The Cross

The definition of a cross is an upright post with a transverse bar, as used in antiquity for crucifixion.

When we visualize the cross, most if not all of us think of Jesus – the pain and suffering He endured for the sake of mankind, to wash away our sins and offer us salvation.

Meaning of the Cross

“The Cross is a great contradiction. Death and life; hate and love; violence and peace; accusation and forgiveness; sin and purity; brokenness and wholeness; all is lost, everything is gained; destruction and restoration; defeat and victory. Once the cruelest form of execution, yet now, a symbol of abundant life.” – Sarah Coleman

Let’s delve deeper into that fateful day when Jesus lost his earthly life through the “Sorrowful Mysteries“

The First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden

Jesus went to pray in the garden of Gethsemane. He prayed to the Father agonizing what He was about to endure, knowing what He was going to endure. But alas, “Thy will be done.”

His friends fell asleep on Him, although He had asked them to keep watch, not once, but thrice.

Let us not fall asleep on Jesus or our faith. He had faith and love for His/Our Father to pray and trust with the knowledge that The Father knows best.

“Thy will be done.” We don’t always know what our Father has in store for us, but we need to learn to trust in Him, like Jesus.

The Second Sorrowful Mystery: Scourging at the Pillar

Scourging is the worst form of punishment; Jesus, innocent and sinless, was tied to a pillar with no type of cloth layer between Him and the whip. Here, He was flogged over and over again.

Jesus went through the worst kind of torture for us. He did this as prophesied. He gave up His pain to the Father in accordance to His will.

When we are suffering physically, we need to offer up our pain and suffering to the Lord.

Think about Mary, our blessed Mother, and what she went through during this horrendous time: watching her innocent and only Son, tortured, watching Him being scourged, and not being able to do anything to help Jesus.

This is much like when we watch our loved ones suffer, and we cannot ease their pain. I thought about this a lot when my mother suffered through her intense pain from the cancer that was slowly eating away at her. I wanted so much to take that pain away from her, but I couldn’t. I felt Mary’s pain then and what she endured while watching what her dear Son, our Savior, went through.

Third Sorrowful Mystery: Crowning with Thorns

Jesus is “crowned” with thorns, however these thorns weren’t just a wreath upon His head. These thorns were like nails being pounded into His skull!

Notice the spiked thorns in the “Crown of Thorns” plant

The soldiers continued to mock Jesus by giving Him a staff made from a reed (like a scepter), and clothed Him in a purple cloak. The PURPLE cloak symbolizes royalty, wealth, and status.

Jesus offers us courage as He was brave and courageous to go through these last moments leading up to His death.

Christians are persecuted every day for their faith in our savior, Jesus Christ.

Believers in Christ are mocked by those who do not grasp what Jesus went through to wash away the sins of mankind.

Those with mental illnesses can offer up their sufferings to Jesus.

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: Carrying of the Cross

The carrying of His Cross was extremely burdensome especially since He had just been scourged and had thorns practically nailed into His head. He fell, and although others around Him tried to help Him up and carry His cross up the steep rocky incline, the soldiers did not allow this. They even whipped Jesus to get Him to move faster.

We all have our crosses to bear, and they may seem, at times, too heavy to carry, let alone lift, BUT this is when we need to ask our Lord to help us.

Carrying the weight of the world upon our shoulders is very tiresome. It is extremely frustrating when we keep stumbling upon our path. This is when we need to turn to Jesus, and remember what He went through.

We are not alone in our suffering, we have loved ones and authority figures to help us out. We only need to ask for help. We don’t need to fall over and over again, and get up without help like Jesus did.

The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion

The ultimate sacrifice, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ being nailed to the cross, to His Cross. The Five Wounds of Christ healing us.

The soldiers nailed Jesus, pure and innocent to a cross and then lanced Him in His side to check if He was still alive – blood and water gushed from Him.

He died on the cross to save us from sin. We are lucky to be able to go to confession and have our sins erased. completely forgiven so we can start anew.

Christ dying for us and then being resurrected, promises us that a life of faith will lead us to eternal paradise, in the Kingdom of God where there is no strife, no pain, no suffering. We are reborn!

The CROSS is the symbolism of our Lord being crucified for the sake of humankind to be ultimately saved.

*** NOTE: The images are mostly from the movie, The Passion of the Christ which is a very difficult movie to watch as it closely portrays what Jesus Christ went through to prepare the way for us to live within Him. I highly recommend this movie!

#SorrowfulMysteries #TheCross #FinalDaysOfJesus #JesusSaves

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