A Lenten Journey

In western Christianity Lent is the 40 days before Easter. While there are some differences between denominations it can be considered to begin with Ash Wednesday and continue until the Saturday before Easter (note that Sundays are not counted as they represent the crucification). Lent is supposed to be a time of reflection, prayer, becoming closer to God and His word, and a time of sacrifice. It symbolizes the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert before he began his ministry. It was a time of prayer and a time to stand against the temptations of Satan. Lent has become a time that leads up to Jesus' ultimate sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection (Easter Sunday). To experience the 40 days "in the desert" Christians often set a time of prayer and reflection and then fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. Additionally, some sacrifice a practice that is dear to them like watching television or dining out.

As a testament to the Lenten Season churches often study the last days of Jesus before his crucifixion. This study serves to reinforce the enormity of Jesus' prayer and adherence to the Will of God and His ultimate sacrifice for our redemption. Most Christians do not realize that this journey through the Lenten Season follows the Catholic "Stations of the Cross." Mel Gibson's film, "The Passion of Christ" which was released several years ago brought these "Stations of the Cross" to the big screen for everyone watching to understand the great sacrifice our Lord and Savior made. This journey will be the one that this study focuses on.

The origins of the "Stations of the Cross" is unclear, however, most scholars believe that they were instituted to allow those who could not travel to Jerusalem to go on a pilgrimage by focuses on the key events of Jesus’ last days. It is unfortunate that they became entangled with the practice of the granting of indulgences as this was one of the reasons for the Protestant Reformation. Probably, why the Protestants do not follow the tradition. Additionally, Christians should be made aware that in 1991 the Pope instituted a new series of fourteen Stations of Cross, each of which was based on Scripture alone. The chart below shows both the traditional and the revised stations (with Scripture references). Our Lenten Study will closely follow these "Biblical" stations so that we might better appreciate our redemption.

Traditional	Biblical
	1. Jesus on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:39-46)  39Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." 41He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." 43An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46"Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."
	2. Jesus, betrayed by Judas, is arrested (Luke 22:47-48) 47While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"
	3. Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin (Luke 22:66-71)  66At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. 67"If you are the Christ,[a]" they said, "tell us." Jesus answered, "If I tell you, you will not believe me, 68and if I asked you, you would not answer. 69But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God." 70They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied, "You are right in saying I am." 71Then they said, "Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips."
	4. Peter denies Jesus (Luke 22:54-62)  54Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him." 57But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said. 58A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied. 59About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean."  60Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." 62And he went outside and wept bitterly.
1. Jesus is condemned to death	5. Jesus is judged by Pilate (Luke 23:13-25)  13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16Therefore, I will punish him and then release him." 18With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!" 19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) 20Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" 22For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."  23But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
	6. Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns (Luke 22:63-65; John 19:2-3) Luke 22:63-65 63The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64They blindfolded him and demanded, "Prophesy! Who hit you?" 65And they said many other insulting things to him. John 19:2-3 2The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.
2. Jesus takes up his cross	7. Jesus takes up the cross (Mark 15:20) 20And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
3. Jesus falls for the first time
4. Jesus meets his mother
5. Jesus is helped by Simon the Cyrene to carry his cross	8. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross (Luke 23:26)  26As 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.
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7. Jesus falls for the second time
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem	9. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem (Luke 23:27-31) 27A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' 30Then 'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" 31For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
9. Jesus falls for the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of his garments
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross	10. Jesus is crucified (Luke 23:33, 47) 33When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.  47The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man."
	11. Jesus promises his Kingdom to the good thief (Luke 23:33-34, 39-43) 33When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."[a] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"  40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." 43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
	12. Jesus on the cross, his mother and his disciple (John 19:25-27)  25Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
12. Jesus dies on the cross	13. Jesus dies on the cross (Luke 23:44-46)  44It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross and given to his mother
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb	14. Jesus is placed in the tomb(Luke 23:50-54)  50Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body. 53Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. 54It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.