Stations of the Cross
Opening
Prayer
Lord God of compassion and mercy, in love You sent Your Son that I might be cleansed of sin and live with You forever. Help me reflect on Jesus’ suffering and death that I may remember His great sacrifice for me, thank Him for His atonement of my sins, and commit to take up my cross daily and follow Him. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
1) Gethsemane: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
READ: Matthew 26:36-41
"Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, 'Sit here while I go over there to pray.' He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. He told them, 'My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.' He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, 'My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.' Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, 'Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!'”
PRAY: Lord, forgive me for not keeping watch with You, not staying close to You, for being spiritually asleep when I should be awake to the needs around me. Help me learn from the anguish You suffered in Gethsemane and yet the resolve to keep the Father’s will in the face of adversity. Amen.
2) Betrayal: Jesus, Betrayed by Judas, is Arrested
READ: Mark 14:43-46
"And immediately, even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders. The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: 'You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Then you can take him away under guard.' As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. 'Rabbi!' he exclaimed, and gave him the kiss."
PRAY: Lord, how many times have I betrayed you with my words or actions? How many
times do I say “Lord” while turning myself over to the leading of the world? Forgive me and help me follow You and be a force for good and not for evil. Amen.
3) Condemned: Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin
READ: Luke 22:66-71
"At daybreak all the elders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. Jesus was led before this high council, and they said, 'Tell us, are you the Messiah?' But he replied, 'If I tell you, you won’t believe me. And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated in the place of power at God’s right hand.' They all shouted, 'So, are you claiming to be the Son of God?' And he replied, 'You say that I am.' 'Why do we need other witnesses?' they said. 'We ourselves heard him say it.'"
PRAY: Lord, I say You’re the Messiah, but do I really defend You when others bring You into question? My lack of defense condemns You all over again. Forgive me and give me courage and conviction to proclaim You in front of others. Amen.
4) Denied: Jesus is Denied by Peter
READ: Matthew 26:69-75
"Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, 'You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.' But Peter denied it in front of everyone. 'I don’t know what you’re talking about,' he said. Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, 'This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.' Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. 'I don’t even know the man,' he said. A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, 'You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.' Peter swore, 'A curse on me if I’m lying — I don’t know the man!' And immediately the rooster crowed. Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: 'Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.' And he went away, weeping bitterly."
PRAY: Lord, forgive me when I deny You. Help me not just follow from afar and warm
myself with comforts of the world. Give me a spirit of courage to overcome fear and
speak the truth even when difficult. Amen.
5) Judged: Jesus is Judged by Pilate
READ: Mark 15:1-5,15
"Very early in the morning the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law — the entire high council — met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor. Pilate asked Jesus, 'Are you the king of the Jews?' Jesus replied, 'You have said it.' Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes, and Pilate asked him, 'Aren’t you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?' But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate’s surprise."
PRAY: Lord, You don’t need to defend Yourself. You are King of kings and Lord of lords. Forgive me when I make you anything less. Amen.
6) Scourged: Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns
READ: John 19:1-3
"Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. 'Hail! King of the Jews!' they mocked, as they slapped him across the face."
PRAY: Lord, You endured terrible suffering on my behalf by being whipped, beaten,
bloodied, mocked, and humiliated. This should have been my suffering, my penalty for sin. But instead, You put Yourself in my place. I’m overwhelmed by Your love for me. By Your stripes I am healed. Amen.
7) Burdened: Jesus Bears the Cross
READ: John 19:6,15-17
"When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guardsbegan shouting, 'Crucify him! Crucify him!' 'Take him yourselves and crucify him,' Pilate said. 'I find him not guilty.' 'Away with him,' they yelled. 'Away with him! Crucify him!' 'What? Crucify your king?' Pilate asked. 'We have no king but Caesar,' the leading priests shouted back. Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha)."
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PRAY: Lord, I’m so quick to point my finger and cast blame for things I’m to blame for. We’ve all sinned and fallen short. But you were willing to take on my sin and take up
Your cross for me. Thank You, for taking up the cross for me. Amen.
8) Cyrenian: Jesus is Helped by Simon the Cyrenian to Carry the Cross
READ: Mark 15:21
"A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. (Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.)"
PRAY: Lord, give me a willing spirit to be your instrument on earth. Help me faithfully bear my cross each day and follow Your example. Amen
9) Mourned: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
READ: Luke 23:27-31
"A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. But Jesus turned and said to them, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ People will beg the mountains,‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?'”
PRAY: Lord, grant me a gentle spirit that I may comfort those who mourn. Help me be Your witness while there’s still time. Help me bear fruit while the tree is still green. Amen
10) Crucified: Jesus is Crucified
READ: Luke 23:33-34
"When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified — one on his right and one on his left. Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.' And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice."
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PRAY: Lord, it seems upside down to call it “Good” Friday when You were so horribly
tortured, being nailed to a cross. Yet Your atoning sacrifice and shed blood is what makes the cross the symbol and central message of our faith. You suffered and died for me. Thank You for Your sacrifice to save me from my sin. Amen
11) Thief: Jesus Promises His Kingdom to the Good Thief
READ: Luke 23:39-43
"One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, 'So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself — and us, too, while you’re at it!' But the other criminal protested, 'Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.' And Jesus replied, 'I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.'"
PRAY: Lord, thank You for mercy to the very end of our lives. Just as You promised
Paradise to the thief, so too, the same promise stands for me if I confess You as King of kings over my life. Thank You that, after this life ends, I can live with You in Paradise. Amen
12) Mother: Jesus Speaks to His Mother and the Disciple
READ: John 19: 25-27
"Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, 'Dear woman, here is your son.' And he said to this disciple, 'Here is your mother.' And from then on this disciple took her into his home."
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PRAY: Lord, even in Your agony, You were still caring for others, loving Your mother, and making sure she had a safe place to call home. Help me follow Your example and make a practice of looking out for the needs of others. Amen
13) Death: Jesus Dies on the Cross
READ: Luke 23:44-46
"By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, 'Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!' And with those words he breathed his last."
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PRAY: Lord, all Creation and the Cosmos mourned Your death, with even the sun
turning to darkness. It was a cataclysmic event that shook the earth and tore the Temple veil. You surrendered Your life and gave it up for me. Your death once and for all paid the debt for my sin and all mankind. What amazing grace and sacrifice. Thank You for dying on the cross for me. Help me die to myself and live for You. Amen.
14) Tomb: Jesus is Placed in the Tomb
READ: Matthew 27:57-60
"As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left."
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PRAY: Lord, Your body was wrapped and placed in a tomb with a stone rolled across
the entrance. You were tortured, crucified and buried. What a horrible day to take in. You took our penalty and wrote our names on Your pierced hands so we could live with You forever. There is no resurrection Sunday without Good Friday. Thank You for going to the Cross for me. I will be forever grateful. Amen
