Jesus Christ was carrying His cross from the place where Pontius Pilate condemned Him to death by crucifixion –that Scripture "Isaiah 53" would be fulfilled– by request of the Sanhedrin, and during the way through the streets of Jerusalem, until the mount known as "Golgotha" or "Calvary" (mount of the Skull, for its shape of skull), a story was being written that the fist Christians would begin to remember every year, once it became possible to return to the city, after its destruction in the 70A.D. by the roman general Titus and his troops –also to fulfil Scripture "Matthew 24".

Christianity, in its different denominations, from the more traditional, has been practicing the Way twenty centuries, not only in their own churches, with representing images and in many occasions with fanatic idolatry– but in the city of Jerusalem itself. Many carry crosses, some are slaughtered or tortured in different ways to come close "emotionally" to the experience of Our Lord. However Our Lord would, instead, prefer that the sacrifice that we would do would be the fruit of our lips ...praise to God, Hebrews 13:15. Which ever way every Christian must remember the Passion of Christ, His Via Crucis and His final victory in resurrection.

The stations of a Via Crucis –Latin way translated and known as Way of the Cross, but also known as Via Dolorosa, referring to the suffering of Christ during the Way to Calvary– may have remembrance in a Biblical way, to remember and thank the Lord for His great love for us, but we do not need to fall in idolatry or fanaticism. In any congregation it can be read according to the Bible in a historic and spiritual way. We will compare the stations of The Bible with the traditional Via Crucis, and the meaning of the stations of the true story of Jesus, and how to apply them to our lives.

Finally we will remember what are know as the "Last Seven Words of Jesus" while on the Cross and we will finish our short journey with a practical and spiritual conclusion.

 

14 STATIONS OF THE WAY OF THE CROSS

The story of the Gospels tell the Way of the Cross. It all began after the Holy Supper, and it describes the key moments of the Lord giving Himself for us, beginning in the orchard of Gethsemane when He prays to the Father accepting His will to be done, but asking, if it were possible to pass that cup from Him "that He had to drink" –the one of my sins and of those who receive Him as Saviour. And the story of Our Lord continues.

1.- Jesus prays in the Mount of Olives, Luke 22:39-46. Being in Gethsemane, Jesus asks the Father, if is was possible, that, that hour would pass from Him. But He knew he had come to the world to die for the Church and accepted the will of the Father. However, knowing that all is possible for God, He leaves it in His hands. This first station shows us the humanity of the Son of God. Jesus Christ was God and Man at the same time. In our lives it applies to us in that we shall accept God's will and that we must fulfil our Christian commission, both spiritual as well as human.

2.- Jesus betrayed by Judas and arrested, Luke 22:47-48. The soldiers of the chief priest and of the Pharisees take Him to the Sanhedrin. The best friend who knew the place, betrays the Lord. An act that would take –he who was thought to be a true disciple– to betray the Lord even being next to Him amongst His intimate. The consequences we all know. In our lives we will know the true brethren by their fruits, because a truly converted heart to Christ, by the Holy Spirit is always faithful to Christ and to the brothers.

3.- Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin, Luke 22:66-71. Personally it reminds me of the courts of the Inquisition condemning every true Christian to be burned and tortured. No matter what church or religion. When the leaders do not doubt in destroying those believers that see what they cannot see, as long as they can keep their status and power, they do not represent God, but the enemy and themselves, in their sin. The Gospel wins the souls through the Word, not by force nor by imposition. Jesus is, spiritually and in power, superior to all those false religion leaders.

4.- Jesus denied by Peter, Luke 22:54-62. Is there a Christian who has never failed to the Lord? He who is without sin among you... John 8:7. We know the story of Peter, one of the three intimates of Jesus and to whom He taught the meaning of the rock of faith, and to whom He taught, in John 21, to pastor his sheep, who walked on the waters, in all, a model of apostle. Many have discussed that he was not born again, until after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Nevertheless nothing better than failing to the Lord to learn our humility and dependence of Him. No doubt Peter repented as far as to give his life for his Master. If we fail and fall, let us get up and fulfil the Great Commission. Lets imitate him!

