Stations of the Cross
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Stay with me,
remain here with me;
watch and pray,
watch and pray.
We offer these scriptural stations of the cross
as a means to enter the “abyss of wonders” of the cross of Christ.
As you visit each station, take time for three movements:
Behold: Look upon each moment of your Lord’s journey with your true imagination.
Speak: Express the the cry of your heart that arises in response to Him.
Listen: Wait. Receive. Welcome the Holy Spirit to pray through you.
The journey of the cross may stir your heart in many ways. Some possibilities to watch for:
Identification
As we embrace the Lord’s identification with our suffering, we are healed.
His journey to the cross resonates with every human story,
for He truly took upon Himself the burdens of the guilty, the poor, and the powerless.
In these scenes we witness Him bearing all that would kill our souls and spirits:
betrayal, accusation, injustice, abandonment, torture, degradation, mockery, shame, violation, physical agony, bitter grief, utter weakness, and the chasm of death itself.
As He takes all the worst that evil can give, He has the victory.
In this journey He breaks the bondage of sin and death over our race,
and as we meditate on His cross today, its power is again let loose.
Grieving over sin
As we behold the Man, we may receive the gift of a broken heart.
Let it break, for this is a suitable day to weep over our sin,
the sin of our families, tribes, and nations, the sin of God’s people, and of the world.
We are free to confess as the Spirit leads,
“It was my sin that held Him there; it was our sin that held Him there.”
As we confess, we cry out for God’s mercy and forgiveness, for ourselves and for all.
Intercession for the poor
Through His perfect obedience and righteous sacrifice,
Christ continues to actively bear the pain that mankind could not and cannot escape.
As we behold the Man through these stations,
the Spirit may stir us to intercession.
The power of His cross is active today
for those preyed on by human evil,
for victims of systemic injustice,
for those living in material or spiritual poverty,
and for the persecuted Church.
Worshipping our crucified King
Good Friday stands at the center of history,
as the One who is lifted up draws all men to Him.
Behold Christ’s humility, courage, and mercy on scandalous display
as He entrusts Himself fully to His Father and pours out His very life.
Here we find a love we can trust, worship, and adore,
today and forever and ever.
What language shall I borrow to thank thee, dearest Friend,
for this, thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end?
O make me thine forever; and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to thee.
Are you ready? Begin here with the first station.
If you’d like to circle back when finished and spend more time at a particular station, you can access them all here:
First Station: Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane
Second Station: Jesus betrayed by Judas and arrested
Third Station: Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin
Fourth Station: Jesus is denied by Peter
Fifth Station: Jesus is judged by Pilate
Sixth Station: Jesus is flogged and crowned with thorns
Seventh Station: Jesus carries the cross
Eighth Station: Simon helps Jesus carry his cross
Ninth Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
Tenth Station: Jesus is crucified
Eleventh Station: Jesus promises to remember thief
Twelfth Station: Jesus speaks with Mary and John
Thirteenth Station: Jesus dies on the cross
Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb
Painting: Rembrandt, 1634, Christ and His Disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane