Down the Via Dolorosa

Via Dolorosa (Latin for "Way of Grief") is a street in the Old City of Jerusalem. Traditionally, it is held to be the path that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion, although this is uncertain. It is marked by nine of the fourteen Stations of the Cross. The last five stations are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is a focus of pilgrimage. Whereas the names of many roads in Jerusalem are translated into English, Hebrew, and Arabic for their signs, the name Via Dolorosa is used in all three languages. Sandi Patti sings an awesome song with that exact title. Here are some of the lyrics:
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.

Crucifixtion on the cross signified the loss of everything, utter humiliation. Jesus did not die any death but was "given up for us all" in a very cruel and contemptible way.
Galatians 3:13-14
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Here Paul quotes from Deuteronomy explaining that Christ Himself bore the curse which was ours to bear. Man deserves to die because He doesn’t measure up to God’s holiness, yet Christ bore upon Himself the curse which should have been ours along with the penalty of death. This is the significance of the cross, that our curse could be exchanged for an eternal blessing because Christ bore our curse by being hung on a tree.

Through the cross, we are given freedom:
- Freedom from the law
Romans 7:6 - But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
- Freedom from being slaves of sin and passions
Romans 6:6-7 - For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin — because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
- Freedom from being enslaved by death
Romans 8:1-2 - Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
- Freedom to overcome the world and the evil one
1 John 5:4-5 - For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
With this freedom, we are to be slaves of righteousness, slaves of Jesus Christ. He died for us so we may live for him (2 Cor. 5:14-15). This is how we should respond to the love of God shown to us in the cross of Christ.

When we consider the cross and all that Christ has done for us, we have to be encouraged and not grow weary and lose heart. Let us not sit on the sideline but instead take claim to the abundant and victorious life that He has given to us!
Hebrews 12:2-3
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.