The Sufferings of Jesus in the Stations of the Cross
The goal in offering traditional devotions through the Stations of the Cross is to help Christians make a personal spiritual pilgrimage through prayer and meditation. During this time, Christians are asked to carefully consider the main scenes of Christ's sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.
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Origins, Rituals, and Traditions of Good Friday
Good Friday's significance and origins as understood through its history, rituals, and traditions.
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Simon Carries the Cross for Jesus
The body of Jesus was mutilated beyond recognition. He was barely able to stand, let alone able to bear the weight of his own cross. It didn't make sense. If this was the Messiah, it was not supposed to end this way. Having no choice, Simon of Cyrene swallowed his pride, took up the cross, and followed Jesus.
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The Passion of Christ: Good Friday
The story of Good Friday can be studied and discussed in many ways. There's the why of it, the how of it, the people involved in it, and the repercussions of it. But the bottom line to the Good Friday story is that Jesus suffered and died so that mankind could be saved and find peace.
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Jesus Forgives Sinners on Calvary
Two men hung next to Jesus on the day of his crucifixion. They were both sinners, but one had a hardened heart. The other man knew who Jesus was and took the opportunity to ask for forgiveness. He said: "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
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Humbled Christians are Obedient to God
Proverbs has many verses about humility, contrasting pride and haughtiness with humbleness. The pride of man will bring him shame, but with the humble is wisdom.
Haughtiness precedes destruction, but humility leads to honor. These are promises and benefits that should discourage pride in a person, and encourage one to learn true humility.
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A Season of Christian Fasting and Self-Sacrifice
A discussion of the history and traditions of the Season of Lent in the Christian Faith.
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Jesus Ascends to Heaven
The Ascension of Jesus not only closed the chapter of his ministry on earth, it also welcomed in the kingdom of God. The work that Jesus accomplished on the cross assures Christians today that the price for sin has been paid.
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Jesus as the Sinless Sacrfice
While God originally instituted animal sacrifice as a way of providing ceremonial cleansing for His people, those sacrifices were not able to cleanse man's conscience from the effects of sin. Only the blood of Jesus Christ could remove the stain. The author of Hebrews taught in his letter that only by becoming a human could Jesus die, and it was only through his death that the power of Satan could be broken.
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Suffering Leads to Many Spiritual Lessons
There are worse things than suffering in life, and worse than suffering is not learning anything from the experience. When suffering is viewed as having a purpose, one can learn from it, and use it to teach or help others.
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