Good morning, church. It is really good to be back at IBF and read God’s word with you. I have been preaching through Mark’s gospel for more than two years. Today is the last reading of Mark’s gospel, and it is about Jesus’ trial, death, and resurrection.
However, I will not be preaching a traditional sermon. Rather, today I wat to guide us through a quiet meditation on Scripture. This meditation is based on a popular Christian practice called Stations of the Cross.
If you visit Jerusalem today, you could walk through a road called the Via Dolorosa, “the path of sorrow.” Along the path, there are 14 different stops (or “stations”) representing the final events of Jesus’ life. Walking this path helps believers to experience Scripture in a physical way and helps some people to better connect with Jesus’ loving sacrifice.
For those who can’t travel to Jerusalem, they can choose to meditate on paintings of Jesus’ story. That’s what we’ll do today. Atsuko-san will read the Scripture in Japanese, and we’ll spend a moment of silence looking at 10 paintings by the 19th century French artist James Tissot.
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For each station or each painting, this is what we’ll do:
1) First, I will say in Japanese “We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you,” and the congregation responds, “Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.” I’ll put these words on the screen.
2) Then, Atsuko-san will read the Scripture in Japanese only. For English speakers, please prepare your Bibles so you can read quietly in English. Most of the reading is from Mark’s Gospel, chapters 14 to 16.
3) We will take 2 minutes of silence to look at a painting. During this silence, pray for the Holy Spirit to deepen your appreciation for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
4) Finally, I will conclude each painting with a very short prayer.
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Station 1: Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Read: Mark 14:55-65
55 Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. 56 For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. 57 And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” 59 Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?”61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. 65 And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.
Lord Jesus, help us follow in your steps, that we always confess you as Christ our Lord,
Son of Man and Son of God; you live and reign, now and forever. Amen
Station 2: Jesus is Judged by Pontius Pilate
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Read: Mark 15:1-15
And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.
6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
Lord Jesus, we cannot always follow in your steps, for you went to the depths of suffering alone, so that like Barabbas, we would be set free; you live and reign, now and forever. Amen.
Station 3: Jesus is Flogged and Crowned with Thorns
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Read: Mark 15:16-20
16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.
Lord Jesus, help us follow in your steps. Rule in our hearts, as our good and gracious King;
you live and reign, now and forever. Amen.
Station 4: Jesus Bears the Cross
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Read: John 19:16b-17
So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. (John 19:16b-17)
Lord Jesus, help us follow in your steps. We have no king but you; you live and reign, now and forever. Amen.
Station 5: Jesus is Helped by Simon of Cyrene to Carry the Cross
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Read: Mark 15:21
21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.
Lord Jesus, help us follow in your steps. Help us bear our crosses, for you bore the heaviest cross for us; you live and reign, now and forever. Amen.
Station 6: Jesus is Crucified
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Read: Mark 15:24-32
And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.
Lord Jesus, help us follow in your steps, that we forgive those who have sinned against us,
because you have freely forgiven us; you live and reign, now and forever. Amen.
Station 7: Jesus Promises Paradise to the Repentant Thief
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Read: Luke 23:39-43
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Lord Jesus, help us follow in your steps, that by your grace we, too, may join you in your kingdom of Paradise when our last hour comes; you live and reign, now and forever. Amen.
Station 8: Jesus Dies on the Cross
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Read: Mark 15:33-39
33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Lord Jesus, help us follow in your steps, for by your innocent suffering and death, you have opened up the way to the Father for us; you live and reign, now and forever. Amen.
Station 9: Jesus is Buried
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Read: Mark 15:42-47
42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46 And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
Lord Jesus, help us follow in your steps, for you have gone where we must all go,
to death and the grave, all so you could rise again; you live and reign, now and forever. Amen.
Station 10: Jesus Rises from the Dead
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Read: Mark 16:1-8
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, 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 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Lord Jesus, help us follow in your steps. Raise us up on the Last Day, that we may follow you from death to life; you live and reign, now and forever. Amen.
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I hope that the reading of Scripture and meditation on the artwork helped you experience Jesus in a new way. May the Lord continue to speak to you this coming week.