The Way of the Cross

A Remembrance of the Atonement of the Christ

The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross or Via Crucis, commemorate Jesus's passion and death on the cross. Each station depicts a moment on his journey to Calvary. The practice began as pious pilgrims traced his path through Jerusalem on the Via Dolorosa. Through the following images and prayers, we invite you to walk with Christ and contemplate what he has suffered, that we might not.

Preparatory Prayer

Our Savior, Jesus Christ

Through your suffering in Gethsemane and your death on the cross, you have demonstrated your infinite love, and we, on our path through mortality, have often forgotten you. We offer these remembrances now as we seek to walk the path of discipleship with renewed devotion. We repent of our sins and seek your grace. Allow us this time of focus and stillness, away from the world's noise, to bring your sacrifice into our hearts and minds. Our Savior, we seek thee now and always in gratitude and faith.

Station 1: Jesus is condemned

We pause and remember thee, our Savior, Jesus Christ

For by thy sacrifice, we have been redeemed.

Consider the unjust condemnation and the abuse Christ endured at the hands of those who could have protected him.

Our Savior, we remember the injustice and betrayal of those who sentenced you to die. We know that we, like them, are subject to weakness and fear. We offer our repentant hearts to thee and seek thy grace as we learn the better way.

May our hearts be at peace through thy infinite atonement.

Station 2: Jesus accepts His cross

We pause and remember thee, our Savior, Jesus Christ

For by thy sacrifice, we have been redeemed.

Consider the weight of the cross as it was forcibly set on the shoulders of Christ, who, already weakened from his suffering in Gethsemane, bore it with compassion for all.

Our Savior, we pause and reflect on the weight you carried on our behalf and seek now to bear our current burdens with greater faith

May our hearts be at peace through thy infinite atonement.

Station 3: Jesus Falls for the First Time

We pause and remember thee, our Savior, Jesus Christ

For by thy sacrifice, we have been redeemed.

Consider the physical exhaustion that Jesus was experiencing, from all he had experienced in the recent hours, as he fell to the ground under the weight of the wooden beam.

Our Savior, we remember that even the greatest of all temporarily lost His strength and needed rest and be more forgiving to ourselves as we do the same.

May our hearts be at peace through thy infinite atonement.

Station 4: Jesus Meets His Mother, Mary.

We pause and remember thee, our Savior, Jesus Christ

For by thy sacrifice, we have been redeemed.

Consider with compassion and empathy this meeting of a mother and son as Mary witnesses the incredible suffering of her child.

Our Savior, we seek to stand with Mary as she beheld thy suffering with depth of love that only a mother can know. May our love for thee bring us to greater empathy of the suffering of the mothers, fathers, and children of our own time.

May our hearts be at peace through thy infinite atonement.

Station 5: Simon is Compelled to Carry the Cross

We pause and remember thee, our Savior, Jesus Christ

For by thy sacrifice, we have been redeemed.

Consider the suffering of those we see with our own eyes and whether we, like Simon, must be forced to help carry their burdens.

Our Savior, like Simon, we have too often become silent witnesses to the suffering of others and must be compelled to lift their burdens. Help us to act more quickly to bear the burdens of our brothers and sisters.

May our hearts be at peace through thy infinite atonement.

Station 6: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

We pause and remember thee, our Savior, Jesus Christ

For by thy sacrifice, we have been redeemed.

Consider what simple relief we can offer to those who suffer and what tender mercies have been offered to us in our own suffering.

Our Savior, as Veronica offered all she could to give you a moment of rest in your suffering, help us to do likewise and not overlook the simple acts that may help others in the midst of their suffering.

May our hearts be at peace through thy infinite atonement.

Station 7: Jesus falls for the second time.

We pause and remember thee, our Savior, Jesus Christ

For by thy sacrifice, we have been redeemed.

Consider that once again, the Son of God’s physical strength was overcome and that He was once again driven onward by those for whom He would atone.

Our Savior, may we remember that we also have stumbled repeatedly in our efforts to find the correct path. May your perseverance in suffering be an example to us as we fall, that we might have the strength to rise again.

May our hearts be at peace through thy infinite atonement.

Station 8: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

We pause and remember thee, our Savior, Jesus Christ

For by thy sacrifice, we have been redeemed.

Consider the strength of compassion as the women of Jerusalem gathered to mourn for Christ and the council they receive to mourn for themselves and their children.

Our Savior, in our remembrance of thy suffering, may we like the women of Jerusalem find strength together and use our strength to help others find their way through trial, hardship, and weakness.

May our hearts be at peace through thy infinite atonement.

