The Way of Suffering

Reading of the Word

Matthew 27:22–31 NASB 2020

Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” But he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” Yet they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!” Now when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; you yourselves shall see.” And all the people replied, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort to Him. And they stripped Him and put a red cloak on Him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and put a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on Him, and took the reed and beat Him on the head. And after they had mocked Him, they took the cloak off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

Prayer of Illumination

Lord, your Word is a lamp unto our feet. During this Lent, send your Holy Spirit to illuminate our hearts, granting us wisdom to understand your call to repentance found in Scripture, and the strength to follow your light towards transformation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Introduction

The Via Dolorosa (the “Way of Suffering” or “Way of Sorrows” in Latin) is a route that winds through Jerusalem and is believed to be the path Jesus traveled while carrying the cross to the place of his execution. Today we’re going to take a look at some of Jesus’s last hours.

Though we often focus on the pain and humiliation that happened on the cross, it is important to acknowledge the significant amount of suffering Jesus endured on his way to the cross. Jesus’s suffering is a sober reminder of the high price paid for our forgiveness.

1. The Crowds Turned against Jesus

a. When Truth Stood Before Him: Pilate’s Dilemma

We cannot examine this text without focusing on a key figure who played a crucial role: Pontius Pilate.

a. Cruel leader

Put many innocent people, including Jesus, to death. Much of this was done to fulfill his agenda in Jerusalem.

Disrespected the religious customs

Took money from temple treasury to build a water system in Jerusalem.

Reckless governance - Even Roman authorities were concerned with how he ruled and the cruelty he displayed.

b. Weak leader

Allowed the people to sway him when he could have done what he wanted to.

Found Jesus innocent but still allowed him to be executed due to public opinion.

a. He tried to escape responsibility by relying on a tradition—offering to release either Barabbas or Jesus. But his plan didn’t work as he had hoped.

b. The people had Pilate cornered and something would be sacrificed: He had two choices: execute Jesus or risk losing his job and allowing a massive riot to break out.

In his weakness, he gives in and washes his hands of the situation.

a. He used the Jewish tradition of washing his hands for spiritual purity to try to shift the responsibility away from himself.

Tradition tells us that around 36 AD, Roman authorities called him out on his handling of this situation and made him execute himself.

a. The Crowd - The same people who flocked to see Jesus on Palm Sunday cried out asking officials to crucify him just a few days later. Jesus wasn’t executed by a few people while the masses passively looked on. The crowds all demanded his blood.

Sermon Illustration: The Power of the Crowd

Picture a packed stadium. The opposing team is driving, and the crowd erupts:

“DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE!”

The chant spreads, gaining power as more voices join in.

Now, imagine Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. Pilate presents Jesus and Barabbas. At first, murmurs—then a deafening cry:

“CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!”

Both crowds were swept up in the moment, following the voices around them. The question is: Would we have done the same?

Today, do we follow the crowd, or do we stand with Christ?

b. Even more, the people were proud to be killing Jesus. They shouted, “His blood is on us and our children!” (v. 25). This isn’t something they would say unless they were really sure that they had been wrong to laud Jesus earlier in the week, and that calling for his death was the truly right choice now (they changed their minds and decided he was a false and blasphemous messiah).

They were saying if we are wrong, let God’s curse be upon us and future generations. That’s serious stuff!

i. They took Pilate’s responsibility upon themselves.

They paid the price for their words when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed in 70 AD

They didn’t realize that having his Blood upon them and their children was exactly what was needed.

ii. They rejected the thought of him being the Messiah and the power that His Blood would have.

We want our individual lives covered by the Blood of Jesus!

We want our families and homes covered by the Blood of Jesus!

We want our church covered by the Blood of Jesus!

We want our community covered by the Blood of Jesus!

iii. The Blood will never lose its power!

2. Jesus Was Tortured

St. Matthew (Vol. II) Chapter 27

“The devil was then entering in fury into the hearts of all. For indeed they made a pleasure of their insults against him, being a savage and a worthless set” (Chrysostom, in loc.).

The Soldiers

a. Pilate hands him over to them to do their job that was more like a fun but cruel game to them.

