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Station 4 is for me a reminder that Jesus is a man. The real station is Jesus meeting his mother and a remembrance of Simeon, the old prophet saying to Mary: “This child is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, a sign that will be opposed. And you yourself shall be pierced with a sword, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be laid bare.”
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth.
It is a reminder that Jesus demonstrates who God is to us. If we have seen Jesus we have seen the Father. Jesus made God real and real personal. He came and dwelled with his creation, he loved and touched and felt and lived.
Jesus isn’t JUST a man. He is also the Son of God and the Creator and Lord of Lords and King of Kings and equal to God. He is the image of God. In Him dwells the Godhead bodily. Jesus is the I AM.
1 Peter 1:18-19 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot;
The journey to the cross didn’t begin on the day of the trial, or even at the last supper. Really the journey to the cross began before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20 indeed having been foreknown before the foundation of the world, but revealed in the last times for you, those believing in God through Him, He who raised Him up from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope might be in God.) and is shadowed throughout the Old Testament in the lamb that was slain at passover and in blood sacrifices for sin. It began when Jesus left heaven and made himself no reputation, submitting to Father God, surrendering and being born as a man, living in obedience and love, demonstrating the Kingdom of God.
Philippians 2:5-11 For let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him, and has given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of heavenly ones, and of earthly ones, and of ones under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Today as I think about the cross and Jesus carrying his cross I am amazed that he did it for me, that that is MY cross and guilt and shame that he carrys. So that I can be a child of God he took the punishment so that I can have life. He paid the price. Behold the King. Behold the Son of Man. Watch Him carry your cross, my cross.
Hebrews 12:2 looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God.
Station 6 signifies Veronica wiping Jesus’ face. “He who welcomes you welcomes me; and he who welcomes me, welcomes him who sent me. And I promise that whoever gives a cup of cold water will not want for a reward.”
this is one of the “disputed” stations. It isn’t mentioned in the bible but is mentioned in Christian history/lore.
again…. <!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} p {margin-right:0cm; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –>
The purpose of the stations of the cross is to stop and meditate about each stage of the events leading to and including Jesus’ death and resurrection.
For me it is an opportunity to pause and in a way kneel and honour my Lord for his sacrifice and his salvation wrought on the cross for me. I am not a catholic nor do i belong to a church that has pictures of the stations or contemplates them in any way. but as a christian i like things that make me stop and reflect and pray and worship and in a more real way, not just for meditation sake, but for real life transformation and knowning God, make me draw near to him.
my intention here is not to debate the validity of what happened. I am sure that there were people, especially women, who followed Jesus all the way to the cross and that loved him and wanted to help him as he carried his cross. It is a very natural expression of love and concern to wipe the face of someone who would be covered in blood and dirt. It is a simple thing to do. It is an act filled with compassion and courage.
To reach out and touch Jesus and wipe his face took courage because he was a condemned man, condemned by the rulers of the city and condemned by the very people lining the streets beside her. Yet she made the choice to reach out and clean his face – to defy the rulers and to defy the people. Her Lord was more important than the consequences of standing still and doing nothing.
Station 6 reminds us to act with courage and compassion. It reminds us to value the “opinion” of God over that of the crowd that has rejected and opposed him. we can be confident that God is with us and that God sees and that God will reward our faithfulness.
We need to follow the example of Daniel and his friends who were told to worship false gods and to stop praying to God, and yet prayed and stood tall. They were prepared for the consequences – punishment and death, because they valued the opinion of God more, and knew he was faithful and just.
“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all you that hope in the Lord (Psalms 31:24).”
Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.—Thoreau
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. –Martin Luther King Jr
I lean towards prayer and worship and also admire the meditative lifestyles of saints of old and saints of now.
while I am not catholic or endorsing a denomination I thought I would use the stations of the cross as a springboard for my devotions. This was semi inspired by a wedding I attended in a beautiful old catholic church which had stained glass stations of the cross. <!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} p {margin-right:0cm; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> For me it is an opportunity to pause and in a way kneel and honour my Lord for his sacrifice and his salvation wrought on the cross for me. i like things that make me stop and reflect and pray and worship and in a more real way, not just for meditation sake, but for real life transformation and knowning God, make me draw near to him.
The stations of the cross follow the last hours of Jesus life from his trial to his resurrection.
Station One = Jesus Condemned
Pilate brought Jesus outside and said to the people, “Look at your king!”
At this they shouted, “Away with him! Crucify him!”
Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified
John 19:14-15
“Behold your King” is such a powerful declaration. Especially if you let yourself think what Jesus must of looked like at that time. Beaten. Broken. Thorny crown. Whipped. Spat on. Mocked. Strong. Surrendered. Submitted. Sacrificing. Saving. Saviour.
Throughout his trial Jesus remained committed to the will of God and the heart of God. He continued to act with grace and holiness. I was thinking today that the out working of our christianity isn’t just in the big moral decisions (adultary, stealing, murder etc) but in the day to day how we choose to act and react in our families and with our friends. Do we yell at our kids or extend grace? Are we patient or kind or do we let that unkind word slip out? Do we allow discouragement to defeat us or continue to have faith in God? In the same way Jesus made the choices to remain sinless and surrendered to God. At any point he could have lashed out and taken his life back from those he was giving it to….
John 10:17 Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I might take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down from Myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again. I have received this commandment from My Father.
The thing that really strikes me is just the process of sacrifice that Jesus went through. It was a continual process of laying his life down. It wasn’t easy. And he did it for the sake of love.
1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation concerning our sins.
Love is demonstrated in the sacrifice of Jesus. It is demonstrated in the life of Jesus.
All that Jesus suffered was for our sake. For our redemption. For our salvation. Each whip and mock and spit was so I can be called a child of God. My sin also spat, whipped and mocked Jesus. I am responsible. And I am forgiven.
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted; yet He opened not His mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before its shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.
Behold your King! Jesus was the King of the Jews and indeed in revelation and 1 timothy he is called the King of ALL KINGS and Lord of Lords.
Colossians 1:16-17 Everything was created by him, everything in heaven and on earth, everything seen and unseen, including all forces and powers, and all rulers and authorities. All things were created by God’s Son, and everything was made for him. God’s Son was before all else, and by him everything is held together.
Philippians 2:6-8 Christ was truly God. But he did not try to remain equal with God. Instead he gave up everything and became a slave, when he became like one of us. Christ was humble. He obeyed God and even died on a cross.
I am finding using the stations of the cross as a really good springboard for drawing nearer to God and devleoping a greater appreciation (for lack of a better word!) of the cross and the sacrifice of Jesus. So often we can have a mental assent to something without really “getting it” and i want to really “get it”… I come to the cross wanting to respond more to God, to love more, to honour more, to do more, to live out more, to obey more, to devote more… My desire is transformation by the hand of God. <!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} p {margin-right:0cm; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> For me it is an opportunity to pause and in a way kneel and honour my Lord for his sacrifice and his salvation wrought on the cross for me. I am not a catholic nor do i belong to a church that has pictures of the stations or contemplates them in any way. but as a christian i like things that make me stop and reflect and pray and worship and in a more real way, not just for meditation sake, but for real life transformation and knowning God, make me draw near to him.
Station 3 – Jesus falls
Jesus emptied himself, and took the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men. He humbled himself, to death and a Cross.
The thing that amazes me about the cross, and indeed about the whole life of Jesus which is lived not for himself but poured out for us. It amazes me the sacrifice Jesus and Father God made and the reason for it. Because I am loved and because this was the way to redeem and save me and make me clean and pure and righteous and a child of God. The love of God was so great that he didnt even hold his son back from us as the sacrifice.
John 3:14-17 But even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.
Hebrews 9:22-28 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood is no remission. Therefore it was necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves were purified with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has not entered into the Holy of Holies made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Nor yet that He should offer Himself often, even as the high priest enters into the Holy of Holies every year with the blood of others (for then He must have suffered often since the foundation of the world), but now once in the end of the world He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many. And to those who look for Him He shall appear the second time without sin to salvation.
i mean that is just amazing isnt it. that is so powerful and so wow. sometimes it doesnt seem real that God could love me like that, so much so to send his son to bear the punishment i deserved. Jesus became guilty so i could become innocent. Jesus bore my sin so i could wear his righteousness. Jesus was forsaken by God unto punishment so i can be acceptable to God and be called His child. leaves me without words. breathless. in awe.
because of Jesus i have peace with God. because of Jesus i can know God. because of Jesus i am forgiven. because of Jesus i have eternal life with God. Because of Jesus i am a friend of God. because of Jesus i am alive.
and so i want to live my life in honour of the price paid to redeem me. i want to know this God that made the way for me to come near. i dont want to take for granted all Jesus gave, all he suffered.
The purpose of the stations of the cross is to stop and meditate about each stage of the events leading to and including Jesus’ death and resurrection.
