Easter and the 14 Stations of the Cross

John 18:37; 18:38

Pontius Pilate believes in his own self power, as a high ruler of the land. He sees Jesus as a blasphemer and condemns Him to death. Perhaps in our own lives when we approach authority in earnest, even if we are humble in doing so, they may be more receptive to their own power than what we are saying and in turn hurt us. Some people will put their own ego above others.

For instance, did you ever have a high official at work reject a good idea you have that would benefit the company? Ego and power are tricky human emotions, especially when they surround corporate hierarchies or Government disparities. Still, it is important to approach authority, humbly, while always remaining true to our inner convictions. At the end of the day, we too might ask, "What is Truth?" - Not to condemn it but to honor it.

John 19: 13-17

Jesus must now bear the weight of His own cross. We too have crosses to bear in life, but they are even more profound when they arise from others who insult and hurt us, because of who we are. If we believe in God, we know that He did not promise us a burden-free life, but He did promise to carry us through the hard times. He also promised to help those who try to help themselves.

Burdens that are sometimes placed upon us based on race, gender, religion or political association sadly are still prevalent today. In fact, they only compound other burdens in our lives such as trying to make ends meet or taking care of our health and our families. This is why it's so important to carry our own crosses of burden and remain strong in the things that matter most to us. Perhaps we are on a certain path in life for a significant reason.

Isaiah 53: 4-7; John 1: 29

The first time Jesus falls, he picks Himself back up, even though He has been through so much pain, He is faithful that God will not break His promise to him. So He gets himself up and eventually continues on. When we too have faith and believe in good things for ourselves it makes falling down and stumbling so much easier than feeling sorry for ourselves.

Without stumbling, we cannot experience the joy of getting back up. Also, never falling down, means, you've never even tried and that's not really living life to its fullest. It is so important to believe in yourself, especially in uncertain times and realize that falling and not getting back up is not even an option. It's OK to fall because you will get back up.

Luke 2: 25-40; Lamentations 1: 12

It is very painful to watch the ones we love suffer and hurt. But what a blessing it is to have loved ones who share our grief. Think about the many times you were upset and hurting, but had the shoulder of a parent, good friend or spouse to console you and tell you they love you.

Through all hardship it is the people who love you who will make a difference in your pain. A beautiful home and a million dollars in the bank is not going to comfort you when you experience sorrow. If you are a person who cherishes family and the good people in your life, then you know that having close, loved-ones is intrinsically connected to your happiness and therefore they are the true treasures in our lives.

Luke 23:26; Mark 15; Matthew 27

Simon of Cyrene was a face in the crowd that the soldiers randomly picked to help carry the cross. At the time, he may not have even known what was going on or how the small part he played would become known. In our lives, we sometimes get dragged into circumstances we know nothing about, but participate anyway out of fear.

But if something is too complicated to get involved in and too confrontational to explain why you don't want any part of it, perhaps it's better to just walk away. Have you ever "jumped onto a bandwagon" or taken on someone else's' battles, only to have it come back and make you feel bad? Sometimes, fear of disagreement can put us into precarious situations, which are not to our benefit, so we must consider carefully, who's burdens we're willing to take on in life.

Isaiah 53: 2-3; Matthew 25: 40

Veronica, a woman in the crowd, reached out and wiped Jesus' face with her veil. In turn, she unknowingly was rewarded with the image of Jesus on her veil. It's hard to reach out to someone in pain or worse, someone who has been outcast and ridiculed. It's even harder when we think that being kind to that person will result in others turning on us.

Many believe God sees our actions and rewards us accordingly. But it takes a big person to come forward and comfort a victim, simply out of human compassion and the goodness of their heart. Consider doing a random act of kindness for someone without expecting a reward. A little goodness can unexpectedly go a long way, simply based on the generosity and humanity you're willing to openly give to others.

Psalm 38: 6-22

Jesus falls down a second time. He's been through a torturous time and there's still more to come, but the Will of God His Father Almighty brings him fortitude in this onerous journey. Did you ever notice how people who have been through the roughest times, tend to keep going? Not only that, but hard times and continued lows, tend to teach us lessons which make us stronger.