A cohort gathers to do this. 600-1000 soldiers.

b. Jesus was flogged and handed over to be crucified. Before the physical pain of crucifixion, he endured the physical pain of being beaten and humiliated.

c. The guards stripped him of his clothes and put scarlet robes on him (royalty). They twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head (kingship). They placed a staff in his hand (power and sovereignty). Then they gathered and bowed in mock worship with one clear goal: they wanted to humiliate Jesus and the Jewish people, making light of the claims that he was king of the Jews.

d. Then they spit on him, took his staff, and hit him over the head with it. They took off the mock royal garb and replaced it with his own clothing. Then they dragged him out and forced him to carry his own cross to the place where they’d hang him. No wonder he needed help to get to Calvary.

3. Jesus Suffered

a. When we contemplate Jesus’s suffering, it’s important to remember that it was the price paid for our sin. We are able to be in right relationship with God because of that price. While that makes our path to God easier, we must remember there was nothing easy about the path Jesus walked.

He walked this for you and me. This is love!

Romans 5:8 NASB 2020

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

b. Reflecting on the depth of Jesus’s suffering should remind us that sin is never to be celebrated but always mourned. Even small sins are no boasting matter.

Galatians 1:3–5 NASB 2020

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

c. When we contemplate Jesus’s suffering, we can also consider our own suffering and find comfort in serving a God who understands that suffering.

Held Through the Pain

The pain was relentless. Surgery after surgery, I prayed for relief, but some nights, God felt distant.

Then, in the quiet, His words came that were to give me strength to make it day by day and to remind me God was even shining in my time of suffering and using this for His glory. : 

Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

I realized His presence wasn’t in the absence of pain but in the strength to endure it. He was there—in the prayers, in the kindness of others, in thE moments I could still hold on.

The suffering remained, but so did His unwavering love. And that was enough.

d. When Jesus prayed in the garden before he was betrayed, he was strengthened for this very suffering that was to come.

Psalm 46:1 NASB 2020

God is our refuge and strength, A very ready help in trouble.

e. We should remember that when we are suffering, we can pray for help to sustain us during those hard times.

Even as he prepared to face unimaginable suffering, his immediate response was to pray for us, before taking that fateful walk.

f. God hears our prayers and cares for you!

1 Peter 5:7 NASB 2020

having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you.

g. Just as God provided Jesus with the strength to endure his suffering, we also find strength in God’s Spirit to face trials.

He understands suffering.

At times life will overwhelm us. But Jesus will be there every step of the way, giving us all we need to make it through the storms of life.

Conclusion

There is a powerful and gut-wrenching scene in the Chronicles of Narnia movie The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This movie is an allegory about Jesus’s sacrifice. When Aslan—the lion who is the Jesus figure in the film—stands trial and is killed in someone else’s place, the viewers can feel the intense emotion. Perhaps it’s because the filmmakers did an excellent job drawing out the ghoulish evil it would take to mock a strong lion that willingly offered himself up for execution. Or maybe it’s knowing that it isn’t just a movie but a retelling of the true story of our Savior’s death.

What good does it do for us to consider such grisly details? When we take time to truly consider Jesus’s suffering, we understand what a precious cost Jesus paid for us to have a right relationship with God. Sometimes we want to sugarcoat and sterilize it to make it easier to swallow. But Jesus’s death was anything but sugarcoated and sterilized. Seeing the reality of his suffering helps us emotionally connect with the immensity of what happened that day.

These events, though horrific, can also offer us comfort. When we go through suffering, we know we serve a God who has been there. We can find comfort this knowledge in the same way we do when we find someone who truly understands us.

Prayer Following Message

Gracious God,

Your Word today showed us Jesus's brutal suffering on his way to the cross. Illuminate our hearts to understand the immense price he paid for our forgiveness. Help us face this reality with gratitude and sorrow for our sins.

Grant us strength to stand firm in faith, choose righteousness, and find comfort in our own trials, knowing Jesus understands. Empower us to cast our anxieties on him.

May this reflection on his suffering deepen our understanding of his love and transform us to live worthy of his sacrifice.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Blessing and Sending

As Lent turns to Holy Week, let us prepare our hearts for the journey ahead. We follow Christ on the road of suffering into the cross, knowing we are no match for the steadfast love of God. His mercy carries us, His grace sustains us.

May God guide you through the desert places, may Christ lead you into knowing him more deeply, and may the Holy Spirit fill you with faith overflowing: that as you share in Christ’s suffering, you will also trust the power of his resurrection.