Before Easter…the Stations of the Cross
The Season of Lent for the Christian is an important time to read in detail from the Gospels( New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) the events that happened when Jesus Christ went to His death by crucifixion.
The season of Lent is from Ash Wednesday through Good Friday, which was the day Christ was crucified and into Holy Saturday. It is an extremely somber time leading up to Easter Sunday, which is the glorious resurrection of Christ from the dead.
Not only does the New Testament give this account, but parts of the Old Testament give the crucifixion as a prophecy of the events to happen. One of these is in Psalms 21, “My God, my God why have You forsaken me…O myGod, I cry out by day and you answer not. I cry out by night and there is no relief for me. All my bones are racked. My heart has become like wax melting away within my chest. My throat is dried up like baked clay, My tongue cleaves to my jaw. They have pierced my hands and my feet…” Psalm 68 “…in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”
In this blog, we will present a pictorial presentation of the 14 Stations of the Cross. These “stations” hang in many churches and cathedrals around the world. Having originated in Jerusalem where they tried to duplicate Jesus’ trip on the Via Dolorosa. Jerusalem fell to the forces of Saladin, the first sultan of Egypt and Syria in 1187. Forty years later Saint Francis of Assisi, a Franciscan, came back to Jerusalem and proclaimed certain holy places as places of Christian devotion. During the 15th and 16th centuries, they built outdoor shrines which later were introduced as stations.
What exactly are the Stations of the Cross?
Faithful Christians, in many churches, read the gospels as they visit these stations to remember the suffering of the Savior…usually on Fridays. There are traditionally 14 pictorial stations mounted on church walls. The resurrection station is sometimes included as the last station because without the resurrection of Christ, there is no gospel.
Pictures of selected Stations of the Cross:
Inside Stations of the Cross at Immaculate Conception in Hong Kong
Example of Stations of the Cross (Tango Photo)
Outside Stations of the Cross
A Station of the Cross in Jerusalem
Below is a pictorial version of each of the Stations of the Cross:
1st Station: Jesus is condemned to death.
2nd Station: Jesus carries His cross by artist Piombo
3rd Station: Jesus Falls the first time Art by Morales
4th Station: Jesus Meets His Mother, Mary Artist unknown
5th Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus (painting by Titan)
6th Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus (from a film)
7th Station: Jesus Falls the 2nd Time (by Tournier)
8th Station: Jesus sees the women
9th Station: Jesus falls a 3rd time (artist Tissot)
10th Station: Jesus is stripped of his clothing (artist Padova)
11th Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross (by Fenzoni)
12 Station: Jesus dies on the cross (Sculptor unknown)
13th Station: The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross. (Artist is Rubens)
14th Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb (artist is Schedoni)
The last station represents the resurrection when Jesus appeared to the people and showed the scars in His hands. (Resurrection blog to follow on Easter morning)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that Whosoever believes on Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. John3:16
