The photos are of the Via Dolorosa and of the two possible sites of Golgotha and the Tomb of Jesus:\u00a0 <\/span>the Holy Sepulcher Church and the Garden Tomb.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Readings for Good Friday:<\/strong>\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span>Matthew 27:1-66, Mark 15:1-47, Luke 22:66-23:56, John 18:28-19:42<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Via Dolorosa means \u201cWay Of Suffering.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>It is the path Jesus walked from Pilate\u2019s palace to Calvary, and is traditionally marked by 14 stations, \u201cThe Stations Of the Cross.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>The path winds its way through the everyday sights, sounds, and smells of the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.\u00a0 <\/span>Of course, the actual street from the time of Jesus is no longer there.\u00a0 <\/span>However, the length of the walk is approximately the same, and there are historical connections to some of the stations along the way.\u00a0 <\/span>Christian pilgrims from all over the world retrace the steps of Jesus when they come to Jerusalem, stopping at each of the 14 stations to read, pray, and remember what Jesus endured along the \u201cWay Of Suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The First Station Of the Cross:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u201cJesus is condemned to death.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>The Antonio Fortress was where Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Notice that today this station shares the same space with a souvenir stand!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>An amazing juxtaposition of faith and culture!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>It testifies to the \u201cincarnation\u201d\u2014how spirit became flesh on this earth in Jesus; how eternity is manifested in the mundane things of life!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Fifth Station Of the Cross:\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cSimon of Cyrene carries the cross.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As I said, the Via Dolorosa winds its way through the everyday sights, sounds, and smells of the Muslim Quarter of the Old City!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n At several places along the Via Dolorosa, ancient Roman paving stones from the time of Christ do surface, evidence that a first century street did<\/em> exist here.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Hilmar Covenant tour group in June of 2006, stopping along the Via Dolorosa at the Sixth Station Of the Cross:\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cVeronica wipes the face of Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The order of service for \u201cThe Stations Of the Cross\u201d on Good Friday.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Holy Sepulcher Church is built over the most ancient and likely sites of Golgotha and the Tomb of Christ.\u00a0 <\/span>The Christian community of Jerusalem held worship services here until 66 AD, further evidence that this site is authentic.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Interior of the Holy Sepulcher Church<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Space around the Tomb of Christ.\u00a0 <\/span>The edge of the tomb can be seen on the right.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Steps leading up to the top of Calvary.\u00a0 <\/span>Because of all this stuff that is built up, over, and around the \u201cPlace of the Skull\u201d and the Tomb itself, it is rather difficult to imagine what the site really looked like before the church was constructed around it.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Inside one of the chapels of the Holy Sepulcher Church is an amazing artistic rendering of \u201cThe Stations of the Cross\u201d in metal.\u00a0 <\/span>All of the figures are similar to this one, very stylized and dramatic yet somewhat impressionistic.\u00a0 <\/span>Depicted here is the Eleventh Station Of the Cross:\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cJesus is nailed to the cross.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This 12th<\/sup> century mosaic of Jesus being nailed to the cross is above the altar of the first chapel on the top of Calvary.\u00a0 <\/span>This is the actual Eleventh Station Of the Cross.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Christians kneeling in homage to Jesus at the site of the crucifixion, the Twelfth Station Of the Cross:\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cJesus dies on the cross.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>The place where the cross was supposedly placed into the ground of Calvary itself is under the altar on the right.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The altar over Calvary.\u00a0 <\/span>The circular plate with a hole in it, in the center of the photo under the altar, is where you can put your hand down and touch the very top of Calvary.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A view of the rock of Calvary.\u00a0 <\/span>What would it look like if the entire church structure was removed from around it?!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is another possible location of Golgotha, the \u201cPlace of the Skull.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>You can see a very skull-like appearance in the rocky hillside.\u00a0 <\/span>This rugged face is next to the Garden Tomb (the other possible location of the Tomb of Jesus).\u00a0 <\/span>It is also next to the East Jerusalem bus stop!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Close-up of \u201cThe Skull.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Stone of Unction, where Jesus\u2019 body was prepared for burial.\u00a0 <\/span>It is immediately inside the entrance of the Holy Sepulcher Church.\u00a0 <\/span>Christian pilgrims venerate this site by kneeling in prayer, meditation, kissing the stone, and wiping cloths over it to take home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Tomb of Jesus is inside this shrine, known as the Edicule.\u00a0 <\/span>The tomb itself is the Fourteenth Station Of the Cross:\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cJesus is laid in the tomb.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>The edicule is supported by scaffolding on the outside due to earthquakes, and is not very attractive!\u00a0 <\/span>The dome that you saw in Wednesday\u2019s devotional is directly over the Tomb of Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The inside of the Tomb of Christ, where the body of Jesus was laid.\u00a0 <\/span>This is the holiest site in Christendom.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Garden Tomb, an alternate site of the Tomb of Jesus.\u00a0 <\/span>The quiet, natural, outdoor location make it a favorite for many Christians, especially because it is easier to imagine what might have occurred here, compared to the immense structure of the Holy Sepulcher Church.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The place where Jesus\u2019 body might have been laid to rest following the crucifixion.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2009\/03\/jerusalem-110.jpg\")
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