For me it is an opportunity to pause and in a way kneel and honour my Lord for his sacrifice and his salvation wrought on the cross for me. I am not a catholic nor do i belong to a church that has pictures of the stations or contemplates them in any way. but as a christian i like things that make me stop and reflect and pray and worship and in a more real way, not just for meditation sake, but for real life transformation and knowning God, make me draw near to him.
I think the Passion of the Christ movie transformed many peoples imagination about this event. Before you could gloss over the gospel accounts and mentally understand that yes Jesus died on the cross for me, but without having to really see what he suffered for our sake. The Passion movie shook that to the core for may people, including myself who still hasn’t watched it, despite the fact we own it. The Passion movie made what was real real before our eyes. The stations of the cross have always sought to do this in a way. It gives people visual stations to stop and contemplate and pray.
Station two is Jesus carrying his cross.
John 19:17 [ The Crucifixion ] So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).
the phrase here that jumps out is that Jesus carried his own cross. He carried his own instrument of death. He carried the burden of sin and death upon his own shoulders. This sin and this execution though wasn’t his by guilt. If we talk about guilt then it is and was us who were guilty. He took upon himself, in his own body, our sin and our punishment.
Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased Jehovah to crush Him; to grieve Him; that He should put forth His soul as a guilt-offering.
Jesus even prayed that if it was possible for another way, for another solution, for that to be done… but then he surrendered…
Matthew 26:39 And He went a little further and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.
This was no easy thing. It was not a walk in the park. It was exactly what it reads it is – a trial, a cross, a death, an execution… a resurrection… a saving… a forgiving… redeeming… there was blood and pain and suffering.
I think of the suffering and the pain and I am overcome again with gratitude and appreciation that can not be put into words. I am at a loss to respond. I can only give my life and continue to live for God and seek Him and to know Him. For what was won for me was the access to relationship with God and who am I to turn away.
The love of God is demonstrated in each step Jesus takes with his cross. Each step towards death is a step that shows me that I am loved. Each step is a demonstration of the beautiful surrender and trust Jesus shows in his Father. Not my will… step… but your will… step… not my will… but your will… for those lost sheep…. Not for me… but for those lost sheep… I will carry my cross.
At this station we should remember the words of Jesus…
Luke 14:27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
We are called to follow his example. To take our own cross and with each step surrender in faith, looking not at the right now but at the heavenly purpose and prize. Not for me… but for the lost… not for me… but the glory of God.
how can we not draw near to God and love him and bow down to him, in love and honour, as we see what Jesus has done for us?
how can we not want to know him and love him and worship him and drw near and obey him as we think about the sacrifice and the price that was paid to make us forgiven and acceptable to God?
sometimes we forget. sometimes we get too busy. sometimes we need reminded.
Colossians 1:20-22 And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross, so that all beings in heaven and on earth would be brought back to God. You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things. But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent.
Jesus carried his cross. after all the beatings and the injustice and the betrayal. he knew where he was going. to his death. and he knew the purpose. to save us. so he pressed on. he took one agonising step after another. Jesus carried his cross for you and for me.
i read this post today on grace…. Can’t Be… can it??? and then the writer asked me to answer his question on grace… which i replied to and then though that might make a good post…. so here you go… the question first:
Could it be that it is truly by Grace alone that we are saved–the answer is YES, so with this being said, why is there so much legalism? Can someone just say the “sinner’s prayer” and then continue on in their sinful behaviors and still be saved? Doesn’t seem fair, but then again, Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for my life was fair either. What do you think?
soooo what do i think?
that is a good question. great question. even when i think about it i draw a line in my brain and put different answers on different sides…
in part i say yes. in part i say no. in part i agree and in part i disagree…
but it comes down to the saved part. we are saved by grace. something we can never earn. a free gift. unmerited. undesrved. something we could never do. all because of Jesus.
and salvation is a spiritual transaction and action and “thing.” a person that is saved WAS dead on the inside because of sin but then was born again and ALIVE on the inside. like a light swtich thing. light was off. then light was on.
but from that point – that savlation point – when the light turned on – we still cant earn our salvation or pay it back or anything. we still fall short human wise. that is why we have the righteousness of christ. this is why i believe once saved, always. because even my best christian efforts dont compare to the standard of God.
but on the no side of the fence – saying a prayer doesnt make one saved. the sinners prayer could be though of as like a poem. or a catch phrase.
i think the sinners prayer was probably invented by someone inspired by God to do it, who had a good idea of how to make it simple and relevant.
we’ve just mutilated it, and watered it down and make it a say it as fast as you can when no one is looking type thing.
what needs to happen is that someone needs to have an encounter with God and be made alive and born again and forgiven and new and clean. they can say a sinners prayer or not say a sinners prayer at that point. but they must come to God and meet with him.