5.- Jesus is tried by Pontius Pilate, Luke 23:13-25. This is the first station of the traditional Via Crucis which coincides with the fifth of the Biblical. When some judges in history, and now, follow political interests they look like Pilate in this event. The world and its governors rarely receive Jesus. That means for them to loose their status, their lives. We should be cautious when judging the brothers, where Christ abides, especially when those who condemn them are false religious leaders. Let us not do like Pilate.

6.- Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns, and dressed with the purple robe, John 19:1-2. Pilate had sent Jesus to Herod, Luke 23, when he heard Galilea to try and escape from condemning Him. Herod mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate. Before Pilate was the procurator, now was the tetrarch. In both cases violent and murderer men willing to all to keep their status. Let us not allow our flesh to prevail, but receive Jesus which ever social level we are in, whether a king, politician or judge, because He is the King of kings and is over us all as just Judge.

7.- Jesus bears His Cross, Mark 15:20. This is the second traditional. The Lord bears His Cross because He loves us. Let us bear our cross because we love Him and our neighbour.

8.- Jesus is helped by Simon of Cyrene to bear the Cross, Luke 23:26. Stations 3 and 4 of the traditional precede with the first fall of Jesus and Jesus talking to his mother. This is the fifth in the traditional. How happy we area when a brother helps us, and also when we help another brother. But we should not do it as a command but of heart, because despite how hard the way may be, or heavy the burden, in the power of the brotherly love of Christ all things are easier to carry. ...For My yoke is easy and My burden is light... Matthew 11:30.

9.- Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem, Luke 23:27-31. Once again the traditional precedes with two stations, the sixth and the seventh, in which Jesus is supposed to find Veronica who cleans His face, and His second fall. This one would be the eight in the traditional. The message of Jesus to the women is of exhortation. We must receive his exhortation and also teach others, who sometimes do not understand why we have decided to serve the Lord, provide them with a word of exhortation as we bear our cross.

10.- Jesus is crucified, Luke 23:33-47. The traditional precedes with two stations, the ninth and the tenth in which Jesus falls a third time, and His garments are taken off. The eleventh coincides with the 10 Biblical. The Lord gave Himself until the end, to the most bitter end, as long as we could be saved in His great love. He gave His life for us. Let us give our lives for Him.

11.- Jesus promises the criminal who believes to be in Paradise with Him, Luke 23:43. The recognition of guilt of the criminal and the recognition of Jesus Christ as The Lord prove the faith one has. I am a sinner that deserves the cross, but my Lord loved me and changed my heart for ever. The Paradise of Jesus awaits us for eternity.

12.- Jesus gives John to his mother, and his mother to John, John 19:25-27. Jesus asks that we may take care of one another, to mothers that we treat them as ours, to the children as our brothers, and to the brothers as of the family of Christ, with brotherly kindness. We must also do like Jesus, to let our beloved be taken care of by our fellow brothers, that they must be hospitable.

13.- Jesus dies on the Cross, Luke 23:44-46. The traditional finds station twelve in this one. Jesus gives His life to the Father, nobody takes it but He gives it, for such covenant He agreed with the Father before the foundation of the world. We shall never forget the death of the Lord. Taking Holy Supper with our intimate brothers His death we proclaim. Have we died to ourselves?

14.- Jesus is buried, Luke 23:50-54. Finally both Via Crucis coincide in the last station –Ecumenism?... The traditional precedes this station with thirteenth where Jesus is taken down from the Cross and given to his mother. The burial is a previous stage to resurrection. Some times our lives seam buried by some circumstances, but let us trust God, because He will raise is from prostration. We must neither remain in the stage of burial when we loose a loved one, for resurrection is coming. Christ raised and lives amongst us. Let us await His coming in Glory!

 

"IT'S FRIDAY; BUT SUNDAY IS COMING"

Many will know which I would qualify as one of the best sermons of our time, known as "It's Friday; but Sunday's coming". It seams that it goes back to the ministry of the Baptist pastor from California, Dr. S.M. Lockridge. It tells the Passion of Christ  making emphasis in the fact that according to the story of the Way of the Cross told by the apostles, at the beginning it may seam that the devil is who is wining the battle when achieving that Jesus is betrayed, delivered in the hands of His enemies, condemned to death by crucifixion, once tortured, and rejected by the Jews and the Romans. Describing the situation until Calvary, and the crucifixion and death of the Lord, it all seams lost at first site. 

