Good Friday

The Stations of the Cross

From the earliest of days, followers of Jesus told the story of his passion, death and resurrection. Centuries ago, Christian pilgrims desired to visit the Holy Land and see the sites of Jesus' Passion.

As Christianity spread across the globe and contention developed in the city of Jerusalem, it was no longer easy or even possible to visit the holy sites. By the 1500s, people all over the world started creating replicas of the places of the Passion along the route in Jerusalem. Eventually, these shrines became the 14 stations of the cross.

The word “station” comes from the Latin word that means “to stand.” We are walking from Christ’s trial to his crucifixion at Calvary and we stop and stand at certain sites (stations) that commemorate various events that took place along the way. The Stations of the Cross is also referred to as “The Way of the Cross”, “Via Dolorosa" or “Way of Sorrows.”

Many churches have stations of the cross around the walls of their sanctuaries. Pllgrims come to each station, stop, pray, read the Scriptures, pray the prayers and contemplate the sorrow and fullness of the scene. Walking from one station to the next becomes a devotional act, walking with Jesus as he walks to Calvary.

Click below for a digital and printable version of the stations.

Stations of the Cross

Mount Zion Lutheran Church, Greenfield, Wisconsin, Meditations on the Scriptural Stations of the Cross