When you hear the term “death march”, what comes to your mind? Most Americans think of either the “trail of tears march” or the “Bataan march”.
The “trail of tears march” was actually several marches over 20 years, 1830-1850. The United States government passed the Indian Removal Act, and relocated 100,000 Indians from different tribes to various parts of the Oklahoma Territory. 16,000 died on the trail. Infamous? YES! The worst of all? No.
The 10 day “Bataan march” began April 9, 1942. in the Philippine Islands during WW 2. Of the 76,000 captives (66,000 Filipino, 10,000 Americans) deaths totals during the march were: 600 Americans, 9,500 Filipinos. Another 1,500 Americans died shortly afterwards. Infamous? Absolutely! The worst of all? No.
Another little-known series of marches are called the “Holocaust Death Marches”. During WW2, as Russian and American troops grew closer to the concentration camps inside Germany, SS Nazi troops began moving 750,000 captives from several of the concentration camps to other parts of Germany. Why? To prevent Allied forces from freeing them and discovering the atrocities they had committed. 250,000 died during the freezing winter marches. Infamous?
Positively! The worst of all? No.
If these horrifying, barbaric cruelties were not the worst of all, then what was the gravest death-march in all of human history? The details of the march are recorded in the Bible:
Mt 27: 31-34; Mk 15:20-23; Lk 23:26-33a; Jn 19:16-17. It began in Jerusalem, either at Antonia Fortress or Herod’s Palace and ended outside the city wall on a hill called Golgotha (place of the skull) in Aramaic, later referred to as Mount Calvary. Only 3 prisoners made the march of either a 400 yds or 700 yds, depending on which beginning point is correct. With only 3 deaths and details of only 1 of the 3, how can this march be considered the worst of all?
Answer? Because that “1” was the Son of God, divinity in a fleshly body, God incarnate, deity Himself. The Gospel’s record supplies at least 14 places where Jesus prophesied His death, that He was doing it willingly and that He had 12 legions of angels at His disposal to stop the agony and deliver Him. But He chose to endure 100% of the pain and disgrace. Why? So that every human could have a Savior to surrender to and find forgiveness of sin and salvation.
If those in the “trail of tears march” could have stopped the pain and relocation and crushed their enemy, do you think they would have? What about those in the “Bataan march”? Would they have suffered willingly if they had another option? How about those on the “Holocaust Death Marches”? They all would have stopped their suffering in a flash.
Jesus could have stopped everything and didn’t. THAT IS WHY JESUS’ DEATH MARCH IS THE MOST INFAMOUS OF ALL TIME! And He endured all that suffering for you and me. Have you received conviction of your sin from the Holy Spirit?
Have you repented of your sin?
Have you surrendered to Jesus?
Are you ALL-IN with Jesus?
Have you been baptized into Christ?
If not, now is the best time to do all of the above.
If you have, are you living the life of a faithful follower of Jesus? If not, if you have wandered off-track, now is the best time to repent again and return to salvation. God bless.
Mike “Pawdad” Sublett, Pastor @ Hi-Land Christian Church, Pampa, Texas 79065, 630-730-8015