Each event –similar than in the Via Crucis– is initiated with the exclamation "it's Friday" and it finishes with the other "but Sunday is coming". When finishing telling the story, the second part of the title of the sermon comes in making emphasis in "but Sunday's coming", Resurrection Sunday, when the world changes for ever, when human kind begins to know that from that day the door to Paradise is open. In a part of the sermon it sais "...do you realize? they only know that is Friday, in other words, they think they have won, but they don't know that Sunday is coming" they think that the first day of the week like any other is coming, but from that first Sunday in calendar, in history, with regards to what that Resurrection Sunday means, the one that would change history for ever, it would change it all.

The sermon finishes in a magisterial way with the exclamation of the roman centurion who was at the foot of the Cross of Christ: Truly this Man was the Son of God! Mark 15:39. This roman soldier was experienced in seen men die on crosses and in dealing with condemned in unmerciful and cruel ways. For him to see a man who could give his life to God, and die, in a particular moment, after having forgotten his executioners, was a new situation that caused an impact in him, for never before, nor after Jesus, nobody would die in that way, demonstrating to have control over his own life.

Jesus gave His life for us to the Father and raised. Resurrection is real and awaits us all. Death does no longer have the power over us, which is only temporary. It is all focused on the faith, where he who receives it knows that one day will raise and will find himself next to God, and will live in His kingdom for ever.

 

7 LAST WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS

Heinrich Schutz, German composer of the XVII century composed a work for organ of the last seven Words of Christ on the Cross. Also the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn would do likewise, a century latter.

1.- "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" Luke 23:34.

2.- "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." Luke 23:43.

3.- "Woman, behold your son... ...Behold your mother" John 19:26-27.

4.- "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? ...My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Matthew 27:46.

5.- "I thirst" John 19:28.

6.- "It is finished" John 19:30.

7.- "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit" Luke 23:46.

These were the Words, and having seen what he saw, that I remarked before the reaction of the centurion, and no one better than him, who said: ¡Truly, this Man was the Son of God! Mark 15:39.

 

CONCLUSION

Can or should Biblical Christians, protestants-evangelicals, even more those not traditional like Catholics or Orthodox, participate in the Via Crucis - Via Dolorosa or Way of the Cross? The answer must be focused more to the way and not on the commemoration of the story itself, no doubt the most relevant for humanity, the one of our salvation. Therefore it does not mean that we should not commemorate, organize or practice in some Via Crucis if it is organized to the more Biblical way possible, devotional and meant, according to The Bible. What must be avoided is to participate in idolatries, personal sacrifices for salvation –that come from an heretic Christianity like indulgencies and papal bulls– on the other hand every Christian must remember the Via Crucis in Passover Week, even if reading it at home with his family.

The conclusion is that we are before one of the Biblical prophecies fulfilled that is most relevant for humanity. As we said at the beginning –that Scripture may be fulfilled "Isaiah 53"– where we can take verse five: "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." No doubt at all prophet Isaiah (758b.C) received great prophecies and is possibly the most appreciated prophet by the people of Israel, as by the Church, and therefore chosen to receive this great prophecy fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.

Yes, He took our sins to that Cross on Calvary so that we may have the door open to God's Paradise through His work, by faith. The Via Crucis, as a lived story by our Lord started one day that only the Father and the Son know, when they made the covenant in the Spirit, to love us even in our sins, before the foundation of the world, before Creation. That day culminates with the resurrection, on the third day of His crucifixion, that produces our resurrection. At the same time it makes the Way of the Cross have a meaning, because it is the achievement of the Via Crucis where the Via Dolorosa is transformed in Via of Victory and of Glory of Christ. Blessed You, our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, Yahshua! Thank you, our best and eternal Friend! We await to go to Your Paradise! Come Lord Jesus! Amen.