but if you dont believe, if you dont have faith, when you say that prayer its like me saying right now “i will win a million dollars in lotto this weekend.” aka not going to happen. not true.
there is no secret password into heaven. no catch phrase to become a child of God.
but salvation is by grace, not by earning. i can never be good enough. i can never pay God back for saving me.
it is by faith we are saved. faith in Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that all those who belive in him, who have fiath in him, will not die but have eternal life.
my choice is to live resonding to that love of God – he loved me first and so i love him back and i show that love in my life and my obeidence.
there are verses that say that we must stay fast to God and be faithful and continue walking with God. they are not to be ignored. not to be taken lightly. not to be dismissed.
but i think we all want to jump on one side of the scales. we want it all to be “grace with no living it out,” or we want it all to be “work out your salvation with fear and trembling”. that is why i try not to sway one way too much or the other way too much. if anything i want to emphasise BOTH sides of the fence.
for me, i am so grateful for the grace of God and i want to walk with him all my days to the best of my ability and resolve and committment and choice.
i dont think i’ve answered the question… more just rambled…
its such a heart issue one. and i think God makes it quite individual.
with some he has to teach them his grace – because they want to work it out and pay him back. with others he has to teach them his walking in obecience and faithfulness part – because they have got lax on it all.
perhaps there is no clear answer at all.
one for sure to talk to God about and to get firm in our own hearts and minds – so we live it.
you know, we can trust God with our hearts. we can trust that he is God and mighty. we can trust that he sees and he knows.
we can trust that he is with us.
God makes all things new. he forgives and makes us holy. he transforms us from what and who we are into the beautiful character of his son.
he is the God of new beginnings, who makes a way where there seems no way, who brings comfort and hope to those drowning in hopelessness.
God is with us. he was with us in the most powerful way – he came, Jesus, and dwelt with humanity.
do you know that Romans 8 says that because God so freely gave his son, to die on the cross, to be crushed for our sin, that we can be confident and assured that he will do more than we can imagine, that he is for us, not against us, that his love is everlasting. we can turst God.
do we worry if God loves us? do we worry if he hears us? do we worry if he is far away? these are things we DONT need to worry about – because his bible says that he loves us so much that he sent his son as hte perfect sacrifice so we can now be acceptable, and that we now can come boldly into his real presence and that he lives within us and will never leave us.
this is why i worship God.
because i trust Him and he is all i trust him to be.
he is all i need.
nothing is too big for God, too nasty for God, to hard for God, to far from God, to broken for God.
he is with us. for us. loves us. knows us. sees us.
he does not sleep. he does not have bad hair days. he doesnt take a day off.
we are before him constantly. he sees us all the time. all of us. no favourites. all of us. he loves us everlasting.
Romans 1:5 “Jesus was kind to me and chose me to be an apostle.”
What a beautiful phrase and truth. Jesus is kind to us and manifests his kindness in so many ways but one major way for Paul, and for me too, is that he chooses to work through us. He chooses to use me and calls me. Despite all my past and my present failings and my need for more refinement, he has kindness upon me and uses me as a messenger of the good news – the good news I have received and experienced.
The word believe means more than just intellectual faith, because the Bible says, ‘The devils also believe.’ The devil is a fundamentalist, and he is orthodox. He believes in Christ. He believes in the Bible. Intellectually, he believes in the dogma. He believes in the creeds. But the devil has never been saved and he is not going to heaven. You may be able to recite theology, but I tell you that is not enough. Billy Graham
go and read more on what “faith” and “belief” really are at Tough Questions Answered Blog
i love this song. i love love love this song. it for me just draws me closer to God, to worship him to know him. It enlarges my vision of who he is - majestic and powerful, lord of all, glorious, wonderful. and my heart joins iwth the song to sing ith it and to declare that yes we want to know God and make him known and that we want him to pour himself out in power on our world to reveal hismelf to those who do not know hm yet.
as christians i reckon our heart needs to be aligned with God’s heart. as in we need to be passionate about the things he is passionate about. we need to care about the things he cares about. we need to be motivated about his things.
and when you think about it – saving people is what God is really into. it is something he is passionate about. Jesus came and lived and died as a ransom for our lives to pay our sins and make us acceptable to God.
the bible says that we are brought wtih a price and are no longer our own. now you may say that sounds like slavery, all this dying to self and not your own stuff. but from life experiene i tell you it is far from that. it is wonderful feeling new and forgiven adn clean and pure and innocent and to know God and feel his love.
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