This Lenten journey takes us to an awkward and painful stop. Geographically, it’s just outside the city of Jerusalem at a place known as the “Place of the Skull.” It’s tempting to rush past this ugly place. After all, what took place here was brutal, agonizing, and hard to watch. Who would want to linger here and think about the beaten and battered body of Jesus? Who would want to picture the iron spikes that pierced his hands and feet? Who wants to hear the agonized echo of his cry, “It is finished”? It’s not that we are ungrateful for what Jesus did, it’s just that it’s a painful sight. The road on this journey, though, must pass Golgotha. Crucified is a critical part of what happened. 

Sacrifice has always been the reason Jesus came. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1:15, “The saying is sure and …