In songs like “Glory To the Lamb” and “Worthy Is the Lamb (seated on the throne)”, we praise Jesus for being the Lamb upon the throne. Before Jesus was the Lamb upon the throne, He was (had to be) the Lamb upon the cross.
Before Jesus became our righteousness, He had to become our sin. “He [Father] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [Jesus].” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
He had to walk down and endure the Via Dolorosa- the way of pain, suffering, grief, sorrows, anguish; the way to the cross. Jesus had to descend in order to ascend, decrease in order to be magnified, lose His life in order to find it. He had to take up His cross in order to take up His holy, eternal throne. He had to be crucified in order to be glorified. He had to die in the flesh in order to be resurrected in glory.
“…For the joy set before Him, [Jesus] endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)
Jesus declares that we must do the same to be His disciples and inherit God’s kingdom. Jesus never commanded anyone to do anything that He Himself did not do.
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross (daily), and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake (and the gospel’s) shall find (save) it.”(Mat. 16:24-25, Mark 8:34-35, Luke 9:23-24)
“And he who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it.” (Mat. 10:38-39)
“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:27)
Just as the Via Dolorosa was the Father’s plan, purpose, calling for His Son, this “way” is also His plan, purpose and calling for us who are His chosen and beloved adopted sons and daughters. God has chosen and predestined us to eternal salvation, eternal glory and an eternal throne, but the only WAY to get there is the Via Dolorosa. THIS is what Jesus meant when He said, “I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. No one can approach the Father except through Me.” There is no other “way” for us to truly be His disciples, save and find our lives, and inherit our eternal crowns and thrones of glory that have been prepared for us. To the world, this way looks like destruction, disaster, ruin, and failure, but to God it is the way to life, salvation and victory!
“Viva la Via Dolorosa!”