Stations of the Cross: Station 15 - The Resurrection

“But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.  As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
  “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen!

He is not here. See the place where they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

Mark 16:1-8 

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006

Stations of the Cross: Station 14 - Jesus is Buried

 “Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus… With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away.  He was accompanied by Nicodemus… Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it…the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”

                                                
   John 19:38, 41, & 42 

Cold

Barren of life 

Buried in a

garden tomb.

Like a seed fallen to

the ground.

Waiting to rise.

Rise again.

Lord, help us rise again

after dying with You.

Like You, Jesus

I will rise again. 

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006

Stations of the Cross: Station Thirteen - Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross

“But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead…one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.”

John 19:33 & 34  

Taken from the cross.

You died trusting in

Your Father’s care,

faithful unto death.

Why cannot we trust?

Why is it so hard?

By your death, Lord

Give us an unfailing

trust in You,

knowing that Your

death was not the end. 

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006

Stations of the Cross: Station Twelve - Jesus Dies

 

“Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’  A jar of wine vinegar was there and they gave him wine.  Jesus said, ‘It is finished!’  With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

John 19:28 & 30

 

It is finished.

Death’s finality.

Certain.

God’s servant,

 crushed in sorrow.

Pierced for our offenses.

Shall we not stand

 watching, Lord

mourning the sins

You bear,

rejoicing in the pardon

You bestow?

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006

Stations of the Cross: Station 11 - Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

“carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).  Here they crucified him, and with two others.”

John 19:17 & 18

Nailed to the cross

Hands and feet  

You paid for sin

 Past Present Future

Limitless love

For me

The world

 The ultimate sacrifice was paid.

My sins? My faults?

My life?

Is it only You hanging on the cross,

or me as well?  

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006

Stations of the Cross: Station Nine - Jesus Falls the Third Time

“I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint…My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.”

Psalm 22:14 & 15

Like water poured out completely.

As a dry dessert.

Your strength gone.

You fall again, as if to the dust

 of death.

By your third fall, Lord

give us courage before

our trials, sufferings  and pain.

Give us patience to go on.

Help us in our need.

Lift us above our weakness.

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006 

Stations of the Cross: Station Ten - Jesus is Stripped

 

“They stripped him…and knelt in front of him and mocked him. ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ they said.  They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.”

Matthew 27:28 & 30

They divided Your garments

and cast lots for Your clothes.

Stripped of all dignity.

Humiliation

Shame

You had nothing of Your own.

By Your despoilment, Lord

clothe us in Your grace and mercy

which is rich beyond words and

all earthly possessions.

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006 

Stations of the Cross: Station Eight - Jesus Meets the Women

 

“A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.”

Luke 23:27

Women wept as You passed

You comforted them:

“Weep not

 for me but for Your

 children.”

May the grace of

this meeting

be kept alive in our hearts, Lord.

Let us weep for humanity.

Those that suffer.

Those that are alone.

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006

Stations of the Cross: Station 7 - Jesus Falls the Second Time

 

“But I am a worm and not a man; scorned by men and despised by the people.  All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:”

Psalm 22:6 & 7

 Can God fall? 

A  mighty God

whose hands uphold

all that is?

By Your second fall, Lord

remember how weak we are.

Remember our

helplessness.

Remember our human frailty,

and come to our

Assistance when we fall as well.

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006

Stations of the Cross: Station 6 - Veronica Wipes Jesus' Face

“whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me…anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.”

Mark 9:37 & 41  

 Jesus, You struggled in agony.

 But one woman,

breaking away from fear

and the angry crowds,

kindly washed

 Your bleeding face with her

 thin veil.

Something so simple.

A towel. A cup of cold water.

 A loving word. A touch.

Lord,

help me value such small

 things, so great when given

in Your name. 

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006

Stations of the Cross: Station 5 - Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross

          

“As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.”

Luke 23:26

Simon, coming in from the  fields

pressed to carry Your cross. 

He heard Your cries.

 He felt Your pain.

 Did he sense who You really were?

 That You were more

 than a mere man?

 Have I been pressed

to carry Your cross as well? 

My own cross?

My own suffering?

I’ll walk by Your side, Lord

I’ll carry the cross

until it is finished.

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006 

Stations of the Cross: Station 4 - Jesus Meets His Mother

"Simon said to Mary, His mother: This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that all will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed .  And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Luke 2:34

 I can only imagine

Your Mother’s deep love for You, Lord

and imagine her grief at

watching You suffer and die. But it

 is beyond my imagination,

beyond comprehension,

  to contemplate her realization

 that You were her Lord and

 Savior, and the unspeakable

joy of witnessing Your glorious

resurrection.

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006

Stations of the Cross - Jesus Falls

Station 3

Jesus Falls

He “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross.”

Philippians 2:7 & 8

How strange to see You fall

as anyone does who cannot go on.

When we feel that we cannot take another step.

And yet You rise again,

to take the few steps more that You can.

Jesus,

give Your grace to me

when I fall and

cannot rise on my own.

Lift me to my feet

That I make walk beside You again

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006 

 

Stations of the Cross - Jesus Carries His Cross

Station 2 

Jesus Carries His Cross  

“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 Golgatha).”

John 19:16 & 17

Led to Calvary,

carrying the cross

By Yourself.

Alone.

Abandon. 

Yet was the cross only Yours,

or was it mine to carry as well?

Jesus, by Your cross

make me strong and able

to take up the cross that I

 must bear each day.

I meditate on the wood.

The weight.

The pain.

I carry it with you, Lord.

I won’t let go.

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006  

Stations of the Cross - Jesus is Condemned

Station 1

Jesus is Condemned

“‘Here is your king’,  

Pilate said to the Jews.  But they shouted, ‘Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!’… Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.”

John 19:14-16

“Behold your king,” says Pilate.

“Away with him,” The people shout.

And they sent you to your death.

Lord Jesus, Word made flesh,

Light for this dark world,

Light my path

In times that I feel alone

Rejected

Condemned

As this journey begins,

As you stand before me,

 condemned by the world,

may love compel my every

 step, as I walk with you

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006