26 As the soldiers led Him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him to carry behind Jesus.

27 A great number of people followed Him, including women who kept mourning and wailing for Him. 28 But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 Look, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!’ 30 At that time
‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
and to the hills, “Cover us!”’

31 For if men do these things while the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Rebecca Shead

As we continue the story of Jesus’ journey to his crucifixion, two things stand out to me from this passage. First, I was reminded that earlier Jesus had told his disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). I suspect the disciples never guessed that Jesus might have meant it literally! Here we see a bystander being forced to carry the cross for Jesus. Presumably Jesus’ disciples are included in “the great number of people” who were following him on the road (v27), but they are out of sight and certainly at this point they are not willing to take up their cross to follow Jesus.

Second, Jesus speaks with compassion to the women who are following behind him and grieving his imminent death. I find it astounding that even in his severe pain and suffering, and knowing he’s about to be nailed to a cross, Jesus is thinking of others. He is warning the women of the judgment that is coming. The quotation in verse 30 is from Hosea 10:8, a chapter which details the terrible suffering in store for Israel because they rejected God as their rightful king. However, Jesus is about to face the full force of that punishment, on the cross, so that everyone who puts their trust in him doesn’t have to face it themselves.

Just a few verses later in Hosea 10:12 it says, “For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain”. Praise God that through Jesus’ death on the cross, we can be made righteous! We don’t need to fear the judgment that is coming, because Jesus died for us. Let’s share that good news with our friends and family who don’t yet trust Jesus, and pray for God to save them from the coming judgment!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.