Station 9: Jesus falls for the third time.

We pause and remember thee, our Savior, Jesus Christ

For by thy sacrifice, we have been redeemed.

Consider the final steps of the path as Christ nears the site of the crucifixion and his body collapses once again.

Our Savior, as you fell in your last steps before the end, yet continued on to complete your sacrifice, we ask that we also might experience the last needed measures of grace in our journey home. May we endure in spite of weakness.

May our hearts be at peace through thy infinite atonement.

Station 10: Jesus is stripped of His Garments

We pause and remember thee, our Savior, Jesus Christ

For by thy sacrifice, we have been redeemed.

Consider the intent to inflict further humiliation on Christ by those who were tasked with his execution and the physical and emotional suffering that it caused.

Our Savior, as you were deprived of even your clothing, may we who have so much remember those who have so little. May we grow in empathy and compassion for those who, like you, have lost everything.

May our hearts be at peace through thy infinite atonement.

Station 11: Jesus is nailed to the cross.

We pause and remember thee, our Savior, Jesus Christ

For by thy sacrifice, we have been redeemed.

Consider the extent of the cruelty of this public suffering and execution and to the extent the Savior allowed himself to be brutalized for the redemption of us all.

Our Savior, what words can express the physical suffering you endured on our behalf. Yet, you willingly allowed yourself to be cruelly tortured that the family of God might receive eternal grace. May we look upon our own trials with an eternal perspective and help others to do the same.

May our hearts be at peace through thy infinite atonement.

Station 12: Jesus dies on the cross

We pause and remember thee, our Savior, Jesus Christ

For by thy sacrifice, we have been redeemed.

Consider how in his final breaths, Jesus spoke of forgiveness and mercy. As his physical body died, his focus remained the eternal salvation of all.

Our Savior, may we endure to the end of our trials with the strength and courage you have demonstrated in your journey to the cross. May your strength lift our burdens and help us to do so for all those who suffer.

May our hearts be at peace through thy infinite atonement.

Station 13: Jesus is taken down from the cross

We pause and remember thee, our Savior, Jesus Christ

For by thy sacrifice, we have been redeemed.

Consider the feelings of the family and followers of Jesus as thy removed his body from the cross and witnessed the end of his suffering.

Our Savior, in our own times of loss and suffering, may we be moved with compassion and faith, both toward others and toward ourselves. May we remember that all this life is but a moment in our path to become more like our Divine parents and strengthen those around us on our way.

May our hearts be at peace through thy infinite atonement.

Station 14: Jesus is laid in the tomb

We pause and remember thee, our Savior, Jesus Christ

For by thy sacrifice, we have been redeemed.

Consider the burial of Jesus as his loved ones gathered in faith to honor his sacrifice and lay his physical body to rest in a borrowed tomb; one made sacred by his presence and their actions.

Our Savior, may we remember that death is not the end and that through thy sacrifice you have taken away its sting. As we mourn with those that mourn, bless us all with the grace and compassion we need to see beyond this world into the eternities you have prepared for us.

May our hearts be at peace through thy infinite atonement.

Though not traditionally recognized as a Station of the Cross; I have included in this series a fifteenth station depicting the resurrected Christ.

Station 15: Jesus Christ is resurrected

We pause and remember thee, our Savior, Jesus Christ

For by thy sacrifice, we have been redeemed.

Consider that the physical suffering of Jesus Christ on the way to the cross would be incomplete without his resurrection. His triumph over death and hell for all the children of God was only finished when he showed us that when the suffering of life has concluded, all things become new and eternal life continues on.

Our Savior, may we have faith in your resurrection and the resurrection of all the children of God and may that faith guide us, through thy grace, to live our earthly lives with greater courage in discipleship, trusting in the restitution of all things.

May our hearts be at peace through thy infinite atonement.

Concluding Prayer

Holy Father, we have paused to remember and contemplate the Atonement of Thy Son, Jesus Christ. We remember his example and his teachings, which we pray with earnestness, we may have the faith and strength to follow. In our daily walk, we pray that thou would grant us the needed grace and mercy offered through His sacrifice and that we, in turn, might do so to all of our earthly family. We pray that this remembrance of such profound suffering might cause us to see with new eyes the infinite worth of each of thy children, including ourselves, and love one another as Thou and Thy Son, has loved us.

In his holy name, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, we pray. Amen.

David Habben is an illustrator, artist, and educator based in Utah. He's currently Area Head and Associate Professor in the Illustration program at Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah.

