On Good Friday, prayer is so meaningful to me. And while I could pray through the traditional stations of the cross, I really wanted scripture to be the base of my prayers.
But I couldn’t find scriptures that lined up with each of the stations, and some fell out of order. Like Station 4 is where Jesus meets his mother, but in scripture it is on the cross where Jesus speaks to his mother. I read through all 4 accounts of Jesus’s death. And it turns out, I could have just googled it – only 8 of the 14 traditional stations have clear scriptural foundation.
I did however find that on Good Friday in 1991, Pope John Paul II introduced a new form of the stations called the Scriptural Way of the Cross and I wanted to share those stations and scriptures as well as the prayers I prayed along with them.
Station 1: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
Matthew 26:36-41
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to the disciples, “Stay here while I go and pray over there.” When he took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, he began to feel sad and anxious. Then he said to them, “I’m very sad. It’s as if I’m dying. Stay here and keep alert with me.” Then he went a short distance farther and fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it’s possible, take this cup of suffering away from me. However—not what I want but what you want.” He came back to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you stay alert one hour with me? Stay alert and pray so that you won’t give in to temptation. The spirit is eager, but the flesh is weak.”
Lord, may I seek to follow You. May I be Your hands and feet to do Your will in this world. May my heart not be distracted by my own ways, but be guided by Yours. Amen.
If you missed it, I shared about Jesus in the Garden in Part 46!
Station 2: Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested
Mark 14:43-46
Suddenly, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, came with a mob carrying swords and clubs. They had been sent by the chief priests, legal experts, and elders. His betrayer had given them a sign: “Arrest the man I kiss, and take him away under guard.” As soon as he got there, Judas said to Jesus, “Rabbi!” Then he kissed him. Then they came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
Lord, guard my heart, my mind and my soul, so that in all things I may do good towards my brothers and sisters. Help me keep my eyes focused on You. Amen.
Station 3: Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin
Luke 22:66-71
As morning came, the elders of the people, both chief priests and legal experts, came together, and Jesus was brought before their council. They said, “If you are the Christ, tell us!” He answered, “If I tell you, you won’t believe. And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer. But from now on, the Human One will be seated on the right side of the power of God.” They all said, “Are you God’s Son, then?” He replied, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “Why do we need further testimony? We’ve heard it from his own lips.”
Lord, help me to put my whole trust in You and who You say that You are. Amen.
Station 4: Jesus is denied by St. Peter
Matthew 26:69-75
Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant woman came and said to him, “You were also with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it in front of all of them, saying, “I don’t know what you are talking about.” When he went over to the gate, another woman saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.” With a solemn pledge, he denied it again, saying, “I don’t know the man.” A short time later those standing there came and said to Peter, “You must be one of them. The way you talk gives you away.” Then he cursed and swore, “I don’t know the man!” At that very moment the rooster crowed. Peter remembered Jesus’ words, “Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.”And Peter went out and cried uncontrollably.
Lord, I seek to be honest, speaking only the truth. Guide me Lord, especially during times where being truthful is difficult and I am fearful. Amen.
If you missed it, I shared about stations 2 and 4 in Part 47!
Station 5: Jesus is judged by Pontius Pilate
Mark 15:1-5, 15
At daybreak, the chief priests—with the elders, legal experts, and the whole Sanhedrin—formed a plan. They bound Jesus, led him away, and turned him over to Pilate. Pilate questioned him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “That’s what you say.” The chief priests were accusing him of many things. Pilate asked him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? What about all these accusations?” But Jesus gave no more answers, so that Pilate marveled.
Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd, so he released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus whipped, then handed him over to be crucified.
Lord, open my eyes to see You for who You are. Do not let me be blinded by what the world says. Amen.
Station 6: Jesus is scourged at the pillar and crowned with thorns
John 19:1-3
Then Pilate had Jesus taken and whipped. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple robe. Over and over they went up to him and said, “Greetings, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.
Lord, be with me as I endure the pains of this world. Give me hope for a better tomorrow. Amen.
If you missed it, I shared about stations 5 and 6 in Part 48!
Station 7: Jesus bears the Cross
John 19:6, 15-17
When the chief priests and their deputies saw him, they shouted out, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate told them, “You take him and crucify him. I don’t find any grounds for a charge against him.”
The Jewish leaders cried out, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate responded, “What? Do you want me to crucify your king?” “We have no king except the emperor,” the chief priests answered. Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified. The soldiers took Jesus prisoner. Carrying his cross by himself, he went out to a place called Skull Place (in Aramaic, Golgotha).
Lord, may You give me strength to pick up my cross and follow You all the days of my life. Amen.
Station 8: Jesus is helped by Simon the Cyrenian to carry the cross
Mark 15:21
Simon, a man from Cyrene, Alexander and Rufus’ father, was coming in from the countryside. They forced him to carry his cross.
Lord, may I provide strength and encouragement for my brothers and sisters as they carry their cross. May our fellowship bring us closer to each other and closer to You. Amen.
Station 9: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
Luke 23:27-31
A huge crowd of people followed Jesus, including women, who were mourning and wailing for him. Jesus turned to the women and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Rather, cry for yourselves and your children. The time will come when they will say, ‘Happy are those who are unable to become pregnant, the wombs that never gave birth, and the breasts that never nursed a child.’ Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ If they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
Lord, may I find comfort in You and may I be a place of comfort for others during our times of mourning. Amen.
Station 10: Jesus is crucified
Luke 23:33-34
When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” They drew lots as a way of dividing up his clothing.
Lord, forgive me, for I know not what I do. Forgive me for my sins, for my failure to love Your people. Help me to forgive those who sin against me. Amen.
Station 11: Jesus promises his kingdom to the good thief
Luke 23:39-43
One of the criminals hanging next to Jesus insulted him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” Responding, the other criminal spoke harshly to him, “Don’t you fear God, seeing that you’ve also been sentenced to die? We are rightly condemned, for we are receiving the appropriate sentence for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “I assure you that today you will be with me in paradise.”
Lord, may I never stop seeking You. Even in my darkest hours and lowest low, may I turn to You for forgiveness. Thank You for taking me back into Your arms when I’ve screwed up. Amen.
Station 12: Jesus speaks to his mother and beloved disciple
John 19:25-27
Jesus’ mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene stood near the cross. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
Lord, help me to comfort my brothers and sisters in times of uncertainty, grief and mourning. Let me be a light in the darkness, sharing Your love and hope. Amen.
Station 13: Jesus dies on the cross
Luke 23:44-46
It was now about noon, and darkness covered the whole earth until about three o’clock, while the sun stopped shining. Then the curtain in the sanctuary tore down the middle. Crying out in a loud voice, Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I entrust my life.” After he said this, he breathed for the last time.
Lord, I trust in You. I surrender my life to You, for Your work and Your will. Amen.
Station 14: Jesus is placed in the tomb
Matthew 27:57-60
That evening a man named Joseph came. He was a rich man from Arimathea who had become a disciple of Jesus. He came to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate gave him permission to take it. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had carved out of the rock. After he rolled a large stone at the door of the tomb, he went away.
Lord, be with me in my darkest hour, when I know not what comes next. Remind me of Your resurrection, and Your power to overcome death. Amen.
Good Friday
On that day, no one would ever imagine that it would eventually be called good. It was painful, emotional, exhaustive. It was a whirlwind 24 hours for Jesus and his disciples that ended in the darkest dark known to man.
But for us, this Friday is so good. Because the wages of sin is death – a death that we could not escape – no matter how hard we tried. Today is good, because Jesus took our place. He took our sins upon himself, the sins of countless generations to come, and he reconciled us with God. Today is good because we have the hope of life eternal.
I’ve spent my day listening to music, reflecting on this time before the resurrection, the beauty of our lives because of the resurrection, the endless love of God. I’ve pulled together some of my favorites and made a playlist that I wanted to share with you. Check it out here!
Abbey Jo
Adventures with Abbey Jo 
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