The Original Green Mile

In 1999, a movie came out called the Green Mile.  This movie is based on the events that happened on a death row ward during the great depression.  The story revolves around John Coffey and the many different supernatural events that occur while he awaits his execution.  The movie is called the green mile because there is a hallway that the inmates have to walk down to reach the electric chair when it is time for their execution.  The floor of the hallway is green linoleum. 

When a person is sentenced to death, they are put on death row.  On death row, there is often a long appeals process that they go through.  This can take years.  While on death row an inmate might be isolated or in a special ward that is only for death row inmates.  They are however treated with respect and receive meals and the proper standards of living while they are waiting to see what will happen.   Eventually however if their appeals run out they have to take the walk to the execution area.  One can only imagine what this walk must be like.  When they reach the execution area, they are humanely put to death.  For centuries inmates have walked “The Green Mile,” but the original “Green Mile” was walked by Jesus.

When Jesus was arrested and his fate decided, he was taken by soldiers and flogged, mocked, and spat upon.   When they had finished, stripped to nothing but his loin cloth, bloody and beaten, they forced Jesus to carry his own cross on his back through the streets.  Stumbling under the weight of the cross, dehydrated from the lack of water, exhausted from flogging, Jesus started to take the long walk to where he would be crucified.  This public display of a man headed to his own inhumane execution must have been a truly gut wrenching experience for the family, friends, and follows of Jesus who watched him struggle.  On the way when the cross became too heavy, the soldiers forced a man named, Simon to carry the cross the rest of the way.

Upon reaching the placed called Golgotha, Jesus was crucified and nailed to the cross.  People would pass by and hurl insults at him and shake their heads.  They told him to come down if he truly was the son of God.  After a lengthy time upon the cross, Jesus asked God “why have you forsaken me?” Soon after, he died and became seated at the right hand of God the father.

During an early period in history when being humane was not an issue with the way things were done in society, Jesus was forced to take the original walk to his execution.  He was forced to carry the cross on which he was crucified.  With the sun beating down, a lack of water and food, the pain of not only the heavy wooden cross but the flogging and beating that he had just taken, Jesus walked “The Green Mile.”  He walked with those that loved him watching him and those that didn’t believe in him.  He walked to his death, but he also walked so that we all would be forgiven all our sins. 

Jesus walked.  He was crucified.  He died and was buried.  On the third day he rose again.