“The backdrop of someone as notorious for their cruelty as Pilate, throws the crowd’s baying for blood into sharp relief. Even Pilate could look reasonable in contrast to their pack-like instinct to destroy him.”

Paula Gooder reflects on The Fifth Station: Jesus judged by Pilate and leads today's prayers and reading.

Today's reading is Mark 15.14, 15.

"Peter got it right for once. He said he didn’t know him. He said he wasn’t with him. That was how we were all feeling. We didn’t know him. We weren’t with him anymore. We thought he would vindicate himself."

Stephen Cottrell reflects on the Fourth Station: Peter denies Jesus, and leads today's prayers and reading.

Today's reading is Mark 14.72.

"I'm not upset that you lied to me. I am upset that from now on I can't believe you."

Philip North reflects on the Third Station, Jesus condemned by the Sanhedrin, and leads today's prayers and reading.

Today's reading is Mark 14.55-64.

"Why a kiss? It seems a very odd way to betray someone. Couldn’t Judas simply have pointed at Jesus?"

Philip North reflects on the second Station, Jesus betrayed by Judas and arrested, with readings and prayers from Paula Gooder.

Today's reading is Mark 14.43–46.

"It is tempting to imagine that life was easy for Jesus: that so sure was he about who he was and who he was called to be that he faced suffering and death with calm and equanimity."

Paula Gooder reflects on the first Station of the Cross, Jesus in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, with readings and prayers from Stephen Cottrell.

Today's reading is Mark 14.32-36.

Join Philip North, Paula Gooder and Stephen Cottrell as they pray and reflect upon the 15 Biblical stations of the cross.

The Stations of the Cross have formed part of Christian devotion for many centuries because they offer a particularly vivid way of following in the steps of Jesus on the way to the Cross. In the earliest days of Christian pilgrimage, visitors to Jerusalem would walk the path from Pilate’s house to Calvary. In the late fourteenth century, the Franciscan protectors of the holy places in Jerusalem put up images at which people would pause, reflect and pray. Eventually, those pilgrims brought the practice of walking a path of images from Christ’s passion back to their home countries, and many churches have images of the traditional Stations of the Cross on their walls. If you can, do also try to look at the powerful images of the biblical stations by Nicholas Markell. These are featured in the book Walking the Way of the Cross and the posters that go with it, and they can also be found online.