What did it all matter in the end? Jesus had been with His disciples for over three years, teaching them, leading them, building them. He’d done many miracles. He’d proven He was the Son of God. And now it was time for the culmination of the whole plan, but that meant His death, a painful and seemingly hopeless end until He rose again from the grave in victory. But along the way to that happy ending was a road of burdens, heavy and weighty, on those watching it unfold in real time.

Matthew 27:3-5
Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

There was Judas bearing the burden of betrayal. He had been a disciple of Jesus. He had had intimate moments with Jesus beyond what the multitudes would have experienced. There was more time and thus more moments for connection, more opportunities to better understand who Jesus truly was. But Judas was distracted by his own goals and ambitions, selfish wants and greed that drove him to the doorstep of the Pharisees to exchange Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. He’d eaten a meal with Jesus at that final Passover. Jesus had washed his feet. But still he went out to do his evil deed. Perhaps he really hadn’t considered what might happen, what the Pharisees had in mind for Jesus, or maybe he didn’t care as long as he got what he wanted. But in the end, he was left only with a guilty conscience, unable, on his own, to make anything right.

Matthew 27:17-24
Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

There was Pilate bearing the burden of his decision—Jesus or Barabbas? As the governor of this part of the Roman Empire, it was up to him to keep the peace, to keep the locals in line, and to punish wrongdoers for their crimes. But suddenly he was faced with something he probably could have never imagined: a truly innocent man condemned to death by the rulers of His own people. A real criminal, proven to be a murderer, proven to be dangerous to Rome, was set up to be set free. And it was all down to what Pilate would choose. Surely he wrestled with that decision. First he sent Jesus off to Herod, maybe hoping to pass off the responsibility. He’d gone back and forth with the Pharisees. He questioned and examined Jesus himself. His wife warned him about getting involved. But in the end, he washes his hands of the matter and delivers Jesus to the will of the people, to death by crucifixion, and releases Barabbas in His place.

Matthew 27:32
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

There is Simon bearing the burden of the cross. Simon had not been condemned to death, but he carried the cross of Jesus. He bore the weight of it and felt the roughness of it. He saw Jesus up close, yet to be crucified but already bloodied and battered from the scourging and abuse at the hands of the soldiers. The crowds were shouting as they trekked to Golgotha. The frenzy and chaos of the moment surrounded him. And as he dragged that heavy wood up the hill, what was he thinking? How did it feel to walk so closely with Jesus as He went to His death? Perhaps he thought of his own life, his own sin. Perhaps he wished he could take Jesus’ place. Perhaps he had compassion for the agony and physical weakness that Jesus must have displayed. How heavy all of that would have been to bear.

Matthew 27:39-44
And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

There are the people bearing the burden of unbelief. They stand mocking Jesus until the very end. They have come to their own conclusion about who Jesus is and what they needed to change their minds. But it was too late for any of that. Jesus had done more than enough to prove who He was. Scripture was fulfilled in front of their eyes, in their generation, as they went about their daily lives. And they refused it all. Jesus’ words and their own on this day echo from words written in Scripture long before they were even alive, and yet they are blind, as Jesus had told them. They refuse to see truth, and so they, too, will bear the consequences of their decision to reject their King.

Matthew 27:45-50
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

There is Jesus bearing the burden of all sin of all people for all time. He’d made the trek. He’d endured the scourging. The nails were hammered in. The cross was lifted up. The pain was real. The torture was unbearable. But this is where He always knew He would end up. Love had driven Him here, and even now His signature grace and compassion poured out from Him. “Forgive them,” He says. “Take my life,” He asks of His Father. “I’m doing it for them.” So the sinless one shed His blood. He became sin for us. He died so we wouldn’t have to be separated from Him forever, so that forgiveness and redemption could be ours. But it cost Him everything. His blood flowed out. The Father turned away. He dismissed His spirit. It was finished.

Matthew 27:55-56
And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.

There are those who loved Him bearing the heaviness of grief, mourning on the sidelines, not quite understanding just what was happening and why. They’d believed in Jesus. They’d followed faithfully. And now suddenly He was gone. Confusion and questions probably rose up in their minds. Maybe doubt. Maybe fear. What now? What next? Perhaps a deep sense of sadness and hopelessness filled them. What did it mean to lose Jesus? It is a sorrow we can never know. They looked on so helpless as the end, seemingly, had come.

Matthew 27:57-60
When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

There is Joseph bearing the burden of the burial, the dead weight of a dead body. He took down the body from the cross. He wrapped it in the linen cloths. He added the load of spices. He laid Jesus in a new tomb and rolled a heavy stone in front. He perhaps more than anyone saw what the crucifixion had done to Jesus’ body, the wounds that were inflicted, the amount of blood that there would have been. But he undertook that task and, in doing so, offered some dignity to a humiliated Savior who surrendered His life but would once again return to that body in its glorified form.

Matthew 27:62-64
Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

There are the Pharisees bearing the burden of their deception. They would spread their lies and give the soldiers a lot of money to perpetuate the story, to avoid truth at all costs. They would seek to make their version of events the one that was told in Jerusalem and beyond. But how fruitless it all was, to cling so desperately to what they had, their self-righteousness, their power and control, instead of surrendering it all to one who could be their Lord and Savior. In the end, they really couldn’t bear the thought that Jesus was God and they were wrong.

Matthew 27:65-66
Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

There are the soldiers bearing the burden of the watch, standing guard at a tomb that would soon be empty, sealing a stone that would soon be rolled away. Even the bravest and the strongest could not stand against the power of God. Surely a spear and a shield were harmless against Almighty God. Surely there was nothing that could prevent what would happen next.

Matthew 28:1-20
In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

So there is Jesus risen from the dead, triumphant and victorious over sin and the grave, ushering in new life for all who would believe on Him. So then these burdens are lifted. We start with that burden of guilt, knowing that we have sinned against a holy God and caused His death because of our own unrighteousness. Then we decide whether we will choose Jesus’ way or the world’s way. We bear our cross up the hill and put to death our old man. We trade our unbelief for faith in Christ. We trust in His sacrifice to atone for our sins. We are set free from judgment and condemnation. Our grief turns to joy. We rejoice to know that Jesus is alive, and now, finally, so are we, truly and eternally alive in Christ because of what He has done for us. There is freedom in that and hope that can’t come from anywhere else. May we understand this Easter the true burden that Jesus bore on our behalf, and then may we lay all of our burdens at His feet and rest in His completed work.