When Jesus was arrested, the disciples bolted and ran. At the crucifixion itself, I’m guessing some of them felt close to despair. They deserted Him because they were flat-out scared, and the best some of them could manage while Jesus was on the cross was to watch from a distance.
Living in fear.
There are plenty of Very Bad Things that can cause folks to live in fear. At the Easter season, it seems right to deal decisively with fears and embrace the cross.