Stations of the Cross toward Resurrection

1. Jesus in Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane

“³⁷ Jesus took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. ³⁸ Then he said to them, ‘I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.’ ³⁹ And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.’ ⁴⁰ Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “’o, could you not stay awake with me one hour?’” (Matthew 26:37-40).

Meditation & Prayer

Lord, because of my sins and errors, you grieved and took the cup of suffering for me. Now help me to stay awake and walk with you in prayer.

2. Jesus is Betrayed by Judas, and Arrested

“⁴³ Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. ⁴⁴Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.’ ⁴⁵So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, ‘Rabbi!’ and kissed him. ⁴⁶Then they laid hands on him and arrested him” (Mark 14:43-46).

Meditation & Prayer

Lord, am I like Judas when I claim to love you, but actually I do not like you when you seem weak? I have betrayed you, Lord. Forgive me and refresh my heart!

3. Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin

“Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none. . . . ⁶¹. . . Again, the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’ ⁶²Jesus said, ‘I am; you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ ⁶³Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘Why do we still need witnesses? ⁶⁴ . . . What is your decision?’ All of them condemned him as deserving death” (Mark 14:55-64).

Meditation & Prayer

Jesus, sometimes I wonder if you really are the Lord of all. I repent my lack of faith, my misunderstanding, and my blame on you. Revive my soul and faith, O Christ!

4. Peter Denies Jesus

“⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus the Galilean.’ ⁷⁰ But he denied it before all of them, saying, ‘I do not know what you are talking about.’ ⁷¹ When he went out to the porch, another servant-girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ ⁷² Again he denied it with an oath, ‘I do not know the man.’ ⁷³ After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, ‘Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.’ ⁷⁴ Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, ‘I do not know the man!’ At that moment the cock crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:69-75).

Meditation & Prayer

Lord, how often have I denied you, when you needed me most in times of hardship and challenges. Remind me of my escapism that avoids the way of the cross. Help me to turn around and boldly declare, “Jesus is my Lord and my life!”

5. Jesus is Judged by Pontius Pilate

“¹² Pilate spoke to them again, ‘Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?’ ¹³ They shouted back, ‘Crucify him!’ ¹⁴ Pilate asked them, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Crucify him!’ ¹⁵ So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified” (Mark 15:12-15).

Meditation & Prayer

How often, Lord, have I judged you and others based on worldly voices? Help me to hear and follow your voice only in the Holy Spirit!

6. Jesus is Mocked and Crowned with Thorns

“²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. ²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹ and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ ³⁰ They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head” (Matthew 27:27-30).

Meditation & Prayer

O Lord, do I really believe that you are my God of all, while I serve other gods? Remove false gods from me, and help me to honor you as my only King in all my life!

7. Jesus Carries the Cross

“¹⁵The chief priests replied, ‘We have no king but the emperor.’ ¹⁶ . . . So, they took Jesus; ¹⁷ and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha” (John 19:15-17).

Meditation & Prayer

O Christ, you took up the cross and carried it by yourself on the Way of Suffering (via Dolorosa) for me. Now you want me to carry my own cross and follow you. Strengthen me to take up my cross and step after you!

8. Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry the Cross

“They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus” (Mark 15:21).

Meditation & Prayer

Lord, even today when you are tired of carrying the cross, I may be forced to take it for you. Then, empower me to carry the cross willingly beside you, and to consider that my honor for you!

9. Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. ²⁸But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.” (Luke 23:27-28).

Meditation & Prayer

O Lord, you have been concerned about me dearly, even in the midst of your extreme pain. Forgive my self-centered thought, and being succumbed to my own issues! Now, help me to grow in spirit so that I can care for others more with your spirit of compassion.

10. On the cross, Jesus Prays for Forgiveness

³³ When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁴ Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. ³⁵ And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” ³⁶ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, ³⁷ and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” (Luke 23:33-37).

Meditation & Prayer

O Jesus, thanks for praying for me to be forgiven, even when I did not know what I did wrong. Help me to become like you to pray to forgive others who don’t know what wrong they did to me!

11. Jesus Promises the Kingdom to the Penitent Thief

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying,

“Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ ⁴⁰But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” ⁴³He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43).

Meditation & Prayer

Lord, how hard but blessed it is to recognize my own sins and errors! Inspire me to realize that, and remember me in your Paradise. Strengthen me to walk toward your Kingdom in your grace!

12. Jesus Speaks to His Mother and His Disciple

²⁵ . . . Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. (John 19:25-27).

Meditation & Prayer

O Lord, you are our eternal Father, and we are your children. Thanks for connecting us to be one family in the Lord, even at the moment of your pain on the cross. Empower us to take care of one another as family members, especially when life is hard and we are alone!

13. Jesus Dies on the Cross

³³ When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ³⁵ When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” ³⁶ And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” ³⁷ Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. ³⁸ And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. ³⁹ Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” (Mark 15:33-39).

Meditation & Prayer

O Jesus, at times I feel abandoned and fearful, when I face cruelty and death in me and in others. Yet, you already experienced suffering and death for me in my place and forgave all my sins and errors. Now, I want to yield my whole life to God, as you did to the point of death on the cross.

14. Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

⁵⁷ When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. ⁵⁹ So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth ⁶⁰ and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. ⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. (Matthew 27:57-61; cf. Mark 15:46).

Meditation & Prayer

O Lord, even when you seem to be dead, help me to stay close to you, and to offer my best love and honor to you, as your faithful disciples did. I’ll never leave you and your body, the church.

15. Jesus Rises from the Dead

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ² And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³ They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” ⁴ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. ⁵ As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. ⁶ But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here.” (Mark 16:1-6).

Meditation & Prayer

O Lord my God! Thank you for your grace that you rose from the dead, and gave me the same power to overcome sin and death. In Christ, I am freed and revived from my gloomy past that crushed my daily life and future. Joining in your Cross and Resurrection is the way of life. Thanks be to God!