This Holy Week, Christians have access to a remarkable gift. A map that offers a clearer picture of the final steps Jesus walked before His crucifixion.
Theologian and author John Walsh has reconstructed what he believes were Christ’s last movements through Jerusalem, using Scripture and archaeological evidence to trace the sacred path now known as the Via Dolorosa, the Way of Suffering.
The journey begins at the Temple Mount, where Jesus taught daily and drove out merchants and money changers. Standing on that same ground today, visitors can feel the weight of that moment. The Son of God boldly declared His Father’s house a place of worship, not commerce.
From there, Jesus and His disciples walked roughly a mile to the Upper Room on Mount Zion, a large furnished space that could hold more than 120 people. It was here that Jesus shared his final meal with the men he loved most. Luke 22:11-13 captures the quiet intimacy of that request. A table, a room and one last supper together before the weight of the world came to rest on his shoulders.
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The group then made their way to the Garden of Gethsemane, just outside the city walls. Walsh notes that archaeologists uncovered the remains of a ritual bath at the site in 2020, dating to the time of Jesus. It is a stunning detail that continues to confirm what believers have always known: these are real places where our real Savior walked.
What followed was a series of trials before Caiaphas, then Pontius Pilate at Herod’s Palace, before Jesus was forced to carry his cross approximately 2,650 feet to Golgotha. Theologians estimate that journey alone took at least three hours.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built in 326 AD, marks the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified. Just 300 feet away lies his burial site. While many hold that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre sits upon his tomb, others point to the Garden Tomb outside the Old City walls near the Damascus Gate. Whichever site holds that sacred memory, the truth at the center of both remains the same. The tomb is empty.
As we move through Holy Week, Walsh’s research is a powerful reminder that the gospel is not myth or metaphor. Every step Jesus took was real, every mile was walked in love, and every moment led to the resurrection that changed everything.
He walked that road for us.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