Perhaps there has been a father, mentor or parent figure in your life who has offered tremendous belief and support in you. In the many times we will trip and fall in life, the strength of those who support us and help us build our own inner strength, may be the key that help us to get back up on our feet and keep going.

Luke 23: 27-31; Matthew 7: 21

When Jesus meets the Daughters of Jerusalem, He tells them not to weep for Him, but for themselves and their children. He then says if men can act this way when trees are green, what will happen when trees are barren. He also says a time may come when they might say, "Blessed are the barren women."

This is a difficult thing to ponder because it's like saying, "If you think people and this world are cruel when life on earth is normal, imagine how incorrigible the world can become in hard times, when things start going awry. Biblically, it seems as if Jesus is foreshadowing End of Days on earth. Regardless of how you look it or what you believe in, it makes us stop and think about the present world around us and how we contribute to making it a better place.

Psalm 37: 23-24

Jesus, having been called a blasphemer who disrespects sacred things, at this point has been through horrifiying atrocities and humiliation unimaginable, but as He collapses for the third time, He pleas, Father I beseech you to never let me fall into sin and grant me the grace of perseverance.

The desire to get through the rough patches of our lives is innate to human nature. It is also natural to want to persevere over time, so that our struggles were not in vain. But the beautiful pearl of wisdom here is to persevere without falling into sin. In other words, can we prevail after struggle, without resorting to underhanded tactics, devious actions or playing unfairly? Think about it.

Psalm 22:6-7

Scorned, mocked and despised by the people Jesus is now publicly stripped of his clothing. It is his final descent from grace as He is stripped of every shred of dignity. In life, we tend to surround ourselves with people that think like us and behave like us. Like minds tend to flock together.

But does that mean we should mock and bully the people outside of our circle, who may be different than us? Think about what's going on in our children's schools. Children and young adults are being killed or killing themselves because of social outcasting. And no, not everyone we encounter we are going to like or agree with but, this is a shameful reality that needs to stop.

Psalm 22

As His own Crucifixion ensues Jesus asks, "Lord My Father why have you forsaken me? Why won't you save me?" He then asks for forgiveness to those who have hurt Him, for they do not understand what they have done. Many times in life we will experience the grief of despair and feel completely broken. Have you ever felt this way and asked yourself, where were the ones that said that I could always count on them?

Could it be that those you believe in will come through for you and you have just lost faith in them? As for forgiving those who have hurt you, forgiveness is for your heart, so that you don't continue to dwell on the misgivings of others or continue to relive your own wounds. Simply put, forgiveness to others and refusing to dwell on past hurts helps us rebound faster and more forward in our lives more peacefully.

Matthew 27:50-51a

Scriptures say that when Jesus cried out, breathed his last breath and died on the Cross, that in that very moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Once realized by Matthew, this was taken as a spiritual sign.

Could this coincidence be a true sign from God and have actual significance? Have you ever experienced coincidences in your own life that sometimes offer wisdom or enlightening? Are the unusual coincidences in your own life messages from God or the universe, offering guidance to your inner being?

Psalm 22: 14-15

Lamentation - When Jesus has died and His body is then taken down from the cross for his family and friends to mourn. But they do not know there will be a Ressurection later on.

Mourning is a sad experience of death and something that we all eventually go through. Mourning those we will miss is natural, which is why the Lord's promise of Ressurection and reuniting in heaven is so uplifting! Consider the time we have with all those we love, a blessing and a gift, because no one really knows what tomorrow will bring. The present day is the one we need to appreciate right now.

Matthew 27:57: Luke 23:50

Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy man with such a strong belief in the Kingdom of God; he gave up his own tomb for Jesus to ensure He was honorably laid to rest. Joseph went to Pontius Pilate and requested the body of Jesus.

He then took Jesus and wrapped him in a linen cloth, (shroud) and laid him in the tomb. The women of Galilee who came with Joseph that day later returned and prepared Jesus' body with spices and ointments, (anointing with oil).

The burial of Christ is recognized as a significant devotional, marking the transition from the ignominy (disgrace) of the Cross to the Glory of Resurrection.

John 19:38-20:9