Wanna Meet Your End?

ABOVE: Click the pic from "The Passion Of The Christ." What does Good Friday say to us? THIS WEEK: The Stations of The Cross

Wanna' Meet Your End? EDITOR’S NOTE: While you may or may not be familiar with “The Stations of The Cross,” it might be the perfect timing to “walk” with Christ through his passions as many people are suffering and others have time on their hands during the Corona-crisis. The Stations divide Jesus' walk to Calvary into fourteen scenes or meditative "Stations."  Please consider sharing this post. Stations 12,13,14 Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies On The Cross That Jesus felt alone and separated from his Father on the cross is one thing. But what if you had a sneaking suspicion that suffering was God-allowed or even God-led?  That He was not going to bring a happy ending to a particular situation? That He would leave you there until His will was accomplished? That you would, in fact, feel abandoned by the one you loved and trusted the most? The work on the cross was done by Jesus alone and will never have to be repeated. But the Holy Spirit’s laborious labor within our cross-shaped hearts will never be finished until we see the one who led us to Calvary. As we pause at this Station, we think back on times when God didn’t change the situation and that He left us there…hanging, as it were. However, now that we might be past some of those awful times, we see that He got us through them. Would that we might now see redemption in those very heartaches as Mary did when all she wanted to do was cling to Jesus. Thirteenth Station: Jesus is Taken Down From The Cross Out of all the stations, this one seems like the most anticlimactic. But there is a profound pharisaic irony here in terms of timing. Friday’s sunset is the beginning of the Sabbath and the Jewish leaders wanted the body of Christ taken down so as not to defile the day or themselves. Very holy of them. If only their ruling council hadn’t missed the shalom of their Messiah, they would have entered into an eternal Sabbath. Furthermore, these same leaders inadvertently opened up a forever-Sabbath by orchestrating the death of the one who would become the Passover Lamb; the one whose blood would allow the repentant to be passed over. Another great irony of this Station is that those who compassionately took the body of Christ down felt anything but peace. Yet, they were now literally and figuratively holding The Sabbath and His sacrifice would behold them forever. Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Placed in the Tomb It wasn’t until they lowered my mother’s coffin into the ground that I finally broke down at her funeral. It was literally my low point. At least, during the wake and at church, the coffin was there. But it was at the gravesite where she disappeared. It feels like checkmate when the one to whom you banked on is taken away. It’s when you can’t seem to write the end of the story because that’s already been provided. This Station is meant to bring us to an end. We followed Christ through all of the fourteen stations and it is here that we must meet our end, as well. It is here that we understand how Peter felt: “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.” (John 6:68 NLT) At the fourteenth and final Station, we face our end. This path has led beyond the awakened suffering of the cross. There is not another way around this tomb. These stations have either been the cruelest of tricks or a place of surrender. Here, we are buried with Christ. PORTAL TO HEAVEN: The Stations of the Cross are like the fitness trails that a trainer takes you to…every day. They are not a walk in the park. For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Romans 6:4 ESV Please consider sharing this. As a bonus, listen to Rich Mullins sing: Where are the nails that pierced His hands?  Well the nails have turned to rust  But behold the Man  He is risen  And He reigns  In the hearts of the children  Rising up in His name  Where are the thorns that drew His blood?  Well, the thorns have turned to dust  But not so the love  He has given  No, it remains  In the hearts of the children  Who will love while the nations rage To listen to this incredible song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a0v6sBnjYQ

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