and follow initially. Then, when the sheep sees Jesus walking away from the green pasture and onto the valley of the shadow of death, the sheep begins to wonder if the voice it hears is Jesus’ or not. But as Jesus continues to call the sheep, the sheep respond by trusting in Jesus’ voice, recognizing it as their own. But as the sheep nears the valley of the shadow of death, the sheep gets close to Jesus, embracing his breath, scent, and sweat. Following him closely, as he fears he might be lost if he does not hear the voice of his true shepherd. Ultimately, the valley of the shadow of death separates the true sheep of Jesus from other sheep. Jesus calls all of his disciples to carry the cross, deny oneself, and follow Jesus daily. Which ultimately leads to death. Death is not to end our essence but to deliver us from ourselves, our old ways of living, and to redefine our DNA to become like Jesus; ultimately leading us to the resurrection of Jesus, as he has said, I am the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus is not something that we find when the last day comes; the resurrection that Jesus gives us is the very nature of all of his disciples that must go through to become faithful followers of Jesus. Many modern Christians are what we might call 'zombie Christians'. This is not a metaphor, but a reality. When Jesus calls us to die with him, many reject this calling, believing it to be from Satan. They know deep down that it is the call of Jesus, but they prefer to be deceived in their hearts as it seems logical, reasonable, and satisfies their current values. However, when a Christian rejects the call of Jesus, the life of Jesus leaves that Christian, and that person becomes a 'zombie Christian'. A 'zombie Christian' is a person who knows about Jesus but does not follow Jesus because they have denied the call of Jesus to be his disciple. There are many 'zombie Christians'. Many become like Pharisees, and they are satisfied with knowing about the Scriptures, rather than obeying them. They begin to lose the joy, rest, and light of Jesus in their lives and begin to replace it with religious activities and the endless pursuit of knowledge about Christian life. When the Father speaks, He speaks once, and the Holy Spirit continuously reminds us to obey what the Father has said. However, once you become a zombie Christian, it is difficult to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, nor the voice of the Father. The Holy Spirit continuously prays to the Father with groaning that cannot be uttered because the Holy Spirit is in agony over the disobedient Christian. Just like the Prodigal Son, the Father waits for the son to return. An interesting observation can be made regarding the story of the Prodigal Son, that the father did not go after looking for the son, nor did the older brother. The reason the father did not go after the prodigal son was that the son made the choice, and the father respected the son's choice. But an interesting thing is that the older brother did not go after his brother, even though he could have. The older brother did not know the heart of the father, and when the prodigal son returned, the older son’s response reveals his true intentions. The Father waits for the zombie Christian to return. To return means to realize that their effort and ways of living caused much turmoil and must abide under the ruling of the Father. The Father gives another chance to zombie Christians. But when the second chance comes, the sacrifice that a zombie Christian makes seems greater than the first time. As that person has drifted away from the proper way of living and been replaced by religious activities that have no life. Every disciple of Jesus knows that one thing that Jesus asks us to give up. It is not to destroy us but to trust in the Lord. Just like when Peter asked Jesus to walk on water, Jesus is telling us to walk on water like Peter did. When we die in Jesus, it is the very spirit of Jesus that resurrects us. When we experience death and resurrection through Jesus, that is when we truly find the peace and rest that Jesus desires for us to have, not through religious activities, disciplines, and training. When we realize that our death does not lead to destruction, as the one inviting us to death is Jesus, who is life and resurrection, we trust in Jesus and follow through our death, and we wait on Jesus to resurrect us in his power and spirit. That is when we are truly free from the world and its bondages, and nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus. We become one with Jesus as we suffer with him, and we glory with him. We can become truly victorious in all aspects of our lives, not with our power or abilities, but by what Jesus has done for us in himself. A true crown of glory awaits those who follow Jesus even to death.