READ DAVID HABBEN’S REFLECTIONS ON HIS APPROACH TO THIS PROJECT

These drawings are created through the lens of both Christian discipleship and the long tradition of faith-based pilgrimage, which plays a significant role in many forms of religious worship throughout the world. Having been drawn to this concept through my own travels and research, I sought to find a way to incorporate the principles of experiential and contemplative worship into my own life. As an artist, the act of creating an image can incorporate that method and this is evidenced by the many artists that have followed a similar path before. I recognize and celebrate that I am able to be a part of this rich faith-focused tradition and hope that these drawings will mean as much to others as they have meant to me.

The process for these drawings centered around three core philosophies as they relate to my personal faith in Jesus Christ. Simplicity, Accessibility, and Inclusivity. They are core values within my testimony of the Risen Lord and were touchstones for me as I sought to create visual meditations of the suffering of the Savior. My Savior. Our Savior.

First, simplicity.

Despite the ongoing religious and philosophical debates within and around the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the core experience of Christ as recorded in the Bible is fairly simple. The account itself takes up a very small percentage of the overall text, as do the words of Christ himself. As he spoke of love, forgiveness, mercy, and obedience, his words were clear and direct, although he often used metaphors to illustrate his point. The lived application of his words and their eternal consequences and significance, however, are a different matter. To that end, I chose to make these drawings simple. Using minimal line work, abstract shapes, and focusing on the form of Christ, rather than the environment, I hope to draw our focus to Him and his experience.

The larger brush strokes were created using ink and brushes, as were the thinner details of the face, hands, and crown. Additional details were added using white colored pencil. The clothing and cross beam were created using stencils and aerosol paints. These were all applied to toned paper, with each color signifying different moments of the journey to crucifixion and finally resurrection. There is no adornment with jewels or precious metals, rather, each of the materials used are readily available and often easily dismissed. The aerosol paint even carries with it its own history of use in vandalism, rebellion, and theft. None of this is done to demean, in any way, the eternal sacrifice and suffering of Christ, rather it is meant as an indication that even the “least of these” is worthy of grace. Perhaps we can ask ourselves if an inexpensive material would bring us to contemplation of the Christ in the same way that more precious things can? For me, at this moment, it has.

Second, accessibility.

From the beginning, my goal in creating a Stations of the Cross series, was to make it accessible to as many people as possible. The Atonement of Christ applies to all the people of the world and in an effort to apply that thinking to my work, I’ve specifically chosen to make the series available to any one willing to provide space for it. While this may seem like a given, as all artists hope to have their work shared with a wide audience, it is particularly important to me that these are shared broadly.

This work is for me, a testimony. In my own faith practice as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the cultural idea of a testimony is predominantly a publicly spoken witness in scheduled meetings, though it is often espoused as something that can and should be shared in a variety of ways. To that end, this work also presents an opportunity to share my testimony of the Atonement of Christ, in a more accessible and unique way. Like many visually focused people, experiencing a message this way can be more impactful and memorable than other methods of communication. I also recognize that this method is not an option for some and not effective for others. My hope is that the accompanying meditations, heard or spoken, or the descriptions of the work themselves can also offer moments of contemplation to those who experience them.

Third, inclusivity.

Terms such as accessibility and inclusivity have been associated with many aspects of life and especially so in recent days as the political environment has become more divisive and contentious. I use these terms here purposefully, but also specifically, and hope that this work can help those who view it in ways that bring us to a more loving and gracious interpretation of them.

As acknowledged previously, the practice of Christian faith can and often does involve debate over what is considered right and wrong, true or false, even honest and deceptive. These works themselves offer no definitive answers to these questions, nor do I believe any one work of art could do so. However, my hope is that they allow the central message of the Atonement of Christ to resonate in our hearts and minds. In my belief, Jesus Christ suffered for all the children of God in order that they can learn, grow, and develop, in the ways that will bring us together, to be as one, with the Divine. No one was excluded from his teaching or is excluded from His Grace. He sought out people from all walks of life. Some were labeled sinners. Many titled themselves as righteous. I imagine that many more watched from the corners of the room and from the back of the crowd, hoping that they too may be included in the majestic love they saw unfolding before them. I imagine myself among them and bring this hope to my work. Like I imagine they would have done, I find myself in awe of the courage and strength demonstrated in the teaching of Christ: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. “This is the first and great commandment. “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

My hope is that this series of drawings, in their own way, perhaps from the back of the crowd, will testify of the simple, accessible, and inclusive, Atonement of Jesus Christ. That those who view and experience it will have a moment of contemplation to consider what He has suffered, that they might not suffer. With these considerations and my greatest hope for the grace we all need and have offered to us, I offer these simple meditations for each of the fifteen “stations” presented here.